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Two concerts featuring the world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma will be staged in March in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Hong Kong City Hall. The first concert, "Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Yo-Yo Ma", will be staged on March 2, while the second concert, "The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma", will be presented on March 3. Tickets for both concerts will go on sale on January 19 (Thursday). Please note that each patron can purchase up to six tickets for the concert "Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Yo-Yo Ma" per transaction on the first counter booking day.
On March 2, the day marking Hong Kong City Hall's 50th anniversary, Yo-Yo Ma will make a rare concerto appearance with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Lan Shui. The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the first professional symphony orchestra in Hong Kong, which has been giving concerts regularly since the opening of Hong Kong City Hall, is an apt partner in this birthday concert. The programme will feature Brahms' "Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80", Yanov-Yanovsky's "Night Music: Voices in the Leaves", Prokofiev's "Symphony No. 1 in D, Op. 25, 'Classical'" and Schumann's "Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op. 129". Ma will participate in performing Yanov-Yanovsky's piece and will be the cello soloist in Schumann's "Cello Concerto".
"The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma" will be staged on March 3. The programme will feature "Silk Road Suite" and the world premiere of Yanov-Yanovsky's "Kasida" for kamancheh and cello (with performance by Ma and Kayhan Kalhor from Iran). There will also be works by prominent contemporary composers including Kalhor, Giovanni Sollima from Italy and Sandeep Das from India. The Silk Road Ensemble is part of the Silk Road Project, which Ma founded in 1998. The Silk Road Ensemble is a collective of musicians, composers and performing artists from more than 20 countries around the world. In sharing traditions from various cultures, the Ensemble develops and performs new music and multimedia pieces, exploring and expanding contemporary musical crossroads. The Silk Road Ensemble has performed to critical acclaim throughout Asia, Europe and North America. The Ensemble's most recent recording, "Off the Map", was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album in 2011.
Details of the two concerts are as follows:
"Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Yo-Yo Ma"
March 2 (Friday), 8pm; Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $1,600, $1,200, $800, $380
"The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma"
March 3 (Saturday), 8pm; Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Ticket prices: $880, $660, $440, $220
Tickets will be available from January 19 at all URBTIX outlets, on the Internet and by telephone credit card booking. Please note that each patron can purchase up to six tickets for the concert "Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Yo-Yo Ma" per transaction on the first counter booking day. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for full-time students and CSSA recipients available on a first-come, first-served basis).
For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7321, or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/00000334.html . For ticketing enquiries, please call 2734 9009. For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999. For Internet bookings, please visit www.urbtix.hk .
Ends/Monday, January 16, 2012
Issued at HKT 13:31
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