The best – and worst – of Hong Kong’s performing arts in 2017: memorable moments, star performances
From the Hong Kong Sinfonietta’s inspiring fusion concerts to the success of touring production Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the Musical, it was a great year for both local and overseas productions, despite two big cancellations
This year, the two biggest classical concerts in Hong Kong suffered massive setbacks: Venezuelan star conductor Gustavo Dudamel cancelled on us, as did Chinese pianist Lang Lang. Both were expected to appear in November – Dudamel as part of the Hong Kong Arts Festival and Lang with the Berliner Philharmoniker for the 20th anniversary celebrations of Hong Kong’s return to China – and both were headline acts.
But while fans might have been disappointed, no one was surprised. Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro had already ordered Dudamel to call off his US tour with Venezuela’s National Youth Orchestra in August before pulling the plug on the Asian tour of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra – three weeks ahead of its sold-out concerts.
Gustavo Dudamel’s Hong Kong concerts cancelled as Venezuelan government axes orchestra’s Asian tour
Lang, meanwhile, was suffering from a known ailment – inflammation in his left arm that had left him out of action for several months – though he did “borrow” the left hand of 14-year-old US pianist Maxim Lando to perform at the Carnegie Hall annual gala in New York in October.
Fortunately, 2017 saw few other disappointments on the local performing arts front. While I had to walk out of two performances – the City Contemporary Dance Company’s dated and dull Post-Perception/Transcendence and the Hong Kong Dance Company’s poorly executed Vipassana – most of the performances I saw this year, both local and from overseas, were engaging, inspiring and enjoyable.
