WHEN RTHK RECENTLY launched its Young Chinese Performers television series, eyebrows were raised. After all, eight out of the series' nine performers are from the mainland, with only pianist Colleen Lee Ka-ling representing Hong Kong.
The documentary series, which is costing HK$2 million to produce (half of that coming from the Swire Group Charitable Trust), has been billed as the follow-up to Young Chinese Musicians and, therefore, a guide to the hottest talents on the international performing-arts circuit.
The selection of only one Hong Kong artist raises at least two questions. First, whether the city is short of young talent; or, second, whether the programme reflects kowtowing by the public broadcaster, which is currently undergoing a government review?
Executive producer Winnie Ho Wai-ying insists that the project is free of any political agenda. She says her main concerns are to 'uphold financial prudence and create social impact' with a series that took almost a year of research, and by September will have involved six months of filming.
Ho, who directed two episodes in Young Chinese Musicians, says local performers are generally inferior to their contemporaries elsewhere. 'When Hong Kong Chinese dancers and musicians are compared to Chinese in China and overseas, there is, indeed, a gap in artistic standards. We were looking for performers who have achieved high international standards.'
Fitting that bill are pianist Chen Sa, choreographer/dancer Xing Liang, soprano Zhang Liping, erhu player Karen Han, violinist Huang Mengla, choreographer Lee Hanzhong, cellist Qin Liwei, ballerina Faye Leung and Colleen Lee. Episodes about Chen and Xing have already been aired
