For immediate release
30 Apr 2026

Organised by Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the 3^rd Hong Kong International Conducting Competition will take place on 27-31 January 2027 at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall. Conductors of any nationality aged 35 or below are invited to apply for a chance to win coveted prizes of up to HK$200,000. Full details of the Competition can be found online, and the deadline for applications is on 17 June 2026.

One of the most well-regarded conducting competitions in the Asia-Pacific region, the Hong Kong International Conducting Competition provides a platform for top young conductors around the world to expand their professional network. The 1^st Prize Winner will take home HK$200,000, a concert engagement with Hong Kong Sinfonietta as well as potential mentorship opportunities with conductors from the Jury. Led by Co-chairs Yip Wing-sie (Music Director Emeritus of Hong Kong Sinfonietta) and Christoph Poppen (Music Director of Hong Kong Sinfonietta), the esteemed Jury also includes Nicolás Pasquet (Zubin Mehta Chair of Conducting at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía; International Chair in Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music), Chien Wen-pin (General and Artistic Director of the Kaohsiung Weiwuying Center for the Arts), Xenia Groh-Hu (Managing Director of karsten witt musik management), Youri Son (Director of Artistic Planning at KBS Symphony Orchestra), James Cuddeford (Concertmaster of Hong Kong Sinfonietta) and Ambrose Lui (Violinist at Hong Kong Sinfonietta).

A maximum of 16 Candidates – chosen and announced by late July 2026 – will conduct Hong Kong Sinfonietta through three rounds of competition. Acclaimed Hong Kong pianist and Van Cliburn Competition prizewinner Rachel Cheung will make an appearance to collaborate with all Semi-Finalists and perform the third movement of Schumann’s Piano Concerto; leading local composer Daniel Lo Ting-cheung’s specially commissioned new work Endless Rhythm will be one of the set works in the Finals. All rounds of the Competition are open to the public; tickets will be on sale at URBTIX with details to be announced in due course.

The first two editions of the Hong Kong International Conducting Competition took place in 2018 and 2023, establishing Hong Kong as one of the world’s important stages for cultural exchange, artistic excellence and career development. Past Candidates and Prizewinners of the Competition have landed major roles with leading orchestras and secured management by international artist agencies.

 

Round 1 (a maximum of 16 Candidates)

27 January 2027 (Wed)

1. Stravinsky – Concerto in E-flat, “Dumbarton Oaks”
2. One of the following works, determined by a draw:
   • Mozart – Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K620: Overture
   • Rossini – La Scala di Seta (The Silken Staircase): Overture

Round 2 – Semi-Finals (a maximum of 8 Semi-Finalists)

28 January 2027 (Thu)

1. One of the following works, determined by a draw:
   • Brahms – Symphony No 2 in D, Op 73
   • Mendelssohn – Symphony No 3 in A minor, Op 56, “Scottish”
   • Schumann – Symphony No 3 in E-flat, Op 97, “Rhenish”

29 January 2027 (Fri)

2.  Schumann – Piano Concerto in A minor, Op 54: 3rd movement (Piano: Rachel Cheung)

 

Round 3 – Finals (a maximum of 3 Finalists)

31 January 2027 (Sun)

1. Daniel Lo Ting-cheung – Endless Rhythm (world première, commissioned by Hong Kong Sinfonietta)
2. Beethoven – Fidelio Overture, Op 72c
3. One of the following works, chosen and declared by the Candidate before the start of the Competition:
   • Bartók – Dance Suite
   • Richard Strauss – Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration), Op 24
   • Stravinsky – The Firebird Suite (1919)
4. The finalists will also be invited to make a short presentation to the audience

 

Prizes

1st Prize:
– HK$200,000
– Concert engagement with Hong Kong Sinfonietta
– Mentorship with conductor(s) from the Jury

2nd Prize:
HK$100,000

3rd Prize:
HK$70,000

Orchestra Prize:
HK$10,000

Live Audience Prize:
HK$10,000

Online Audience Prize:
HK$5,000

 

For more information and to apply for the Competition, please visit www.hkconducting.com

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Hong Kong Sinfonietta
Music Director Emeritus: Yip Wing-sie
Music Director: Christoph Poppen

One of Hong Kong’s flagship orchestras, Hong Kong Sinfonietta has achieved significant recognition for its passionate performances and innovative programming. Since 1999, Hong Kong Sinfonietta has collaborated with an illustrious array of international musicians and groups, toured to 48 cities worldwide, and appeared at renowned international music and arts festivals. Venue Partner of Hong Kong City Hall since 2009, the orchestra performs year-round with around 100 performances a season. As an avid believer of keeping music alive and contemporary, Hong Kong Sinfonietta has commissioned and performed over 100 new works on top of presenting standard orchestral repertoire.

Having run its own Artist Associate scheme since 2006, Hong Kong Sinfonietta regularly collaborates with artists from different disciplines to explore new possibilities, and offers fresh artistic experiences as well as educational programmes to audiences from different backgrounds. The orchestra’s three CD albums on DECCA have been certified Platinum and Gold.

To nurture and create opportunities for the next generation of artists, the orchestra held the “Auditions On Stage” series for violin and piano in 2022 and 2025 respectively, where young local players were offered a chance to play with the orchestra and win a concert engagement. The 3^rd edition of the highly successful Hong Kong International Conducting Competition will be held in 2027, promoting Hong Kong as one of the world’s important stages for artistic excellence and career development.

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