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HKU MUSE Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Bach, Beethoven, and Schubert Cycles
Reminiscing a Decade of Music Offerings at the University of Hong Kong

HKU MUSE Concert Series raises the curtains of its tenth season with a star-studded programme line-up at the Grand Hall, including Gavriel Lipkind, Paul Lewis, Isabelle Faust, Alexander Melnikov, Konstantin Lifschitz, Alexei Volodin, Daishin Kashimoto, Alessio Bax, and Nobuyuki Tsujii. Tickets are available at Art-mate.net. 

STELLAR ARTIST LINE-UP FOR 'MUSE AT 10' CELEBRATION: Spring 2023 Programme Highlights

• Israeli cello superstar Gavriel Lipkind performs in 2 concerts the complete set of Bach Cello Suites, a cornerstone masterpiece he holds dear to his heart (18-19 Feb);
• 'Arguably the finest Schubert interpreter of his generation' (Gramophone), pianist Paul Lewis returns to present the first 2 concerts of his 4-part Schubert Piano Sonatas cycle (24-25 Feb);
• Paganini Competition winner Isabelle Faust and pianist Alexander Melnikov bring us all of Beethoven's 10 Sonatas for Violin and Piano in 3 concerts  (31 Mar-2 Apr)
• Following the highly acclaimed recital marathon of the complete Beethoven 32 piano sonatas, Konstantin Lifschitz will join forces with Alexei Volodin to adorn the hall with an assortment of Russian pianistic gems by Medtner, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich (14-16 Apr);
• Daishin Kashimoto, the First Concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic since 2009, will be accompanied by Gramophone 'Editor's Choice' pianist Alessio Bax in 3 sonatas by Mozart, Brahms, and Prokofiev (14 May);
• The ever-motivating pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii returns, this time in a recital, presenting classics by Beethoven, Liszt, and Ravel, as well as Ukrainian composer Nicolai Kapustin's Eight Concert Etudes (10  Jun).

>> Enjoy up to 40% discount by booking multiple concerts: https://bit.ly/3Q3mnmH

FROM MUSINGS TO OUTSTANDING MUSIC-MAKING: HKU MUSE's Unique Cultural Footprints
It all began with a muse, an idea, a conceptual seed, to deepen and further Hong Kong's music offerings. As a key part of HKU's Centennial Campus expansion in 2013, the Grand Hall was constructed with astounding acoustics and world-class interior structures that immediately called for a reputable cultural programme to be showcased under the new spotlights. The challenge was apparent: can the new facility offer alternative insights and new inspirations for the HKU community and beyond? With the strong partnership between the University's Department of Music and the then newly formed Cultural Management Office, HKU MUSE (My University Spotlight Encounters) Series was thus born with a mission to reinforce HKU's standing as a pioneer of knowledge and a leading cultural hub of Asia and beyond. Today, HKU MUSE and the Grand Hall have become a significant cultural hallmark in Hong Kong with a rising international reputation, collaborating with the world's top-tier musicians and scholars and serving as a brilliant platform for knowledge exchange.

"In the last 10 years, MUSE has amused, bemused and confused the standard practices in concert presentations, bringing new ideas and energies to the cultural offering in Hong Kong. In doing so, it has raised the University as a major force in cultural leadership, and as a cultural hub for the HKU community and friends. Most of all, MUSE has been a muse for many: inspiring us to explore, create, and think more deeply. MUSE has made the Grand Hall, with its astounding acoustics, a cultural home, a cultural lab, and a living room that lives and breathes live music anew. There are many amazing moments that will always be treasured by our audiences. What's your unforgettable MUSE moment? That's why we are here - to make the invaluable possible. So as we celebrate 10 years of MUSE, be a muse for us in whatever way you can to encourage for years to come." — Prof. Daniel Chua (2022/2023 Season)

10 YEARS OF INSPIRATIONS, 10 MUSICAL SPOTLIGHTS

Since its conception in 2013, MUSE has presented debuts, commissioned works, and engaged with countless musicians and scholars—all have been handpicked to encourage deeper thinking and appreciation of music, in the brilliant acoustics of the Grand Hall. With a strong focus on the intellectual enrichment through music, the unique positioning of MUSE concert programmes draws a balance between featuring international musicians and HKU's homegrown stars. Thanks to its strong partnership with the Department of Music, MUSE regularly premieres new composition and research works by HKU students, research fellows, and alumni. From the house programme notes to performances on stage, MUSE has carefully curated and maximised the exposure of HKU's academic scholarship and original compositions, thereby connecting the alumni and friends in a network for mutual-inspiration.

