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

Contents of This Issue

A. Coming Events
Members of the CCOHK and guest artists pair up for a programme of double concertos by Mozart - best shared with a special friend or two!

B. Spotlight
Interview with Mr. Mario Latumbo, double-bass player of the CCOHK.

C. Sounding Board
Audience feedback from our "An Evening of Great Sax " concert with saxophonist Claude Delangle.

D. Director's Notes
The CCOHK will enter its sixth season with support for the first time from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council One-Year Grant. The Founder and Artistic Director of the CCOHK, Leanne Nicholls, tells us more about this as well as what to expect in the orchestra's coming 2004/2005 season.

E. Artist Scoop
Artists featured in this issue: the Hong Kong Duo (pianists Hui Ling and Julie Kuok).

F. Music Amuses
Did you know that Mozart preferred to play the viola?

G. CD Corner
Recommended CD : A disc featuring Mozart's sinfonia concertante for violin & viola and concertone for two violins.

H. Quiz
Answer the quiz and win FREE concert tickets to our January concert.

Enjoy the newsletter now !

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A. Coming Events

***** CLASSICS FOR COUPLES *****

This programme is an event of Le French May 2004.

Date : 5 October 2004 (Tuesday)
Time : 8 pm
Venue : Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium

Soloists :
Violist : Francis Kan
Violinists : Katrina Ma, Hong-ying Ho, Kitty Cheung
Pianists : Hui Ling, Julie Kuok

Guest Conductor : Marc Taddei

Members of the CCOHK and guest artists pair up for a programme of double concertos by Mozart - best shared with a special friend or two!.

All-Mozart Programme

Sinfonia concertante for violin & viola in E flat major, K.364
Concertone for two violins in C major, K.190
Concerto for two pianos in E flat major, K.365

Ticket Information

Tickets $ 180 $ 100

Available at URBTIX

50% discount for full-time students, senior citizens and people with disabilities

10% discount for Friends of LCSD performing venues

Ticketing Enquiries & Reservation : 2734 9009

Credit Card Telephone Booking : 2111 5999 (10 am - 8 pm daily)

Internet Booking :http://www.urbtix.gov.hk/

Programme Enquiries : 2857 2402 OR info@ccohk.com

CCOHK Website : http://www.ccohk.com

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B. Spotlight

Interview with Mr. Mario Latumbo, double-bass player of the CCOHK.

Where are you from and how long have you been in Hong Kong?
I was born in the Philippines and came to Hong Kong in 1987. I have been living here ever since.

What brought you to Hong Kong?
I have always wanted to play in an international orchestra. Hence when I was offered a job to play at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong with a string quintet, I saw it as a good opportunity for me to develop my career abroad and so I accepted the offer.

What do you enjoy most about playing in the CCOHK?
The players are very warm and friendly. No matter what your nationality is, the orchestra is one big family when it comes to playing music together. I also enjoy working with different conductors. The experience helps me to understand that a piece of music can be interpreted in many different ways. This broadens my outlook and also makes me appreciate the repertoire we are performing even more.

Which CCOHK guest artist has made the biggest impression on you?
For me Michala Petri stands out. The way she played the recorder was just awesome. I never really took the recorder as a serious classical instrument but after listening to her play with such stunning virtuosity, I realized that the recorder has the potential to sound beautiful.

What CCOHK concert has been the most memorable for you?
The "Spirit of Ireland " concert. When we played the theme from the movie "Braveheart", I found it hard to concentrate on my playing because images of kings, horses and warriors kept popping up in my mind. I felt as if I were Mel Gibson in the movie. Hehehe! Another memorable concert was "Sounds of Castrati at Christmas ", as that was the first time I was the only bass player in a concert.

Why did you choose to play the double-bass?
I guess, in some ways, the double-bass chose me. My father was also a bass player, guitarist, composer and arranger. Thus music was already in my blood: like father, like son! By the age of seven I could play the ukulele, guitar and violin. I was nine when I started to play the bass as well. I remember performing on TV with a music ensemble of primary two and three students. At that time I wanted to play the bass even though it was twice my height. I had to stand on a platform to reach the notes!

