Canceled: The 48th Hong Kong Arts Festival

Cancellation of the 48th Hong Kong Arts Festival’s Feb and Mar Performances and Events

Important Information about Art Basel Hong Kong 2020

We regret to inform you that Art Basel Hong Kong 2020 has been cancelled due to the severe outbreak and spread of the new coronavirus, which has recently been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization. Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected around the world. We remain committed to Hong Kong and look forward to welcoming you to the next edition of Art Basel Hong Kong on March 25-27, 2021.

All visitors who have purchased tickets via HK Ticketing can apply for full refund subject to HK Ticketing Refund Arrangement to be announced on hkticketing.com. Please contact [email protected] for further assistance.

Please note that: The Boston Symphony Orchestra has just announced the cancellation of their Asian Tour and withdrawal from the 48th HKAF.

48th HKAF: 13 February - 14 March 2020

125 performances, almost 1,900 international and Hong Kong artists, come and experience the 48th Hong Kong Arts Festival!

Launched in 1973, the Hong Kong ArtsFestival is a major annual festival in the region and the territory’s premier cultural event. Featuring local and international artists in an eclectic array of music, theatre, dance, and popular entertainment, the Festival takes place in over a dozen venues in February and March. In addition to commissions, the Festival publishes and produces original work, mainly in theatre and multi-media, available for subsequent touring. www.hk.artsfestival.org

All Programs

Opera

Bayerische Staatsoper Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos21, 23 Feb 2020Western Opera

A grand and richly-textured opera-within-an-opera performed by an all-star cast

Book NowJockey Club Local Creative Talents Series – Journey to the West Rewind / Women Like Us 6, 7, 8 Mar 2020World Premiere, Chamber Opera, Contemporary Music, Music Theatre

The Four Southern Opera Classics10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Mar 2020Chinese Opera

Music

Andris Nelsons with the Boston Symphony Orchestra12, 13 Feb 2020Concerto, Orchestra, Beethoven 250

The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s return to Hong Kong after over 25 years is set to be the spectacular event in town with the Hong Kong debut of its music director, Andris Nelsons.

Anima Eterna Brugge13 Mar 2020Early Music, Orchestra, Beethoven 250

Historically informed performance in every detail for 2 all-time Beethoven favourite symphonies

Anima Eterna Brugge – Family Concerts14 Mar 2020Early Music, Family, Orchestra, Beethoven 250, Family Choice

Step into Beethoven’s creative world with the Belgian orchestra Anima Eterna Brugge and narrator Pieter Bergé for a fun weekend of two family concerts!

Bayerisches Staatsorchester Ensemble22 Feb 2020Chamber Music

An evening of chamber music for strings and winds

Christian Gerhaher in Recital2 Mar 2020Vocal

In October 2019, Christian Gerhaher and his long-time piano accompanist Gerold Huber have won their third Best Solo Vocal Award at the 2019 Gramophone Classical Music Awards for their album Frage.

Fly Higher: Charlie Parker@10020, 21 Feb 2020World Premiere, Jazz

“Jaw-dropping, one of the finest saxophonists going.” Pitchfork (on Rudresh Mahanthappa)

“Terri Lyne Carrington can play drums at the highest level. She’s a master.” Herbie Hancock

Freiburg Baroque Orchestra6, 7 Mar 2020Baroque, Orchestra, Beethoven 250

Beethoven’s and Mozart’s piano concerti will be exquisitely rendered on fortepiano by Kristian Bezuidenhout, 18th-century keyboard specialist, accompanied by the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra.

Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra – Music About China21 Feb 2020World Premiere, Orchestra, Chinese Music

Hong Kong Sinfonietta – Great Piano Concertos: Pavel Kolesnikov Plays Chopin8 Feb 2020World Premiere, Orchestra, Beethoven 250

Kammerorchester Basel29 Feb 2020Contemporary Music, Orchestra, Vocal

Experience the unique “Swiss approach” by the legendary Heinz Holliger, who will be conducting Kammerorchester Basel to perform works of his own and contemporary Swiss composer Schoeck - featuring celebrated baritone Christian Gerhaher!

Los Angeles Master ChoraleLasso’s Lagrime di San Pietro9 Mar 2020A cappella, Choral, Early Music

“Many in the audience, I am sure, will never hear Renaissance music or polyphony the same way again.” Classical Voice

Midori with the Festival Strings Lucerne12 Mar 2020Concerto, Orchestra, Strings, Violin, Beethoven 250

“Midori’s tone was, as ever, sweet and pure; an evergreen talent” ★★★★ Independent

Ning Feng Solo Violin Recital28 Feb 2020Baroque, Violin

“If you want to take Bach’s solo violin music to your heart, … Feng’s recordings strike me as well-nigh ideal” Gramophone

PhilharmonixAround the World in 80 Minutes! Family Concert7 Mar 2020Chamber Music, Family, Strings, Family Choice

“Entertainment on the highest possible level” Der Tagesspiegel

Prague Philharmonic Choir25, 27 Feb 2020A cappella, Choral, Organ

The Czech Republic’s foremost professional choir sings works by Schubert, Bruckner, Pēteris Vasks, Eric Whitacre and contemporary Czech composers, which display the choir’s power and versatility.

