https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/6911/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Live classical music risks losing its audience if the travel bans and performance restrictions in place for the coronavirus pandemic continue over the longer term, a leading conductor under Hong Kong quarantine has warned. Christoph Poppen, principal guest conductor of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta since 2015, is set to perform without a live audience for the first time in his long career later this month at City Hall. Speaking to the Post while quarantined in a Wan Chai hotel ahead of the concert,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3101342/coronavirus-german-conductor-christoph-poppen-quarantined?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3101342/coronavirus-german-conductor-christoph-poppen-quarantined?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2020 07:40:46 +0000 Concert halls closed by the coronavirus pandemic could open for rehearsals by performing arts groups from as early as mid-September, although live shows will not be allowed yet. The government announced last week that performance venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department would remain closed until the end of this month, but officials noted the restriction applied only to performances. Linus Fung, the department’s assistant director, told the Post the option remained for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3100374/hong-kong-arts-venues-may-allow-rehearsals-mid-month-no-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3100374/hong-kong-arts-venues-may-allow-rehearsals-mid-month-no-live?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2020 01:00:23 +0000 Renowned percussionist Yim Hok-man remembers the opening of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on November 8, 1989, as if it were yesterday. He was among the who’s who of Hong Kong society invited by governor David Wilson to a formal dinner and concert, with the Prince and Princess of Wales as guests of honour. “I spent half a month’s salary to tailor-make a suit,” recalls Yim, 73, associate director of the Orchestral Academy under the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. “The concert was preceded by dinner... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3042957/hong-kong-cultural-centre-30-still-main-attraction-warts-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3042957/hong-kong-cultural-centre-30-still-main-attraction-warts-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Dec 2019 04:30:12 +0000 Hong Kong on Sunday lost a key protagonist in the elevation of local film and music since the 1970s. Michael Lai Siu-tin, best remembered for award-winning lyrical tunes from TV and the big screen, died on Sunday at St Paul’s Hospital. He was 73. “At 7.55 this morning, our good friend Siu Tin passed away peacefully with family members and good friends at his side,” Nancy Sit Ka-yin, Lai’s long-time TV co-host, said in a statement. “Throughout the night, we were there singing his songs, one after... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3040111/michael-lai-giant-film-and-tv-music-hong-kong-dies-73?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3040111/michael-lai-giant-film-and-tv-music-hong-kong-dies-73?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Dec 2019 10:04:59 +0000 A powerful emotional experience is in store for Hong Kong audiences with the Asian premiere of an acclaimed Nordic opera, regardless of safety concerns among the visiting Scandinavian musicians, the opera’s composer says. Adapted from Ingmar Bergman’s classic 1978 film, Autumn Sonata is a two-act work commissioned by the Finnish National Opera; it premiered in Helsinki 2017 after Sebastian Fagerlund spent two and a half years composing it. The premiere comes at a time of political turmoil in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3029847/acclaimed-nordic-opera-autumn-sonata-set-offer-humane?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3029847/acclaimed-nordic-opera-autumn-sonata-set-offer-humane?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Sep 2019 04:54:08 +0000 With the passing of George Clement Shen, one of the last literati in the grand old Chinese tradition has been lost. Shen – newspaper editor, economist, author, film producer, broadcaster, music critic, actor – died peacefully in a San Francisco hospital on March 20 after fighting lung cancer for years. He was 90 and is survived by his wife Jane, a son and a daughter, and grandchildren. “He was cured and relapsed a few times, but he and Jane had a great attitude towards life. Once he got over the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3002946/george-clement-shen-renaissance-man-chinese-culture-dies-san?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3002946/george-clement-shen-renaissance-man-chinese-culture-dies-san?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Mar 2019 01:30:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s arts and culture sector has been taking advantage of China’s “Greater Bay Area” plan, with a government-funded programme sending 11 local performing arts groups on tours of glitzy concert halls in the region. Engineered by the city’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), musicians ranging from a jazz band to a full symphony orchestra have put on shows since November across neighbouring Guangdong. The tours were made possible by a HK$140 million (US$17.85 million) cultural... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/2182823/chinas-greater-bay-area-scheme-opens-doors-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/2182823/chinas-greater-bay-area-scheme-opens-doors-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jan 2019 06:32:22 +0000 Young Asian opera singers are poised to overtake their European counterparts, judges of Hong Kong’s first international singing contest have declared. Sumi Jo, one of the world’s top coloratura sopranos and a jury member at the Hong Kong International Operatic Singing Competition now under way, believed high-quality living standards and a constructive attitude towards hard work put singers from the region on solid footing. “This is a good era for young Asian artists,” the South Korean diva told... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2153358/young-opera-singers-asia-poised-overtake-european?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2153358/young-opera-singers-asia-poised-overtake-european?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jul 2018 02:40:53 +0000 Han Zhongjie, the last of the old guard of Chinese conductors, who made a series of groundbreaking performances that stretched from Warsaw to Boston, has died aged 97. Han was a pioneer of symphonic music in China and acted as mentor for a league of distinguished conductors over the course of six decades. He was best known as the first Chinese to conduct the renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra soon after China normalised relations with the United States.  He made his debut abroad almost a quarter... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/society/article/2140356/han-zhongjie-pioneering-conductor-who-blazed-trail-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/society/article/2140356/han-zhongjie-pioneering-conductor-who-blazed-trail-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Apr 2018 02:20:12 +0000 Hong Kong is set to launch a news-based education and tourist hub that will be a first in Asia for multimedia content and the first in the world to provide free entry, its officers have revealed. The Hong Kong News-Expo, expected to open in December after five years of planning and preparation, is the brainchild of the Journalism Education Foundation – a non-profit organisation seeking to raise industry standards – but its mission has drawn support from beyond journalists. “I was at the other... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2132832/news-based-education-hub-set-be-launched-hong-kong-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2132832/news-based-education-hub-set-be-launched-hong-kong-show?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Feb 2018 10:01:47 +0000 Tributes poured in from Chinese personalities and cultural elite across the globe on Tuesday for Professor Jao Tsung-i, the world’s most distinguished sinologist, following his death at the age of 100. Jao, who died peacefully at home in Happy Valley, Hong Kong, early Tuesday morning, was revered for his intellectual achievements spanning eight decades and considered irreplaceable in the study of Chinese and oriental civilisations. “My father passed away peacefully in his sleep,” said Tang... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2132180/distinguished-scholar-jao-tsung-i-pride-hong-kong-dies-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2132180/distinguished-scholar-jao-tsung-i-pride-hong-kong-dies-age?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Feb 2018 03:30:30 +0000 A loss for Hong Kong of the last founding member of the city’s flagship orchestra is a gain for Vietnam. Fan Ting, a violinist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra since 1972, will take up a new role as chief conductor of the Saigon Philharmonic Orchestra in Ho Chi Minh City. “It will be a new chapter for me after 37 concert seasons as an orchestra player,” Fan, who quit Hong Kong Phil this month, told the Post. “The Saigon orchestra of some 50 musicians is almost like Hong Kong Phil 40... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2130944/violinist-picks-baton-vietnam-after-46-years-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2130944/violinist-picks-baton-vietnam-after-46-years-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jan 2018 12:50:46 +0000 Detained bookseller Gui Minhai had been advised by a Chinese doctor to seek medical treatment overseas before he was arrested at a train station near Beijing last weekend, his daughter revealed on Thursday. Angela Gui said her father told her he had symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – a form of motor neuron disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord – after he was released from custody in October. Gui Minhai is one of five booksellers whose disappearance two years ago caused an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/policies-politics/article/2130624/chinese-doctor-told-bookseller-gui-minhai-seek-medical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/policies-politics/article/2130624/chinese-doctor-told-bookseller-gui-minhai-seek-medical?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jan 2018 15:00:45 +0000 China snatched a Swedish citizen and former Hong Kong-based bookseller to prevent him from telling his story before a trial over his alleged involvement in “illegal book trading” wraps up, his former employer said, citing a source. Publisher Lau Tat-man, founder and chief editor of Ha Fai Yi Publication, where Gui Minhai was a freelance writer and editor for seven years, believes Gui’s dramatic arrest on Saturday at a train station near Beijing – under the watch of Swedish diplomatic staff – was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/policies-politics/article/2130435/china-detained-bookseller-gui-minhai-stop-him-telling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/policies-politics/article/2130435/china-detained-bookseller-gui-minhai-stop-him-telling?