The 39th Hong Kong Arts Festival may still be six months away (advance bookings don't open until October 6), but that has not stopped its organiser from promoting it now. If you have it, flaunt it.
Opening the month-long cultural extravaganza will be mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli while another diva, contralto Ute Lemper, will be closing the event with an evening of 'passionate tango songs' with the Piazzolla Sextet.
The New York City Ballet will make its Hong Kong debut performing a mixed bill of works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and Alexei Ratmansky, while the Leipzig Opera will stage the five-hour Tristan und Isolde by Richard Wagner.
Other highlights include Masaaki Suzuki and Bach Collegium Japan, an ensemble the renowned organist, harpsichordist and conductor founded to introduce the Japanese public to period instrument performances; Birmingham Royal Ballet is bringing the charming piece, Hobson's Choice, choreographed by David Bintley; and a concert by Marianne Faithfull (pictured). The 'it girl' of the Swinging Sixties - who has collaborated with some of great artists in music history including The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, David Bowie and Jarvis Cocker - will perform in Hong Kong for the first time in a concert titled 'Eternity'.
On the local front, actor Poon Chan-leung makes his debut as writer and director in a new festival commission that teams him up with stage actress Louisa So Yuk-wa and veteran Cheung Kam-ching in a drama about confronting mortality.