Shanghai Chinese Orchestra Shanghai Odyssey – The Bund6 Mar 2020Chinese Theatre, Concert with Film, Orchestra, Chinese Music, Cinematic Magic

Expressing the spirit of the city in sounds and images, this work encompasses both Shanghai’s storied past and aspirational future. This production features a large ensemble of traditional Chinese instruments accompanied by video of the cityscape.

Teatrocinema Mahler’s Song of the Earth15, 16 Feb 2020Asian Premiere, Concert with Film, Orchestra, Vocal, Cinematic Magic

Mahler’s monumental work Song of the Earth is given a theatrical and cinematic staging by the Chilean theatre group Teatrocinema. An immersive visual journey into Mahler’s musical statement on the transience of life.

The Darius Brubeck Quartet24, 25 Feb 2020Asian Premiere, Blues, Jazz, World Music

Dave Brubeck’s son celebrates his father’s centenary year

The Shanghai Quartet18, 19 Feb 2020Chamber Music, Beethoven 250

“Profound commitment to playing music as if it was always being created anew.” Strings Magazine

Theatre

Alessandro SerraMacbettu13, 14, 15 Mar 2020Physical Theatre

Macbettu (Macbeth) is the Sardinian adaptation of the great Shakespearian drama of ambition and the supernatural, staged with audacious physicality and an all-male cast by director Alessandro Serra.

Bristol Old VicCyrano12, 13, 14, 15, 16 Feb 2020English Theatre

The great romantic love story, Cyrano, immortalised on film by Gérard Depardieu and Steve Martin, is brought playfully to life by Tony Award-winning director Tom Morris and Bristol Old Vic with an exciting team of creatives and actors.

Contemporary Legend TheatreJulius Caesar13, 14, 15 Mar 2020Chinese Opera, Chinese Theatre

Peking opera pioneer Wu Hsing-kuo and his Contemporary Legend Theatre join forces with Zhang Jun, “the prince of kunqu”, for a daring adaptation of history’s ultimate betrayal. Witness the world premiere of the murder that rocked a republic on the coming Ides of March!

Internationaal Theater AmsterdamAfter the Rehearsal / Persona5, 6, 7 Mar 2020Foreign Language Theatre, Cinematic Magic

Two Ingmar Bergman screenplays are reimagined for the stage in a double bill by Tony Award-winning director Ivo van Hove. Van Hove’s adaptation of two Bergman’s groundbreaking works – After the Rehearsal/Persona is a love letter to theatre which is about the chaotic lives of theatre people, exposing the fine line between art and reality, illness and normality.

Le Quai – Angers Opening Night22, 23 Feb 2020Foreign Language Theatre, Cinematic Magic

This cross-media production, featuring both screen and stage performances artfully interwoven together, was adapted specially for Isabelle Adjani from the original screenplay for John Cassavetes’ classic 1977 film Opening Night. The play is as intriguingly ambiguous and thought-provoking as the film which inspired it.

Lost DogJuliet & Romeo11, 12, 13, 14, 15 Mar 2020Dance Theatre

Juliet and Romeo reveals the real story of Romeo and Juliet. It turns out they didn’t die in a tragic misunderstanding, they grew up and lived happily ever after. Well they lived at least. With Lost Dog’s blend of dance, theatre and comedy this duet takes on our cultural obsession with youth and our inevitable issues with longevity.

Nassim11, 12, 13, 14, 15 Feb 2020Foreign Language Theatre

Touchingly autobiographical yet powerfully universal, Nassim is a striking theatrical demonstration of how language can both divide and unite us. HKAF will localise the play into Cantonese for the first time, with a surprising guest artist for each performance.

Odéon-Théâtre de l’EuropeThe School for Wives28, 29 Feb 2020Foreign Language Theatre

Is it possible to mould the perfect wife? Molière’s comedy The School for Wives is interpreted by Stéphaneand and performed by the 200-year-old Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe. It remains as coruscatingly funny as when it was first performed in 1662.

Book NowRe-Member Me20, 21, 22, 23 Feb 2020Cinematic Magic

Salzburg Marionette Theatre – The Sound of Music29 Feb 20201 Mar 2020Family, Family Choice

Marionette Theatre has always been Austria’s cultural ambassador since 1913. Marvel at the dancing, singing and acting of the refined wooden “cast” with your family at the all-time favourite musical The Sound of Music!

Salzburg Marionette Theatre – Fidelio2, 3 Mar 2020Asian Premiere, Western Opera, Beethoven 250

Hailed as the “most highly developed form of puppet and figure theatre” as the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, the Salzburg Marionette Theatre arrives with the marionette version of Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio.

Sichuan People’s Art TheatreTeahouse15, 16 Feb 2020Chinese Theatre

The Hong Kong Arts Festival has been informed by the Sichuan People’s Art Theatre that their production of Teahouse will not be staged at the 48th Hong Kong Arts Festival as originally planned.

