Beare’s Premiere Music Festival 2026 hosts Hong Kong finale
As the curtain falls on the city’s principal chamber music event, the stellar line-up of musicians promises to send it off on a high note
For the uninitiated, this festival – originally the Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival – has long been the city’s answer to those intimate European gatherings where the music is serious but the atmosphere remains refreshingly unstuffy. It has been a reliable fixture for those who know their quartets from their quintets and a welcoming entry point for those who don’t.
To mark the occasion, Lin Cho-liang, the festival’s long-time artistic director and a violinist of no small repute, returns to steer the ship one last time. Jimmy, as he is affectionately known, has curated a farewell week that feels less like a memorial and more like a victory lap.
If you prefer your chamber music with a side of spectacle, head to the Musical Fireworks on Sunday night. Seventeen musicians – the full festival roster – will be crammed onto the stage for a riotous run through everything from Baroque elegance to Gershwin’s jazzier numbers.
Serious aficionados will be clearing their diaries for Monday and Wednesday. Ode to Beethoven (January 26) sees heavyweights such as violinist Ning Feng, cellist Qin Li-wei and Berlin Philharmonic clarinettist Wenzel Fuchs tackling the master’s work, while Strings in Motion (January 28) also features Fuchs alongside violist Timothy Ridout and cellist Gary Hoffman. These are musicians who could sell out halls on their own; seeing them collaborate in such proximity is a rare treat.
But the show-stopper is saved for last. On Friday, the Festival Finale: Four Seasons offers a clever twist on Vivaldi’s masterpiece. Rather than a single soloist hogging the limelight, the concertos will be shared among four stellar violinists: So-ock Kim, Yura Lee, Angela Chan and Stefan Jackiw. It is a democratic approach to a classic, ensuring the festival ends on a high note.