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

Contents of This Issue

A. Coming Events
Don't miss our concert in March featuring Beijing-born guitarist Xue-fei Yang and Hong Kong mezzo-soprano Cynthia Luff in a feisty all-Spanish programme of works by Albeniz, Rodrigo and De Falla, conducted by Spanish conductor Carlos Checa.

B. Spotlight
Interview with Ms. Leanne Manning, clarinetist of the CCOHK.

C. Sounding Board
Audience feedback from our "Bird Symphony " concert with Australian flautist Jane Rutter and guest conductor Andrew Massey.

D. Artist Scoop
Artist featured in this issue: Chinese guitarist Xue-fei Yang.

E. Music Amuses
Did you know that the Turkish pianist Victoria Kamhi became not only Rodrigo's wife but also his "eyes"?

F. CD Corner
Recommended CD : A disc featuring the works of Manuel de Falla.

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

Enjoy the newsletter now !

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A. Coming Events

***** A SPANISH FIESTA ******

Date : 21 March 2005 (Monday)
Time : 8 pm
Venue : Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall

Guitar Soloist : Xue-fei Yang

Mezzo-soprano : Cynthia Luff

Guest Conductor : Carlos Checa

The CCOHK 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 feisty all-Spanish programme of works by Albeniz, Rodrigo and De Falla, conducted by Spanish conductor Carlos Checa.

Programme

Albeniz (Arr. T. Koster / W. Thomas) : Sevilla - Cadiz - Asturias from the "Suite Espanola" for strings

Rodrigo : Tres viejos aires de danze

Rodrigo : Concierto de Aranjuez

Manuel de Falla : El amor brujo (Love, the Magician)

Tickets available at URBTIX $ 180 $ 120 $ 80

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. Leanne Manning, clarinetist of the CCOHK..

Where are you from and how long have you been in Hong Kong?
I was born and raised in Australia. I then went to live in the United States for nine years and moved to Hong Kong about six years ago.

What brought you to Hong Kong?
I came here with my husband, who is originally from Hong Kong and works as a clinical psychologist.

What do you enjoy most about playing in the CCOHK?
I love working with the CCOHK's founder and artistic director, Leanne Nicholls. She has tremendous vision and drive as well as a focused outlook. She also puts in the hard work required to achieve her goals, often against all odds. This is a huge inspiration to me and, in spite of her visibility, she is very much the unsung hero.

Which CCOHK guest artist has made the biggest impression on you?
I really enjoyed working with mezzo-soprano Tiziana Carraro, one of the soloists for the concert entitled "A Night in Bologna " in 2002. Her technique, tone quality, range and artistry were striking. Her beauty and poise - both on and off stage - were also great, if somewhat formidable initially. Moreover, I was impressed by the way she worked with the orchestra: she attended rehearsals even when she did not have to sing in them. In fact she chatted and giggled in a very "real" and personable manner backstage.

What CCOHK concert has been the most memorable for you?
The charity concert for "Operation Santa Claus " presented by RTHK in 2002 immediately springs to mind. The festive spirit of the Christmas season and the nature of the event really heightened an already positive and upbeat camaraderie prevalent in the orchestra.

Why did you choose to play the clarinet?
As a student I very much wanted to play the violin, but there were no violins left in the school-loan programme at that time. Somehow I thought a clarinet might resemble a violin. You can imagine my disappointment when I was handed a small box containing some disjointed pieces of black tubing with metal keywork!

Name one of the most important milestones in your music career.
There have been many milestones, but my last year in Australia was a significant turning point. In that year I won both major woodwind prizes at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. This paved the way to further studies in Europe and then a scholarship to do my master's degree in the United States. The big, wide world of music just opened up to me.

What message do you have for our friends?
Thank you for all your support. Your post-concert comments, including those that are not published, are extremely encouraging and a big reminder that you are very much a part of our success.

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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 "Bird Symphony " concert on 15 November 2004.

Here are comments from some of the audience members:

A very good performance. The flute-playing was amazing. The last movement of the Respighi was light-hearted and warm.
----------- Miss Wong (Tseung Kwan O)

The programme was well organized. A great show!
----------- Mr. Poon (Diamond Hill)

Very impressive!
----------- Mrs. Haskey (Tuen Mun)

The music was very peaceful when it needed to be and there was a good range of dynamics and tempo. The overall sound of the orchestra was clear and firm.
----------- Miss Park (Mid-Levels)

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

Xue-fei Yang was born in Beijing where she broke new ground by being the first guitarist ever to graduate from the Central Conservatory of Music and to receive a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music. She gave her debut concert in Madrid at the age of fourteen, and the composer Rodrigo attended the performance. A few years later, John Williams heard her perform and left her his own Smallman guitar. Since 2000 Ms. Yang has been based in London where she has performed at Wigmore Hall, St. James Square at Piccadilly and at the Queen Elizabeth Hall with the BBC Concert Orchestra. In 2003 and 2004 she gave fifty-four concerts for the "Night of the Proms " Tour appearing in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. In the coming season Ms. Yang will perform in Denmark, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. She is the recipient of many prizes in major guitar competitions such as the Stotsenberg International Guitar Competition, the San Francisco International Guitar Competition and the Young Concert Artist International Competition in the USA. Among her teachers are Michael Lewin, John Mills and Timothy Walker.

Be sure not to miss Xue-fei Yang's performance of the Rodrigo concerto at the CCOHK's upcoming A SPANISH FIESTA concert!

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E. Music Amuses

Did you know that the Turkish pianist Victoria Kamhi became not only Rodrigo's wife but also his "eyes"?

Rodrigo was born in Sagunto, Spain in 1901. In 1905 an epidemic of diphtheria struck Sagunto. As a result many children died and others including Rodrigo became virtually blind. In 1933 Rodrigo married the talented Turkish pianist Victoria Kamhi. After their marriage, Victoria became Rodrigo's "eyes": not only did she act as a scribe for the blind composer, but she also collaborated with him on several of his works by adapting poetry for some of his songs. Although Victoria was an excellent pianist, she gave up her professional career in order to dedicate herself exclusively to her husband. Many years later she published a detailed autobiography recounting her childhood, her marriage to Rodrigo and the story of their lives. The book has been translated into English and is entitled "Hand in Hand with Joaquin Rodrigo: My Life at the Maestro's Side ".

The popular guitar concerto by Rodrigo and his lesser-heard "Tres viejos aires de danze" for a small orchestra will be featured in the CCOHK's upcoming A SPANISH FIESTA concert. Be sure not to miss it!

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F. CD Corner

The following is one of the best recordings available of the works by Manuel de Falla:

1. El sombrero de tres picos

2. La vida breve: Interlude and Dance

3. El amor brujo

These works are performed by the Suisse Romande Orchestra and conducted by Ernest Ansermet. The soprano is Teresa Berganza and the mezzo-soprano, Marina de Gaburain.

Label : Decca

Catalog : #466991

Release date : 18 July 2000

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G. Quiz

Answer the quiz and win FREE concert tickets to our A SPANISH FIESTA concert.

Question 1
What is Rodrigo's country of origin?

Question 2
What is the name of the Chinese female guitarist who will be featured in the CCOHK's upcoming A SPANISH FIESTA concert?

(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 February 2005 (Friday) 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 A SPANISH FIESTA concert on 21 March 2005 (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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