Advance Bookings for this performance have been stopped with immediate effect. For audiences who have already reserved tickets for Teahouse during the Advance Bookings period, the performance will remain included in the total number of performances booked for the purpose of calculating the discount offered.

We Are Gay14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28 Feb 2020Chinese Theatre

Dance

A Sadler’s Wells London ProductionA Quiet Evening of Dance18 Feb 2020Ballet

Groundbreaking choreographer William Forsythe presents a vivid combination of new and existing work, A Quiet Evening of Dance, performed by seven of his most trusted collaborators. The works range from sparse analytic condensation to baroque inspired counterpoint, giving an intimate, pure evening of choreography, stripped down to its essence.

Asia Pacific Dance Platform – Fauwn Leb Identity / CERCLE7, 8 Mar 2020Contemporary Dance

Béjart Ballet LausanneDixit6, 7 Mar 2020Ballet, Multimedia, Cinematic Magic

Conceived as both an homage to Béjart Ballet Lausanne founder Maurice Béjart and as an extension of his creative vision, stage director Marc Hollogne’s Dixit is a groundbreaking cinema-ballet-theatre production. It brings together archival film of Béjart and of excerpts from his signature pieces with choreographies by Gil Roman, in an unforgettable dialogue between past and present, achieved through the seamless integration of live and recorded performances.

Les Ballets de Monte-CarloThe Taming of the Shrew27, 28 Feb 2020Ballet

Awarded with three Masques d’Ors in Moscow for its premiere with the Bolshoi Ballet in 2014, Jean-Christophe Maillot’s The Taming of the Shrew—now danced by his own dance company, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo—is “a rollicking, rumbustious and romantic production” (The Times) with a fundamentally serious theme: the search for one’s better half.

Polunin InkRasputin2 Mar 2020Ballet

Ballet superstar Sergei Polunin dances the role of the mystic Grigori Rasputin, whose mysterious influence over the Russian royal family did so much to bring down the Romanov dynasty. Polunin stars in this dance drama exploring the ambivalence between power and weakness, good and evil.

Rocío MolinaFallen from Heaven (Caída del Cielo)9, 10 Mar 2020Flamenco

Rocío Molina fuses traditional flamenco and avant-garde dance improvisation fearlessly and with blazing passion. In Fallen from Heaven, she dances with captivating beauty and disturbing power through the course of a work that celebrates the many aspects of what it means to be a woman.

The HKJC Contemporary Dance Series Dance Across Borders28, 29 Feb 20201 Mar 2020Contemporary Dance

The HKJC Contemporary Dance Series Finding Meaning in an Uncertain World6, 7, 8 Mar 2020Contemporary Dance

The HKJC Contemporary Dance Series Voice Out12, 13, 14 Mar 2020Contemporary Dance

Family

Anima Eterna Brugge – Family Concerts14 Mar 2020Early Music, Family, Orchestra, Beethoven 250, Family Choice

Step into Beethoven’s creative world with the Belgian orchestra Anima Eterna Brugge and narrator Pieter Bergé for a fun weekend of two family concerts!

Igor Moiseyev BalletLegend of the Century14, 15 Mar 2020Family, Folk Dance, Family Choice

Following its rapturous reception at the 2014 HKAF, the Igor Moiseyev Ballet makes a triumphant return with two exciting programmes of inspired dance that will culminate in what promises to be an unforgettable festival experience – World Choreographic Voyage on 12 and 13 March and Legend of the Century on 14 and 15 March as the Festival Finale.

Igor Moiseyev BalletWorld Choreographic Voyage12, 13 Mar 2020Family, Folk Dance, Family Choice

Following its rapturous reception at the 2014 HKAF, the Igor Moiseyev Ballet makes a triumphant return with two exciting programmes of inspired dance that will culminate in what promises to be an unforgettable festival experience – World Choreographic Voyage on 12 and 13 March and Legend of the Century on 14 and 15 March as the Festival Finale.

PhilharmonixAround the World in 80 Minutes! Family Concert7 Mar 2020Chamber Music, Family, Strings, Family Choice

“Entertainment on the highest possible level” Der Tagesspiegel

Salzburg Marionette Theatre – The Sound of Music29 Feb 20201 Mar 2020Family, Family Choice

Marionette Theatre has always been Austria’s cultural ambassador since 1913. Marvel at the dancing, singing and acting of the refined wooden “cast” with your family at the all-time favourite musical The Sound of Music!

Special

HKartsFestival@TaiKwun22, 23, 29 Feb 20201 Mar 2020Contemporary Dance

Two weekends of diverse, site-specific events to turn the unique heritage site of Tai Kwun into a playground for immersive artistic experiences, connecting artists’ visions with participants’ imaginations.

Free Admission Details to be announced in mid-Dec 2019

Buy your tickets now: 2020 Hong Kong Arts Festival

Event Venue: Lyric Theatre, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, 1 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong 香港演藝學院 歌劇院