2025 marks a double musical anniversary: the 150^th birthday of Ravel and the 50^th anniversary of the death of Shostakovich. This special French May Arts Festival concert opens with Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, under the baton of Austrian conductor Christoph Koncz. The debonair French cellist Gautier Capuçon takes centre stage for Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto. Renowned for its demanding main cadenza written for the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich, this concerto is considered a pinnacle of the twentieth century cello repertoire. The concert concludes with three vibrant orchestral pieces by Ravel.

Conductor Christoph Koncz

Cello Gautier Capuçon

Programme

SHOSTAKOVICH Festive Overture

SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto no. 1

RAVEL La valse

RAVEL Pavane pour une infante défunte

RAVEL Boléro

Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is regarded as one of the leading orchestras in Asia. Professionalised in 1974, the orchestra celebrates its 50^th anniversary during the 2023/24 season. Collaborating with internationally renowned conductors and soloists, the orchestra presents more than 150 concerts and attracts more than 200,000 music lovers annually. The HK Phil promotes the work of Hong Kong and Chinese composers, commissions new works, nurtures local talent and runs extensive education and community programmes. With Music Director Jaap van Zweden since 2012, the HK Phil has toured Europe, Asia, Australia and extensively across Mainland China. Long Yu has been Principal Guest Conductor since the 2015/16 season, and Lio Kuokman was appointed Resident Conductor in December 2020. The HK Phil won the prestigious UK classical music magazine Gramophone's 2019 Orchestra of the Year Award – the first orchestra in Asia to receive this accolade. Recent recording projects with Jaap include the complete Ring Cycle by Richard Wagner, Mahler's Symphony no. 10 (concert version ed. Mengelberg/Dopper), and Shostakovich's Symphony no. 10. In 2021, the HK Phil founded The Orchestra Academy Hong Kong (co-directed with The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts), aimed at offering professional training and facilitating orchestral careers for its participants.