| CITY RHYTHM is the newsletter of the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong (CCOHK) sent to Friends of the orchestra. ***************************************************************** Dear Friends of the CCOHK, Contents of This Issue A. Coming Events B. Spotlight C. Sounding Board D. Director's Notes E. Artist Scoop F. Music Amuses G. CD Corner H. Quiz
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ A. Coming Events Don't miss our coming concert which features four Russian prodigies. Performing in Hong Kong for the first time, all four soloists are child prodigies especially chosen by the Vladimir Spivakov International Foundation to represent the next generation of great Russian artists. Details Please note that this concert is also a charity event with net proceeds going to Po Leung Kuk. Special charity tickets @ $800 are available from the CCOHK: please call Tel. No. : 28572402. Donors buying these special charity tickets will have their names acknowledged in the house programme. For more information please email us at: ccohk@yahoo.com @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ B. Spotlight Interview with the Concertmaster of the CCOHK, Hong-ying Ho. Where are you from and how long have you been in Hong Kong? Which CCOHK guest artists have made the biggest impression on you? Which CCOHK concert has been the most memorable for you? You were one of the child prodigies featured in the documentary "From Mao to Mozart" with Isaac Stern. What do you remember most about your association with Isaac Stern? Tell us something about your childhood experience of studying the violin in China. What sacrifices did you have to make when you were chosen to study in the Beijing Central Conservatory at the age of 11? Becoming a "professional" violinist at the age of 11 meant that I had to give up my normal school education and children's play. Being an outstanding student at that time, I was always chosen to represent the conservatory in performances and competitions. Now, when I look back on those days, I somewhat regret that I didn't have the opportunity to study a variety of subjects such as geometry, physics, etc. like normal kids do. I also missed family life, as I was separated from my family at an early age. What do you remember most about your teacher at the Juilliard School of Music, Dorothy Delay? Who were some of the other top violinists studying with her at the same time as you? Name one of the most important milestones in your music career. What message do you have for our friends? %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% The CCOHK would like to congratulate Hong-ying on the birth of her beautiful baby girl, Dorothy. In case you were wondering, this is the reason why you haven't seen Hong-ying playing at our recent events!! @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ C. Sounding Board Friends who attend our concerts and are successful in having their comments published will win 2 FREE tickets to one of our future events. In this issue we are pleased to share with you the following COMMENTS FROM OUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS who attended our "Roger Woodward Plays Bach and Beethoven" concert on 28 June 2002: "A professional performance. The orchestral members were totally immersed in the music." " A relaxed and intimate atmosphere. Excellent programme and soloist. A most enjoyable evening." "Very outstanding. All the performers were extremely committed." "The performance of the whole orchestra was fantastic. Roger Woodward gave a competent and splendid performance." Congratulations to these FOUR friends, who have each won 2 FREE TICKETS to one of our future concerts. We will be in touch with you soon! @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ D. Director's Notes Dear Friends, Over the past three years I've somehow managed to avoid those standard "message from the director" letters. Trying to keep a new orchestra afloat almost single-handedly with a budget of over a million HK dollars per year has been an overwhelming task at times. There hasn't been much choice but to get on with the work, not to mention the tedious hours spent making reeds (the untold joys of playing the oboe!). But another season has indeed rolled by, and before I am consumed by future events (which I will also mention later in this letter), I will, if I may, take a moment to reflect upon the past year and to thank some very special people who have made a difference. I guess the past 2001/2002 season could be best described as a kind of musical journey from Bologna to Vienna, with a brief (but enormously fun) detour to Ireland!! We have been treated to harp concertos with Czech harpist Katerina Englichova, piano concertos with the famed Roger Woodward and Richard Harvey surely did surprise us all when he started playing panpipes and mandolin in addition to all those whistles! I think many of us were "transported" elsewhere too during that beautiful moment in January when the CCOHK strings, together with organist Peter Yue, played Albinoni's Adagio in a candlelit filled St. John's Cathedral. Finding sponsorship for our concerts has also been a kind of journey. Along the way I have had the privilege of meeting some wonderful people in the business community who have shown a genuine interest in local music making. