The Cultural Presentations Section offers music, dance, Chinese opera, theatre and multi-media performing arts programmes throughout the year. These range from the traditional to the cutting edge and offer Hong Kong audiences with the best of local artists and international stars. In 2004, 1,951 performances were presented, attracting a total audience of 710,662.

Programmes were grouped thematically to enhance interest in the performances. In 2004, these included the Encore Series featuring renowned musicians, other series cover the Ancient Vernacular Music, the Art Choral music, the Jazz Up Series, the City Hall Concert Hall Music Rendezvous, the family programme Cheers and Christmas series.

Top musicians from around the world were presented, including the Budapest Festival Orchestra with Ivan Fischer, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Arcadi Volodos, Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists with Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Count Basie Orchestra and jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Brian Blade and from the Mainland, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra with Chen Xieyang. Two commissioned productions of the French opera Faust and Italian opera La Traviata were successfully staged during the year. There were also high quality concerts by established local groups including the Hong Kong Sinfonietta.

The Budapest Festival Orchestra gave classical music lovers two stunning performances in June.

Exciting dance programmes featured the legendary Merce Cunnningham Dance Company (USA), Cullberg Ballet (Sweden), Eifman Ballet (Russia), Inbal Pinto Dance Company (Israel), the Ukranian Shumka Dance Company of Canada, and The Four Elements (Spain). Renowned groups from the Mainland included the National Ballet of China, the Xinjiang Song and Dance Troupe and the Yunnan Province Song and Dance Theatre. In addition, there were high quality performances by established local groups such as the Hong Kong Ballet and City Contemporary Dance Company.

	The Four Elements, award-winning flamenco dancers from Spain, in action in Hong Kong.

Theatre highlights included the Russian Hamlet directed by Peter Stein, Othello by the theatre company Cheek by Jowl (UK) and the legendary Eugenio Barba with Odin Teatret (Denmark). Among the local productions were the well-received Of Minds and No-mind co-produced by the Theatre Ensemble and Prospects Theatre Company, Hong Kong Federation of Drama Societies' Inherit the Wind, and new works by the Chung Ying Theatre Company, Zuni Icosahedron and over 15 other local theatre companies.

A scene from Othello by UK theatre company Cheek by Jowl.

Local production Inherit the Wind by the Hong Kong Federation of Drama Societies.

On the multi-arts front, projects on offer included Lung Heung Wing and Chin Kwok Wai's multi-media percussion theatre, Michael Nyman Band (UK), a Chinese poetry recital concert, the Solo Soul Series featuring Wong Bik Wan's multi-media theatre and Canada's Dulcinea Langfelder & Co. Puppetry performances of different styles were featured, including the China Puppet Art Troupe, the Hunan Shadow and Rod Puppet Art Troupe, Theatre Hikosen (Japan) and the Jim Gamble Puppet Troupe (USA). Family entertainment programmes such as The Spencers (USA) and Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe of China were scheduled around Easter and Christmas.

	Japan's Theatre Hikosen with its stunning puppetry performance of Peter Pan.

	Theatre of Illusion, a large-scale and high-tech magic show presented by the Spencers from the United States.

Major Chinese opera programmes presented were the Mao Weitao and the Zhejiang Little Hundred-Flower Yue Opera Troupe, Yu Kuizhi and the China Peking Opera Troupe, as well as a revitalised The Peony Pavilion from the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu which featured a young cast steered by famous writer Pai Hsien-yung in collaboration with creative talents from the Mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In November and December, the activities launched under the title Bravo! A Cantonese Opera Fiesta centred around the Cantonese Opera Day 2004. The Fiesta was designed to further popularise Cantonese opera and presented side by side with the Showcase of Masterpieces by Foremost Playwrights.

The Peony Pavilion from the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu was part of the varied Chinese opera programme presented by the LCSD.

The department also co-operated programmes with Consulates-General from different countries and cultural organisations. The sponsored and jointly presented events helped foster cultural exchange and understanding and further affirmed Hong Kong as Asia's world city.