Hong Kong Ballet (HKB) and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) join forces to bring the exciting production Carmina Burana, featuring a world premiere of The Last Song by HKB’s Choreographer-in-Residence Hu Song Wei Ricky and Septime Webre’s powerful dance masterpiece Carmina Burana. Under the baton of HK Phil Resident Conductor Lio Kuokman, this epic double bill programme uniquely brings the acclaimed dancers of HKB and the world-class musicians of the HK Phil together for a celebration of culture and artistry, combining riveting music with visually arresting dance. Five performances of Carmina Burana will take place at Hong Kong Culture Centre’s Grand Theatre on 14-16 October 2022. Tickets are now available at URBTIX.
Inspired by selections by J.S. Bach and Oscar Wilde’s The Nightingale and the Rose, Hu creates his new work The Last Song, which features HK Phil Concertmaster Jing Wang and Principal Cello Richard Bamping as soloists, exploring the ultimate definition of beauty. Carl Orff’s iconic Carmina Burana is a commanding interpretation of 24 medieval poems found in a monastery in 1803. With dances from medieval times to the present, Webre’s choreography is influenced by Orff’s bombastic music and by themes from Virginia Woolf’s novella ‘Orlando’ about our eternal search for love. Striking nine-metre scaffolding surrounding the stage holds over 100 members of the HK Phil Chorus and Hong Kong Children’s Choir, who are joined by soprano Vivian Yau, tenor Ren Shengzhi and baritone Elliot Madore.
The production is exclusively sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), and is one of the many initiatives supported by the HKJC’s approved donation of HK$630 million to the Government of the HKSAR to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is resolute in pursuing its purpose of acting continuously for the betterment of society, all in support of creating stronger communities together.