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jan 2018 15:00:30 +0000 Sweden’s foreign minister has hit back at China, saying the Scandinavian nation has a right to support its citizen and former Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai who was snatched from a Beijing-bound train under the eyes of two Swedish diplomatic staff. In a strongly worded statement, Margot Wallström said Gui “was at the time of his arrest in the company of diplomatic staff, who were providing consular help to a Swedish citizen in need of medical care. “This was perfectly in line with basic... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/article/2130210/sweden-hits-back-china-over-snatching-bookseller-gui-minhai-embraces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/article/2130210/sweden-hits-back-china-over-snatching-bookseller-gui-minhai-embraces?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jan 2018 09:45:30 +0000 Hong Kong deserves a better habitat that is assessed by basic human needs and not monetary value, a prize-winning pair of architects has advised. Locally born and formerly based in Switzerland, Ida Sze Ki-shan and Billy Chan Wai-ching have won competitions large and small for their work, from the Hong Kong Pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo to a public toilet in Guangzhou. The two cast an eye on their hometown that searches beyond dollar signs. “Our city has a natural topology featuring... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2129810/look-natural-habitat-and-not-monetary-value-prize-winning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2129810/look-natural-habitat-and-not-monetary-value-prize-winning?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jan 2018 02:02:22 +0000 A Hungarian has won Hong Kong’s first international orchestra conducting competition after three rounds of performances against 15 hopefuls from around the world. Gabor Kali, 35, scored the highest mark from an international jury headed by Yip Wing-sie, music director of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, and Christoph Poppen, its principal guest conductor. The competition, hosted by the Sinfonietta, drew 310 applications from 49 countries and regions. “This is happiness for me. I’d say the music work I... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2128215/hungarian-conductor-gabor-kali-triumphs-hong-kongs-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2128215/hungarian-conductor-gabor-kali-triumphs-hong-kongs-first?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jan 2018 01:31:37 +0000 The landmark Hong Kong City Hall will be closed for up to three years for a major facelift as part of plans to develop the Central Harbourfront, government officials have revealed. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department is planning to roll out a series of projects to launch and renovate new and existing halls and theatres. “After East Kowloon Cultural Centre opens in 2021, we’ll turn to City Hall for a major renovation,” Heidi Chu Ching-han, LCSD chief manager of performance venues, told... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2128174/hong-kong-city-hall-set-close-three-years-major-facelift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2128174/hong-kong-city-hall-set-close-three-years-major-facelift?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jan 2018 00:30:15 +0000 Hong Kong lacks a regular platform for classical singers who have to depend on teaching to make ends meet when not performing, a local top soprano says. Louise Kwong Lai-ling, who beat 160 contestants to take the best soprano prize at the 18th Ferruccio Tagliavini International Competition in Vienna in 2012, was happy with the opportunity to perform since returning to her home city four years ago but had to make do with teaching on days when not performing. Soprano makes history with three wins... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2127773/top-hong-kong-soprano-louise-kwong-wails-over-lack-funding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2127773/top-hong-kong-soprano-louise-kwong-wails-over-lack-funding?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jan 2018 01:01:39 +0000 Government-run Cantonese opera facilities will complement the Xiqu Centre in West Kowloon but the genre’s flagship union is less upbeat despite its first meeting with the hub’s controversial American director. Elaine Yeung Chi-lan, assistant director at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, regarded the Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District as “peacefully coexisting” with established venues at Yau Ma Tei and Ko Shan. The centre is due to open this year. “We’ve been in touch... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2126413/cantonese-opera-venues-and-new-west-kowloon-centre-coexist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2126413/cantonese-opera-venues-and-new-west-kowloon-centre-coexist?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jan 2018 01:03:32 +0000 This year has seen the passing of some of the most iconic and celebrated local figures whose legacies will be felt beyond Hong Kong for years to come. The following individuals, through a lifelong pursuit in areas close to their hearts, have left behind milestones as much for themselves as for the city they had called home. For each, their deaths have marked the end of an era. Barbara Fei Ming-yi She was more than a soprano when we look at her contributions to the cultural scene since her... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2126123/end-era-cultural-giants-hong-kong-who-died-2017?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2126123/end-era-cultural-giants-hong-kong-who-died-2017?