As Asia’s World City, Hong Kong’s cultural influence stems from its mixed heritage of Chinese culture and Western colonisation. Its cultural identity has reached the farthest ends of the earth. In the past decades, Hong Kong has transformed itself into a capital of art and cultural endeavours, all through the efforts of the unique populace who give the city its vibrant personality and colour.
It is in this spirit that Music Lab Festival celebrates Hong Kong’s best talents to present a series of concerts of the highest originality, dynamism and artistic quality. Centred on classical and original music by local artists, Music Lab Festival aims to display the originality of the city’s young music-makers, compose the new sound of tomorrow, and reimagine Hong Kong itself.
Music Lab Festival 2018 offers three productions, each one corresponding to a pillar of our vision statement: Classic; Timeless; and Original. This year, Music Lab is also proud to launch a recording project, and to bring past productions to other cities. We at Music Lab are grateful to have gained your support in the past years, as your continuous support is the most important ingredient of our success.
Lost in Time
Genre: Crossover Pop
Date: 27 April 2018 | 8pm
28 April 2018 | 3 & 8pm
Venue: Hong Kong Arts Centre, Shousan Theatre
Musicians: CY LEO, Joyce CHEUNG, Ricky WONG
Harmonica world champion CY Leo will lead the project Lost in Time to start off our Music Lab Festival 2018. CY promises to deliver smashingly pleasurable listening experience by infusing the boundaries of signature pops in different eras, to be lost in time from classics to the modern pop.
Lost in Time assembles the greatest hits of pop from different eras, to be arranged by jazz arrangers, Joyce Cheung and Ricky Wong. The production on one hand reviews the timeless value of music, while experiments the capacity of the harmonica to deliver a spectrum of music genres in different ages on the other. The performance will also be aided by multimedia projections and sets, to portray creative and stylistic elements in different eras.
So French
- French Impressions
Genre: Chamber Music
Date: 1 June 2018 | 8PM
Venue: Sheung Wan Civic Centre, Theatre
Musicians: Samuel AU, Rachel CHEUNG, LAI Bo-ling, Alison LAU, ZHEN Xi-yuan
So French - French Impressions is a tribute to the various genres in which the composers and the painters echo each other in different mediums. The concert sets in the category of Poeme, Valse, Phenome, Reves and L’abstrait - just as how the artists used to perceive.
So French
- French Legacy
Genre: Chamber Music
Date: 8 June 2018 | 8PM
Venue: China Congregational Church, Recital Theatre (6F, 119 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong)
Musicians: Samuel AU, LAI Bo-ling, Alison LAU, KaJeng Wong
So French - French Legacy is about the heritage of French Art. From the baroque master Francois Couperin to the age of Faure, Debussy, Ravel, Chausson besides the literary inspiration from the poet Leconte de Lisle, the French tradition influenced as far as the American impressionistic composer Charles Griffes, as well as 20th century master Olivier Messiaen, who taught the legendary Japanese Toru Takemitsu.
Smash: Originals
Genre: Originals
Date: 21 June 2018 | 8PM
Venue: The Grand Hall, Lee Shau Kee Lecture Centre, Centennial Campus, The University of Hong Kong
Ensemble: SMASH (CY Leo, Timothy SUN, KaJeng WONG)
Following the success of Pop Classics Jazz and Tribute to Modern Classics, SMASH will enter into the grounds of finding its original sound with authentic compositions by our team of composers and arrangers. The SMASH trio comprises of the most expressive saxophone tone, the most energetic harmonica performer, the most versatile pianist, and its engine of top players.
Widely anticipated for its next project, SMASH will continue its fire, energy and passion, translating these elements into a fiery and most exciting concert for our audiences in 2018.