| Music Director/Conductor | Christoph Poppen |
| Clarinet | Horácio Ferreira |
Programme
| Debussy | Prélude à L’Après-midi d’un Faune |
| Debussy/Geoffrey Gordon arr | Première Rhapsodie for Clarinet & Chamber Orchestra (2021) (Asian première) |
| Geoffrey Gordon | Fumée for Clarinet & Chamber Orchestra (2021) (Asian première) |
| Mozart | Symphony No 40 in G minor, K550 |
An iconic work for the clarinet demanding absolute mastery of the instrument, Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie is poetic, capricious and enthralling, displaying the beautiful instrument’s kaleidoscopic sound qualities and instilling lasting influence in all who continue to contribute towards the clarinet repertoire – one of whom being composer Geoffrey Gordon. His clarinet concerto Fumée – inspired by Debussy’s work as well as a chanson by Reynaldo Hahn, setting the text of Greek poet Jean Moréas – reflects on the transient existence of human beings, who ultimately leave the world as ashes and vanish like smoke, or fumée.
A thoughtful pairing of these two works by Debussy and Gordon will make up the musical core of this concert by Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Music Director Christoph Poppen, presenting the Portuguese clarinet rising star Horácio Ferreira; the rest of the programme includes Debussy’s evocative masterpiece Prélude à L’Après-midi d’un Faune, as well as Mozart’s electrifying Symphony No 40 in G minor.
Horácio Ferreira (Clarinet)
“A sound wizard!” Rheinische Post
“Enviable aesthetic sensitivity.” Público
- Best Interpretation Award of Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie, Concours Debussy/Debussy International Clarinet Competition 2014
- Has performed at the Philharmonie de Paris, Concertgebouw, Musikverein, Elbphilharmonie etc
- Artistic Advisor, Marvão International Music Festival
Christoph Poppen (Music Director/Conductor)
“Christoph Poppen brought out a broad soundscape from the orchestra.”
Süddeutsche Zeitung
- Principal Conductor, Cologne Chamber Orchestra
- Principal Guest Conductor, Israel Chamber Orchestra
- Artistic Director, Marvão International Music Festival, Portugal
- Music Director, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie (2007-2011)
- Artistic Director, Munich Chamber Orchestra (1995-2006)
Geoffrey Gordon (Composer)
“Complex, richly-satisfying.” BBC Music Magazine
“Darkly seductive.” The New York Times
“Luminous and ecstatic.” Gramophone
- Has been commissioned by The Philharmonia, BBC Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonie de Radio France, Copenhagen Philharmonic etc
- Composer-in-residence at Aaron Copland House and International Centre for Composers, Sweden
- Winner, Mario Merz Prize for Music 2017-2018
