Media

2005 HKU Concert Series: Lantern Festival - The Han Tang Yuefu Ensemble

20 Oct 2005

 

A rare glimpse of intricate Taiwanese Nanguan music combined with the serenity of traditional Pear Garden dance movements

Lantern Festival
- The Han Tang Yuefu Ensemble -

Presented by the Department of Music, The University of Hong Kong
Tuesday 1 November 2005, 7:30pm
Loke Yew Hall, HKU
Tickets: $80 ($40 for full-time students, senior citizens and people with disabilities)
General Seating

Tickets available at HKU Hung Hing Ying Music Building
Limited tickets available at the door

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"I've always resisted the term spell-binding, but sometimes nothing else will do" – The New York Times

Artistic Director: CHEN Mei-o (Outstanding Asian Artist Award Winner)
Costume Designer: YIP Kam Tim (Oscar Best Art Design Winner)

Taiwan's Han Tang Yuefu Ensemble (HTYF) was founded in 1983 to perform Nanguan, an ancient form of music that originated in China's Fujian Province and was carried Taiwan around 1661. In preserving the essence of Nanguan, HTYF elaborated upon Liyuan Xi, the Musical Theatre of the Pear Garden which was a branch of southern music popular during the Song and Yuan dynasties (12th to 14th centuries).

Over the years, the troupe has created productions that are traditional in spirit but contemporary in form, wedding the deeply introverted and highly refined songs of Nanguan music with subtle modern movements inspired by the ancient tradition of Liyuan. The Han Tang Yuefu Ensemble has earned international acclaim and admiration at arts festivals around the world. Don't miss this rare appearance in Hong Kong!

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Programmes and artists subject to change

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Media Contact:
Ms. Sharon Lu, Concert Manager, Department of Music, HKU
Tel: 2241 5738, Fax: 2858 4933, e-mail: sharonlu@hku.hk.

ABOUT HKU CONCERT SERIES

Each year, the Department of Music at the University of Hong Kong stages a series of concerts on campus. Known as the HKU Concert Series, the Department presents an average of eight to ten concerts each semester. Outstanding performers from Hong Kong and from around the world are invited to share their talents and virtuosity with students and the community at large. Performances are aimed at promoting cross-cultural understanding and further a spirit of mutual cooperation.

Many evening concerts are held in the University's historic Loke Yew Hall (陸佑堂), formerly known as the Great Hall. It is located in the Main Building, the oldest structure on the University's main estate. Officially opened in 1912, it was Hong Kong's very first concert hall. Over the years, it has hosted countless ensembles, artists, and scholars including the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Kunqu master Yu (崑劇大師俞振飛), and Dr. Sun Yat-sen. During World War II, the hall served as a hospital, and today it is listed as a historic structure.

In addition to the evening concerts, the Department of Music also stages lunchtime concerts given by talented young musicians and students. These lunchtime concerts are held on the University campus, and are free to all staff, students, and members of the public. The lunchtime concerts are aimed at promoting a continued appreciation of music within the community whilst providing an ideal platform for young and emerging musicians to showcase their considerable talents.

In keeping with the University's mission to serve as a focal point of intellectual and academic endeavours in Hong Kong, China, and Asia, and act as a gateway for scholarship with the rest of the world, the HKU Concert Series is dedicated to bringing world-class artists to the community in support of this objective.