The HK Phil Will Embark on Mainland Tour With Long Yu, Paloma So, and Jian Wang

After the success of the recent Singapore and Europe tour, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra will embark on a massive Mainland tour spanning seven cities in May 2024. Led by HK Phil Principal Guest Conductor Long Yu, the orchestra will join hands with wunderkind violinist Paloma So and the acclaimed cellist Jian Wang, presenting an enticing East-meets-West programme.

 

The orchestra's forthcoming Mainland Tour will be held in Wuxi Grand Theatre on 8 May, Shanghai Oriental Art Center on 9 May, Wuhan Qintai Concert Hall on 11 May, Changsha Concert Hall on 12 May, Harbin Concert Hall on 15 May, Shenyang Shengjing Grand Theatre on 16 May and Beijing National Centre for the Performing Arts on 18 May. The tour is generously supported by the Beijing Office, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Wuhan, and the Liaoning Liaison Unit of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

 

Acclaimed violinist Paloma So will perform Chen Gang and He Zhanhao's Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto, a cherished work that blends elements of Chinese folk music with Western classical music. Celebrated cellist Jian Wang will captivate the audience with his solo performance for Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme, showcasing the composer's mastery in crafting graceful and elegant melodies.

 

Most concerts will open with selections from Yuankai Bao's Chinese Sights and Sounds, including “Flowing Stream”, “Going to West Gate” and “Dialogue on Flowers". This orchestral suite brilliantly depicts Chinese cultural traditions using traditional folk melodies. The concerts will culminate with either Dvořák's Symphony no. 9 or Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, both offering a rich and dynamic musical experience. The former intricately weaves together folk melodies from the composer's Czech homeland with the exuberant sounds of America. The latter is best known for its colourful orchestration, exotic melodies and vivid portrayal of Arabian tales from One Thousand and One Nights. Alongside the concerts, a series of education and outreach events will be held  to promote orchestral music to students and the community.

 

Currently 18-year-old, Paloma So is recognised by critics as a “rising star of the violin world”, while her playing is described as being “powerful, dramatic, and compelling… awfully good” by The Strad Magazine. At the age of 10, she won the Second Prize at the prestigious International Wieniawski Competition for Young Violinists in Lublin, Poland. In the following year, she went on to win the Gold Prize at the 8th International Violin Competition in Novosibirsk, Russia, as the youngest participant in the competition's history.

 

Praised by New York Concert Review as “brilliant, extremely musical, and sensitive” for his performance of Variations on a Rococo Theme, Jian Wang has collaborated with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, and the NHK Symphony Orchestra. Amongst his high-profile concerts in China, he has opened the seasons for the China Philharmonic, Shanghai Symphony, and Macao Orchestras. He recently graced the stages of the China National Symphony Orchestra and Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra.

 

Prior to the tour, Hong Kong audiences can take a sneak peek in the “Mainland Pre-Tour Concert: Mendelssohn Violin Concerto” concert on 3 May (Fri) at 8pm and “Mainland Pre-Tour Concert: Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto” on 4 May (Sat) at 8pm in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Tickets priced at HK$420, $340, $260, $180, and $50 (Friday only) are available at URBTIX. For enquiries, please call +852 2721 2332 or visit hkphil.org.

 

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