Musicus Fest 2021

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The annual Musicus Fest will take place from 13 November to 11 December 2021. Over the five weekends, Musicus Society’s Artistic Director Trey Lee will be leading international masters and young musicians in various interesting programs held around town. From children and heritage concerts to next generation virtuosi and the grand finale of the festival, the 2021 Musicus Fest offers a great way to experience classical music in a fun and relaxed atmosphere!

Despite the challenges in the past year, Musicus Society has expanded the scope of its annual festival. Mr Trey Lee remarks that “it’s been a difficult year for many artists around the world. We are very grateful to be able to expand our festival and be joined by so many wonderful musicians around the world during these difficult times. Although it has been challenging, it is gratifying to see live performances coming back on stage.” In addition to launching its annual festival, Musicus Society has recently re-launched its brand logo. “I’m delighted to reveal our new logo, celebrating our passion in weaving together musical connections, advancement and new collaborations in the years to come”, Mr Lee added.

For many years, Musicus Fest has been a meeting point for artists from across the globe, giving Hong Kong artists a chance to elevate their artistic excellence through interaction with distinguished artists from different parts of the world. Mr Lee wishes to thank everyone who supported the Society and the festival, including the Art Development Matching Grants Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; the Society’s Visionary Partners – the Bank of China (Hong Kong) and The Tung Foundation; as well as The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. “I’m very grateful for the support from our long-standing partners, whose support are crucial for us and for Hong Kong’s musical development,” Mr Lee added.

Key programs of the 2021 Musicus Fest

Next Generation Virtuosi (20 Nov) | Theatre, HK City Hall | 8pm
Winner of Musicus Society 2021 Young Artist Audition, Hong Kong-born violinist Fan Hiu-sing has established himself as an eminent rising star of the international concert stage. He has won numerous international prizes since an early age, including the First Prizes at the New York International Artists Association Violin Competition, Verão Clássico Festival and Adelphi Chamber Orchestra Concerto Competition. In this concert, Hiu-sing and veteran pianist Cherry Tsang will perform a variety of works: from Mozart’s daring Sonata in B-flat and Bach’s monumental Chaconne from Partita No. 2, to Saint-Saëns’ exotic Havanaise and Grieg’s vivacious third Sonata.

Festival Finale (11 Dec) | Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall | 8pm
Musicus Fest 2021 reaches its pinnacle at its Finale concert, with guest artists from different parts of the world. Elissa Lee, former concertmaster at the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and West German Radio Symphony Orchestra; Hila Karni, internationally renowned cellist from Israel; as well as Richard Wolfe, former principal violist of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra; will be joining Artistic Director Trey Lee in leading a specially formed ensemble featuring Musicus young artists.

In addition to the famous tunes by Rossini, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky, the 16-year-old Menuhin Violin Competition prize-winner Hannah Tam will perform Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in E, while multiple-award winning violinist Brian Choi will share the stage with the renowned cellist Trey Lee in Vivaldi’s Concerto for Violin and Cello in A.

Other programs of the 2021 Musicus Fest

Children’s Concert: Marco Polo & the Sounds of Carnival (13 Nov) | Concert Hall, HK City Hall | 7:30pm
Integrating Western and Chinese music with live action and comedy skits on screen, this year’s Children’s Concert rolls out a whole new chapter of Marco Polo’s exciting adventures. For ages 5 or above. Narration mainly in English.

Jockey Club Musicus Heritage Alive Concert (27-28 Nov) | Tai Kwun | Various times
Renowned cellist Trey Lee and brilliant Musicus artists return to Tai Kwun in an exciting line-up of concerts both indoors and outdoors. With inspiration from Tai Kwun, the new work by Musicus Society’s Call for Scores winner Luk Wai-chun features both Chinese and Western instruments with electronics and video projection and many more.

Jockey Club Musicus Heritage Alive Concert (4-5 Dec) | The University of Chicago Francis and Rose Yuen Campus in Hong Kong | Various times
Echoing Bing Thom’s campus design concept of “Treehouse of Knowledge”, this concert series features a unique program that illustrates the genius of JS Bach and how his music influences centuries of composers from the early days to the mid-20th century.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

The Musicus Society was founded in 2010 as a registered charity under the vision of renowned cellist Trey Lee, with a mission to promote music and music education through cross-cultural collaboration between local and overseas artists.

Apart from the annual Musicus Fest, which provides a meeting point for artists from across the world, the Musicus Heritage Community Concert Series bring world-class artists to local heritage sites. Moreover, Musicus Inspires! Educational program aims to nurture aspiring young musicians in Hong Kong, as well as to cultivate students from all social backgrounds. Musicus Society is financially supported by the Art Development Matching Grants Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.