Director’s Notes

Dear Friends,

This E-Newsletter brings major news. I am delighted to announce the appointment of Frenchman Jean Thorel as the orchestra’s FIRST ever chief conductor. I hope you will join me in looking forward to this exciting new phase for the orchestra. Our appointment of Jean Thorel is a response to excellence. It is not easy to find conductors who focus principally on small ensembles. It is far more challenging to conduct a chamber orchestra for many reasons including the vast range of music styles one is expected to know. Jean Thorel has worked in every conceivable style of music with early music pioneers such as Monica Hugget and modern innovators such as Pierre Boulez's Ensemble Intercontemporian. Moreover his worldwide reputation for conducting rare works and world premieres matches well with the work we have been doing in Hong Kong and abroad over the past eight years. To view the announcement made in France’s La Lettre Du Musicien simply click here. To read the press release of the announcement made in Hong Kong please view the following link at our website: http://ww.ccohk.com/news.htm

Talking of auditions, we have auditions coming up for young singers aged between eleven and fourteen on 11 May (Sunday) from 2 pm to 5 pm at the University of Hong Kong. These are for an opportunity to sing solo with the orchestra for the International Arts Carnival 2008 performance of The Magic Jungle in July 2008 or for our ever-popular The Snowman & The Bear concerts to be held in December this year. For more details please view the following link at our website : http://www.ccohk.com/auditions-singers.htm

On the subject of youth, it was wonderful to see such a good crowd at our two recent concerts with the Gurfinkel Clarinet Duo from Israel. What a delight it was to witness the Gurfinkel twins’ innate musicianship and brilliant ensemble work at such a young age! To view the South China Morning Post review of the concert click here. In an interview with Jonathan Douglas on the "Morning Call" programme on RTHK Radio 4 the twins mentioned that they had telepathy – which is not surprising. They hardly looked at each other when executing all the numerous tempo changes in Bizet’s Carmen Fantasia. What amazed me most of all, however, is the maturity and sense of purpose they have. They already know that they want to continue to perform as a duo when they graduate from school, and at the age of just fifteen that is simply exceptional. If you missed the concert you not only missed fabulous clarinet playing but also the chance to hear some Israeli music by Partos which the orchestra performed. You can however listen in on-line at RTHK Radio 4 by clicking here. To see the twins playing Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 in “The Works” programme on RTHK TV click here. To hear some more of their performance recorded live as well as an interview with Nancy Loo in the “Children’s Corner” programme on RTHK Radio 4 click here. The CCOHK also really enjoyed the educational concert which was held at the Yuen Long Theatre for children of Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai schools, and the twins enjoyed the chance for some cultural exchange. It was unfortunate, however, that the guest conductor Mr. Shambadal fell ill halfway through the performance. Thanks to Master Kwong Ho-hin, a very talented thirteen-year-old conductor from Tseung Kwan O (who is currently studying with Mr. Perry So, winner of the Fifth International Prokofiev Competition in Conducting), the show went on!

A special feature on Hong Kong's arts world was published in the 29 January 2008 issue of GIG/International Arts Manager, the UK's fortnightly magazine for classical music and the performing arts. Click here to read my comments on Hong Kong's future arts scene in the "We Ask Six" section on page 12 along with those from other prominent artistic directors and arts managers in Hong Kong.

Exciting things in the arts are happening elsewhere in Asia too. In March I flew to Jakarta to give a recital with pianist Dr. Kuei Pin Yeo and violinist Jap Tji-tien on 9 March in connection with the opening of the first ever international music conservatory in Indonesia. To read the report of the recital in a Chinese newspaper click here. To view the TV news coverage of the recital click here.

Coming up soon on 24 May we have a long-awaited performance with Robert Bonfiglio, one of the very few classical harmonica virtuosos performing round the world today. One can never know how a simple gift can impact on a recipient’s life. In Robert Bonfiglio’s case, he was given a harmonica as a Christmas stocking filler at the age of four. He was so serious about a career on the instrument that he moved from Iowa to New York to study for five years with Shanghainese harmonica player Cham-ber Huang and well … the rest is history! Whether you know anything about the harmonica or not, I highly recommend coming to hear Bonfiglio. His playing is phenomenal and his press coverage is full of nothing but rave reviews. The other interesting aspect of this concert will be the look into the music of Sir George Martin – the composer who was also the legend behind the production of all of the Beatles albums. Robert Bonfiglio and the Witchita Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andrew Sewell gave the American premiere of this piece in 2002. The beautifully written concerto for harmonica by Villa-Lobos will also be featured in the concert on 24 May.

I look forward to seeing our regulars and all the many harmonica fans at the concert in May!

Leanne Nicholls
Founder & Artistic Director
City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong

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