*****************************************************************

Dear Friends of the CCOHK,
We are pleased to launch the FIRST issue of CITY RHYTHM.

Contents of This Issue

A. Coming Events
Don't miss our May concert!

B. Spotlight
Interview with the Founder, Executive & Artistic Director of the CCOHK, Leanne Nicholls

C. Sounding Board
Send us your feedback and win FREE concert tickets

D. Artist Scoop
Extra snippets of our guest artists

E. Music Amuses
Interesting but little known things in the world of classical music

F. CD Corner
Recommended CDs

G. Quiz
Answer the quiz and win FREE concert tickets

Enjoy the newsletter now !

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

A. Coming Events

We hope to see you at our next concert, an all-Italian musical feast supported by Italy 2002: Quality & Lifestyle in Hong Kong.

Concert Title
A Night in Bologna

Date & Time
8 May (Wednesday) 2002, 8:00 p.m.

Venue
Shatin Town Hall Auditorium

Artists
Alain Trudel ----- Conductor
Tiziana Carraro ----- Mezzo Soprano
John Schertle ----- Clarinet

Programme
Rossini : Overture to "Il Signor Bruschino"
Rossini : Introduction, Theme and Variations for Clarinet & Orchestra in E-flat major
Respighi : Il tramonto "The Sunset" for mezzo-soprano & strings
Respighi : Trittico Botticelliano

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

B. Spotlight

Interview with the Founder, Executive & Artistic Director of the CCOHK, Leanne Nicholls

Where are you from, and how long have you been in HK?
My hometown is Adelaide, Australia. I've been in HK for 12 years.

How do you define your role as "Executive & Artistic Director" of the CCOHK?
My job entails creating concert programmes based around a particular artist or musical idea and attracting sponsorship to make it all happen. As well as liaising with all the artists, I also deal with the practical side of running the orchestra.

How do you manage to play oboe in the orchestra and manage it all? Are there positive aspects in juggling both?
By planning in advance! Juggling several hats means hours and hours of hard work, but by having a foot in both fields I feel I can have a better chance of bridging the gap between the orchestra and the administrative side. Haydn and Mozart did both, so it is not a modern phenomenon

............. but don't ask me to write a symphony!

What inspired you to establish the CCOHK?
In 1999 I realized that two very important niches in HK were not being filled in HK's vibrant cultural scene. These were:

1. The need for the performance of chamber orchestral works on a regular
basis.

2. The need for an existing group of professional freelance players from
BOTH the local and international communities to get together and
receive some recognition through performances of a high artistic
standard.

At first it was quite scary putting a group of musicians of ten different nationalities together for the first time to perform (especially since they mostly didn't know each other), but I haven't looked back since.

Which guest artists have made the biggest impression on you?
Michala Petri for her magnetic stage presence and breathtaking virtuosity, Richard Harvey for his amazing versatility and Rainer Honeck (concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic) who makes the most rapturous sound on his Stradivarius violin.

Of all the professional orchestras in HK, the CCOHK receives the lowest government support. How have you been able to keep going?
By having a vision and sticking to it. The starting point is the orchestra: the musicians are a great bunch of people and very talented. We are also fortunate to have an excellent and hard-working admin. team and group of volunteers behind us, an amazing website designed by our friend Cristina Solenni in Italy, as well as support from companies such as Nelson Wheeler Corporate Advisory Services Limited and Yohifi who have been willing to share our vision and sponsor several concerts. It has been a great experience to introduce what is essentially "new music" to the Hong Kong audience and to discover that people really do enjoy the music we are presenting. Being different and finding a niche is also important to the "survival" process. Besides, there are plenty of people out there playing Beethoven symphonies....

Describe one of the most important milestones in your music career.
The day I bought my own oboe. I was fortunate to have started professional orchestral playing at the age of 18. This enabled me to buy the first oboe I ever owned at the age of 21. It was a long time to wait but I learnt that patience and hard work are two of the most important virtues.

What message do you have for our friends?
Thank you for coming to our concerts and supporting us locals!
It means a lot to us. Do Jeh.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

C. Sounding Board

Send us your feedback and win FREE concert tickets!! We are interested to know your comments on the CCOHK, our concerts and how you became acquainted with our orchestra.

E-mail the following information to us at ccohk@yahoo.com or fax it to us at 2857 2402 :

a) Your name
b) Your e-mail and postal address
c) Your comments

The CCOHK may publish your comments with your name in future issues of CITY RHYTHM.

Friends who are successful in having their comments published will win 2 FREE tickets to one of our future events.

Please note that the CCOHK reserves the right to edit comments submitted before publication.

In this issue we are pleased to share with you the following COMMENTS FROM OUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS:

On "Baroque by Candlelight" Concert on 18 January 2002:

What a brilliant concert. One of the best I have been to in Hong Kong. Congratulations!

---------- from Catriona Rogers

After my first encounter with your orchestra at the Baroque by Candlelight concert, I am looking forward to further occasions to enjoy your performance.

---------- from Richard W. Chiu

On "Spirit of Ireland" Concert on 18 March 2002:

It was a wonderful concert and we enjoyed it very much.

---------- from Catherine Luk

The concert was truly great. I doubt if Dublin has seen or heard anything as good!

---------- from Geoff Lovegrove

Congratulations to these four friends, who have each won 2 FREE TICKETS to one of our future concerts. We will be in touch with these four friends soon!

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

D. Artist Scoop

To hear more of our "Spirit of Ireland" artists, do check out the following recordings:

Richard Harvey performs a variety of whistles on John Williams' recent CD release "The Music Box" on the Sony label

Graham Preskett ( ....... still on the fiddle!) features on the recent "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

E. Music Amuses

Interesting but little known things in the world of classical music

Did you know that if Rossini had not been the successful composer that he was, he would probably have become one of the greatest gastronomes of the 19th century?

The invention of the famous dish "Tournedos Rossini" has become a legend. It is said to have occurred at the Cafe Anglais in Paris. The story goes that Rossini insisted upon overseeing the preparation of his meal and obliged the chef to prepare it in front of him in the dining room next to his table. When the chef finally objected to this constant interference, the Maestro replied, "Et alors, tournez le dos." or "So, turn your back." And that is how this savoury dish got its name!

Source:

http://www.culturekiosque.com/opera/features/ra1feat1.htm

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

F. CD Corner

If you enjoy Irish music and classical music, then this new and very innovative CD, available at HMV, is definitely worth a listen:

O'stravaganza (Fantasy on Vivaldi and the celtic music of Ireland)
Virgin Classics No. 545494-2

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

G. Quiz

Answer the quiz and win FREE concert tickets

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Question 1
Name one of the traditional Irish instruments which was performed at the CCOHK concert entitled "Spirit of Ireland" on 18 March 2002.

Question 2
Name the famous Australian pianist who will be the soloist at the CCOHK concert on 28 June 2002.

( For answers to these questions please check our website: http://www.ccohk.com/ )

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Send your answers to us by email ccohk@yahoo.com on or before NOON on 23 April 2002 (Tuesday) together with your name and postal address.

The first FIVE friends who submit correct answers to BOTH questions together with their name and postal address will win 2 FREE tickets to our next concert ----- "A Night in Bologna" on 8 May 2002.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

We hope you have enjoyed this newsletter. Do forward this to all your music-loving friends so that they can join in the fun and win free concert tickets too.

The editor of CITY RHYTHM is Mary Anne Pun.

If you have any questions, please e-mail her at ccohk@yahoo.com