Violinist Julian Rachlin to perform with the HKPO on 21 February 2004 at Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall

Febuary 11th, 2004

The Hong Kong Arts Festival is delighted to announce that the brilliant young Austrian violinist Julian Rachlin will replace Kyung-Wha Chung as the soloist in the Festival's HSBC Showcase concert on 21 February 2004 at the Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Julian Rachlin is one of the most charismatic and exciting violinists of his generation. He has worked with the world's major orchestras and has collaborated with many renowned conductors. In recognition of his immense talent, he received one of the most prestigious awards for classical musicians, the coveted "Accademia Musicale Chigiana" International Prize. Korean violinist Kyung-Wha Chung, who was originally scheduled to perform, has had to withdraw from the concert due to ill health.

Hong Kong Arts Festival Executive Director Douglas Gautier said, "We are very excited that Julian Rachlin will be with us. He is acknowledged internationally as a major talent, and consistently brings audiences to their feet in top concert halls around the world. His performance of the Beethoven concerto, I'm sure, will be one of the musical highlights of the Festival."

Julian Rachlin studied with the eminent pedagogue Boris Kuschnir and Pinchas Zukerman before he gained overnight international acclaim in 1988 by winning the "Young Musician of the Year" Award at the Eurovision Competition held at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. This success lead to Lorin Maazel's invitation to debut at the Berlin Festival with the Orchestra National de France and to tour Europe and Japan with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He then became the youngest soloist ever to play with the Vienna Philharmonic, making his debut under Riccardo Muti.

Rachlin has appeared with, and returns on a regular basis to, the world's major orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, St Petersburg Philharmonic and Vienna Philharmonic. He has collaborated with, among other conductors, Zubin Mehta, Yehudi Menuhin, Andre Previn, and Mariss Jansons. His recordings of the Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saens Concerto on the Sony Classical label were honoured as the Critics' Choice in the Gramophone Classical Good CD Guide.

Julian Rachlin's concert with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Ion Marin is an HSBC Showcase concert. The programme includes Weber's Invitation to the Dance (orchestrated by Berlioz), Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major and Saint-Saens' Symphony No 3 in C minor.

The 2004 Hong Kong Arts Festival will present a total of 112 performances, of 51 different programmes featuring 36 performing groups plus three exhibitions and four special outdoor performances, over 34 days from 3 February through 7 March 2004. Tickets are available at URBTIX outlets. Tickets for programmes performed at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Arts Centre are also available through HK Ticketing.

For further enquiries, please contact Andy Yau, Assistant Marketing Manager, attel: 2824 3555.

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