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

Contents of This Issue

A. Coming Events
Don't miss our bird-themed concert in November featuring Australian flautist Jane Rutter and Andrew Massey, former assistant conductor to Lorin Maazel at the Cleveland Orchestra.

B. Spotlight
Interview with Ms. Jane Dykes, violist of the CCOHK.

C. Sounding Board
Audience feedback from our "Classics for Couples " concert with soloists of the CCOHK and guest artists.

D. Artist Scoop
Artist featured in this issue: Australian flautist Jane Rutter.

E. Music Amuses
Did you know that Rautavaara, Finland's most popular modern composer, wrote a concerto for birds and orchestra?

F. CD Corner
Recommended CD : A disc featuring the works of Rautavaara.

G. Quiz
Answer the quiz and win FREE concert tickets to our November concert.

Enjoy the newsletter now !

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A. Coming Events

***** BIRD SYMPHONY *****

Date : 15 November 2004 (Monday)
Time : 8 pm
Venue : Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall

Flute Soloists :Jane Rutter

Guest Conductor : Andrew Massey

The concert hall will be filled with the sound of alluring bird-song! Don't miss the Hong Kong premiere of Rautavaara's concerto for Arctic birds and orchestra and a debut performance by sensational Australian flautist Jane Rutter.

Programme

Mozart : Concerto for flute in D major, K.314
Vivaldi : Concerto for flute in D major, RV428 "The goldfinch"
Rautavaara : Cantus Arcticus, Op. 61 (concerto for birds and orchestra)
Respighi : Gli uccelli (The birds)

Tickets available at URBTIX $ 250 $ 180 $ 120

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.hk/

Programme Enquiries : 2857 2402 OR info@ccohk.com

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

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B. Spotlight

Interview with Ms. Jane Dykes, violist of the CCOHK.

Where are you from and how long have you been in Hong Kong?
I am originally from England, but have been living in Hong Kong since 1985.

What brought you to Hong Kong?
I came to Hong Kong as a viola player of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

What do you enjoy most about playing in the CCOHK?
I enjoy the varied programmes and the appreciative audiences.

Which CCOHK guest artist has made the biggest impression on you?
I was very impressed by the Japanese bandoneon player Ryota Komatsu. He looked so unassuming, but played with great passion and beauty.

What CCOHK concert has been the most memorable for you?
The most memorable concert I have played in was the performance of "The Snowman and the Bear" at the Sha Tin Town Hall at Christmas 2003. Even though this film score was narrated in Cantonese, I knew the story well and the narrator Jim Chim delivered the story with great expression. The hall was packed with eager children, a couple of whom started crying when the snowman melted!

Why did you choose to play the viola?
I attended a specialist music school in England and my first instrument was the piano. I was encouraged to take up the viola because the school orchestra was short of violists!

Name one of the most important milestones in your music career.
An important milestone was having the opportunity to lead the viola section in an orchestra in Finland for a season. I would highly recommend the Finnish lifestyle!

What message do you have for our friends?
Please support our orchestra! We are a committed crowd and there is lots more we can play for you!

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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 our "Classics for Couples " concert on 5 October 2004.

Here are comments from some of the audience members:

The soloists were exceptional in their talent and virtuosity and the music of Mozart shone brilliantly throughout the concert. The second movements of the Concertone and the Sinfonia Concertante were especially delightful and the pairings of two violins and the violin and viola were exquisite. The two pianists brought out Mozart's tender musings with great depth. Throughout the concert the solo oboe parts were played with a warmth and joyfulness that only the oboe can impart..
----------- Dr. Forster (Clearwater Bay)

A very pleasant evening of music with delightful artists. Well worth the long trip to Sha Tin.
----------- Mr. Lai (Central)

Very polished playing, great musical expression and warm sound from the orchestra..
----------- Mr. Jim (Mid-Levels)

It was a joy to hear some lesser-known works by Mozart rendered so well. The atmosphere was pleasant and what a joy to be entertained by so much "home-grown" talent!.
----------- Ms. Wu (Kwun Tong)

Very enjoyable. Not only were the duos great, but I have to put in a word for the first oboe too. She held everything together in a very pleasant Mozart-like manner!
----------- Mrs. Yang (Clearwater Bay)

The performance of the chamber orchestra was professional and expressive. Fantastic!.
----------- Miss Kwong (Ho Man Tin)

Congratulations to these six 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. Artist Scoop

Jane Rutter has established herself as one of Australia's most popular and versatile flautists, appearing regularly on every major television show and with all the leading orchestras in Australia. All of her classical albums have entered the FM pop charts and she has been hailed by the Sydney Morning Herald as "Australia's only classical pop star". On tour abroad she has made her mark in South America and France and at the 1992 Edinburgh Festival with performances of her smash hit one-woman show, Tutti Flutti. More recently she co-starred with Michael Crawford and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Future plans include performances with David Helfgott in Western Australia and a series of recitals for Musica Viva Australia with guitarist Slava Grygoryan. Ms. Rutter is a lecturer in flute at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Her teachers include Alain Marion and Jean-Pi erre Rampal.

Be sure not to miss the Hong Kong debut of Jane Rutter at the CCOHK's upcoming BIRD SYMPHONY concert!

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E. Music Amuses

Did you know that Rautavaara, Finland's most popular modern composer, wrote a concerto for birds and orchestra?

Born in 1928, Einojuhani Rautavaara is the leading Finnish composer of his generation. His late style combines modernism with mystical romanticism and he has written a series of orchestral works inspired by metaphysical and religious subjects. Written in 1972, Cantus Arcticus, Op. 61 is Rautavaara's most famous piece and one of the best-loved items in the modern Finnish repertoire. It is called a "concerto for birds and orchestra" and combines the pre-recorded sounds of wild birds taped in the Arctic Circle and the marshlands of Liminka with the sound of an orchestra. Rautavaara captures the bleak Nordic climate with great imagination and the constant dialogue between the orchestra and the bird tape makes for compelling listening.

Be sure not to miss the HONG KONG PREMIERE of Cantus Arcticus in the CCOHK's upcoming BIRD SYMPHONY concert.

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F. CD Corner

If you want to know more about the works of Rautavaara then this CD is highly recommended.

1. Cantus Arcticus (concerto for birds and orchestra), Op. 61

2. Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1, Op. 45

3. Symphony No. 3, Op. 20

These are works of Einojuhani Rautavaara performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and conducted by Hannu Lintu. The pianist is Laura Mikkola.

Label : Naxos

Catalog : #554147

Release date : 9 March 1999

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G. Quiz

Answer the quiz and win FREE concert tickets to our BIRD SYMPHONY concert.

Question 1
What is the country of origin of Rautavaara?

Question 2
Which solo woodwind instrument is often used by composers to depict birds?

(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 25 October 2004 (Monday) 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 BIRD SYMPHONY concert on 15 November 2004 (Monday).

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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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