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to the following companies and organizations who have supported us during the 2001/2002 season: RSM Nelson Wheeler Corporate Advisory Services Ltd, YOHIFI.COM.LIMITED, Lufthansa Airlines, Hotel Intercontinental Hong Kong, Qantas Airways Limited, the Consulate General of Canada, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, the St. Patrick's Society of Hong Kong, the HKADC and the LCSD. My list would not be complete without a big "thank you" to those "unsung heroes" who have worked hard behind the scenes. Thanks to A-Fat, our cheery and hard-working Stage Manager (needless to say, your smoke machine at the Irish concert was the talk of the town!), to Joanna (what would we have done without you setting up all those candles at the Baroque By Candlelight concert?!), and to Mary Anne, Mary, Josephine, Mable and Lori, the wonderful ladies who work at the front of house selling CDs and so on (you are all stunning!). I would also like to thank YOU - our audience - for your comments and feedback over the past season. Many of you have been so kind to send us e-mails, letters and questionnaires. Knowing that there is an audience out there supporting our activities is a tremendous encouragement to us. Last (but certainly not least), I would like to express my admiration and thanks to Mary Anne Pun, who is the editor of this newsletter. She has worked tirelessly for the CCOHK since its inception in more ways than one, and her enthusiasm continues to be a great inspiration to me. This E-Newsletter was her own wonderful idea and, on behalf of everyone at the CCOHK and all our friends, I would like to congratulate her on another fabulous job well done! 5 & 6 December 2002 Christmas Concert with the Swedish Voices Chamber Choir. They will bring their St. Lucia concert tradition to Hong Kong, singing with candles on their heads! Proceeds to the Sunbeam Children's Foundation. 29 January 2003 Diana Yukawa, the sensational 16-year old Japanese/British violinist and BMG artist will make her Hong Kong debut with the CCOHK performing works by Saint-Saens. 2 April 2003 Mandolin Magic with Alison Stephens, the UK's leading classical mandolin player. A rare chance to hear those popular Vivaldi mandolin concertos. Conductor Nicholas Routley returns to Hong Kong to conduct this unique programme. Other events include concerts with Claude Delangle, France's hottest classical saxophonist, and Emma Kirkby, the famous soprano hailed as "The Queen of Early Music". Please visit our web-site at http://www.ccohk.com/ regularly for the latest details of these exciting concerts. By the way, our web-site has recently been given a face-lift and is now more attractive than ever. Be sure to take a look! There's a lot to look forward to but, most of all, we look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events, so do keep in touch!! Best wishes, Leanne Nicholls @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ E. Artist Scoop Multi-talented musician and composer RICHARD HARVEY conducted and performed in a highly successful all-Irish show with the CCOHK in March 2002. His recent project is an exciting one. The shooting of a film named "Luther" is now under way in Germany. The movie is set in the first half of the sixteenth century. Mr. Harvey has been busy writing songs for Luther (Joseph Fiennes) to perform for the film. During his lifetime, Martin Luther was a great and influential musician who may well have changed the course of western music along with his reformation of the church. Representing him musically is a task which Mr. Harvey is handling "respectfully and with care". Source: http://www.richardharvey.net/news.html Plans are underway for Richard Harvey to return to Hong Kong, so watch this space! @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ F. Music Amuses Why are balalaikas triangular?! All experts seem to agree that the balalaika evolved from the domra, which has a rounded body. So why suddenly a triangle? Here are three possible theories: 1. The balalaika's body was made as a straight-side triangle for simpler construction since it is harder to bend curved sides. 2. In Nikolai Gogol's unfinished novel "Dead Souls" (Editor's Note: Gogol was a historian as well as a writer), it is stated that the balalaika was originally a chordophone that a peasant would make out of a pumpkin. If you quarter a pumpkin, you are left with the shape of a balalaika. 3. The triangular shape has been said by some to represent the Holy Trinity. Source: In our September concert, you will have the rare opportunity to see and hear this unique instrument. Although the balalaika has its roots in Russian folk music, in recent years it has been elevated to the status of a classical instrument with an intricate and virtuosic repertoire written for it. Our 18-year-old balalaika soloist from the Vladimir Spivakov International Foundation (reported to be absolutely brilliant!) will be performing a transcription of Vivaldi's violin concerto in A minor with the CCOHK. Don't miss this Hong Kong first! @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ F. CD Corner If you enjoy Bach's keyboard concertos, then these two excellent CD recordings are definitely recommended: Bach : Keyboard Concertos Nos. 1, 2 & 4 Bach : Keyboard Concertos Nos. 3, 5, 6 & 7 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ G. Quiz Answer the quiz and win FREE concert tickets +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ On 12th September the CCOHK will feature the talents of four child prodigies from the Vladimir Spivakov International Foundation in Russia. Spivakov, a world-renowned musician and founder of the Moscow Virtuosi, performed as soloist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 2001. What instrument does he play? ( For answers to these questions please check our website: http://www.ccohk.com/ ) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Send your answers to us by email maryanne@ccohk.com on or before NOON on 21 August 2002 (Wednesday) together with your name and postal address. The first person to submit the correct answer together with his/her name, telephone number and postal address will win 2 FREE tickets to our "Spivakov Russian Prodigies in Concert" on 12 September 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 maryanne@ccohk.com |
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