PRESS RELEASE

(Hong Kong, 7 December 2017) Featuring over 1,700 international artists and local talents in 130 performances from 23 February to 24 March, 2018, the 46th Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) has received a keen response from its audience, selling over 50% of 106,000 available tickets by the close of advance sales. Counter bookings begin at 10:00am on Sat 9 December at all URBTIX outlets (www.urbtix.hk | 2111 5999), while tickets to performances at the HK Academy for Performing Arts will also be available at all HK Ticketing outlets (www.hkticketing.com |31 288 288). Top 12 most popular programmes HKAF also features special programmes including: Based on the number of advance tickets sold, the 12 top-selling HKAF programmes so far are: National Theatre of Great Britain’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, American Ballet Theatre’s Whipped Cream, Denis Matsuev with the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia “Evgeny Svetlanov”, Ballett Zürich’s Anna Karenina, Les 7 Doigts de la Main & Theatre Republique’s Bosch Dreams, Chris Botti, the Cantonese opera Farewell My Concubine, Welsh National Opera’s Pelléas et Mélisande , Svetlana Zakharova & Vadim Repin’s Pas de deux for Toes and Fingers , Isango Ensemble’s A Man of Good Hope , Israel Galván’s FLA.CO.MEN , and Cécile McLorin Salvant and the Aaron Diehl Trio. HKAF 2018 Special Features HKAF also features special programmes including:

• Saburo Teshigawara | KARAS – Tristan and Isolde

A re-imagination of Wagner’s opera of doomed love by Japan’s great choreographer Saburo Teshigawara

• Nouveau Jazz Weekend

A fado-meets-jazz concert by Portuguese ensemble Vila Navio and two special and playful projects from Polish virtuoso trumpeter Maciej Fortuna

• China National Peking Opera Company

Three evenings of beloved classics including Rekindlinga Life-Long Romance, The Phoenix Returns to Its Nest and The Fisherman’s Revenge

• Jockey Club Local Creative Talents Series – Cantonese Opera Pavilion of a Hundred Flowers Revered theatre director Fredric Mao’s reinterpretation of Tong Tik-sang’s masterpiece, combining Cantonese

Opera traditions and contemporary theatre aesthetics

• Claude Régy – Dream and Derangement

Based on the feverish poetry of Georg Trakl, the 94-year-old French theatre master Claude Régy’s last work leads audiences on a sensorial voyage towards the confines of art and madness

• Beyond Impressionism – Piano Concert and Film Screening

Five distinguished pianists from Hong Kong and Taiwan perform French and Chinese piano music from the early 20th century, revealing fascinating connections between French and Chinese composers across many generations

• The Hong Kong Jockey Club Contemporary Dance Series – Dance Exchange

Young choreographers from mainland China have engaged in a creative exchange with local choreographers, sparking artistic connections that transcend borders

• The Great Learning / Doctrine of Happiness

Commissioned and produced by HKAF, these two productions follow the lives of a group of students as they move from secondary school into adulthood, depicting the challenges these millennials face against the backdrop of a polarised Hong Kong

The 46th HKAF Programme & Booking Guide is available at all URBTIX outlets throughout Hong Kong and the Festival Information Counters located at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong City Hall. Programme information and ticket availability can also be found at www.hk.artsfestival.org . Performances and more Adding to the list of great performances, Festival PLUS offers audiences an exciting array of outreach activities including film screenings, masterclasses, workshops, meet-the-artist sessions and backstage tours that enrich the Festival experience, including:

• “Richter × Pärt” Vox Clamantis – Concert at an Exhibition at the University Museum and Art Gallery of HKU;

• Opera Adventure Day by Welsh National Opera with opera workshops, props and costume displays, a Magic Butterfly VR experience and free foyer performances by WNO chorus members at Hong Kong Cultural Centre;

• ABT Recipe includes children’s dance workshops and masterclasses led by American Ballet Theatre teaching artists, a documentary screening and pre-performance talk at Hong Kong Cultural Centre;

• A series of pre-performance talks hosted by visiting artists and specialist speakers at the Podium Workshop in Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

Online registration starts on 7 December for all PLUS events. Details can be found on www.hk.artsfestivalplus.org and in the Festival PLUS Programme Guide 2018. About the Hong Kong Arts Festival Launched in 1973, the Hong Kong Arts Festival is a major international arts festival committed to enriching the cultural life of the city. In February and March every year, the Festival presents 1,400 of the world’s top artists and stars of tomorrow in about 120 performances, placing equal importance on great traditions and contemporary creations. The Festival also commissions and produces work in theatre, music, chamber opera and contemporary dance by Hong Kong’s own creative talents and emerging artists, many of which have had successful subsequent runs in Hong Kong and overseas. The Festival also presents about 300 “PLUS” and educational activities that offer diverse arts experiences to the community as well as tertiary, secondary and primary school students. The Hong Kong Arts Festival is a non-profit organisation. The budget of the 46th Festival is approximately HK$125 million. Secured government baseline funding for the Festival in 2018 represents roughly 14% of HKAF’s total income. Around 32% of the Festival’s income is expected to come from the box office, and another 36% needs to come from sponsorship and donations from corporations, individuals, and charitable foundations. It is anticipated that the remaining 18% will come from other revenues, including the Government’s pilot matching scheme, which matches income generated through private sector sponsorships and donations. For more information about the 2018 HKAF, please visit: www.hk.artsfestival.org. Media Enquiries