Founded in 1990 by a group of local musicians, Hong Kong Sinfonietta has since evolved to become one of Hong Kong’s flagship professional orchestras. Together with renowned conductor Yip Wing-sie as Music Director, the orchestra has brought quality orchestral music closer to the community through innovative programming, as well as achieved significant recognition on local and international stages for its passionate and energetic performances.

Since 1999, Hong Kong Sinfonietta has collaborated with an illustrious array of international musicians and groups, including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Plácido Domingo, Augustin Dumay, Fou Ts’ong, Christopher Hogwood, Luciano Pavarotti, Pinchas Zukerman, The Royal Ballet, Kirov Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, English National Ballet, New York City Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet. The orchestra has also been a regular participant at all the major festivals in Hong Kong including the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Le French May, Hong Kong International Film Festival and festivals presented by the Hong Kong Government.

The orchestra performs year-round with over 90 performances a year and is the Venue Partner of the Hong Kong City Hall. Its discography includes CDs of works by Chinese composers on HUGO and two double-CD albums This is Classical Music I and II on DECCA, released in 2008 and 2010. Apart from performing standard orchestral repertoire, Hong Kong Sinfonietta commissions new works every year and ventures into crossover concerts with other art forms. As an avid believer of keeping music alive and contemporary, Hong Kong Sinfonietta was also the official orchestra for many years for the local contemporary music festival Musicarama. It also partners regularly with Hong Kong Ballet and Opera Hong Kong in their staged productions.

On the educational front, Hong Kong Sinfonietta has pioneered specially-designed concerts for different age groups. New concepts on the Hong Kong concert stage, HKS for Kids, Short-cut to Classical Music, Know Your Classical Music, and HKS McDull Music Project have provided a new realm in audience development. In 2010, the orchestra launched One-hour Classics – a series of special concerts held at unconventional venues or times, offering a brand new type of concert experience.

On tour, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta has performed at the Saint-Riquier Festival and Les Flâneries Musicales d’Été de Reims in France, Festival Pianistico Internazionale Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli and Settimane Musicali al Teatro Olimpico in Italy, festivals in Lithuania, Shanghai Spring International Music Festival and at the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw. Since 2006, the orchestra has become a regular guest at La Folle Journée in Tokyo with returned visits in 2007, 2009 and 2010. In 2010, the orchestra made its début in Beijing at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, as well as in South America in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. It also returned to Shanghai to perform at the China Shanghai International Arts Festival (Hong Kong SAR Programme for Expo 2010 Shanghai – Hong Kong Week Closing Programme).