An annual gala of Chinese contemporary music

Like the Milan Fashion Week which is the mecca of the international fashion world, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra's Music About China series, held during the annual Hong Kong Arts Festival, is an occasion that all music lovers who want to catch the latest development trends in Chinese music composition must attend.

The 2010 programme features works by composers from different parts of the world, including the premiere of Qin, Se, Po - for Chinese orchestra by Jin Xiang (China); Sketches of the Guizhou Ranges for Chinese orchestra by Zhu Jian'er (China), and Three Realms of Tibet by Han Yong (Chinese in the United States).

As the concert falls on the Lantern Festival, regarded traditionally as a Chinese Valentine's Day, we have chosen a romantic love song, A Song of Love, by Robert Zollitsch (Germany) as a tribute to all lovers. Zollitsch, inspired by the Song poetess Li Qingzhao's elegant temperaments and devotion to love, has written this lilting piece which will be sung by his wife Gong Linna.

Zhu Jian’er            Symphonic Suite: Sketches of the Guizhou Ranges
                              (op. 23, 1982/2007)

                              First Movement: A Festival Contest of Lusheng
                              Second Movement: The Old Xiao Player
                              Third Movement: Serenade on a Moonlight Night
                              Forth Movement: The Festival

                              Chinese Orchestra Version - World Premiere

Jin Xiang               Qin, Se, Po for Pipa and Chinese Orchestra

                              Chinese Orchestral Version - World Premiere

Han Yong              Three Realms of Tibet
                              First Movement: The Realm of Heaven
                              Second Movement: The Realm of the Earth
                              Third Movement: The Realm of Man

                              World Premiere

Robert Zollitsch    A Song of Love for Soprano and Orchestra
                              First Movement: Spring
                              Second Movement: Summer
                              Third Movement: Autumn
                              Forth Movement: Winter

                              World Premiere
                              Lyrics by Li Qingzhao (Song Dynasty)