by Cathy Hung
The Intimacy of Creativity, HKUST
credit : http://www.curtis.edu/
Cathy: People often call you a “child prodigy” and even compare you with Lang Lang. How do you feel about this label?
Hao Chen: I don’t feel anything. Lang Lang and his contemporaries are mostly born in 1980s whilst I was born in the 1990s, so they represent the previous generation. They have set great examples of musical success. I sometimes draw inspirations from them, though I have never had the mind-set of comparing myself with them. There’s no pressure at all.
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by Cathy Hung
credit : Moises Saman/
G. Schirmer, inc.
Artist: Bright Sheng
Date: 22 April 2012
Venue: HKUST, Art Hall
Initiated by world-renowned composer and pianist Bright Sheng, the Intimacy of Creativity is a two-week composition symposium. Selected pieces are constantly revised and refined to the best shape through rehearsal discussions and experiments between composers and performers. As a revival of the lost tradition back in the Baroque times, the Intimacy of Creativity stands as a unique music showcase of its kind that features a glamorous lineup of world class musicians. Having themed upon “music and science” during its first edition in 2011 as a celebration of Einstein’s birthday anniversary, the event is marching towards a new adventure in 2012, blending pop culture with classical music. As the second edition kicks start, artistic director Bright Sheng reveals his ambitions and discusses the IC’s future.
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credit: Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Jean Sibelius
Sibelius Serenade in G minor, Op. 69b, No. 2: Lento assai
Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud joins the Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival 2012 and impresses the audience with his slightly ‘different’ interpretation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and several other well-known repertoires. As a man who challenges traditional mindset, Henning is more concerned about musicality than musical correctness. Behind his charismatic performance, there stands a literature enthusiast who pays respect to different cultures in the world with curiosity. Amidst the interview, a group of lavishly dressed banquet-goers passed by before us, to whom Henning instantly examined in fascination. “It is interesting to see different cultures in the world,” says the violinist- his blue eyes glittered with joy. In this conversation, Interlude’s Artist of the Month shares with our readers some of his personal sides.
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Edward Elgar
Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op.82
On the day of interview, Simone has just finished her rehearsal with the HKPO. Despite her long day, her eyes rolled with excitement whenever she talks about music. Behind her blue eyes, you can see passion, determination and energy. At the same time, Simone embraces spontaneous encounters in life with curiosity and a humble heart. Indeed, she is an artist who lives along the natural rhythm of life.
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When Andrea Fessler speaks about music, her big round eyes sparkle. Even while working as a lawyer, she would rather sacrifice her sleep and work till 3 in the morning than not attend concerts. A classmate of Barack Obama at the Harvard Law School, she decided to abandon law for music and founded Premiere Performances Hong Kong in 2007. PPHK presents recitals by young international stars as well as a chamber music festival.
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René Jacobs, the celebrated Belgian counter-tenor and conductor, does not set out to be different, but there is always a breeze of freshness in his music. Having been a boy chorister, Jacobs decided to read classical philology at the University of Ghent. It was until the persuasion of the Kuijken brothers, Gustav Leonhardt and Alfred Deller that Jacobs devoted himself to singing. And he turned out to be one of the best of our time. Recently, he is noted as a singer’s conductor, particularly good at handling recitative. During his 35 years of collaboration with Harmonia Mundi, Jacobs has recorded around 300 CDs on the known and unknown, Baroque and Classical repertoires. His latest project, Handel: Agrippina, which has been released on the 11th of October 2011, will surely create a sensation in the music world. Agippina, which is the second opera that Handel wrote during his first stay in Italy, narrates the story of Agippina, the wife of Emperor Claudius, intriguing to have her son ascended to the Roman throne. In this new release, Agippina is sung by Alexandrina Pendatchanska and Poppea is acted by Anna Prohaska, with René Jacobs conducting the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.
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When I first met Michael in a concert, I thought I saw Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Both are tall, charismatic, and have a sense of authority when speaking. It was until later which I found out that Michael was, indeed, the General Manager of Sir Gardiner’s various ensembles. Son of a British diplomat, Michael MacLeod was born in Bogota Colombia, then lived in Turkey, Austria, the US, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Angola and France. Now, he is making Hong Kong his home. Being the newly appointed Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael is given perhaps one of the most challenging tasks in his post – identifying the orchestra’s next Music Director after Edo de Waart.
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I was leaning at the fench on the first floor of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, waiting. Two men came out of the opposite concert hall; a tall white man with silver hair, next to him, a Chinese man wearing a light blue shirt. They were discussing vigorously while walking in a fast pace towards me. For the dream of the Asian Youth Orchestra, the Founder and Artistic Director Richard Pontzious and the general manager Keith Lau have been walking besides each other for 21 years. Even when Richard, at 61, piloted a single engine Piper Archer across the US, Keith was the navigator for the trip. After a firm handshake, I started my conversation with Richard Pontzious on the Asian Youth Orchestra.
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When Juliette the editor asked me to write something about myself, I felt both flattered and troubled. As a radio presenter, I have interviewed more than 400 artists, from local to international, from prodigies to established personalities. It is very natural for me to report on other people’s story, but rarely speaking of my own. It is at times like this that you stop and think, ‘Where am I, and how did I get here?’ Perhaps what Joshua Bell told me, ‘chances and choices’ , sums up my path, which appears to be improbable at first, but does represent the coming together of interest and experience without me consciously planning. It is a path graciously unfolding itself as I seize every step with diligence and gratitude. Instead of writing a long, dry biography, I decided to share my story with you through a Q&A.
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