The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has unveiled its 2026/27 season, marking the first under incoming music director Tarmo Peltokoski and signaling a new artistic chapter with a mix of large-scale symphonic works, international collaborations and global touring.
The season, adopting the theme “Join Friends!”, will feature 35 orchestral programs, bringing together an international lineup of conductors, soloists and ensembles, alongside performances highlighting local talent.
“I am honoured and thrilled to embark on my first season as Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra,” Peltokoski said at the season launch ceremony at The Peninsula Hong Kong hotel on April 27, inviting audiences to join what he described as “an exciting journey.”
Among the defining moments of the season is Peltokoski’s inaugural concert as music director on November 7 and 8, 2026, which will feature Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 — a work rarely performed due to its scale.
“This landmark performance for Hong Kong not only marks the HK Phil’s premiere of the work but also completes our long-awaited exploration of all of Mahler’s symphonies,” he said.
Peltokoski will lead six programs in total, spanning repertoire from Bruckner and Wagner to Vaughan Williams and Salonen, alongside large choral works including Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Resurrection.
The season will also include the orchestra’s signature free-for-all outdoor concert on November 13, 2026 - Swire Symphony Under The Stars, with Peltokoski hinting
Beyond Hong Kong, the orchestra will expand its international presence with a four-country, eight-city European tour across Spain, Germany, Finland and Austria from November 23 to December 6, 2026. The tour includes debuts at major venues such as Berlin’s Berliner Philharmonie, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Vienna’s Wiener Konzerthaus and Helsinki’s Musiikkitalo.
The tour will feature repertoire including Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 and Wagner’s Ring orchestral arrangement, alongside performances by pianist Martin Helmchen.
Closer to home, the orchestra will also tour the Chinese Mainland.
Peltokoski will lead the HK Phil traveling north in early 2027, with performances scheduled in Guangzhou and Beijing.
Meanwhile, the orchestra’s Greater Bay Area tour series “Phil the Bay”, marking the 30th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover in 2027, will include return visits to Guangzhou’s Xinghai Concert Hall in October and January, 2027, as well as the Shenzhen Concert Hall in May, 2027.
The season will see a number of high-profile artists performing with the orchestra for the first time, including conductor Gustavo Dudamel and tenor Juan Diego Flórez, alongside returning figures such as Yo-Yo Ma and Manfred Honeck.
At the same time, the HK Phil will continue to support new music, with world premieres of commissioned works by composers Yao Chen and Leon Ko.
The program also includes thematic concerts marking the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death and the 130th anniversary of Brahms’s death.
Alongside its international outlook, the orchestra continues to emphasize accessibility and community engagement through initiatives such as the Swire Music for Everyone series, education programs and community concerts.
The season also highlights contributions from Hong Kong musicians, including concertmaster Jing Wang and pianists Joyce Cheung and Aristo Sham, soprano Louise Kwong, harmonica and sheng player Gordon Lee, the HK Phil Chorus, and The Hong Kong Children’s Choir, reflecting a balance between global collaboration and local identity.
As the orchestra enters a new phase under Peltokoski, the 2026/27 season presents both a continuation of its artistic legacy and an expansion of its global ambitions — bringing large-scale works and international partnerships to the forefront while maintaining its connection with audiences at home.
marco.lam@singtaonewscorp.com
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
