Revisiting Classics Par Excellence in Musicus Fest 2019

An annual highlight for cross-cultural collaborations, Musicus Fest returns with a new cohort of overseas artists and local talents in three exciting concerts, due to take place from 21 to 24 November 2019.

 

Boasting seven decades of excellent musicianship and an equally impressive discography to its credit, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra takes center stage in the Festival’s Opening and Finale concerts, joined by world-renowned cellist Trey Lee, Croatian pianist and ECHO KLASSIC winner Dejan Lazić, Berlin Philharmonic First Concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley and young Hong Kong violin star Paloma So. The program features spectacular solo concertos by Mozart and Tchaikovksy, as well as beloved Double Concertos by J.S. Bach and Vivaldi.

Chamber music has always played an important part in our annual Festival. Featuring renowned violist Vladimir Mendelssohn, pianist Colleen Lee, as well as other overseas and local musicians, the Jockey Club Musicus Heritage Alive concert will be staged at the history-laden site of the Asia Society Hong Kong Center, with a program to highlight the stories of renewal unique to this venue.

 

“The works of great composers such as Beethoven and Schubert endure because they can be continuously reinterpreted by artists through the ages and still being a sense of originality and innovation. For the 7th Musicus Fest, we shall revisit some of the orchestral classics par excellence, performed by top artists and the time-honored Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra.” said Musicus Society Artistic Director Trey Lee.

 

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank our major sponsors and supporters, including the Art Development Matching Grants Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, our Visionary Partners, the Bank of China (Hong Kong) and The Tung Foundation, our Principal Sponsor CITIC Telecom CPC, supporting organization Robert Bosch Co Ltd, as well as the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, whose support allow Musicus Society to reach for new artistic heights,” Lee added.

 
Highlights of this year’s program include:

Musicus Society Artistic Director Trey Lee will be joined by ECHO KLASSIK award-winning pianist, Dejan Lazić and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra in a program celebrating the old-world charm of Europe classics. Highlights include Mozart’s Piano Concerto in E-flat and Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme. The concert also features Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, a challenging display of the prowness and virtuosity of the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra.

 

Featuring chamber works by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Carl Maria von Weber and more, the concert program attempts to outline the changes of the former Victoria Barracks and its subsequent revitalization into the Asia Society Hong Kong Center. Led by Trey Lee, the lineup includes renowned overseas artists and local talents such as Vladimir Mendelssohn, Dejan Lazić, Colleen Lee, as well as Musicus Young Artist Audition winners Brian Choi and Sirius Chau.

 

Musicus Fest peaks at the Festival Finale, featuring a double-bill of two classic Double Concertos from the Baroque period. Noah Bendix-Balgley, First Concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, will share the spotlight with world-renowned cellist Trey Lee in Vivaldi’s Double Concerto for Violin and Cello, and with rising violin star Paloma So in J.S. Bach’s popular Concerto for Two Violins in D minor. Bendix-Balgley will also be leading the ensemble in Schubert’s Symphony No. 5 and Mendelssohn’s String Symphony No. 13, both youthful and vibrant works which will appeal to connoisseurs and first-time audience alike.

 

Tickets for City Hall concerts are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk), while those for the Jockey Club Musicus Heritage Alive Concert are available at Cityline (www.cityline.com). Musicus Fest 2019 also features a series of free community and education events such as Master Classes by distinguished Festival guests, open to students and the public. More information is available at www.musicussociety.org.

 

Financially supported by the Art Development Matching Grants Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Musicus Society gratefully acknowledges its sponsors and partners for Musicus Fest, including the Bank of China (Hong Kong), The Tung Foundation, CITIC Telecom CPC, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and Robert Bosch Co Ltd. The Jockey Club Musicus Heritage Alive program is funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.