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Cantopop diva Sandy Lam Yik-lin wows the crowd at the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s 50th anniversary shows

Lam was the main guest at the The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s three-night run, singing nostalgia-filled 75-minute sets

Veteran singer-songwriter Anthony Lun, and Cantopop legends Frances Yip and Elisa Chan, also took the stage to perform reimagined classics

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Sandy Lam (above) was star guest at the HK Phil’s three 50th anniversary shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum in April. She was joined by joined by singer-songwriter Anthony Lun and Cantopop singers Frances Yip and Elisa Chan. Photo: Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

Published: 5:15pm, 24 May 2024Updated: 3:53pm, 29 May 2024

Emerging from a six-year hiatus, Cantopop diva Sandy Lam Yik-lin thrilled the audience over three nights at the Hong Kong Philharmonic’s half-century anniversary shows celebrating the city’s prolific musical history.

Since it became a professional orchestra, in 1974, the HK Phil has regularly collaborated with Cantopop stars, weaving classical and popular music together.

Conducted by Lio Kuokman and directed by Harris Ho Bing-shung, the performances hit the mark with nostalgia-inducing set lists and an eclectic line-up that also featured legendary singers Frances Yip Lai-yee and Elisa Chan Kit-ling.

Lam, 58, who has spent most of the past decade in London, is known for routine retreats from the limelight over her lustrous, four-decade career.

The three-hour performances breathed new life into generational hits at The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s half-century anniversary shows. Photo: Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

Since concluding her Pranava world tour six years ago, Lam has rarely been seen in public. Even as her 2018 album 0 swept the top prizes at the Golden Melody Awards – the Grammys of Chinese music – the singer’s manager accepted the honours on her behalf.