Decoding Beethoven
A closer look at Beethoven & his musical masterpieces

You may recognise him as one of the most influential composers in western music history, but what else do you know about Beethoven? This September, Hong Kong Sinfonietta will launch a new educational concert series, Decoding Classical Music, with two back-to-back concerts devoted to the great composer. “Decoding Beethoven” concerts will take a closer look at the man and his music, with Ken Lam (Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in the USA) as conductor and presenter.

The concerts will be held on:
19 September 2009 (Sat) 7:30pm & 20 September 2009 (Sun) 3pm at HK City Hall Theatre.
Tickets: $220, $120 (Mainly in English)

The complete Beethoven experience!

Born in Bonn, Beethoven moved to Vienna in his early twenties and settled in the city that was also home to Haydn and Mozart. He quickly established a reputation and career as a virtuoso pianist. As a pupil of Haydn, Beethoven composed his early works in the classical style of his teacher, before gradually developing an unprecedented style and character of his own. He constantly tried out new possibilities, such as introducing bigger scale works and heightened ways to express emotions. Beethoven became an iconic and important composer of 18th-19th century Europe and was acclaimed as the pioneer of the Romantic period. The composer’s most well-known achievement is probably to have composed 9 orchestral symphonies during his life, but his legacy extends far beyond his own works which influenced a number of composers of the Romantic period including Brahms, Bruch and Mahler. The heroic idea of Beethoven lives in the works of these composers, and forever immortalises his inescapable presence.      

Guest conductor Ken Lam will give details on how Beethoven’s personal character influenced his composing style. The Hong Kong Sinfonietta will perform and some of the composer’s most famous pieces including the Coriolan Overture and Symphony No 2 (19th Sept) and the Egmont Overture with Symphony No 4 in B-flat (20th Sept).

For further information, please contact Ms Amanda Mok, PR & Communications Manager:
Email：amanda.mok@hksinfonietta.org  Tel: 3607 2328

For photos, please download from http://www.hksl.org/eng/media/imageLibrary.aspx or contact Ms Amanda Mok.

Hong Kong Sinfonietta
Decoding Classical Music Series
Decoding Beethoven 1&2
Conductor/ Presenter: Ken Lam
Special Guest: Leon Hill as Beethoven

19th September, 2009 (Sat) 7:30pm & 20th September, 2009 (Sun) 3pm
Hong Kong City Hall Theatre
Tickets：$220, $120

All-Beethoven Programmes

19/9: Coriolan Overture, Op 62
        Symphony No 2 in D, Op 36
   
20/9: Egmont Overture, Op 84
        Symphony No 4 in B-flat, Op 60

Get a 20% discount when you purchase full-price tickets to both concerts on 19 & 20 September 2009

Ken Lam    Conductor/Presenter

Born in Hong Kong, Ken Lam is currently Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra in the USA. He graduated from the Peabody Conservatory and has studied with Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman, Gustav Meier, Markand Thakar and Marin Alsop. He has been Assistant/Cover Conductor for Sir Roger Norrington, Raphael Frübeck de Burgos, Lorin Maazel and Günther Herbig. Recently he made his début with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, and was appointed staff conductor at the Brevard Music Center in the USA.

Before taking up conducting as his career, Ken Lam was a practising solicitor for ten years, having obtained a master’s degree in economics at Cambridge University. During that time, he was Artistic Director of Hong Kong Voices, Principal Conductor of the Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra and founding Principal Conductor of the Hong Kong Melody Makers.


Tickets NOW available at all URBTIX outlets
Half-price tickets available for full-time students, senior citizens, people with disabilities and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients
10% discount for group booking of 4 or more adult tickets
Get a 20% discount when you purchase full-price tickets to both concerts on 19 & 20 September 2009

Ticketing Enquiries & Reservations：2734 9009
Credit Card Telephone Booking：2111 5999
URBTIX Internet Ticketing Service：www.URBTIX.hk
Programme Enquiries：2836 3336 / info@hksinfonietta.org


Hong Kong Sinfonietta is the Venue Partner of the Hong Kong City Hall
Hong Kong Sinfonietta is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative region
Hong Kong Sinfonietta reserves the right to change the programme and artists

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