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Message From The Artistic Director
There is “joy” in the word “enjoy”.
As the decades pass, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra continues to enrich our city with the musical elegance of silk and bamboo. Entering our 49th season, we embrace “joy”, aspiring to express serenity and generate rapport through music, weaving musical threads that connect past and present, bridging Chinese and global cultures while offering enjoyment
through the arts.
Our opening work,
Silken Notes of the Pipa, is among the projects supported by the National Arts Fund in 2025. This work features four- and five-stringed pipas, the Japanese biwa and oud as they depict a sonic tapestry spanning the Silk Road across millennia. Diverse soundscapes echo the distant call of ancestral lands, captivating the joys and wisdom garnered
by the confluence of Eastern and Western civilisations.
Another significant highlight of the season is the
Endless Sheng – International Sheng and Reeds Festival that integrates
music, academic panels and cultural exploration, fostering a profound dialogue between Chinese and Western arts and
establishing a new chapter in “musical diplomacy” for Hong Kong. In spring 2026, sheng enthusiasts from Hong Kong,
mainland China and overseas gather in person and online in an unprecedented
Endless Sheng, Thousand Reeds in
Harmony marathon at Kai Tak Sports Park. This will be followed by an international symposium, a Chinese sheng
competition and other special events. The grand finale, Thousand Reeds, One Universe, will take place in September 2026,
featuring the world’s top sheng virtuosos.
Our own virtuosos interpret the essence of “joy” with masterful artistry in
An Evening with HKCO Principals. Erhu soloist
Xu Hui evokes the tender charm of idyllic water towns in Strings of Jiangnan, while pipa principal Zhang Ying traverses from
the northern highlands to Latin America, showcasing the pipa’s versatility in blending strength and grace across continents.
One Hundred Chinese Music Classics Select VI and
Peng Xiuwen 95th Anniversary Concert pay tribute to our
predecessors as we continue their legacy. In our
Music About China series, I will present
Rhapsody of String Puppets,
composed at the invitation of the Shaanxi Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra featuring virtuoso Wang Kun, whose remarkable
skill in playing seven instruments fuses traditional operatic artistry with contemporary Chinese music.
In addition, the signature
Hong Kong Drum Festival unleashes thunderous energy,
The Allure of Tradition traces the
historical roots of Chinese music, while
Hong Kong Cinematic Odyssey: Wu Kong and The Last Dance — in collaboration
with composer and erhu artist Chu Wan Pin—reinterprets award-winning films through Chinese music. Renowned
musicians from around the world, including conductors Pang Kapang and Jin Ye, percussionist Wang Jianhua, pipa virtuoso
Zhang Qiang, saxophonist Christian Wirth and Korea’s Little Angels drum troupe will join the orchestra, taking audiences
by the hand to explore our beautiful universe.
Chinese music thrives as it passes from one generation to another. Since launching the
International Chinese Music
Conducting Competition in 2011, the orchestra has held four editions, nurturing numerous talented young conductors.
This season, laureates Liao Yuan-Yu and Huang Wei-Chieh (winners of the 3rd and 4th competitions) will shine in
Champions in Concert. The fifth edition, co-hosted with the Wuxi Chinese Orchestra, will offer more young conductors their
star turn. Meanwhile,
Cadenzas of Hong Kong and
Music from the Heart continue to inspire young composers, fostering
the future voices of Chinese music.
Following triumphant tours in Beijing and Tianjin in June, the HKCO travels to Dunhuang in September, resonating
with the ancient melodies of the Silk Road in orchestral style. In October, we travel to South Korea for “Hong Kong
Week 2025 @ Seoul”, collaborating with local artists to promote Sino-Korean cultural exchange and share the beauty
of Chinese music. In December, we return to the Greater Bay Area, concluding the year with a spectacular performance
in Guangzhou.
The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra remains steadfast in its mission to be “rooted in tradition and dedicated to innovation”.
We aspire to enrich the city’s spirit through music and reach deep into people’s hearts through art, making Chinese music
a vibrant, joyful cornerstone of Hong Kong’s cultural landscape.
Yan Huichang
Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for Life
25 July 2025
