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Clare Tyrrell

Culture

Joseph Silverstein

Following performances at the Beijing Festival, concertmaster Joseph Silverstein comes to the SAR this week to conduct masterclasses today and a concert on Friday. Silverstein was the concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for 22 years and this year he celebrates his 70th birthday. Friday's concert features a programme of Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D, Walton's Johannesburg Festival Overture and Dvorak's Symphony No 8 in G. Fri, 6.30pm. Concert Hall, Academy for Performing Arts, Wan Chai. Free tickets are available by calling 2584 8644.

Happy Hands

This year is Hermes' 'year of the hand'. In celebration, the brand presents Happy Hands, an installation exhibition by Hilton McConnico, a long-time partner of the company renowned for its equestrian-themed scarves. Garden Court, Pacific Place, Admiralty. Tel: 2919 5775. Ends Thu.

The Fabulous Gorgeous Gang

Disabled and able-bodied performers from the Hong Kong Vocational Centre perform dance, Shakespeare and improvisation 'to celebrate their differences and similarities'. Tonight, 7.30pm. Fringe Theatre, Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central. Tickets $75 ($60 members, $45 students) Ticketek. Inquiries: 2521 7251

Fou Ts'ong Trilogy

One of the greatest Chinese pianists of the 20th century, Fou Ts'ong comes to Hong Kong to perform the first in a trilogy of concerts. Born in Shanghai in the 1930s, by 1953 Ts'ong had moved to Europe, where he met with critical acclaim from an astounded Warsaw Conservatory. Time magazine heralded him the greatest Chinese musician alive, while Hermann Hesse named him 'the only true performer of Chopin'. The first recital, Alone With Chopin, is tomorrow, 8pm. Concert Hall, Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. $180-$480 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2836 3336 or visit www.hksinfonietta.org

Heart Of Hanoi: Dao Hai Phong And Le Thanh Son

A group exhibition of two of Vietnam's distinguished artists. Dao Hai Phong's stark, colourful landscapes are bold with brilliant reds, blues, greens, violets and purples. Le Thanh Son's landscapes depict vivid mountain and highland scenes, stormy beaches and tranquil rivers. Mon-Sat 9.30am-6.30pm, Sun 10am-6pm. Arch Angel Art, 38 Peel Street, Central. Tel: 2854 4255 or 2851 6848. Ends tomorrow

Talks

The Piano Tuner

The Asia Society and Harvard Club Of Hong Kong co-organise a book launch and cocktails with Daniel Mason, whose debut novel, The Piano Tuner, tells the story of Edgar Drake, a piano tuner who, in 1886, is asked by the British War Office to travel to a remote village in Burma to repair a rare grand piano belonging to an eccentric British officer. Currently a medical student, Mason wrote this novel after spending a year studying malaria on the Thai-Myanmar border. Today, cocktails at 6.30pm, presentation at 7pm. China Tee Club, 1/F, Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central. $200 Asia Society/Harvard Club members, $250 non-members (includes drinks and canapes). Registration: call Frances Chim at 2103 9508 or e-mail fchim@asiasoc.org

Design In Publishing

Tomorrow night, the Women In Publishing Society (WIPS) presents a talk on the nature of design in the world of publishing. Speakers include Lilian Tang, founder of LTD, a Hong Kong-based graphic design firm specialising in corporate communications, and Ruth Du Cann, creative director for Elle Magazine in Hong Kong and China. Tomorrow, 6.30pm-8.30pm. Hughes Room, Foreign Correspondents' Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central. $60 WIPS members, $100 for the public. Registration: e-mail october-event@hkwips.org. More info: www.hkwips.org

Is Democracy An Illusion?

The Kowloon branch of the Hong Kong Philosophy Cafe meets tomorrow to discuss the subject of democracy. Rose Allender gives an introductory talk, followed by an informal, philosophical discussion, moderated by the group's main organiser, Stephen Palmquist. The talk is free, but you will need to pay for food and drinks. Tomorrow, 7.30pm-10pm. Museum Cafe, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Inquiries: e-mail Palmquist at stevepq@hkbu.edu.hk

Tibetan Traditional Medicine

The Natural Health Association (NHA) is presenting a talk by Dr Tsondue Gyatso. Trained as a traditional Tibetan medicine specialist, Gyatso graduated from the Lhasa Astro and Medical Institute in 1961 and since 1990 has travelled the world to use the ancient medical tradition to heal modern complaints. Thu, 7pm-9pm. The Helena May, 35 Garden Road, Central. Free for NHA members, $40 for non-members. Reservations are not required. For more information: call Catherine on 8208 0629 or visit www.naturalhealth.org.hk

Christmas Card Sale

The Community Advice Bureau will hold its annual Christmas card and handicrafts sale on the grounds of St John's Cathedral from Fri-Sat. More than 30 local charities will be represented. Fri, 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-3pm.

Faust Festival 2003

Applications are invited from professional and amateur theatre groups, private organisations and schools for next year's Faust Festival. The annual festival, geared towards entertaining children during the summer holidays, was more diverse than ever this year with 16 productions and 41 performances. The organisers are looking for a wide variety of styles to fill next summer's programme which runs from June 2 to June 21. Applications close on Nov 15. Send applications to The Faust Festival 2003, 14/F, Fortune House, 61 Connaught Road, Central. Inquiries: 2547 9114

Italian Night

This evening the Italian Chamber of Commerce hosts a night of some of the country's most famous exports. 'Savouries, Gelato And Espresso Al Fresco' takes over Da Luca's restaurant. Academy for Performing Arts student Eric Kwong sings Italian arias and $100 per person secures two standard drinks, a mini-gelati and espresso for further sensory pleasure. Today, 6.30pm-8.30pm. Da Luca, 46-48 Cochrane Street, Central. Reservations: call 2521 8837 or e-mail icc@icc.org.hk

Urbtix: 2734 9009

Urbtix/CityLines credit-card booking: 2111 5999

Fringe: 2521 7251

CityLine: 2317 6666

TicketNet: 2312 9998

Ticketek: 3128 8288

For a complete listings service visit totallyhk.scmp.com.



THE PLANNER