Youth orchestra embarks on Asian tour

The Hong Kong-headquartered Asian Youth Orchestra held a concert at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Sunday.

Under the baton of principal guest conductor Jader Bagnamini, the orchestra performed music works including George Gershwin's Suite Porgy and Bess, Ottorino Respighi's The Pines of Rome, Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

According to Keith Lau, CEO of the Asian Youth Orchestra, the concert at the NCPA is part of the orchestra's 2024 tour, which features over 100 talented young musicians from home and abroad.

Starting Aug 1, the orchestra embarked on a monthlong Asian tour along with solo cellists Alban Gerhardt and Wang Jian, performing 16 concerts in various cities, including Shenzhen in Guangdong province, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.

Founded in 1987, the Asian Youth Orchestra comprises members from various countries and regions across Asia, providing youth aspiring to a career in music with valuable global opportunities, said Lau.

According to the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Beijing Office, co-organizer of the NCPA concert, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre and Hong Kong Ballet will perform in Beijing from October to December.