39th Hong Kong Arts Festival 2011 Officially opens tomorrow (22 Feb) for six weeks Over 120,000 tickets have been sold

Febuary 21st, 2011

We are pleased to announce that the 39th Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) opens tomorrow with a record high of over 120,000 tickets sold, coming to 87% of all seats. The official opening performance is the first of two concerts featuring one of the eminent artists of our time, Cecilia Bartoli. The latter concert, Sacrificium, is the Asian premiere of some of the most difficult baroque arias ever written, originally intended for castrati in the 18th century. This performance features pieces from a 2011 Grammy winning album of the same title.

Response to the Festival so far has been exceptionally encouraging – 180 performances have 90% ticket sales with almost 160 performances completely sold out – this includes the magical wonderland of Power Plant which takes the Festival outdoors to the beautiful Kowloon Walled City Park.

Due to overwhelming demand, eight extra performances have been added. Tickets for available performances will continue to be offered during the Festival period from 17 February to 27 March 2011.

The opening ceremony of the 39th Hong Kong Arts Festival will be held at 7:45pm tomorrow in the foyer of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The Honourable Mr Donald Tsang, the Chief Executive of the HKSAR and Patron of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, officiated the ceremony together with Mr Charles Lee, GBM, GBS, JP, Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Festival; Mr Christopher Cheng Wai-chee, GBS JP, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Mr Tsang Tak-sing, GBS, JP, Secretary for Home Affairs; Mr Mark McCombe, Chief Executive Officer Hong Kong of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited; Mrs Betty Fung, JP, Director of the Leisure and Cultural Services; and Ms Tisa Ho, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

This year the HKAF presents 228 performances and events, including 13 new works, one world premiere, eight Asian premieres, and in addition, a Festival symposium, a series of guided tours, masterclasses, workshops and other Festival PLUS events. As an annual international event, the HKAF focuses on the best international performing arts along with vibrant contributions from Hong Kong's creative talent. It also includes a strong regional Asian component, and serves as a showcase for the best contemporary and traditional performing arts in China.

For further enquiries, please contact Ms Katy Cheng, Marketing Director, at 2824 3555.

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