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A cross-cultural collaboration between
The Song Company of Australia & Chinese Music Virtuosi of Hong Kong
Presented by the Department of Music, The University of Hong Kong
Thursday 2 November 2006, 7:30pm
Loke Yew Hall, HKU
FREE ADMISSION
No tickets required. Seats are limited - first come, first served.
Enquiries: 2859-7045, http://www.hku.hk/music/concerts
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
A musical journey through ancient China dealing with the eternal questions of life and death, nature and civilization. Based on the lives of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove," a legendary group of poets, musicians, and philosophers who masked their often rebellious views behind poetic freedom and drunken revelry, this work is about resistance, executions, music, nature, and above all, wine.
Six Hermits (六隱士)
Initially conceived in 2000 by The Song Company's Artistic Director, Roland Peelman, and Hong Kong composer, Chan Hing-yan, Six Hermits evolved into an international collaboration between The Song Company from Australia, Hong Kong's Chinese Music Virtuosi, and seven composers from Europe, Asia, North America, and the Pacific region. Drawing on the lives of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove," the work portrays the antics and musings of six of these legendary Chinese figures. Six Hermits was premiered at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in October 2002, and was later featured at the Melbourne Festival. Coming to Hong Kong for the first time, the work has been described as "a substantial and sometimes bemusing musical statement, covering a gamut of emotions and styles from tongue-in-cheek parody to intense contemplation."
PERFORMERS
The Song Company (歌樂坊)
Since its inception in 1984, The Song Company has developed into one of the most outstanding vocal ensembles in the world. Under the leadership of Roland Peelman, Artistic Director since 1990, the six-voice ensemble has developed a unique style by successfully integrating serious scholarship, tonal beauty, vocal daring, and unbridled performance dynamics. The group has a wide repertoire ranging from medieval songs and chants to twentieth-century works. With the support of the Australia Council and NSW Ministry for the Arts, the company operates fulltime and presents an average of 130 concerts a year in Australia and abroad. Through a longstanding commitment to education, an annual subscription series, as well as many recordings and broadcasts, The Song Company has built up an impressive following around Australia, and increasingly so, around the world.
Roland Peelman (Conductor)
A musician of astonishing versatility, Roland Peelman has been actively engaged in the Australian music scene since emigrating from Belgium in 1984. As a tireless advocate of new music, he has received numerous accolades for his innovative work, including the New South Wales Award in 2005 for "the most outstanding contribution to Australian Music by an individual." Best known as the Artistic Director of The Song Company, his ongoing work encompasses a wide range of styles from early music to all forms of contemporary music. He is equally at home conducting opera, music theatre, and symphonic works, and has conducted most of the symphony orchestras in Australia as well as numerous chamber and new music ensembles.
Chinese Music Virtuosi (龢鳴樂坊)
Chinese Music Virtuosi was founded in 1997 with a vision to promote traditional and contemporary Chinese instrumental music. The ensemble's six members are at the cutting edge of their profession, and are continually expanding the repertoire and performance practices of Chinese music. The ensemble has won tremendous support and acclaim for its diverse repertoire and remarkable virtuosity, and has performed at numerous arts festivals in Asia, Europe, South America, and Australia. Recent projects include the premiere of Lam Bun-ching's chamber opera Wenji at the Hong Kong Arts Festival (2002), performances of Six Hermits in Sydney and Melbourne (2002), Chinese Composers’ Festival (2003), the 34th and 36th Festival Internacional Encuentros in Buenos Aires, Argentina (2002 & 2004), the premiere of the multimedia chamber opera Opiume at the Singapore Arts Festival (2004), and the Garden Festival in Warsaw, Poland (2006).
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 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.
PROGRAMME ENQUIRIES:
2859-7045, http://www.hku.hk/music/concerts, http://www.songcompany.com.au.
Programmes and artists subject to change
SPONSORSHIPS:
This event is sponsored by Australian Consulate-General Hong Kong
With additional support from Adelaide Cellar Door
Media Contact:
Ms. Sharon Lu, Concert Manager, Department of Music, HKU
Tel: 2241 5738, Fax: 2858 4933, e-mail: sharonlu@hku.hk
2006 HKU Concert Series
26 Oct 2006
Six Hermits
A cross-cultural collaboration between
The Song Company of Australia & Chinese Music Virtuosi of Hong Kong
Presented by the Department of Music, The University of Hong Kong
Thursday 2 November 2006, 7:30pm
Loke Yew Hall, HKU
FREE ADMISSION
No tickets required. Seats are limited - first come, first served.
