Media

HKU Gamelan to perform first concert “Double Music” in the Grand Hall of Lee Shau Kee Lecture Centre

16 Apr 2015

The HKU Gamelan will perform their first concert in the Grand Hall of Lee Shau Kee Lecture Centre tomorrow (April 17, Friday). “Double Music” brings together the HKU Gamelan, HKU Percussion Ensemble and the Hong Kong New Music Ensemble (HKNME) in a programme inspired by the rhythmic vitality and complex sonorities of Indonesian gamelan music.

Featuring new works for Balinese gamelan by Hong Kong composers Joyce Tang and Fung Dic-lun, the concert will also include gamelan-inspired works by John Cage, Lou Harrison, and Claude Vivier. A new composition for modified gamelan and chamber ensemble by Swedish composer Kristofer Svensson will be premiered, as well as recent works by well-known Indonesian composers.

Acquired in 1995, the HKU Gamelan is the only one of its kind in Hong Kong and offers students, staff and alumni an opportunity to play in a non-Western ensemble.

Members of the media are cordially invited to attend the event. Details are as follows:

Date: April 17, 2015 (Friday)
Time:  8:00pm
Venue: Grand Hall, Lee Shau Kee Lecture Centre, HKU
Performers: HKNME, HKU Gamelan, HKU Percussion Ensemble
Conductor: Dr John Winzenburg

About the HKU Gamelan
The HKU Gamelan was established in 1995 when the Faculty of Arts acquired a complete set of gamelan gong kebyar from Bali, the only one of its kind in Hong Kong. The instruments have since enriched the Department of Music's programme: they offer students, staff and alummi an opportunity to play in a non-Western ensemble and are a source of inspiration for composers.

About the HKU Percussion Ensemble
The HKU Percussion Ensemble was established by Deborah Waugh in 2009 for a performance with University Artist Lung Heung-wing. The ensemble provides an opportunity for students to explore the diverse world of sound and rhythm, as well as expand their repertoire and performance skills.

About the Hong Kong New Music Ensemble
The Hong Kong New Music Ensemble (HKNME) was founded in 2008 to present contemporary music to Hong Kong audiences. It has been widely praised for its innovative programming and interdisciplinary collaborations with artists from different mediums.

This event is jointly presented by the HKU Department of Music, HKU Cultural Management Team and Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, with support from the Knowledge Exchange Fund, Faculty of Arts, Endowment Funds for Music & Fine Arts, Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Limited, and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

For media enquiries, please contact Mr Cyrus Chan, Events Coordinator, Faculty of Arts (tel: 3917 4984 email: cyrusc@hku.hk).