Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra (Chinese
: 香港室樂團) was founded in 1976 by a small group of musicians who felt that there was a need in Hong Kong
for a chamber-sized orchestra
aiming at a high standard of music making. The Orchestra consists of around 30 professional and non-professional musicians and gives around ten concerts in Hong Kong each year. Prof. Robert Lord, a professor of linguistics
at HKU, was the first music director and official founder of the orchestra. The orchestra has been closely associated with HKU right from the start.
In the early years the HKCO did more work with choir
s, particularly the Bach Choir. HKCO conductors
over the years have included Robert Lord, Peter Stephenson. Nicholas Routley, Malcolm Butler, KK Chiu and Ken Lam.
cantata
s, to Mozart overture
s and Beethoven symphonies, to Elgar, Brahms, Dvorak
, Johann Strauss
, to Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky. It also gave the Hong Kong première
of Richard Strauss
's Metamorphosen
in June 2005.
A couple of highlights of HKCO throughout these 30 years include:
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 香港室樂團) was founded in 1976 by a small group of musicians who felt that there was a need in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
for a chamber-sized orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
aiming at a high standard of music making. The Orchestra consists of around 30 professional and non-professional musicians and gives around ten concerts in Hong Kong each year. Prof. Robert Lord, a professor of linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
at HKU, was the first music director and official founder of the orchestra. The orchestra has been closely associated with HKU right from the start.
In the early years the HKCO did more work with choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
s, particularly the Bach Choir. HKCO conductors
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
over the years have included Robert Lord, Peter Stephenson. Nicholas Routley, Malcolm Butler, KK Chiu and Ken Lam.
Repertoire
The Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra has a wide coverage of repertoire from BachBạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
s, to Mozart overture
Overture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
s and Beethoven symphonies, to Elgar, Brahms, Dvorak
Dvorák
- Dvořák or Dvorak :* Ann Dvorak , American film actress* Antonín Dvořák , Czech composer of Romantic music* August Dvorak , American psychologist, co-creator of the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard...
, Johann Strauss
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
, to Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky. It also gave the Hong Kong première
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
of Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
's Metamorphosen
Metamorphosen
Metamorphosen, Study for 23 Solo Strings, subtitled "In memoriam", is a composition by Richard Strauss, scored for ten violins, five violas, five cellos, and three double basses. It was composed during the closing months of the Second World War, from August 1944 to March 1945. Strauss dedicated it...
in June 2005.
Historic milestones
The 2006 season marked the beginning of their 30th year of playing as well as performing as a chamber ensemble without a conductor - a move that will focus itself on better ensembleship among players.A couple of highlights of HKCO throughout these 30 years include:
- playing the farewell concert in the hall of the old HKSB building before it was demolished. The program included Wagner's Siegfried IdyllSiegfried IdyllThe Siegfried Idyll by Richard Wagner is a symphonic poem for chamber orchestra, lasting approximately twenty minutes.-Background:Wagner composed the Siegfried Idyll as a birthday present to his second wife, Cosima, after the birth of their son Siegfried in 1869...
. - doing the farewell concert for the VC Rayson Huang in the Loke Yew Hall, HKU. Program included the Farewell Symphony of Haydn and a piece composed by Dr Ann Boyd.
- doing a Hong Kong City Hall concert with Richard Harvey conducting and HKCO played a new composition of his.
- performing the HK première of Strauss's Metamorphosen.