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Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra echoes city’s resilience by marching on through the pandemic

  • Flagship orchestra finds ways to bring classical music to audiences despite performance venue closures, concert cancellations and travel restrictions
  • Ensemble returns to the stage and adds a home-grown talent as resident conductor, while continuing to connect with its audiences in alternative venues

Paid Post:The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
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During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has faced many challenges due to social-distancing and travel restrictions. Photo: Eric Hong / HK Phil

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It would be an understatement to say that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused disruptions – and for an industry that relies on live audiences in physical venues, the challenge over the last two years has been immense.

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil), like its counterparts around the world, has faced many uncertainties, particularly regarding concert cancellations. Even significant events such as the celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday were not spared.

“We wanted to present all the Beethoven piano concertos. In the end, we could only present Concerto No 2 with Lang Lang. Either the venues have been closed, or it was challenging to find the conductors and the soloists to play,” says HK Phil chief executive Benedikt Fohr.

Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra chief executive Benedikt Fohr (left) and music director Jaap van Zweden came together on stage to celebrate the orchestra winning the Gramophone Classical Music Award in 2019.
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra chief executive Benedikt Fohr (left) and music director Jaap van Zweden came together on stage to celebrate the orchestra winning the Gramophone Classical Music Award in 2019.

But the orchestra persevered by exploring alternative ways of performing concerts. “We presented Beethoven’s Symphony No 6 and Symphony No 7 online. In the end, it worked very nicely,” he says.

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