Media

French duo Romain & Thomas Leleu visit Hong Kong
to join hands with Maestro Poppen in showcase of brass virtuosity

For immediate release
12 Jun 2023

A sensational duo related by blood and connected in unparalleled talent, Romain and Thomas Leleu have wowed the world with their mastery on the trumpet and tuba respectively. This July, the brothers will be hailing from France to present two unique performances, each playing a concerto with Hong Kong Sinfonietta on 8 Jul (Sat) under the baton of Music Director Christoph Poppen, and then joining hands on stage in a chamber concert on 9 Jul (Sun) with brass showpieces galore.

Audience members can enjoy a 20% discount when purchasing standard tickets to both performances in a single transaction on URBTIX – come and experience the true meaning of brass virtuosity!

Great Brass Concertos: Trumpet & Tuba: 2-in-1 (8 Jul)
Hailed as the Paganini of the tuba (France Musique), Thomas Leleu is the first tuba player to have ever won the “Révélation Soliste Instrumental” award at the French Victoires de la Musique Classique, and one of the few tuba players in the world to lead a solo career. He returns to collaborate with Hong Kong Sinfonietta again following his triumphant début with the orchestra four years ago, this time playing Vaughan Williams’ beautiful Tuba Concerto in F minor – the first ever concerto written for solo tuba – which was dedicated to the London Symphony Orchestra in 1954 in celebration of the 50^th anniversary of their foundation.

In the same concert under the baton of Music Director Christoph Poppen, Thomas’ brother and acclaimed trumpet player Romain Leleu will be playing Hummel’s well-loved Trumpet Concerto in E-flat, in a programme which also includes two Classical symphonic gems – Haydn’s Symphony No 6, “Le Matin”, and Mozart’s Symphony No 35, “Haffner”.

Virtuoso + (9 Jul)
The Leleu brothers will also meet on stage in this rare celebration of virtuosity on brass instruments, where together they will present some of the most exquisite brass music ranging from Gabrieli to Piazzolla. With a big dose of showstopping duo pieces plus some exciting works in which the brass musicians of Hong Kong Sinfonietta will join the duo on stage, this will be a spectacle like no other.

Hong Kong Sinfonietta

Great Brass Concertos: Trumpet & Tuba: 2-in-1

8 Jul 2023 (Saturday) | 8pm
Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall
$480, $340, $180

Music Director /Conductor: Christoph Poppen
Trumpet: Romain Leleu
Tuba: Thomas Leleu

Programme
Haydn – Symphony No 6 in D, Hob I:6, “Le Matin”
Hummel – Trumpet Concerto in E-flat
Vaughan Williams – Tuba Concerto in F minor
Mozart – Symphony No 35 in D, K385, “Haffner”

HKS Recital Series: Virtuoso +

9 Jul 2023 (Sunday) | 3pm
Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall
$420, $280, $160

Trumpet: Romain Leleu
Tuba: Thomas Leleu
* with Hong Kong Sinfonietta brass ensemble

Programme
Halvorsen/Doutrelant arr – Passacaglia on a Theme by Handel (After Handel’s Suite No 7 in G Minor, HWV 432)
Allan Botschinsky/Doutrelant arr – Interlude No 4 (1986)
Astor Piazzolla/Doutrelant arr – Histoire du Tango (1985) : Bordel 1900
Christoph Moschberger – Tears for Pachelbel
Astor Piazzolla – Tango Etude No 3 (1987)
Luiz Bonfá/Doutrelant arr – Manhã de Carnaval
Handel/Barré arr – The Harmonious Blacksmith *
Bach/Caens arr – Little Fugue in F minor *
Gabrieli – Sacrae Symphoniae: Sonata Pian’e Forte *
Georges Delerue – Fanfares pour Tous les Temps (1977): Pour un Temps de Danse *
Chris Hazell – Another Cat: Kraken (1980/1991) *

Half-price tickets available for full-time students, senior citizens, people with disabilities and their minder, and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients
10% discount for group bookings of 4 or more standard tickets
Get a 20% off discount when you purchase standard tickets to both programmes
Suitable for 6 years old or above
Tickets at URBTIX
Tickets online at POPTICKET (no handling fee)

*********************************************************************************

Christoph Poppen Music Director/Conductor

Conductor, soloist, chamber musician and pedagogue, Christoph Poppen has made a name for himself in diverse roles in the international musical world. As Music Director of Hong Kong Sinfonietta from the 2023/2024 season, he works closely with Music Director Emeritus Yip Wing-sie and Associate Conductor Vivian Ip on the artistic development of the orchestra, creating inspiring and innovative programmes which bring music closer to the community. Highlights of his appearances with the orchestra this season include the Hong Kong première of Toshio Hosokawa’s Violin Concerto, the Asian première of William Kentridge’s Oh, To Believe In Another World, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with WDR Rundfunkchor Köln, his brand new Maestro’s Insights concert series, as well as the Farewell Gala of the Marvão International Music Festival in Portugal.

