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Christopher Halls
Christopher Halls had an extensive career as a professional freelance violinist in Europe, the US and in his native Australia. He is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne and the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. He has been writing classical music reviews for the South China Morning Post since 2017.
Christopher Halls had an extensive career as a professional freelance violinist in Europe, the US and in his native Australia. He is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne and the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. He has been writing classical music reviews for the South China Morning Post since 2017.
Midori dazzled alongside pianist Ieva Jokubaviciute on November 27, two nights before sharing the stage with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta.
The Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia – Roma, assisted by Aristo Sham, put on a strong opening night in Hong Kong.
With her commanding stage presence, huge vocal range and some top-notch backing, Dianne Reeves delivered a soulful, polished performance.
Van Cliburn gold medallist Aristo Sham has released Timeline, an arresting collection of classical piano pieces based on his world tour.
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British conductor Harding expertly navigated Mozart, Strauss and Haydn pieces in the Phil’s season opener featuring guest pianist Paul Lewis.
Hong Kong’s foremost string quartet, the Cong Quartet marked a decade of music with works by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Daniel Lo.
Sham played his first homecoming recital since winning the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Texas in June.
Despite strong singing and playing under Michael Koehler’s baton, certain elements let this retelling of Franz Lehár’s 1905 operetta down.
Russian pianist Mikhail Pletnev played Beethoven and Grieg in contrasting styles, showing his mastery of restraint and the dramatic.
Themes of death, madness and redemption linked the Romantic works in Canadian’s recital, delivered with a mix of power, depth and delicacy.
High-contrast, high-calibre performance of Franck piano quintet caps evening of memorable music-making at Hong Kong’s French May festival.
Beijing venue’s acoustics bring out Hong Kong Philharmonic’s balance and clarity in works by Pärt and Prokofiev with Korean violin virtuoso.
Schiff and the Cappella Andrea Barca’s playing of Mozart exuded grace and refinement, and they were on point in Bach’s keyboard concertos.
Quartet notable for using gut strings open HKU MUSE festival with concert full of arresting detail and captivating use of light and shade.
Soloist finds musical insights in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 4, while orchestra shows its growth in Schumann’s ‘Rhenish’ Symphony.
Van Zweden works magic in rousing, romantic Rachmaninov Symphony No 2, Esther Yoo partners with orchestra in Yiu’s nostalgic Violin Concerto.
Titled ‘La Belle Epoque’, the finale of the 2025 Beare’s Premiere Music Festival brought out the best from an acclaimed line-up of musicians.
Chan shapes a mesmerising rendition of symphony after teaming with violinist James Ehnes in a refined performance of Tchaikovsky concerto.
Sharon Choa draws inspired playing from City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong and oboe and harp soloists, until lack of balance lets them down.
Lu, 2018 Leeds International winner, shows enough Baroque feel for Handel, is on surer ground in Schubert and comes into his own in Chopin.
Soloist Liya Petrova was up to most of the challenges posed by the Sibelius violin concerto, and received great support from the Sinfonietta. Asian premieres of two UK composers’ works were a mixed bag.
His playing by turns spectacular in execution and spellbinding in its tenderness, Bulgarian-Chinese cellist Zlatomir Fung and pianist Cheung, never second fiddle to him, deliver a recital to remember.
Orchestra under Estonian maestro give a chilling account of Shostakovich’s Symphony No 5, after some riotous Rimsky-Korsakov and a commanding Stravinsky Violin Concerto with soloist Alena Baeva.
Senri Kawaguchi’s inspired drumming brings alive Hong Kong composer Ng Cheuk-yin’s Fly LIVE! and new work An Array of Stars in a fusion concert with Hong Kong orchestra.
Period instrument ensemble Concerto Italiano showed their mastery of baroque in a set of Vivaldi concertos; the Lucerne Festival Strings, performing with solo violinist Akiko Suwanai, were good in parts.
18-year-old British composer, conductor and performer awes Hong Kong audience with on-the-spot improvisation to cap concert featuring three of her orchestral compositions.
Performers who tackle Schubert’s piano sonatas need to understand how to bring out the layering of the composer’s musical ideas. Paul Lewis did that in spades in his concluding recitals in Hong Kong.
Chinese violinist Ning Feng’s immaculate playing in a Mozart trio, epic Brahms from the Miró Quartet and uncanny two-piano interplay marked the return of Hong Kong’s annual chamber music festival.
Chinese pianist Lang Lang mixes power-packed chords with spellbinding tenderness in a performance of Beethoven’s Concerto No 3 with the Hong Kong Philharmonic under Jaap van Zweden.