Name one of the most important milestones in your music career.
It was when I decided to come to Hong Kong and work as a musician. Although some of my dreams as a bass player are slowly being realized, I have yet to establish myself here as a well-known composer / arranger..

What message do you have for our friends?
Please attend our concerts. Bring your friends along too. Your support will motivate us to reach even greater artistic heights. What's more, our concerts always offer something different and exciting!

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C. Sounding Board

Friends who attend our concerts and are successful in having their comments published will win TWO FREE TICKETS to one of our future concerts.

In this issue we are pleased to share with you COMMENTS FROM OUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS who attended our "An Evening of Great Sax " concert on 11 May 2004.

Here are comments from some of the audience members:

I am delighted to attend a concert featuring a seldom-heard solo instrument such as the saxophone. I particularly enjoyed Debussy's "Rhapsodie for Saxophone and Strings". The soloist was excellent as was the chamber orchestra, especially the principal violinist. It has truly been an evening of Great Sax!.
----------- Mrs. Forster (Clearwater Bay)

A great performance featuring an engaging soloist, conductor and ensemble. I was especially enchanted by the Debussy Rhapsodie. More great sax please!
----------- Ms. Yang (Clearwater Bay)

I was fortunate to experience such a unique concert of classical and modern works and concertos, all of which are rarely heard. The programme played by an internationalized local chamber orchestra brought both French and Latin flavours to the concert hall. The final saxophone encore was absolutely superb..
----------- Sunny (Sha Tin)

Well rehearsed, professional, exhilarating performance without one discordant note. Very high standard and an obviously appreciative audience..
----------- Mrs. Beveridge (Deep Water Bay)

Fantastic performance! The music performed by Claude Delangle and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong made for a perfect match. I had a wonderful night!
----------- Miss Yeung (Chai Wan)

Wonderful interpretation and a very pleasant choice of programme.
----------- Mrs. Touzard (Discovery Bay)

The choice of programme was innovative and the conductor inspired the players in such a way that they seemed completely immersed in the French music. The audience was obviously thrilled with the performance.
----------- Miss Cheung (Yuen Long)

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

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D. Director's Note

Dear Friends,
I am delighted to announce that the CCOHK will enter its sixth season with support for the first time from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council One-Year Grant. This is great news for the orchestra and its continued development.

Despite low funding in the previous season, the CCOHK was able to present some unique and memorable concerts. These included a sell-out performance of Howard Blake's "The Snowman and The Bear " with narrator Jim Chim and a debut at Le French May 2004 with classical saxophonist Claude Delangle, who brought down the house with as many as four encores.

Coming up in the 2004/2005 season we have a series of themed concerts catering for all musical tastes. There will be plenty of traditional favourites, some Hong Kong premieres, a touch of the exotic and even an event specially tailored for the whole family!

In October we will start the season with an attractive all-Mozart programme at Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium. Distinguished members and principals of the CCOHK and guest artists will pair up for a programme of double concertos by Mozart. This is a concert best shared with a special friend or two!

In November we will fill the City Hall Concert Hall with the sound of alluring bird song - goldfinches, shore larks, swans, cranes and more! Flautist Jane Rutter, one of Australia's most popular classical sensations, will perform Vivaldi's "Goldfinch" concerto and the dazzling Mozart flute concerto in D major. The orchestra, led by Andrew Massey who was previously the assistant conductor to Lorin Maazel at the Cleveland Orchestra, will perform Respighi's "The Birds" and the Hong Kong premiere of Rautavaara's fascinating concerto for birds and orchestra recorded in the Arctic Circle.

In March 2005 we will perform with Beijing-born guitarist Xue-fei Yang, prize-winner of the San Francisco International Guitar Competition and the Young Concert Artist International Competition and the only female Chinese guitarist to pursue a solo career internationally. She will be showcased along with Hong Kong mezzo-soprano Cynthia Luff in a fiesty all-Spanish programme of works by Albeniz, Rodrigo, Granados and De Falla, conducted by Spanish conductor Carlos Checa.