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Dec 2017 06:45:15 +0000 Digital innovation at Hong Kong’s largest ticketing service is lagging the mainland and will continue to for at least five more years, top government officials in charge of the service have said. But it still does well on data protection and the human elements of a transaction, which local audiences still value, they said. Local ticketing services were made to look a little backwards when the director of the Beijing Palace Museum Shan Jixiang told a Hong Kong audience recently that all 32 ticket... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2124674/why-hong-kong-venues-lag-mainland-china-online-tickets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2124674/why-hong-kong-venues-lag-mainland-china-online-tickets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Dec 2017 00:04:23 +0000 Renovating the Hong Kong Cultural Centre to turn its windowless facade into a panoramic harbour view would be structurally impractical, its engineer has said. Tom Ho Tong-yam, a London-based structural engineer who won the contract to build the roof of the Cultural Centre in 1979, came to the defence of the decade-long project that has drawn public mockery and criticism of it as the city’s “biggest eyesore” and its “toilet-coloured tiles”. “It was a major cultural investment for Hong Kong at the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2124605/harbour-view-hong-kong-cultural-centre-impractical-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2124605/harbour-view-hong-kong-cultural-centre-impractical-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Dec 2017 01:33:24 +0000 Yu Kwang-chung (1928-2017) One of the most influential Chinese-language poets, whose profound but unpretentious verses captured followers from a premier to common folk, has died. Yu Kwang-chung died at age 89 from pneumonia in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on Thursday morning, survived by his wife and four daughters. The poet par excellence left behind volumes of poems and essays he wrote, as well as poems he translated into English. “Yu was in fact an expert in English literature and a translation master,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2124371/poet-whose-works-struck-chord-chinese-diaspora-and-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2124371/poet-whose-works-struck-chord-chinese-diaspora-and-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Dec 2017 02:02:48 +0000 Nothing can describe the mixed feelings of veteran Hong Kong radio DJ Ray Cordeiro as he celebrates his birthday while also mourning the death of a long-time friend. “Uncle Ray”, who turns 93 on Tuesday, reflected on 60 years of “fond memories” with late singer Mona Fong Yat-wah, whose memorial also falls on the same day. “Music drew us together as I admired her voice and she had probably admired mine. I played her music as a DJ over the years,” Cordeiro said of Fong, who died last month at the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2123885/bittersweet-93rd-birthday-veteran-hong-kong-dj-uncle-ray-he?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2123885/bittersweet-93rd-birthday-veteran-hong-kong-dj-uncle-ray-he?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Dec 2017 23:04:34 +0000 The man dubbed the “father of Hong Kong opera” shows no sign of slowing down ahead of his 80th birthday. As Professor Lo King-man geared up for the opening night on Friday of his latest rendition of La Bohème, the opera guru had plenty to say about the city’s arts scene and its controversial new hub, the West Kowloon Cultural District. Lo, who has more than 200 productions under his belt, is upbeat about his coming interpretation of Giacomo Puccini’s beloved story of poverty-stricken 1870s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2123510/father-hong-kong-opera-79-laments-he-may-not-live-see-opera?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2123510/father-hong-kong-opera-79-laments-he-may-not-live-see-opera?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Dec 2017 10:45:19 +0000 Exhibitions at China’s top museum have made great strides in the past five years thanks to the exchange with its Hong Kong counterpart, its director has said. Shan Jixiang, director of the Palace Museum, made the remarks as he was in the city on Thursday to sign a second letter of intent on cultural exchange and cooperation with Michelle Li, director of leisure and cultural services. Both parties signed the first one in 2012 and the latest agreement will take the cooperation to 2022, the year... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2123383/palace-museum-director-hails-close-ties-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2123383/palace-museum-director-hails-close-ties-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Dec 2017 01:33:40 +0000 After years of holding their noses when visiting the toilets at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the city’s art lovers can breathe easier as the government has finally flushed away the problem of the venue’s stinky washrooms. The pungent bathrooms – a laughing stock in regional arts circles, and far removed from the sophistication of the venue’s programme – have been renovated as part of a recently finished facelift which has given the centre a fresher look, a new events space and a recycled... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2123370/top-hong-kong-arts-venue-finally-deals-its-famously-smelly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2123370/top-hong-kong-arts-venue-finally-deals-its-famously-smelly?