MANY ORCHESTRAS AND dance companies tour abroad to be assessed by new critics and larger audiences. That's why the Hong Kong Sinfonietta hits the road on Friday for a series of festivals and concerts in Reims, France, Vilnius and Kaunas in Lithuania, and Warsaw until August 11. And the Hong Kong Ballet is embarking on its first tour of Spain, between August 15 and September 5, with dates at the Santander International Festival and in Madrid.
These government-subsidised companies often receive better reviews and more standing ovations overseas than they do at home, and the artists are keen to demonstrate and hone their talent on the road. 'For every professional orchestra, going on tour helps build its reputation in other countries,' says the Sinfonietta's music director and conductor, Yip Wing-sie. 'But touring is also good training for the musicians. There's a lot of cultural exchange going on when we're in another country, especially when we take part in festivals. We watch and learn from other participating ensembles and musicians.'
Over the next week, the orchestra will perform in three festivals: Les Flaneries Musicales d'Ete de Reims; Vilnius' International Christopher Summer Festival; and the Pazaislis Music Festival in Kaunas. It will be the Sinfonietta's third tour since it first hit the road in 2001.
Yip says she's devised a challenging programme for a 30-strong chamber-size orchestra to perform at all the venues, which offer different acoustics and facilities. The pieces include: Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances, Set III; Mozart's Piano Concerto No 23 in A, K488; Chan Hing-yan's There's Something in the Wind ... and Stravinsky's demanding Pulcinella Suite. In the absence of a concert grand piano at the Vilnius venue, the Mozart concerto will be replaced by recitals by the two Chinese instrumental soloists. Young French pianist Helene Couvert, dizi player Chu Siu-wai and sheng player Loo Sze-wang will also tour with the orchestra. Couvert will perform in the Sinfonietta's pre-tour concert in Hong Kong on Thursday, while European audiences can hear Chan's compositions.
'This is the kind of exchange we aim to foster through touring,' says Yip. 'One of the aims of the Sinfonietta is to showcase home-grown talents locally and internationally.' She says the tour will bring the orchestra closer together because the musicians will travel, work and live together for an intensive period. Concertmaster Elizabeth Lo Ka-yi, who toured with the orchestra last year, says she's looking forward to performing in an eastern European country that's steeped in classical traditions. 'The visit will broaden our horizons, not only musically but also culturally,' she says. 'To be physically there to feel their culture will be very special.'
Yip says she's looking forward to performing at the Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall. 'It has a long history and is the home of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra,' she says. 'When we perform there, we feel we can't let anyone down, so everyone will have to be focused and do their best. But this kind of pressure helps maintain the orchestra's well-being.'