Enquiries: 2859-7045, http://www.hku.hk/music/concerts
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
A musical journey through ancient China dealing with the eternal questions of life and death, nature and civilization. Based on the lives of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove," a legendary group of poets, musicians, and philosophers who masked their often rebellious views behind poetic freedom and drunken revelry, this work is about resistance, executions, music, nature, and above all, wine.
Six Hermits (六隱士)
Initially conceived in 2000 by The Song Company's Artistic Director, Roland Peelman, and Hong Kong composer, Chan Hing-yan, Six Hermits evolved into an international collaboration between The Song Company from Australia, Hong Kong's Chinese Music Virtuosi, and seven composers from Europe, Asia, North America, and the Pacific region. Drawing on the lives of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove," the work portrays the antics and musings of six of these legendary Chinese figures. Six Hermits was premiered at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in October 2002, and was later featured at the Melbourne Festival. Coming to Hong Kong for the first time, the work has been described as "a substantial and sometimes bemusing musical statement, covering a gamut of emotions and styles from tongue-in-cheek parody to intense contemplation."
PERFORMERS
The Song Company (歌樂坊)
Since its inception in 1984, The Song Company has developed into one of the most outstanding vocal ensembles in the world. Under the leadership of Roland Peelman, Artistic Director since 1990, the six-voice ensemble has developed a unique style by successfully integrating serious scholarship, tonal beauty, vocal daring, and unbridled performance dynamics. The group has a wide repertoire ranging from medieval songs and chants to twentieth-century works. With the support of the Australia Council and NSW Ministry for the Arts, the company operates fulltime and presents an average of 130 concerts a year in Australia and abroad. Through a longstanding commitment to education, an annual subscription series, as well as many recordings and broadcasts, The Song Company has built up an impressive following around Australia, and increasingly so, around the world.
Roland Peelman (Conductor)
A musician of astonishing versatility, Roland Peelman has been actively engaged in the Australian music scene since emigrating from Belgium in 1984. As a tireless advocate of new music, he has received numerous accolades for his innovative work, including the New South Wales Award in 2005 for "the most outstanding contribution to Australian Music by an individual." Best known as the Artistic Director of The Song Company, his ongoing work encompasses a wide range of styles from early music to all forms of contemporary music. He is equally at home conducting opera, music theatre, and symphonic works, and has conducted most of the symphony orchestras in Australia as well as numerous chamber and new music ensembles.
Chinese Music Virtuosi (龢鳴樂坊)
Chinese Music Virtuosi was founded in 1997 with a vision to promote traditional and contemporary Chinese instrumental music. The ensemble's six members are at the cutting edge of their profession, and are continually expanding the repertoire and performance practices of Chinese music. The ensemble has won tremendous support and acclaim for its diverse repertoire and remarkable virtuosity, and has performed at numerous arts festivals in Asia, Europe, South America, and Australia. Recent projects include the premiere of Lam Bun-ching's chamber opera Wenji at the Hong Kong Arts Festival (2002), performances of Six Hermits in Sydney and Melbourne (2002), Chinese Composers’ Festival (2003), the 34th and 36th Festival Internacional Encuentros in Buenos Aires, Argentina (2002 & 2004), the premiere of the multimedia chamber opera Opiume at the Singapore Arts Festival (2004), and the Garden Festival in Warsaw, Poland (2006).
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 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.
PROGRAMME ENQUIRIES:
2859-7045, http://www.hku.hk/music/concerts, http://www.songcompany.com.au.
Programmes and artists subject to change
SPONSORSHIPS:
This event is sponsored by Australian Consulate-General Hong Kong
With additional support from Adelaide Cellar Door
Media Contact:
Ms. Sharon Lu, Concert Manager, Department of Music, HKU
Tel: 2241 5738, Fax: 2858 4933, e-mail: sharonlu@hku.hk
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