The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra was founded in 1977 by the former Urban Council of Hong Kong. Between January 2000 and March 2001, it was funded and managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It came under the management of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra Limited in April 2001. As Hong Kong's only professional Chinese orchestra, it entered its 27th season in September 2003. Under the leadership of Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Yan Huichang, the Orchestra has been undertaking the mission of promoting Chinese music.
Its performance format and repertoire reflect its Chinese cultural roots. Since its inception, the Orchestra has commissioned over 1,500 original compositions and arrangements. In October 2002, the Orchestra was awarded for "The Most Outstanding Achievement in Advancing Contemporary Chinese Music" by the ISCM World Music Days 2002 Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra is united in its commitment to offering excellence in Chinese music. With a contemporary momentum and a professional spirit, we aim to strive for the peak in music and attain the status of a world-class orchestra that is the pride of Hong Kong people.
The Orchestra has four sections: bowed-strings, plucked-strings, wind and percussion, which incorporate traditional and modernized Chinese instruments as well as suitable western instruments. The Orchestra has expanded rapidly during the last 26 years.
The orchestra has made phenomenal efforts in promoting Chinese music via various ways. The Orchestra has given over 2,000 performances to date. It also goes on regular overseas tours, having performed in Australia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Mainland China,Taiwan, Macao, Canada, the United States, Holland, Austria, Germany and the United of Kingdom.
The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra Development Fund was set up in August 2002, with the purpose of seeking long-term financial support for the development of the Orchestra, and to organize activities and projects geared to the promotion of Chinese music. In January 2003, the Junior Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra was inaugurated to provide opportunities for the growth of a new generation of audience in Chinese music.
In February 1997, the Orchestra organized an international conference on the development of Chinese music, entitled "Retrospect and Development of Modern Chinese Orchestra". Experts and scholars attending came from Hong Kong, China and overseas. Many enlightening views were raised on the occasion. In March 2000, the Orchestra organized two epoch-making events, the International Competition for Chinese Orchestral Composition 2000 and the Chinese Orchestra Composition Symposium. It was the first time that different layouts for the orchestra were carried out to experiment the acoustic effect on a work, and the unprecedented move took Chinese music developments to new heights. In March 2003, a seminar series was held, entitled "On the Ecology of Chinese Music in a Modern Environment and Its Future Developments". It was one of the activities of the worldwide poll for Golden Chinese Classics of the Century. Keynote speakers came from all over the world, and there were demonstration sessions on improved instruments and also discussion sessions.
The Orchestra has also released a number of recordings, among which the most famous ones include The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to Lhasa, Moonlight over Spring River, and Lady General Mu Guiying Leads Her Army to War etc.
Website: www.hkco.org
Address: 7/F, Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building, 345 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong.
Tel: (00852) 3185 1600
Fax: (00852) 2815 5615
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