The buzz
Culture vultures rejoice: after a fairly lowbrow silly season of beer festivals, random uniform parties and Kula Shaker concerts, it's time to raise the bar in terms of the quality of events available to the entertainment-hungry masses.
The city's orchestras, performing artists and gallery owners are finally back from their summer sojourns, so those who've been starved for quality culture recently can get ready for a range of more highbrow options over the coming weeks.
In the classical music world, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is stealing a march on the others by launching its season on September 2. At the Phil's Season Opening Gala Concert at the Cultural Centre, Edo de Waart will conduct soprano Zhang Liping and tenor Warren Mok, among others, in works by composers including Mozart, Puccini and Dvorak,
Next up is the return of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta on September 11, when music director Yip Wing-sie will perform one of the most moving works in music history -Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 6, Pathetique. Opening with mainland composer Chen Yi's work for chamber orchestra, Duo Ye, the concert will also see piano virtuoso Conrad Tao joining the orchestra in a performance of Mozart's much-loved Piano Concerto in A, K488.
Then September 17 will herald the start of Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra's 34th season, which will present about 70 performances ranging from the 2011 Conductors' Festival, the avant-garde Mystic Realm production and The Eight Immortals' Adventures, a music-drama crossover. The season-opening show will be the Genghis Khan choral symphony, returning after an impressive premiere at the 2007 China Shanghai International Arts Festival.
When it comes to visual arts, one of the most anticipated shows of the year is almost upon us. Popping Up: Revisiting the Relationship between 2D and 3D - presented by the Hong Kong Arts Centre - will bring together 13 Asian artists, architects and fashion designers to explore the relationship between 2-D and 3-D in contemporary art. It's being organised by renowned curator Fumio Nanjo, and runs from next month through to October.
The No Borders Gallery on Aberdeen Street, Central, has had a big impact on the contemporary art scene in Hong Kong since it opened a year ago. Tomorrow night it will be celebrating its first birthday with an exhibition of works by modern artists it has showcased in the past year, including Michael De Feo, French urban artists JAW and Brusk, and local artist Dorophy Tang.
It's been a quiet period for lovers of dance, too, but the dry spell is about to break. The Hong Kong Dance Company will be making a return after the summer by presenting the new show Romance of the Three Kingdoms at the Cultural Centre from September 10-12. A week later, the City Contemporary Dance Company will be refashioning the Cantonese opera classic, The Purple Hairpin into Love, Accidentally, choreographed by Mui Cheuk-yin, at the same venue from September 17-19.
Jazz enthusiasts are also in for a treat ahead of the world-class acts expected at next year's Arts Festival, thanks to the return of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's occasional Jazz Up series. On September 3, Queen Elizabeth Stadium will play host to The Duke Ellington Orchestra, with popular local chanteuse Elaine Liu featured as guest vocalist.
So now you've got no excuses: get out there and grab some culture. And don't forget to take your copy of Going Out.
