Hong Kong, 11 June 2007 – The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPO) will collaborate with two outstanding soloists in a unique all-Mozart programme. One of today’s finest young Chinese pianists, Chen Sa, will appear in the first half of the concert in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23, while shimmering American lyric soprano Heidi Grant Murphy will sing arias from Mozart’s opera Il re pastore and Mass in C minor in between excerpts from the Gran Partita. “A Swire New Generation Concert - All about Mozart” will be held on 15 and 16 June (Fri and Sat), 8pm, at Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall.

Hailed as “a brilliant pianist” by the great American pianist Emanuel Ax, Chen Sa is the Crystal prize winner of the 12th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2006, Chen Sa has performed in many prestigious performing venues, such as the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and the Barbican, and has worked with many celebrated conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle and Leonard Slatkin. In October 2000, she claimed the Best Polonaise Performance Award as well as the Fourth Prize at the 14th International Chopin Piano Competition.

A lyric soprano with an enchanting stage presence, Heidi Grant Murphy is one of the most outstanding vocal talents of her generation. "Murphy was beautifully, serenely and wonderfully consistent. And she, too, shone. She produced phrases that were finely sustained, and yet each note seemed to have a shape of its own, floating out from or into silence." (The New York Times) Murphy has appeared with many of the world's finest opera companies, notably the Metropolitan Opera, Salzburg Festival and Frankfurt Opera, as well as the Vienna, New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics

Programme Information
A Swire New Generation Concert: All about Mozart
15&16 | 6 | 2007 Friday and Saturday HK City Hall Concert Hall 8 pm
$250, $200, $150, $100
www.urbtix.hk
Reservations: 2734 9009
Credit Card booking: 2111 5999
Enquiries: 2721 2030
Website: www.hkpo.com

Artists

Programme

All about Mozart is a SWIRE New Generation concert.

- END –

ABOUT THE HONG KONG PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is rapidly emerging as Asia’s leading orchestra, since internationally renowned Edo de Waart joined as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor in the 2004/05 Season. Throughout the last three decades, the Orchestra has grown into a formidable ensemble of Chinese and international talents, attracting world-class artists to perform on the same stage. It gives over a hundred performances annually, many of which are highly anticipated events in the city’s cultural calendar. The Hong Kong Philharmonic reaches out to the community with such diverse activities as a comprehensive music-in-education programme for primary and secondary school students, performances at university campuses, an annual project with the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts to help nurture aspiring professionals, free pre-concert talks that provides in-depth knowledge of music and musicians and an open-air concert that gives the public free access to classical music.

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is financially supported by the HKSAR Government.

SWIRE is the Principal Patron of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.