Led by charismatic music director and conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, the celebrated Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia – Roma will make its debut in Hong Kong along with two acclaimed young pianists for two concerts in November.
The first concert, an all-Russian programme, will be held at 8pm on November 22 (Thursday) at the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The orchestra will play Glinka's "Overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila" and Tchaikovsky's "Symphony No. 4 in F minor". The sought-after Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov will also perform Rachmaninov's "Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor".
The second concert comprises a "feast" of Beethoven, which will be staged at 8pm on November 23 (Friday) at the same auditorium. The evening will embrace the energy of the composer's second and fifth symphonies, while Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho will be the soloist for Beethoven's virtuosic "Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor".
Founded in 1908, the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia – Roma is the first Italian orchestra to devote itself exclusively to the symphonic repertoire, giving premieres of major contemporary masterpieces. The orchestra has been conducted by some of the major musical figures of the 20th century, from Mahler and Debussy to Karajan and Abbado. Leonard Bernstein was the honorary president of the orchestra from 1983 to 1990. With Pappano at the helm, the orchestra has appeared at major music festivals and performed in some of the world's best-known venues.
Sir Antonio Pappano has been the orchestra's music director since October 2005. Before that he carried out the same role at the London's Covent Garden, the Den Norske Opera of Oslo and the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels. He has conducted many major orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Staatskappelle Dresden and the London Symphony Orchestra.
Grammy Award winning Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov – winner of Gramophone's 2016 Artist of the Year award – has made a spectacular ascent in the world of classical music as a solo artist and a champion of the concerto repertoire. Trifonov won medals at three of the music world's most prestigious competitions, taking third prize in the International Chopin Piano Competition, first prize in the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition, and both first prize and grand prix in the International Tchaikovsky Competition. He is currently the artist-in-residence at the Berliner Philharmoniker for the 2018/19 season.
Seong-Jin Cho came to the world's attention in 2015 when he won the coveted first prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. With an overwhelming talent and innate musicality, Cho is rapidly embarking on a world-class career and is considered one of the most distinctive artists of his generation. Critics have described his playing as thoughtful yet colourful, combining panache with purity and driven by a natural sense of balance.
The concerts by the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia – Roma are presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The first concert is sponsored by Mr Albert Hung and Mr Wilfred Ng. Tickets ranging from $300 to $1,250 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_500.html.