An Evening with Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra

One of the world’s top Chinese orchestras, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (HKCO) returns to the Esplanade Concert Hall to herald the arrival of spring.

Led by its world-renowned Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for Life, Yan Huichang, a Singapore Cultural Medallion recipient, the orchestra presents a joyous evening that begins with the jubilance of The Chorale of Spring, celebrating the arrival of Chinese New Year and depicts the grand celebrations enjoyed by households from all over the world. This is followed by excerpts from Maestro Peng Xiuwen’s pleasantly idyllic Suite Twelve Months. The rest of the evening features acclaimed composer Zhao Jiping’s Pipa Concerto No. 2 with soloist Zhang Ying (pipa); Wang I-Yu's Reeds featuring Chen Yi-wei (sheng) and Jonathan Scott (organ), and ends off with Tan Dun’s Northwest Suite No. 1.

Founded in 1977, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra has won the accolades as “a leader in Chinese ethnic music” and “a cultural ambassador of Hong Kong”. It is often invited to perform at famous venues and festivals all over the world, having performed in Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and the Arctic Circle to date. The Orchestra is set up in four sections: bowed-strings, plucked-strings, wind and percussion. In particular, the bowed-string section has been using the Eco-Huqin series developed by the Orchestra since 2009. The HKCO performs both traditional Chinese music and contemporary full-length works, which includes commissioning over 2,400 new works to date.