The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) will close out the year with a trio of heavyweight collaborations, presenting three programs in November and December that bring some of the world’s most celebrated pianists to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall.
The series features Japanese virtuoso Mao Fujita, returning sensation Emanuel Ax, and global superstar Lang Lang, offering audiences a sweeping journey across styles, eras and musical traditions.
A luminous return: Mao Fujita plays Rachmaninov
One of classical music’s most compelling young voices, Mao Fujita returns to the HK Phil following his much-praised debut last season.
The 26-year-old pianist takes on Rachmaninov’s towering Piano Concerto No. 3, a work famous for its emotional breadth and technical demands. Fujita’s refined sensitivity and natural elegance have earned him acclaim across the Mozart and Romantic repertoire. Under the baton of Spanish conductor Roberto González-Monjas, the evening also features Respighi’s shimmering depictions of the Eternal City in Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome.
The concert will be held on November 29 (Sat) at 5pm. Tickets are available at URBTIX.
Emanuel Ax returns after 11 years for Beethoven
Eight-time Grammy-winning pianist Emanuel Ax makes his long-awaited return to the HK Phil after more than a decade, performing Beethoven’s noble and emotionally charged Piano Concerto No. 3.
The program, conducted by rising star Ruth Reinhardt, opens with Gambit, a vivid orchestral work by HK Phil Composer-in-Residence Esa-Pekka Salonen. The HK Phil Chorus joins for Brahms’ moving Nänie, written as a meditation on friendship and loss, while the evening closes with Hindemith’s dramatic Symphony: Mathis der Maler, a work shaped by the turmoil of pre-war Germany.
Performances take place on December 5 (Fri) at 7.30pm and December 6 (Sat) at 5pm at the Cultural Centre.
Lang Lang and Tarmo Peltokoski in a Nordic celebration
The HK Phil welcomes its Music Director Designate Tarmo Peltokoski for a Nordic-inspired program that brings together myth, modernity and dazzling pianism. The evening opens with Salonen’s Castor, a vibrant orchestral portrait drawn from Greek mythology.
Global superstar Lang Lang then takes the stage for Grieg’s beloved Piano Concerto, a work whose lyricism and drama have long made it a favorite among audiences. The program concludes with Sibelius’s Lemminkäinen Suite, a sweeping set of musical legends rooted in Finland’s national epic, the Kalevala.
Performances will be held on December 11 (Thu) at 7.30pm and December 13 (Sat) at 5pm. Tickets for this program have sold out.
With three top pianists and three distinct musical landscapes, the HK Phil’s year-end offerings promise a month of rich artistic encounters — from Rachmaninov’s passion to Beethoven’s brilliance and Sibelius’s mythic imagination — all brought to life in the heart of Hong Kong’s cultural district.
marco.lam@singtaonewscorp.com