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000 China’s top pianist said on Friday night that he was “200 per cent”confident of a full recovery from his arm injury, and hoped to make a comeback next summer. Lang Lang, one of the most sought-after pianists on the global classical music circuit, confirmed his left arm had been injured since last March and said he was “halfway through recovery”. Speaking in Hong Kong, he said it was an “overload” of work and practice that caused the inflamed tendon. “The recovery is going very well and the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2122565/chinese-piano-star-lang-lang-200-cent-confident-coming-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2122565/chinese-piano-star-lang-lang-200-cent-confident-coming-back?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Dec 2017 05:32:05 +0000 A major cultural exhibition on the ancient Silk Road could be a way to address potentially sensitive issues such as youth education without causing an uproar, a leading pro-Beijing adviser has observed. Jointly presented by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, “Miles upon Miles: World Heritage along the Silk Road”, which opens to the public on Wednesday at the Hong Kong Museum of History, will feature some 210 rare exhibits from four... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2122011/silk-road-exhibit-offers-way-around-pitfalls-teaching?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2122011/silk-road-exhibit-offers-way-around-pitfalls-teaching?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Nov 2017 13:51:06 +0000 There is a strange phenomenon of local culture and artists playing second fiddle to their imported counterparts in Hong Kong, a Cantonese opera master has said after comparing the reception his troupe has received at home with reactions overseas. Yuen Siu-fai, who is 72 years old and still performing, spoke of how his troupe’s staging of Backstage earned critical acclaim internationally but a more tepid response in Hong Kong. Backstage is a modern tale of what goes on behind the scenes with a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2121627/hongkongers-take-their-cultural-heritage-granted-laments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2121627/hongkongers-take-their-cultural-heritage-granted-laments?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Nov 2017 10:15:00 +0000 Young Hong Kong dancers have nearly everything going for them except time, an internationally renowned ballerina has observed. Venezuelan-born Victoria Vargas, a globetrotting ballerina and choreographer, expressed sympathy over the sight of local children running on tight schedules filled with activities and carrying heavy school bags on their backs. “The students here are very talented but they are very busy with school,” she said, recalling her first impression of Hong Kong from a visit last... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2121327/ballet-diva-encourages-hong-kong-students-all-ages-noting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2121327/ballet-diva-encourages-hong-kong-students-all-ages-noting?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Nov 2017 00:02:36 +0000 While the late Mona Fong Yat-wah’s expressive singing brought her many fans in Hong Kong, her lilting voice and charming looks also made her a hit elsewhere in the region in the 1950s, especially in Singapore and Malaysia. Newspaper articles from Singapore described Fong, who died on Tuesday aged 83, as vivacious and with a “sultry voice”, singing both Mandarin and English romantic love songs while wearing either a cheongsam or a western-style dress. Mona Fong, widow of Hong Kong movie mogul Sir... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2121260/her-heyday-mona-fong-was-star-singapore-and-malaysia-her?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2121260/her-heyday-mona-fong-was-star-singapore-and-malaysia-her?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Nov 2017 08:00:45 +0000 Mona Fong Yat-wah, the singer, show business executive and widow of revered Hong Kong movie mogul Sir Run Run Shaw, died on Tuesday aged 83. She died peacefully at 5.28pm at Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital with family by her side, according to a statement from broadcaster TVB, which Fong used to manage. It did not specify a cause of death. Fong had been a TVB director since 1988, assisting Shaw with the operation of the company and the Shaw Brothers studio. She continued to be part of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2121124/mona-fong-widow-hong-kong-movie-mogul-sir-run-run-shaw-dies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2121124/mona-fong-widow-hong-kong-movie-mogul-sir-run-run-shaw-dies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Nov 2017 10:45:30 +0000 A perennial question of local fans of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, on when it would have its first player of Chinese ancestry, has been answered by celebrated violinist Stanley Dodds telling his story. Dodds’ middle name is Chia-ming, as his mother is Chinese and his father is Australian. His mother lived in Hong Kong for a while in the 1950s and still has relatives here. While he does not speak Mandarin, Cantonese is familiar to the 47-year-old musician, who is married with three... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2120349/berlin-philharmonics-first-musician-chinese-descent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2120349/berlin-philharmonics-first-musician-chinese-descent?