James Cuddeford – To the Memory of an Angel

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Music Director/Conductor: Christoph Poppen
Violin: James Cuddeford

A symposium of the brightest minds from the late-Romantic period and Second Viennese School, this absorbing programme is highlighted by Hong Kong Sinfonietta’s very own Concertmaster James Cuddeford taking centre stage in Berg’s Violin Concerto, “To the Memory of an Angel”. Written in response to the tragic death of 18-year-old Manon – daughter of Mahler’s widow – the work masterfully marries twelve-tone serialism with an unmistakable undercurrent of tonality, anchoring the work to rich lyricism and encompassing beauty.

Under the baton of Music Director Christoph Poppen, the concert also features Beethoven’s breathtaking Coriolan Overture, as well as Brahms’ Piano Quartet No 1 in G minor, brilliantly orchestrated by none other than Berg’s teacher and leader of the Second Viennese School, Arnold Schoenberg.

Programme

Beethoven
Coriolan Overture, Op 62

Berg
Violin Concerto (“To the Memory of an Angel”)

Brahms/Schoenberg
Piano Quartet No 1 in G minor, Op 25

Click here for more concert information

---

Duration: Approximately 2 hours with a 15 min intermission
Age Limit: For ages 6+

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

One of Hong Kong’s flagship orchestras, Hong Kong Sinfonietta has brought music closer to the community, and achieved significant local and international recognition for its passionate performances and innovative programming. The orchestra has collaborated with an illustrious array of international musicians and groups, including in recent years Ilya Gringolts, Martin Helmchen, Sergei Nakariakov, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Krzysztof Penderecki, The Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet and Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.

Hong Kong Sinfonietta is a regular guest at international arts festivals and has toured 46 cities around the world. As an avid believer of keeping music alive and contemporary, the orchestra commissions and performs new works every year and ventures into new initiatives, recently receiving wide acclaim for its Back On Stage concert film series and becoming the first local orchestra to appear in cinemas. Following the success of the first edition in 2018, the orchestra organised the 2nd Hong Kong International Conducting Competition in 2023, attracting applications from 45 countries/regions around the world and providing an invaluable platform for young conductors to establish their careers.