ExclusiveHong Kong concert organiser accused of being serial defaulter by music groups and musicians
Italian Andrea Dal Cin admits he owes money to a Hong Kong orchestra and vocal group – who have reported him to police – and to a pianist based in the city; despite his debts he has continued to put on events backed by consulates
Musicians and music groups have accused a Hong Kong impresario of being a serial defaulter. One group, the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong (CCOHK), says his actions forced it to postpone two concerts this spring.
Asked by the Post about their allegations, the impresario, Andrea Bettinelli Dal Cin, said some of the parties involved in events he organised should have known of the “financial risks” of participating in them. He promised to resolve outstanding claims “soon”.
Leanne Nicholls, founder and artistic director of the 19-year-old orchestra, said it had not been paid for two 2016 concerts at St John’s Cathedral in Hong Kong organised by Dal Cin’s company, Solomusica.
It is the responsibility of a presenter to underwrite a concert whether it is financially successful at the box office or not. If he knew he could not handle any potential risk he shouldn’t have done it
“We are owed hundreds of thousands of [Hong Kong] dollars,” she said. “We spent nearly two years trying to get hold of the money but to no avail. And so it was with great reluctance that we called off two of our concerts in March and April. We simply did not have enough resources.”
The two concerts, one featuring French pianist Philippe Entremont and the other Russian violinist Kirill Troussov, have now been rescheduled.
Dal Cin is an Italian-born Hong Kong resident who quit a job in manufacturing in 2015 to set up Solomusica, a company that organises concerts and other musical events.
He sang in the amateur choruses of Opera Hong Kong and the Opera Society of Hong Kong, but had no experience in presenting concerts.
