Cultural Presentations
Two special projects were organised in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR): the International Military Tattoo and a concert series by the Berliner Philharmoniker. The tattoo brought together 11 visiting and local groups with over 1 100 performers, including the Military Band of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the Military Band of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, the Guard of Honour of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the Guard of Honour of the Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, The Central Military Band of the General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces, as well as several world-class military bands from Europe, the United States of America (USA) and Asia, joined by the Hong Kong Police Band and the Hong Kong Association of Choral Societies. Audiences responded enthusiastically to the three performances, which were supplemented by pre-performance meet-the-band sessions, a two-day free outdoor carnival, a community concert and a roving exhibition.
The LCSD also presented a concert series by the world-renowned Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of its Artistic Director Sir Simon Rattle and with Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho. The concerts were part of the orchestra’s final Asia tour under Sir Simon Rattle, who has been their Chief Conductor for over 15 years. The two ticketed concerts held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre were in high demand, and sold out very quickly. Live relays of the concerts were also arranged, with free feeds sent to the Piazza of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Sha Tin Park, and the Yuen Long Theatre Auditorium, while radio, television and website broadcasts of the concerts went around the globe. Both these special projects drew major media and critical attention, helping to further cement Hong Kong’s reputation as Asia’s events capital.
As for dance programmes, two dance companies were specially invited to present programmes in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the HKSAR: Compañía Eva Yerbabuena from Spain staged Apariencias, while The National Ballet of China performed Giselle and Ballet Gala. In other dance programmes, leading contemporary dance company Nederlands Dans Theater 1 performed its acclaimed dance pieces to packed houses, and celebrated American choreographer Alonzo King and his dance group Alonzo King LINES Ballet staged The Propelled Heart in collaboration with Grammy Award winning vocalist Lisa Fischer.
In the field of multi-arts, once again the annual Cheers! Series delivered family programmes to Hong Kong audiences over Christmas and New Year. Also in the year, a new programme series called From Puppets to Humans was launched. Featuring Clowns’ Houses by Merlin Puppet Theatre from Germany and CELL by Smoking Apples and Dogfish from the United Kingdom (UK), the series was designed to stimulate a wider interest in puppetry among adult audiences. One highlight of the theatre programme was the presentation of NINAGAWA Macbeth, the classic of the late Japanese theatre director Yukio Ninagawa, honoured as ‘the world’s Ninagawa’. This production of astonishing visual bravura and outstanding artistic merit won critical acclaim and received a standing ovation at the three sold-out performances.
The Music Delight Series continued to present a variety of programmes especially for youth audiences at various New Territories venues. In 2017-18, the series hosted Salut Salon, an all-women German quartet, and Janoska Ensemble, an amusing string ensemble from Slovakia.
The Jazz Up Series was re-launched in 2017-18, aimed at meeting demand from aficionados and building new audiences. The series comprised a lecture demonstration series and two programmes in different jazz styles: The Meridian Suite by Antonio Sanchez and his band Migration, and Departure, jointly curated by local musician Teriver Cheung and Chok Kerong from Singapore.
The LCSD includes performances of local artists and arts groups in many of its programme series, including Dance On, which presents new dance pieces by choreographers in the middle stages of their careers, and New Force in Motion, a platform for emerging choreographers. Its City Hall Virtuosi Series supports local established musicians and ensembles by providing them with new performance platforms. Similarly, the Playwright Scheme supports young and distinguished playwrights, while Our Music Talents Series showcases local emerging musical artists. In January 2018, the chamber opera Ghost Love, adapted from the Chinese novella of the same title by Xu Xu with a libretto by Yi Heng, was staged. This new production was composed by Chan Hing-yan, conducted by Lio Kuokman, and performed by local musicians.
The LCSD collaborates with Consulates-General and cultural organisations on cultural exchange programmes, including Le French May Arts Festival. In 2017-18, the LCSD sponsored venue and ticketing services for the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hong Kong in presenting concerts by the Korean Chamber Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. It also collaborated with the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong in staging a brass band concert by the National Band of New Zealand, which included a traditional dance performance by an Aotearoa Māori group. Further, the LCSD sponsored venue and ticketing services for the Vienna Boys Choir Music Academy Foundation for its finale concert The Ultimate Viennese Concert in the Hong Kong-Vienna Music Festival.
