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The Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra (HKYCO) of the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will make its first visit to Taiwan from September 6 to 12. It will perform two concerts at the 2011 Contemporary Chinese Orchestra Festival in Changhua County, and will also go to Taipei and Taichung to share musical experiences with other young musicians.
Eighty members of the HKYCO will participate in the 2011 Contemporary Chinese Orchestra Festival, where outstanding musicians from the Mainland, Taiwan and other places will gather for musical and cultural exchange.
The tour delegation will be led by the Chief Music Officer, Dr Katherine Wong, together with conductors Tsui Ying-fai and Kwok Kin-ming. The HKYCO will perform several music programmes specially commissioned by the Music Office. These include Qian Zhaoxi's "Story of the Shell", inspired by a romantic love story in southern Zhejiang, and Liu Wen-jin's "Spring in the Gansu Province", which portrays the Yellow River in springtime and the joyful singing and dancing of the local people.
Xu Jingxin's "Flame-red Flowers in Full Bloom", an elegant tune written in a multi-movement structure that allows wind and plucked-string instruments to be played to their fullest extent, depicts the magnificent scenery of Jiangnan in springtime. Kwok Hang-kei's "The Night of the Torch Festival", evokes images of the people of southwest China celebrating the Torch Festival amidst much singing and dancing.
Other programme highlights are "Dance of the Yao People" and "Beautiful Clouds Chasing the Moon", re-arranged by Peng Xiuwen. The former vividly portrays the happiness of the Yao minorities during festivities and the latter conjures images of magnificent and beautiful night scenes.
Renowned erhu soloist Wen Jinlong of Taiwan will perform with the HKYCO on Su Wen-qing's "Swallow", a touching erhu concerto, at the Festival's two public concerts.
The HKYCO will also visit Taipei and Taichung to perform with the Taipei Youth Chinese Orchestra, the Taipei Liuqin Chamber Ensemble and the Da Chung Chinese Orchestra.
Since its establishment in 1978, the HKYCO has taken part in numerous local performances and major festivals, including the 47th National Day Celebration Concert, the 1997 Reunification Spectacular and the "Music of the Dragons" concert in 2002. To foster international cultural exchange, they have also toured and performed in Singapore, Malaysia, England, France, Australia, USA, Canada, Israel and Beijing, Xian, Nanjing, Wuxi and Jiangyin in Mainland China.
Ends/Friday, September 2, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:44
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