Advertisement
En route to major music festival, Hong Kong ensemble still awaits government funding decision
Hong Kong New Music Ensemble filed application with Home Affairs Bureau three months ago, so group and festival to cover expenses in the meantime
2-MIN READ2-MIN
A local ensemble is set to put Hong Kong on the world map of new music at a major festival despite a delay of essential funding from the government.
The Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, a dynamic group of musicians founded by Australian violist William Lane, will perform at the Tongyeong International Music Festival in South Korea for two concerts starting tomorrow while awaiting funding from the government.
The festival, which kicked off on Saturday for two weeks of classical and contemporary music programmes, features some of the top figures in the music circuit including composer Philip Glass and conductor Christoph Eschenbach.
Hong Kong ensemble takes new approach to new music instruction
“We can’t wait, the red tape takes too long,” said Lane, who departed yesterday for the festival with a group of 26 musicians.
Advertisement
“It’s been three months since we submitted the proposal to the Home Affairs Bureau and it’s still processing. But we’ve got to work within the time frame of the festival,” he said.
The rules of the Arts Development Fund, to which the ensemble applied, require art groups to submit applications three months before a tour but they do not specify when results are announced.
Advertisement
“Rules aside, cases are looked into individually,” a government source said.
Without the funding, Lane said the expenses were in part covered by the festival as well as the ensemble’s reserves. A HK$300,000 subsidy from the bureau would be necessary to pay for the entire tour, which included 14 extra players from four local tertiary institutions, including guest conductor Dr Sharon Choa, head of music at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x