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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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    HKAPA, Swire launch Greater Bay Area youth orchestra

    The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) proudly celebrated the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR at the HKSAR 25th Anniversary Celebration Concert with the generous support from the Swire Group. The Academy, in partnership with the Swire Group, also announced the founding of the Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra – a pioneering youth initiative to foster cultural exchange across the region.

    Established and directed by HKAPA, with the support of the Swire Group as Founding Patron, the Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra aspires to be one of the finest youth orchestras in Asia. It will aim to raise the standard of classical performances in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to new heights, by bringing together talented young musicians from across the region for professional training under the auspices of HKAPA, as well as offering opportunities for performance and cultural exchange. Commencing this autumn, 2022, the Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra will begin to enrol its first intake of around 80-100 young musicians aged between 16 and 24 years from Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Macau.

    “As an internationally recognised conservatoire, HKAPA is committed to promoting Hong Kong as a global centre of excellence for the arts and cultural exchange,” said HKAPA Director, Professor Gillian Choa. “It therefore gives me great pleasure, in partnership with Swire Group, to announce the formation of the Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra – a unique opportunity to nurture talented young musicians from cities around the GBA, enabling them to develop to their fullest potential. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the HKSAR Government for its commitment to the arts and unfaltering support for HKAPA over the years. My thanks also go to the Swire Group for their sponsorship of tonight’s very special concert, combining the talents of various music institutes around the GBA in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR.”

    “Swire is delighted to be Founding Patron of the Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra,” said Guy Bradley, Chairman of John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Limited. “We are very excited by the potential offered by this new initiative to promote Hong Kong as Asia’s city of culture and creativity and we hope that through music, we can encourage the development of closer connections between young people from all parts of the Greater Bay Area.”

    “The Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra will provide a platform for talented young orchestral players from our neighbouring cities to share their passion for music,” said Professor Sharon Andrea Choa, HKAPA’s Head of Conducting and Cultural Leadership (Music). “Our aim is to enrich the artistic visions of our younger generation, enabling them to see their future beyond geographic or cultural boundaries.”

    “The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Presents: HKSAR 25th Anniversary Celebration Concert” programme included three contrasting works performed by the Academy Symphony Orchestra: Dai Pai Dong, an award-winning work inspired by the unique Hong Kong culinary culture; guzheng concerto Rushi; and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy in C minor, Op.80, with the Academy Choir. Xinghai Conservatory of Music, the Macao Youth Symphony Orchestra Association and the Shenzhen Arts School also provided special video performances for tonight’s programme. Guest conductors included Maestros, Lio Kuokman and Lin Daye.

    To celebrate the HKSAR’s 25th anniversary, some tickets for the concert were distributed free to members of the public and the concert was also livestreamed on the HKAPA website and on RTHK TV32 for audiences in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland to enjoy the performances of talented musicians from the region. A video of the occasion will also be made available online; please stay tuned to the Academy website and social media channels for updates.