Website: http://www.hk.artsfestival.org/en/

Date: January 28 to March 8, 2012
Country: China

The Hong Kong Arts Festival not only showcase top artists from around the world, but also exhibits the best of Asian and local talents alongside them. Since 1992 the Young Friends Scheme (YFS), an integrated arts education and audience development programme, has been bringing a wide range of events ranging from classical genre to other innovative and invigorating art forms to the world’s most vertical city. Along with the mind-blowing skyscrapers Hong Kong has to offer to, the YFS enhances appreciation of classical music culture with various workshops, talks, meet-the-artist sessions, exchange programmes, exhibitions and backstage tours.

The 40th Hong Kong Arts Festival has returned with over 200 performances and events within a period of just 39 days. In 2012 guests will have the opportunity to experience 13 new works, one world premiere, a festival symposium and eight Asian premieres in addition to the extraordinary talents and events. Some of the Festival highlights include, Mozart’s questioning of women’s fidelity, Cosi Fan Tutte, with the Bavarian State Orchestra and a twist on Mozart’s Magic Flute staged by Theatre des Bouffes du Nord. Two nights of masterpieces from the Austro-German classical repertoire will be presented by The Bavarian Radio symphony under Daniel Harding during their Hong Kong debut while The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra takes the audience on a journey from Weber’s Overture to Der Freischütz via Mendelssohn’s beloved Violin Concerto to Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, under Myung-whun Chung. Karita Mattila, Kun Woo Paik, Nigel Kennedy and Janine Jansen will also be present amongst many other soloists.