As Hong Kong Sinfonietta’s Principal Guest Conductor between 2015-2023, Poppen has presented to the Hong Kong audience a rich repertoire ranging from Austro-German masterpieces to contemporary works, brought the orchestra on tour to Germany and Portugal, and taken up the position of Co-chair of the Hong Kong International Conducting Competition. During the current season, he continues his close and highly successful collaboration with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra in his role as Principal Conductor, and with the Israel Chamber Orchestra as Principal Guest Conductor, while being the Artistic Director of the Marvão International Music Festival. Highlights in the 2022/2023 season included appearing with the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música and return visits to the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Munich Chamber Orchestra and Athens State Orchestra, as well as the continuation of his recorded cycle of the complete Mozart Masses with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra for the Naxos label.

From 1995-2006, Poppen was Artistic Director of Munich Chamber Orchestra, establishing the ensemble’s new profile in a short period of time. His distinctive programmes, often contrasting classical and contemporary styles with numerous commissioned works, were highly successful. In 2006, he was appointed Music Director of Radio Symphony Orchestra Saarbrücken and from 2007-2011, he was Music Director of the newly formed Deutsche Radio Philharmonie. He has appeared with orchestras such as Vienna Symphony, Staatskapelle Dresden, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Detroit Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Bamberg Symphony, Camerata Salzburg, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Indianapolis Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic, New Japan Philharmonic and Singapore Symphony Orchestra. He also has a strong presence in Italy, performing regularly with the country’s leading orchestras and at festivals such as the Venice Biennale, as well as giving masterclasses. As an opera conductor, he has enjoyed acclaimed collaborations with Staatsoper Stuttgart, Oper Frankfurt, Opera Köln, Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Aalto-Musiktheater in Essen and the RuhrTriennale.

Founded by Poppen in 2014, the Marvão International Music Festival has grown to become a highly successful and award-winning musical event featuring soloists such as Jörg Widmann, Augustin Hadelich, Javier Perianes and Clara-Jumi Kang. He also founded the International Academy for Music, Arts and Science in Marvão in 2019, and was the Artistic Director of the Classic Revolution Festival in Seoul, South Korea between 2020-2022, for which he curated highly inventive programmes.

As a prize-winning violinist, Poppen co-founded the Cherubini Quartet in 1978. He was appointed Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at Hochschule für Musik Detmold, and later at Hanns Eisler Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, where he was President from 1996 to 2000. From 2001 to 2005, he was Artistic Director of the renowned ARD International Music Competition. Since 2003, he has been Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich. Since the 2021/2022 academic year, he has been Chair Professor of Violin at the prestigious Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid.

*********************************************************************************

Romain Leleu Trumpet

Praised for his radiant tone and brilliant technique, French trumpet player Romain Leleu is one of the most versatile artists on his instrument.

With a repertoire ranging from Baroque concertos to 21^st-century works, Romain Leleu has appeared as soloist with the main French orchestras (Orchestre National de France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de Lille, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse) as well as in many European countries, North and South America, and Asia. He is a regular guest at leading festivals including the Colmar, La Roque d’Anthéron, Radio France Occitanie Montpellier, La Folle Journée (Nantes and Tokyo) and Seoul Spring festivals, and has performed at the Bucharest Athenaeum, Seoul Arts Center, Hermitage St Petersburg, Royal Albert Hall, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and Philharmonie Luxembourg. He has premiered works by composers including Martín Matalon, Philippe Hersant, Karol Beffa, Jean-Baptiste Robin, Vincent Peirani and Baptiste Trotignon.

