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The Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band (HKYSB) of the Music Office will perform with acclaimed local percussionist Luk Kin-bun to showcase an array of band favourites at its annual concert in May. Titled "Flying Dragon and Jumping Tiger", the concert will feature an animated and exciting programme with plenty of Chinese music.
Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, "Flying Dragon and Jumping Tiger - Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band Annual Concert" will be held at 7.30pm on May 18 (Saturday) at the Auditorium of Kwai Tsing Theatre. The band will perform under the batons of guest conductor John Cheng and Music Office instructors Pak Wing-heng, Lee Sing-wan, Chan Wing-sze and Au Wai-see.
The piece "Flying Dragon and Jumping Tiger" was composed by percussionist Li Minxiong for Chinese drums and a Chinese orchestra, and Carson Yu has arranged it for the symphonic band. With the rich flavour of folk music, the piece is given extra momentum by various Chinese drums.
At the concert, the Hong Kong Children's Symphonic Band and Junior Wind Trainees of the Music Office will also jointly present Lowell Rogers's "Beginner's Debut" with the HKYSB. John Cheng's arrangement of Austrian Composer Bruckner's "Te Deum" will also be performed.
Other programme highlights include So Ka-wai's "Four Supernatural Constellations"; "LAPUTA Castle in the Sky" composed by Joe Hisaishi and arranged by Kazuhiro Morita; and Richard Tsang's "Temple Rituals", arranged by Lee Cheng.
The HKYSB has successfully nurtured several generations of young musicians since its establishment in 1978 and currently has more than 70 members aged 12 to 25. The band has performed with distinguished guest musicians and bands in Hong Kong and overseas, including the Central Band of the United Kingdom Royal Air Force, the Tanunda Band of Australia, the Regimental Band of the Green Jackets, and youth bands in Canada, Japan, Australia, the Philippines and Singapore. The band has also performed under the baton of many noted conductors such as Bruce Pearson and Dr Vondis Miller from the United States, Eric Banks from the United Kingdom, Felix Hauswirth from Switzerland and Li Fang-fang from Beijing.
In 1986, the HKYSB made a highly successful concert tour of Japan and was invited to participate at the Fifth Pacific Basin Festival in Hawaii, USA in 1990. In 1993, the band visited Australia to perform concerts and undertake music exchanges. The band also participated in the 2001 Jeju Summer Band Festival organised by Jeju City in Korea. In 2008, the band was invited by the Kagoshima Prefectural Government of Japan to take part in a cultural exchange concert tour.
Tickets priced at $80, $60 and $40 for the concert are now available at all URBTIX outlets. Half-price concessions are available for full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 and above, people with disabilities and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. Credit card bookings can be made at 2111 5999, and Internet booking can be made at www.urbtix.hk.
For programme enquiries, please call 2796 1003 or 2582 5311 or visit the website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/MusicOffice/en/events_2013_03_18.php.
Ends/Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Issued at HKT 11:00
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