Over the past decade, MUSE has continued to breathe in new synergy into conventional concert programming while upholding its intellectual influence at the core. Below are 10 spotlights that highlight MUSE's original approach in curation:

• Many HK Debuts and New Formations, such as Berliner Barock Solisten, Khatia Buniatishvili, Jeremy Denk, Van Cliburn winner Yunchan Lim, Gavriel Lipkind, Jan Lisiecki, Nobuyuki Tsujii, Zhu Xiao-mei, as well as the formation of Hong Kong's LENK Quartet and the inauguration concert of new choir, NOĒMA;
• Many Returning Stars and Friends gracing our stage with distinctive programmes over the years, such as Kitty Cheung, Alison Lau, Nancy Loo, YuanPu Chiao, Angela Hewitt, Paul Lewis, Konstantin Lifschitz, Jean Rondeau, and the Takacs Quartet;
• Many In-Depth Explorations on monumental works with well-researched literature and discussions with scholars and artists, such as the complete cycle of Beethoven Piano Sonatas and Violin Sonatas, Bartók String Quartets, Bach Well-Tempered Clavier, Schubert Piano Sonatas, Bach Cello Suites, Schubert Song Cycles, and Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time;
• Many Innovative Outputs spearheaded and managed by HKU's team, such as the release of Konstantin Lifschitz's Grand Hall recordings of 'Beethoven 32 Sonatas' in 10-CD boxsets and 500 worldwide limited 17-LP (180g 12" vinyl, DMM by Stockfisch) boxsets with Alpha Classics, the publishing of the HKU MUSE x Oxford University Press book In Time with the Late Style by Prof. Leo Ou-fan Lee and Prof. Henry Shiu, and the launch of HKU MUSE Podcasts and their accompanying Spotify playlists;
• Many New Series and Diverse Genres, such as the 'Around Twilight Lecture-Demonstrations' for Hong Kong young talents to demonstrate and discuss masterpieces written for their chosen instruments, the 'Orchestral Spotlights' series showcasing the HK Phil players one section at a time, and many lecture-recitals, choral presentations, jazz concerts, and book talks by author-performers such as Ian Bostridge, Edward Dusinberre, and Steven Isserlis;
• Many Meaningful 'Music in Words' Conversations to connect the stall and the stage. The Belcea Quartet, Chiaroscuro Quartet, Ian Bostridge, David Greilsammer, Angela Hewitt, Steven Isserlis, Juilliard String Quartet, Evgeny Kissin, Lang Lang, Paul Lewis, Konstantin Lifschitz, Jan Lisiecki, Bruce Liu, Sir Roger Norrington, Oliver Schnyder Trio, Krzysztof Penderecki, Jaap van Zweden, and many more, have shared their insights as performers and provided alternative perspectives for learning and appreciation;
• Many Boundary-Blending Music-Making through interdisciplinary collaborations, such as 'Ink Art × New Music' Creative Exchange Project, 'Listening Between the Lines' Literature x Music Series, 'Still Point' Project on T.S. Eliot's poems Four Quartets, Harpsichord × Zheng improvisations, and Balinese Gamelan × New Music, just to name a few;
• Many New Compositions presented by professional musicians, all commissioned from HKU composers such as HoHei Au, David Chan, Chan Hing-yan, Joshua Chan, Sze-Rok Chan, Daniel Lo, Joyce Tang, Peter Tang, Kiko Shao, and Jing Wang;
• Many Cherished Student Engagement Opportunities available via the MUSE platform, such as graduate students in musicology writing programme notes, undergraduates taking performance and composition workshops, student musicians performing alongside world-class musicians, and arts administration students gaining practical experience behind the scenes;
• Many Amazing Moments Treasured by Our Audiences, such as Q&A with favourite artists, annual Messiah Sing-Along, open rehearsals, and the launch of HKU's first public piano hand-painted by HKU students and enjoyed by all.

RESPONDING TO OUR TIMES: Musings for HKU MUSE's Next 10
HKU MUSE is a culturally-informed and academically-supported concert series that responds to our times, as well as the changing needs of the HKU community and beyond. In times of adversities, HKU MUSE has strived to instil hope and provide solace through programme offerings that resonate with humanity: For the End of Time: 80 Years of the Messiaen Quartet and Toward the Still Point: QU4RTETS for Ground Zero both offer a reflective moment on darker chapters of history to rethink humanity. Within the concert offerings, HKU MUSE also seeks to provide a humanistic lens for appreciation: the Music in Words conversations close in the boundaries between the performers and the audience, and the many interdisciplinary projects both highlight the scholarship of HKU and encourage audiences to innovate and discover with us.

We are immensely grateful for the participation of everyone, inside and outside of the Grand Hall, who have supported HKU MUSE in every possible way throughout the past 10 years. In the upcoming decade and onwards, HKU MUSE will continue to drive music programming to new adventures, to nurture a more liberal-minded audienceship, and to endow its community with the wisdom of humanity traverse through adversities, and to be a source of inspiration for all.

"We often forget that education is not just taught, but caught. And often innovative high-level programming can have more impact and more inspiration on a student than the average lecture. A life-long passion for the arts is really important, because actually it translates into our life-long passion for humanity, for the humanity's meaning, and for its values. Now, how important is that."  — Prof. Daniel Chua (2012/2013 Season)

Additional details can be found at www.muse.hku.hk

Photos Download: https://bit.ly/3ZgQcEQ

Media Enquiries
June LUI, Senior Manager, at junelch@hku.hk or 3917 7753