After a hiatus of seven years, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has once again invited pianists Stephen Wong and Amy Sze to present a piano duo recital in early November as the finale of this year's "Hong Kong Artists" Series, showcasing to audiences their extraordinary skills and exceptional chemistry. The recital is one of the programmes of the 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival.
 
     In the first half of the concert, the duo will perform works for two pianos in different styles, including three pieces from Bach's cantatas (arranged by Leonard Duck), namely "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", "Sheep May Safely Graze" and "Sleepers, Wake!", as well as Dussek's "Sonata for Two Pianos in F, Op. 26" and Bolcom's "Recuerdos (Three Traditional Latin-American Dances) for Two Pianos". In the second half, Wong and Sze will present Schubert's "Fantasie in F minor, D. 940" for piano four hands, followed by Ravel's "Introduction and Allegro for Two Pianos" and Rachmaninov’s "Suite No. 2 for Two Pianos", concluding this musical journey on a high note.
 
     Wong was trained at the Royal College of Music in London, the United Kingdom, and received his Master of Music degree at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He has collaborated with the McGill Symphony Orchestra and Les Grand Ballet Canadiens de Montreal, and has performed at the Rome Chamber Music Festival in Italy and in many Asian locations. He has engaged in both solo and ensemble concerts, as well as collaborated with various musicians and choirs. Wong currently teaches at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong School of Professional and Continuing Education and the Education University of Hong Kong.
 
     Sze holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, where she was awarded the prestigious Performer's Certificate. Sze has also won many prizes and awards throughout her career and has performed at global engagements. As a concerto soloist, she has collaborated with the Texas Fort Worth Chamber Orchestra, the Eastman Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, among many others. She has also performed at major international festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival, the Cliburn Piano Institute, the Harbin Summer Music Festival, and the Salzburg Mozarteum Academy. She is currently a faculty member at the HKAPA, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of Hong Kong, and the HKBU, and has also been a member of the music advisory committee for the HKAPA, and St Paul's Co-educational College.

     The "Hong Kong Artists" Series: Piano Duo Recital by Stephen Wong and Amy Sze will be staged at 8pm on November 2 (Saturday) at the Theatre of Hong Kong City Hall. Tickets priced at $240 and $280 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_1704.html.
 
     The LCSD has launched the new "Hong Kong Artists" Series with an aim to provide a new platform for local artists to showcase their remarkable talent. In addition to individual performances, the series also encourages cross-genre works to highlight their unique styles. This year's series will first introduce six distinguished musicians in four stunning recitals, featuring the flute and bassoon, piano, and huqin, to bring enchanting music to the stage of Hong Kong City Hall and further enrich the diverse cultural ambience of the city. For more details, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/groups_1688.html.
 
     Hong Kong is the host city of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival for the first time this year. It organises and co-ordinates over 260 performances and exchange activities to be held across the "9+2" cities of the Greater Bay Area. The festival aims to showcase the vibrant and diverse cultural richness of the region and foster cultural exchange and co-operation among the cities. For detailed information about the festival, please visit www.gbacxlo.gov.hk.

Ends/Thursday, October 3, 2024
Issued at HKT 14:15

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