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Nov 2017 11:01:28 +0000 Charity probably is not the first word that comes to mind when one thinks of an investment banker. A common stereotype is a man in a pinstripe suit, lighting cigars with dollar bills and muttering, “Greed is good.” Edward Man Ho-wai lived that life. Well maybe not in such a cartoonish way, but he was cutting billion dollar deals as recently as 2012 when he was a director at the US-based private equity fund Carlyle Group. Now he makes a different kind of deal in a different kind of job – one that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2120500/wolf-wall-street-hong-kong-leaves-pack-life-charity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2120500/wolf-wall-street-hong-kong-leaves-pack-life-charity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Nov 2017 02:18:31 +0000 An unusual concert that highlights the life-saving and connecting power of music and charity is set to get underway in Hong Kong. MedArt Charity Concert, a biannual event to raise funds and awareness for those in dire need since 2003, features a special work with a special family in the audience at this year’s performance on Sunday night. “We want to tell moving stories we came across and build and strengthen a community of like-minded people to remember and help those in need,” Dr John Ngan... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2119455/music-their-ears-medart-beneficiaries-make-trip-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2119455/music-their-ears-medart-beneficiaries-make-trip-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Nov 2017 09:39:40 +0000 Hong Kong pianists will need to play perfectly but also score a bit of luck if they want to follow in Lang Lang’s footsteps as a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, its leader has advised. Olaf Maninger, media chairman of the orchestra, said the cancellation of Lang’s appearance at a Friday concert in Hong Kong due to his slow recovery from an arm injury had been “bad luck” for all involved. “We were surprised by his withdrawal but we knew a little bit about his injury in advance. He... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2119214/want-emulate-lang-lang-hong-kong-pianists-will-need-perfect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2119214/want-emulate-lang-lang-hong-kong-pianists-will-need-perfect?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Nov 2017 13:30:37 +0000 There is always a second chance in life and be appreciative of it when you grab one, a top Canto-pop diva has advised. Frances Yip Lai-yee, 70, a multi-lingual singer with an international career and a breast cancer survivor, has a lot of accolades under her belt in her long career. But nothing mattered more to her than the second chances she had received “with gratitude”. “Singing wasn’t my first career, it’s my third,” she told the Post ahead of her four concerts with the Hong Kong Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2118993/diva-francis-yip-thankful-second-chances-she-has-had?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2118993/diva-francis-yip-thankful-second-chances-she-has-had?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2017 12:15:45 +0000 Hong Kong emerged as the top winner at the recent “Olympics” for the harmonica, with the city’s musicians sweeping 20 awards, including the first prize in six categories. Some 130 harmonica players from Hong Kong took part in the Eighth World Harmonica Festival, which ended on Sunday, and featured 15 solo and ensemble competition categories. Three-quarters of them are students, from primary and secondary schools or tertiary institutions. Many paid their own way to attend the meet, held once... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/education/article/2118807/hong-kong-musicians-win-big-harmonica-olympics-germany?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/education/article/2118807/hong-kong-musicians-win-big-harmonica-olympics-germany?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Nov 2017 12:30:00 +0000 Hong Kong’s top music educator has told of how a prestigious prize set to be bestowed on him this week is recognition of lesser known achievements, but masks memories of family ­estrangement and political ­turmoil. Yip Wai-hong, a veteran of children’s music education with junior orchestras and choruses, will receive this year’s Hall of Fame Award from the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong on Tuesday night. “The award will highlight my achievements as a composer,” Yip said. “I have... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2118496/painful-story-family-turmoil-and-political-strife-behind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2118496/painful-story-family-turmoil-and-political-strife-behind?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Nov 2017 03:03:13 +0000 The future of top Chinese pianist Lang Lang’s career could be in question as he struggles with “slower than expected” recovery from the left arm tendinitis that caused him to cancel a Hong Kong performance this month. The 35-year-old musician, one of the world’s most sought after performers, was originally expected to play with the visiting Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre this month. “Lang Lang very much regrets that he is forced to withdraw from his upcoming... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2117879/will-chinese-star-pianist-lang-lang-have-call-it-quits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2117879/will-chinese-star-pianist-lang-lang-have-call-it-quits?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Nov 2017 04:30:30 +0000 Hong Kong is a leading capital of classical music recordings, but few, the government included, know about it, a veteran record producer has said. Klaus Heymann turned Naxos Records, which he founded in To Kwa Wan 30 years ago, into a top global music distributor. He said he was used to not being recognised in local society – despite his achievements in the global music industry. “[A total of] 99.9 per cent of people buying Naxos CDs don’t know the company is headquartered in Hong Kong,” the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2114967/hong-kongs-invisible-classical-music-expert-who-made-it-big?