Off the wire
• UAE says Arab coalition vows to continue anti-Houthi mission in Yemen  • Swedish court raises prison sentence of man convicted of sexual assault  • South Africa extends troop deployment on DRC peace mission  • French shares gain 1.12 pct  • 2nd LD-Writethru: French police seize weapons near military base, arrest former soldier  • 1st LD: French police seize weapons near military base, arrest former soldier  • German shares gain 0.55 pct  • News Analysis: Italy's struggling Alitalia airline has back to wall again, fewer options than ever  • Oxfam launches campaign for 4.5 million poverty-stricken Italians  • Slovakia plans to open three highway sections in 2017  
You are here: 　 Home

Interview: Debut of philharmonic orchestra in Sydney showcases artistic side of Hong Kong

Xinhua, May 5, 2017 Adjust font size:

China's Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has performed for the first time at Australia's iconic Sydney Opera House on Friday evening, on the final stop of their tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Over 2,000 distinguished guests were on hand to welcome the performance and its world renowned conductor, Jaap van Zweden.

"I think it is the actually the most iconic building in the world, forget just the arts, of any kind of building it is the most iconic and it's a privilege for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra to be able to play here. We are delighted," Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Michael MacLeod told Xinhua Friday.

Coming off concerts in Seoul, Osaka, Singapore and Melbourne, Macleod explained the efforts that go into executing a performance like Sydney.

"It's not just the night, we are preparing for the whole tour," Macleod said.

"It needs a number of days rehearsal in Hong Kong and then we have to pack up all the instruments and get the orchestra on flights on the right day etc. and hope that nothing goes wrong because there are many, many moving parts and here we are on our final destination for the tour and nothing has gone wrong."

"It's been a huge success, with standing ovations and very, very warm audiences."

Lovers of classical music in the Chinese mainland will also have their chance to witness the orchestra.

"Later in the year we are going to play in Beijing, it's the 20th anniversary of HKSAR, 20th anniversary of the Beijing Music Festival and 50th anniversary of the Salzburg Easter Festival, founded by one of the greatest conductors of all time -- Herbert von Karajan," Macleod said.

Macleod added that although it was a pleasure to play in Sydney, the thrill of performing in the Chinese mainland would be tremendous.

"The Chinese audiences are becoming more and more aware of great western orchestral music and we are finding the receptions we get, bigger and better all the time."

Although the HKSAR is mostly known for its thriving economic sector, as a hub for international trade and finance, Macleod said he hoped the tour would showcase a more artistic side of the region.

"We get around the world, playing great music conducted by our music director who is now one of the great conductors of our time (Jaap van Zweden)," Macleod said.

"He's just been appointed director on the New York Philharmonic and he's not leaving us to join them, he's going to do them both concurrently."

"So it's very exciting times for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra," he said. Endit