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To showcase the young and flourishing choral music scene in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) staged a joint performance of the Hong Kong Children's Choir (HKCC) together with the Vörösmarty Girls' Choir Budapest on July 24 at the Szent László church in Budapest, Hungary. More than 60 guests attended the concert, which brought together young talents from Hong Kong and Budapest in Europe.
Welcoming the two choirs onstage, the Acting Director of HKETO Berlin, Mr Harry Lin, highlighted the HKCC's contribution to the versatile, cultural and cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong. "Founded in 1969, the HKCC has grown into a diversified arts organisation for children. The HKCC is one of the leading choirs in Hong Kong and we are very proud that they are invited to perform overseas each year," he said.
With its thriving creative community, Hong Kong is an ideal place for artistic expression and pursues the vision of becoming an international creative hub. The Government promotes participation in all aspects of cultural life. Among others, there are large-scale development projects such as the West Kowloon Cultural District and non-profit initiatives such as PMQ, a creative hub for local brands and talents that elevates the appreciation of the value created by design and innovation. Hong Kong accelerates the development of its vibrant cultural industries and provides space and inspiration for the next generation of artists, designers, musicians and filmmakers.
The HKCC has gained an international reputation as the "Little Goodwill Singing Ambassadors" and has been called "one of the best children's choirs in the world". The choir won the prestigious Award of the Audience at the Vivace 2006 International Choir Festival in Hungary. In 2008, the choir was awarded the Gold Cup at the Shanghai International Children's Chorus Festival, and in 2014 the HKCC was selected by the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) as one of the IFCM Ambassadors from 2013 to 2015.
Founded in 1991, the Vörösmarty Girls' Choir has been honoured with the Choir of the Year prize several times and, under the direction of Bálint Gyombolai, won the Golden III Diploma. Mr Gyombolai was awarded the Conductor Prize at the Budapest International Choir Competition in 2015.
Under the guidance of its Music Director and Principal Conductor, Kathy Fok, the HKCC selected a wide repertoire of songs including excerpts from "Bai Niang Niang", the first musical in Chinese, and the "Choriental Symphony", a medley of Asian tunes. The two choirs also performed the joint piece "Túrót eszik a cigány", by the Hungarian composer Kodály Zoltán.
The concert in Budapest was the first performance of the HKCC during its European summer tour. In Hungary, the HKCC is also participating at the music festival Europa Cantat XIX Pécs 2015 from July 25 to 28, and will stage two other performances in Kalocsa and Budapest from July 29 to 31. On August 2, the HKCC will perform in Salzburg Cathedral in Austria, followed by the last concert of its tour on August 5 in London, the United Kingdom.
About the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin
HKETO Berlin is the official Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government representative in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Hungary as well as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.
Ends/Monday, July 27, 2015
Issued at HKT 20:06
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