The Cultural Presentations Section offers music, dance, Chinese Opera, theatre and multimedia performing arts programmes throughout the year. These programmes, ranging from the traditional to the cutting edge, offer the best of local and international performances. In 2011-12, more than 981 events attracted about 431 200 spectators.
In celebration of the 14th anniversary of the establishment of HKSAR, the LCSD presented the Symphonic Concert featuring the Military Band of the People’s Liberation Army, Hong Kong Police Band, Military Band of the People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison and the Hong Kong Association of Choral Societies.
 |
|
The Military Band of the People's Liberation Army and the Hong Kong Police Band joined forces to present symphonic concerts at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium to celebrate the 14th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR. |
|
Celebratory programmes were also organised for the 50th anniversary of Hong Kong City Hall. Apart from the concert by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Yo-Yo Ma as well as a large-scale Dance Day mentioned earlier, there were concerts by the Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma and events featuring local artists and arts groups, including A Concert of Cantonese Music Masterpieces in Hundred Years, featuring renowned artists Wan Fei-yin, Ng Chin-fung, Yuen Siu-fai, Ng Mei-ying, Lee Lung, Nam Fung, Chan Wing-yee, Sun Kim-long, Koi Ming-fai, Lung Koon-tin and Chung Lai-yung. Those Were the Days Celebrity Talks brought together eminent practitioners in the fields of dance, Cantonese opera, theatre and music to share how their original works were performed at the City Hall and how its ambience inspired them.
 |
|
Famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma and members of the Silk Road Ensemble introduce their new concert to the media. |
|
The Chinese Opera Festival 2011, from June to July, was designed to promote the art of xiqu or ‘Chinese traditional theatre’ showcasing a variety of operatic genres, including Cantonese Opera, Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera, Qi Opera of Hunan Province, Shanghai pingtan and Chiu Chow Opera. Apart from stage performances, the festival also featured a variety of extension activities in the form of exhibitions and symposiums, workshops and lectures, to give the public a deeper understanding of Chinese operatic arts, thus enhancing their appreciation.
To commemorate the 200th birth anniversary of Franz Liszt and the 100th death anniversary of Gustav Mahler, the department organised concerts featuring world-renowned orchestras and musicians, including the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra from Austria, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra from Germany, Nikolai Demidenko from Russia, Anne Sofie von Otter from Sweden and local artists.
 |
|
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra gave an unforgettable performance in Hong Kong. |
|
Other leading programmes during the year included recitals by: Murray Perahia, Anne Sophie Mutter and Itzhak Perlman under the Encore Series; dance productions Can We Talk About This? by DV8 Physical Theatre from the UK and Flames of Desire by the Tango Fire Company from Argentina; The Blue Planet multimedia theatre directed by Peter Greenaway from the UK and Saskia Boddeke from The Netherlands; Dr. Sun Yat-sen opera by Opera Hong Kong; and Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor by Musica Viva. The latter two programmes featured international and local singers.
 |
|
Internationally-renowned directors Peter Greenaway and Saskia Boddeke retell the story of the great flood and Noah’s ark at the Hong Kong debut of their multimedia theatre production The Blue Planet. |
|
 |
|
A scene from Lucia di Lammermoor performed in Hong Kong in January. The romantic opera in three acts is Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti’s best-known masterpiece.
|
|
The LCSD has long supported local artists and arts groups by offering them numerous performing opportunities in thematic series of various art forms. They included: the New Force in Motion Series which showcased budding local choreographers; Dance on Parallel Lines Series, a crossover between local modern dance professionals and budding artists; Re-run Run Show Series for local arts groups to build their own repertoires and re-stage popular productions; the Playwrights Scheme which supported young and distinguished theatre playwrights; Our Music Talents Series; and the Young Cantonese Opera Artists Series which offered performance platforms for local artists with potential.
Large-scale free events, such as the ninth Cantonese Opera Day, featuring budding local artists and groups were organised to popularise arts in the community.
 |
|
The last Sunday of November each year has been designated Cantonese Opera Day to preserve this valuable art form and to promote it among a broader audience. |
|
To further support the growth and development of local artists, the LCSD explores potential performance venues other than those under its management. Under the Live! At Museums Series, heritage sites such as the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, Hong Kong Railway Museum and Sam Tung Uk Museum were chosen as venues for specially curated programmes designed to harmonise with the ambience of these particular places.
Notable examples were Our Memorable Moment by the Class 7A Drama Group and Cantonese Music under the Tree at the Hong Kong Railway Museum, and 3D Museum in Motion by Unlock Dancing Plaza, involving cutting-edge dance artists crossing over into Hakka folk songs, in the historic surroundings of Sam Tung Uk Museum. While strengthening support for the local arts sector, this new initiative also demonstrated the department’s efforts to arouse public’s awareness of our cultural heritage.
The department also continued to organise joint projects with various Consulates-General and cultural organisations, including the Pearl River Delta Culture Summit to foster cultural exchange and enhance Hong Kong’s reputation as the events capital of Asia.
