ETIENNE REUTER Head of the Office of the European Commission in Hong Kong I hope to see the opera Marco Polo because I think it's an interesting project and, of course, considering the events this year it's a bit special. We're always interested in what symbolises an exchange between East and West.
I'd like to hear the Joe Henderson Jazz Quartet because I enjoy jazz and I haven't seen them perform before. And the Mark Morris Dance Group because he's so innovative. He was in Brussels about seven years ago, but I think he wasn't a great success there. He was very, very controversial and produced some starkers dancing - you know, performers in the nude - and Brussels is so conservative, people couldn't understand what he was doing or relate to it. So I'd like to see what happens here. And Pina Bausch is very innovative too. I've never seen her work. I'd also like to support the Hong Kong Philharmonic and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.
VINCENT CHOW Chairman, Arts Development Council I'd love to see Tan Dun's opera Marco Polo, it looks like a very interesting work. And the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of A Midsummer's Night Dream should be something to watch out for. I definitely want to hear the Hong Kong Philharmonic playing Mahler's Symphony No 1 which is one of my favourites. I think I'll try not to miss the Montreal Symphony Orchestra because I've only heard them on record so far. There are so many other things on during the festival but of course the problem is that it's all cramped into two or three weeks.
MUI CHEUK-YIN Dancer and resident choreographer, Chinese Contemporary Dance Company I'm performing in Paris at the Biennial Dance Festival in February and usually I like to stay on and explore a place when I'm there but this time I'm coming back to Hong Kong because I want to see Pina Bausch. I met her when I performed in Berlin some time ago - I went to Wuppertal [last month] to see the company rehearse and I liked both the dancers and Pina very much. It was interesting to see the work which was going on at that time, and I want to see how that turns out now on stage.
Tan Dun is a friend so of course I want to see Marco Polo. And I know one of the dancers, Shen Wei, and he's brilliant. I saw him in Hong Kong several years ago and then he went to New York. I really like the idea of a piece in which Tan Dun and Shen Wei work together.
WILLIAM TANG Designer and writer The last time I saw the arts festival was about eight years ago. Usually it's not good timing for anyone in the fashion industry with the shows happening in Europe, but this year I'm going to make an effort to stay here because of Pina Bausch. I love her style and her dance technique. I went to see her in Dusseldorf and then she came to my home in Hong Kong two months ago.