My true colours

Having written soundtracks to films that include Red Sorghum, Raise the Red Lantern and Farewell, My Concubine, Zhao Jiping accepts that he is widely known for his film scores. But the 69-year-old composer says his orchestral works are a better vehicle of his thoughts and emotions.

"Film scores tend to travel fast and reach millions of households overnight. But they are attached to films and are subject to conditions. Orchestra music is a complete set of work in its own," says Zhao.

He will conduct five of his concertos with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (HKCO) in a concert on May 10. Representing his major works over the past three decades, the programme includes his early orchestral pieces, Festival at Chang'an and guanzi concerto Silk Road Fantasia Suites, as well as his recent works, Zhuang Zhou's Dream (which premiered here in Hong Kong in 2008 by Yo-Yo Ma) and Melody of the Secluded Orchid, featuring violin, guqin and soprano.

Guest soloists include Belgian cellist Marie Hallynck, multi-award-winning violinist Chai Liang, renowned guqin master Zhao Jiazhen, French saxophonist Christine Wirth, erhu player Zhang Zongxue and Zhao's wife, soprano Zhang Ningjia from Xian Conservatory of Music.

Zhao, who began his collaboration with the HKCO in the 1990s, thinks highly of the orchestra's interpretation of his works. "Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra is the best among all the orchestras specialising in Chinese music. Its rehearsals, concert themes to music seasons are all up to a high standard," he says.

Last year, in the HKCO concert "Farewell, Snow in Summer and in the Thoughts", Zhao's poignant piece An Elegy - To My Beloved Wife for his first wife Sun Ling, who died of cancer in 2002, touched many in the audience.