In June 2005 we will celebrate Father's Day with a Cantonese version of Howard Blake's "Granpa and The Bear " to be held at Tsuen Wan Town Hall Auditorium. Based on the well-known film and book by John Burningham, Blake's concert version of "Granpa" features the "Make Believe Song" made famous by Sarah Brightman. If you missed our last "The Snowman and the Bear " programme, then make sure you book your tickets early this time! This promises to be a special family event with a great line-up of Hong Kong stars including Joe Junior as Granpa and Jim Chim as the story-teller.

There will be more concerts to come, so do visit our website http://www.ccohk.com for the latest updates. Having your continued support is so important to us and we look forward to seeing you at our coming events!

Leanne Nicholls
Founder & Artistic Director
The City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong

Mark the CCOHK's Exciting Events in Your Diary!

CLASSICS FOR COUPLES
5 October 2004 ----- 8 pm
Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium

BIRD SYMPHONY
15 November 2004 ----- 8 pm
Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall

SPANISH FIESTA
21 March 2005 ----- 8 pm
Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall

GRANPA AND THE BEAR
19 June 2005 ----- 3 pm
Tsuen Wan Town Hall Auditorium

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E. Artist Scoop

The Hong Kong Duo was formed in 2000 when pianists Hui Ling and Julie Kuok became teaching-staff colleagues at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Since their highly successful debut, the duo has staged regular recitals at the Academy, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Baptist University. The duo has gained further recognition through frequent broadcasts and recordings for RTHK Radio 4. They have also been invited to perform as guest artists in special events including the "City Hall 40th Anniversary Piano Series" and the "East meets West Piano Duo Concert" in the Academy International Chamber Music Festival in 2002. Apart from performing the Mozart concerto for two pianos with the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong in October 2004, the duo will also be appearing at the Waterford Phoenix Arts Festival in Ireland.

Be sure not to miss a performance by the Hong Kong Duo at the CCOHK's upcoming CLASSICS FOR COUPLES concert, before they set off for a performance in Ireland!

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F. Music Amuses

Did you know that Mozart preferred to play the viola?

Mozart was no doubt an excellent violinist but actually he preferred to play the viola when playing chamber music. It is known that he would often play the viola part when playing quartets with three of his fellow composers: Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf (first violin), Joseph Haydn (second violin) and Johann Baptist Wanhal (cello). It is therefore likely that Mozart composed the sinfonia concertante for violin and viola, K.364, with the intention that he play the solo viola part. Written in 1779, the work contains two interesting features. First, the viola section of the orchestra is divided into two parts so that a richer sonority is given to the orchestral sound in the middle register. Second, Mozart wrote the solo viola part in D major, instructing the soloist to tune his or her instrument up a half-step so that it would sound in E-flat. It is probable that Mozart intended this to l end a brighter edge to the viola's tone so that the instrument could compete more equally with the solo violin. Today, however, modern violists cringe at the thought of putting such a strain on their fragile instruments!

The famous sinfonia concertante will be featured in the CCOHK's upcoming CLASSICS FOR COUPLES concert.

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G. CD Corner

If you love Mozart then this CD set should be in your collection!

Title : Mozart : Violin Concertos No.s 1 - 5, Sinfonia Concertante K.364, Concertone K.190
Composer : Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performers : Isaac Stern (violin), Pinchas Zukerman (viola)
Orchestras / Ensembles : Columbia Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra members
Release Date : 16 May 1995
Label : Sony Classical
Catalog # : SM3K 66475
Spars Code : ADD
Pieces in Set : 3

http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=1097013

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H. Quiz

Answer the quiz and win FREE concert tickets to our CLASSICS FOR COUPLES concert..

Question 1
Which composer will be featured in the CCOHK's upcoming CLASSICS FOR COUPLES concert in October?

Question 2
How many soloists will be featured in EACH piece in the October programme?

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

Send your answers by email to maryanne@ccohk.com before NOON on 12 September 2004 (Sunday) together with your name, telephone number and postal address.

The first TWO persons to submit the correct answers to all the questions together with his/her name, telephone number and postal address will win TWO FREE TICKETS to our CLASSICS FOR COUPLES concert on 5 October 2004 (Tuesday).

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We hope you have enjoyed this newsletter. Do feel free to forward this newsletter to others 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 maryanne@ccohk.com

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