Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
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The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (Chinese 香港管弦樂團 pinyin Xiānggǎng Guǎnxián Yuètuán), commonly abbreviated HKPO 港樂, is the main symphonic orchestra in Hong Kong.
The orchestra was formed in 1895 and turned professional in 1974.
The orchestra has promoted Hong Kong-based composers by commissioning and premiering numerous works of contemporary music, including the recent five-work cycle of Voices of Hong Kong, by John Chen, David Gwilt, Daniel Law, Law Ping-leung and Richard Tsang.
In 2003, the HKPO made its European début, with performances at London's Barbican Hall and Théatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris.
The Dutch conductor Edo de Waart will be the orchestra's chief conductor and artistic director starting in September 2004, replacing internationally-renowned conductors such as David Atherton.
Of its HK$85 million budget for the 2003/2004 season, about 70% comes from the Hong Kong Government. The remaining 30% comes from box office revenue, performance fees, sponsorship, advertising and donations.
The orchestra gives more than 140 performances annually to an audience of over 180,000.
External link
- Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra website (http://www.hkpo.com)