For immediate release
16 October 2025

Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Sinfonietta Margaret Yang was awarded the “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” medal from the French Ministry of Culture, in recognition of her long-term contribution towards the cultural exchange between France and Hong Kong.

The award ceremony took place on 8 Oct at the Residence of France, hosted by the Consul General of France in Hong Kong & Macau Christile Drulhe. Margaret Yang is the second representative of Hong Kong Sinfonietta to be officially decorated by the French Government, following Music Director Emeritus Yip Wing-sie’s decorations of the “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” and “Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite” medals in 2007 and 2015 respectively.

Margaret Yang has been the CEO of Hong Kong Sinfonietta since 1999. Under her leadership, French artists who have visited Hong Kong to collaborate with the orchestra in recent years include Pascal Rophé, Trio Wanderer, Alexandre Tharaud, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and many more. The orchestra has been a partner of the French May Arts Festival since 2000, presenting numerous programmes bringing the French classical music scene to Hong Kong audiences. From 2001 onwards, the orchestra has participated in various leading music festivals in France (see appendix) and commissioned new works from French composers, for example Philippe Manoury and Pierre-Yves Macé in the 2017/2018 season as part of an exchange programme with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris.

Prior to her position at Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Margaret Yang has worked in Hong Kong and London at the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Hong Kong Arts Festival and HarrisonParrott International Arts Management. She graduated with a Music degree from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, before obtaining a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Management from the City University of London, and a Law degree from the University of Cambridge. As a lawyer, she was a solicitor specialising in Intellectual Property. In 2009, she became the first person from Hong Kong to join the Clore Leadership Programme in the UK as a Fellow. She was a lecturer on Arts Management and Promotion at The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s MA in Music programme, and was Secretary to the Federation for Asian Cultural Promotion for 6 years. She is currently a Board Member of Contemporary Musiking Hong Kong and Enable Foundation.

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Appendix
French international music festivals that Hong Kong Sinfonietta was invited to participated in:

2023
Festival International de Piano La Roque d’ Anthéron

2017
– Festival International de Piano La Roque d’ Anthéron
– Festival de Musique de Menton

2015
Festival Les Nuits Romantiques, Aix-les-Bains

2013
La Folle Journée au Japon

2012
Festival International de Piano La Roque d’ Anthéron

2010
La Folle Journée au Japon

2009
La Folle Journée au Japon

2007
La Folle Journée au Japon

2006
La Folle Journée au Japon

2005
Les Flâneries Musicales d’Eté de Reims

2004
– Saint-Riquier Festival
– Les Flâneries Musicales d’Eté de Reims

2001
Saint-Riquier Festival

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Margaret Yang (left) and Christile Drulhe (right)