Joy of firsts in HK-Austria orchestral live stream

Musicians in Hong Kong and Austria will live stream an intercontinental ensemble next month in an orchestral ensemble that features many firsts.

The ensemble is part of the Joy of Music Festival set from October 10 to 27 and organized by the Chopin Society of Hong Kong.

The 38-member Haydn Orchestra, from the Esterhazy Palace in Austria, and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra cellist Richard Bamping, who will be in the SAR, will perform and link up using advanced technology to overcome time lags, sound quality and networking problems.

Hong Kong audiences can watch Bamping's live performance at the concert hall of the Hong Kong City Hall in Central, where the Haydn Orchestra will be shown on a big screen with hi-fi settings.

The technology, which includes hardware and software facilities to provide two-way audio and video communication between Austria and Hong Kong, is of extremely high speed and quality, Chopin Society of Hong Kong chairman Andrew Freris said.

"We have adopted advanced hardware and software to ensure a smooth live streaming of the performance, with excellent audio and video quality," he said.

Freris said the sound, tone and texture of the music played can be streamed with the quality of a real-life performance.

The technology was first used last year in the same Joy of Music Festival that allowed Hong Kong and Austrian audiences to enjoy musical performances by eliminating distance and time restrictions. But the viewing was limited to the screens.

"The process was extremely smooth last year," Freris said. "We keep improving our technology and this year it will be even smoother as the sound and image quality is four times better than last year."

Freris also added: "We have solved time lags and sound quality problems to ensure a smooth streaming. We use super-high-speed optical fibers, which solved the internet problem."

Austria performances will take place in Eisenstadt, 42 kilometers from Vienna.

Freris said the society obtained the technology through a grant from the Hong Kong government and the sponsorship of CLP Power.

"Technology, no matter how advanced it is or how well it can simulate real-time performance, can never replace live performances," Freris said.

And it offers a solution to enjoy music by eliminating problems of distance and time, he added.

The Joy of Music Festival and the sixth Hong Kong International Piano Competition 2022 will be held from October 10 to 27, with musicians from different countries performing in Austria and featuring world-class top concerts.

cynthia.chan@singtaonewscorp.com