A group of talented musicians of the Hong Kong Children's Symphony Orchestra (HKCSO) performed a selection of enchanting music for a Thai audience at the Main Hall of the Thailand Cultural Centre, Bangkok this evening (August 13).
Organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok (HKETO), the concert was presented by the Thai Youth Orchestra with the support of the Viemus Music School. Participants in the concert included HKCSO Founder and Music Director and composer Dr Yip Wai-hong; the HKCSO Honorary Guest Conductor, Professor Gabriel Leung; the HKCSO Resident Conductor, Mr Jeff Leung; and 80 young musicians aged 8 to 18.
The concert was organised to celebrate the establishment of the HKETO in Bangkok. Opened on February 28 this year, the HKETO in Bangkok is the third Economic and Trade Office established by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region to further strengthen Hong Kong's economic and trade relations with the region for more new business opportunities.
Speaking at a reception before the concert, the Director of the HKETO in Bangkok, Mr Lee Sheung-yuen, said that Hong Kong is not only one of the most competitive cities in the world, but also a multicultural city in the heart of Asia. Given the presence of the HKETO in Bangkok, he said he looked forward to more exchanges between Thailand and Hong Kong in culture and the arts in the years to come.
"The concert by the Hong Kong Children's Symphony Orchestra this evening is the first event of our plan to introduce a variety of quality performances and cultural presentations from Hong Kong to the audience in Thailand," Mr Lee said.
"We are very pleased to support performing arts groups in Hong Kong to stage performance programmes and cultural exchange activities in Thailand, as well as in the neighbouring region, to encourage arts and cultural exchanges, and to promote people-to-people connections," he said.
The concert attracted a local audience of about 500.
Established in 1996, the HKCSO is among Hong Kong's top youth orchestras. The young members have been recruited through highly competitive open auditions. Apart from performing in Hong Kong, the HKCSO has also been delighting audiences all over the world since 2001 through concert tours and exchange programmes. The group arrived in Bangkok a day before the concert. They will engage in an exchange session with the College of Music at Mahidol University tomorrow (August 14) before returning to Hong Kong on Thursday (August 15).