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2114967/hong-kongs-invisible-classical-music-expert-who-made-it-big?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Oct 2017 03:01:24 +0000 When violinist Melissa Nino arrived in Hong Kong from her native Venezuela last year, she noticed something was missing. The city had trappings similar to other cosmopolitan areas like New York and Tokyo, with great food, shopping malls and thriving financial districts. But Asia’s world city lacked her biggest passion. “Hong Kong is a great city, but the arts and music scene are way behind,” said Nino, who was trained at her country’s world-renowned music programme, El Sistema – or “The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/education/article/2114349/venezuelan-violinist-brings-joy-music-hong-kongs-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/education/article/2114349/venezuelan-violinist-brings-joy-music-hong-kongs-city?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Oct 2017 07:00:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s top music makers and experts are offering mixed opinions about the future application of a national anthem law in the city as it took effect on the mainland on Sunday. From veteran pop songwriters to young orchestral composers, they see “grey areas” as the directive is ironed out by local legislators and enacted into Annexe III of the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution. “The most unsettling part is how to define those key terms in the mainland law, including malice,” said... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2113719/music-makers-hong-kong-offer-mixed-views-chinese-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2113719/music-makers-hong-kong-offer-mixed-views-chinese-national?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Oct 2017 12:30:45 +0000 Relics from the Palace Museum are exquisite treasures of humanity that should be appreciated from all angles except politics, a top Hong Kong art expert has urged. Tang Hoi-chiu, who was the Museum of Art’s chief curator until he retired in 2014, felt it was unfortunate the valuable objects became a subject of controversy last year when a Hong Kong version of the Beijing institution was announced for the fledgling West Kowloon Cultural District. “They are priceless treasures that are sought... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2113569/appreciate-palace-museum-treasures-and-put-politics-aside?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2113569/appreciate-palace-museum-treasures-and-put-politics-aside?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Oct 2017 08:24:27 +0000 Youth rebelliousness is nothing new but opportunities must be provided for youngsters to find their own voice, the city’s top cellist has said. Trey Lee Chui-yee, an internationally acclaimed Hong Kong-born cellist, recalled his own rebellious days against something that turned out to be his life pursuit. “I hated music and I was totally against it when I went to college, I think I was being pretty rebellious,” Lee, founder and artistic director of Musicus Society, told the Post at a press... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2113511/young-people-need-rebel-find-their-own-path-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2113511/young-people-need-rebel-find-their-own-path-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Sep 2017 11:01:25 +0000 The decline of the printed word may seem like a foregone conclusion, but politicians, officials and showbiz personalities gathered for Hong Kong’s Golden Book Awards on Wednesday were convinced it is only a matter of time before ink makes a comeback. The fourth “Oscars of books”, as organisers have dubbed it, an annual event held since 2014 that recognises the work of local authors, became a star-studded occasion this year as high-profile winners picked up trophies. The winners are nominated by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2113182/print-will-make-comeback-say-politicians-showbiz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2113182/print-will-make-comeback-say-politicians-showbiz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Sep 2017 07:02:08 +0000 Most 12-year-old children would probably tell you their biggest dislike is eating their vegetables. Or possibly going to bed early. But Hannah Tam Wan-ching is not like most people her age. Her biggest dislike is bad pitch; in fact she hates it. What sets her apart doesn’t end there. This month, the child prodigy became the first Hong Kong winner of the 17th international violin competition Kulturstiftung Hohenlohe in Germany. “I can’t stand bad intonation because it hurts my ears, so I... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2112589/pitch-perfect-hong-kong-prodigy-hannah-tam-wan-ching-wins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/community/article/2112589/pitch-perfect-hong-kong-prodigy-hannah-tam-wan-ching-wins?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Sep 2017 07:01:07 +0000 Veteran English professor Douglas Kerr never really felt comfortable working in a colony, so when British rule ended in Hong Kong he felt a sense of relief. “It was a bit of an embarrassment for people like me to be looked at as beneficiaries of an unfair colonial system,” he told City Weekend last month, on the day he left for London after 38 years in Hong Kong. “So for me personally, it was very nice to no longer work in a colony, or to teach a colonial language.” For Kerr, who was head of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2112395/colonial-privilege-academic-freedom-and-chicken?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2112395/colonial-privilege-academic-freedom-and-chicken?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Sep 2017 09:02:19 +0000