In 2022, Romain Leleu launched his album Move on the harmonia mundi label, paying tribute to major composers of film music. With stops to admire Nino Rota’s The Godfather and Ennio Morricone’s A Fistful of Dollars, or Miles Davis’ Elevator to the Gallows and Michel Legrand’s The Young Girls of Rochefort, he takes us on a cinematic journey in the company of stellar associates Ibrahim Maalouf, the Romain Leleu Sextet and Stuttgarter Philharmoniker led by Marcus Bosch. This programme was toured through Germany together with Stuttgarter Philharmoniker and Essener Philharmoniker in the same year. Romain Leleu’s discography also includes recordings of the Hummel, Haydn and Neruda concertos with Baltic Chamber Orchestra; the André Jolivet, Georges Delerue, Karol Beffa, Jean-Baptiste Robin and Martín Matalon concertos with Orchestre d’Auvergne; Shostakovich’s Concerto for Piano and Trumpet with Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt; and music for trumpet and organ with Thierry Escaich.

Romain Leleu performs regularly with his Romain Leleu Sextet. They play their own arrangements for trumpet and string quintet from different musical styles, ranging from classical to tango, jazz and film music. Their latest CD Face(s) à Face(s) contains works by Mozart, Vivaldi, Gershwin, Chaplin, Bernstein and Morricone.

Having studied trumpet in Paris with Éric Aubier and in Karlsruhe with Reinhold Friedrich, Romain Leleu was named “Révélation Soliste Instrumental” by the French Victoires de la Musique Classique in 2009, and awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2016.

Romain Leleu is an exclusive Yamaha Performing Artist.

*********************************************************************************

Thomas Leleu Tuba

At only 35 years of age, Thomas Leleu is considered as “one of the best tuba players of the world” (Radio France). The first tuba player to have ever won the “Révélation Soliste Instrumental” award at the French Victoires de la Musique Classique, he is one of the few tuba players in the world to lead a solo career, and an iconoclastic artist who stands where genres mix – a classical soloist passionate about world, modern and pop music.

Thomas Leleu joined the Conservatoire de Paris at age 17 and obtained the first prize for tuba and a degree with distinctions. He also studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold, Germany with Hans Nickel. He has been Principal Tuba of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Marseille since the age of 19, and has won awards in competitions around the world. In 2019, he was nominated in three categories at the Opus Klassik and VIA Awards in Germany.

Thomas Leleu is regularly invited to perform at prestigious venues around the world such as Konzerthaus Berlin, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Brucknerhaus Linz, Arsenal de Metz, Maison de Radio France, Arena Loire, Singapore Esplanade and Hong Kong City Hall. He has appeared in festivals including Pâques d’Aix en Provence, Radio France Occitanie Montpellier, Un Violon sur le Sable, Jazz à Vienne, Marseille Jazz des Cinq Continents, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Kissinger Sommer, Brandenburgische SommerKonzerte, Leverkusener JazzTage, MITO SettembreMusica, Gramado in Concert and Prishtina International Festival.

Orchestras with which Thomas Leleu has collaborated as a soloist include Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Orchestre National d’Île-de-France, Kölner Kammerorchester, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Junge Sinfonie Berlin, Orquesta Sinfónica de Lara, Orquesta Sinfónica Provincial de Santa Fe, Orquestra Sinfônica de Santo André, Kosovo Philharmonic etc. Composers who have dedicated their works to him include Richard Galliano, Vladimir Cosma, Airelle Besson, Claude Bolling, Jean-Philippe Vanbeselaere, Marc Steckar, André Waignein, Dominique Probst and more.

Thomas Leleu has released several albums: In the Mood for Tuba (Fondamenta/Sony Music), Impressions for Tuba with the Royal Band of the Belgian Air Force, Stories… (ARS Produktion), as well as Born to Groove (NoMadMusic/Pias) where he presents his own compositions around jazz and popular music.

Thomas Leleu regularly gives masterclasses at leading institutions of the world such as the Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, Indiana University Bloomington, Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, Universität der Künste Berlin, Conservatoire de Paris, New England Conservatory, Carnegie Mellon University, Hochschule für Musik Stuttgart, Hochschule für Musik Würzburg, El Sistema in Venezuela, Tokyo College of Music, Osaka College of Music, Korea National University of Arts, Beijing Central Conservatory of Music and more. He has founded several unique and groundbreaking ensembles: the Thomas Leleu Sextet (tuba and string quintet), tubaVScello (tuba and cello) and TL Trio (tuba, piano and vibraphone). In exploration of jazz and pop music, he created the show The Tuba’s Trip in 2017, staged by Claude Tissier, and Born to Groove in 2021, which he performs at many jazz festivals.

Since 2011, Thomas Leleu has been a Melton Meinl Weston Artist and a Buffet Crampon Ambassador. He has developed with the firm the 2250 TL “French Touch” tuba which he is currently playing.

Download Press Release