
The Intimacy of Creativity – The Bright Sheng Partnership: Composers Meet Performers in Hong Kong is a pioneering, internationally-acclaimed partnership devoted to promoting an intimate dialogue between composers and performers.
Distinguished composers, together with selected emerging composers from Hong Kong and around the world, present and revise their chamber music compositions after in-depth discussions with world-renowned performers during open discussions. The revised compositions are presented at two world premiere concerts in downtown Hong Kong, preceded by preview concerts on the campus of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, which hosts the partnership.
For the 2011 inaugural season, artistic director and internationally-acclaimed composer, conductor, and pianist Bright Sheng was joined by distinguished guests Richard Stoltzman, Yehudi Wyner, and the Daedalus Quartet; Hong Kong guest artists Mary Wu, Stephen Chong, and Olivier Nowak; and emerging composers Pedro Faria Gomes, Ted Goldman, Moon Young Ha, Narong Prangcharoen, Matthew Tommasini, and Ming-Hsiu Yen.
The Intimacy of Creativity is excited to collaborate with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPhil) as 2016 IC ensemble-in residence. Selected composers will present and revise their orchestral compositions before and after in-depth on-campus Open Discussions between Artistic Director and conductor, Bright Sheng, members of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and librarian staff. The revised compositions will be formally presented at a Preview Concert on the campus of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and a World Premiere Concert at the iconic Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall.
On the closing day of the IC2017 Contemporary Song Festival, a special world premiere concert will be presented at Asia Society Hong Kong Center with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology featuring the critically acclaimed New York Festival of Song (NYFOS).
Artistic Director, Bright Sheng , will be joined by Judith Weir , Master of the Queen's Music; Michael Barrett , renowned pianist, conductor, and co-founder and associate artistic director of NYFOS; together with guest vocal artists of NYFOS, including soprano Amy Owens, mezzo-soprano Katherine Pracht, tenor Jonathan Blalock, and baritone Tobias Greenhalgh. Guest artists Amy Sze, pianist, and Isaac Droscha, baritone; and four Composer Fellows selected through an international call-for-scores.
This special program includes works inspired by Asian and Chinese literary themes as well as selections from Bright Sheng's acclaimed new opera, Dream of the Red Chamber (libretto by David Henry Hwang and Mr. Sheng), which receives its Asia Premiere at the 45th Hong Kong Arts Festival.