Lawrence Renes Replaces Maestro Edo de Waart in Season Opening Gala (2 & 3 September) and in Rachmaninov Gala: Rach 3 (9 & 10 September)

[11 August 2011 – Hong Kong] The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPO) announces today that Dutch conductor Lawrence Renes will replace indisposed Maestro Edo de Waart in the Orchestra’s Bank of Communications brings to you: Season Opening Gala – Heaven and Earth on 2 & 3 September 2011 (Fri & Sat) as well as in the Rachmaninov Gala – Rach 3 on 9 & 10 September 2011 (Fri & Sat), sponsored by Jones Lang LaSalle. The concerts will be held in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall at 8pm. Free pre-concert talks will be given on all nights at 7:15pm at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. For details, please visit www.hkpo.com

The repertoire and guest soloists for both programmes will remain unchanged

Scheduled to open his eighth and final season with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra as its Artistic Director and Chief Conductor, Maestro de Waart has regrettably been obliged to withdraw from these opening concerts due to a minor but necessary surgery on 19 August.  He has been advised to take at least 3 weeks’ rest in order to recuperate fully.
“Maestro de Waart is very disappointed that he won’t be able to lead the orchestra in these two very important concerts that are dear to him, and he sends his apologies to his fans in Hong Kong”, said Michael MacLeod, Chief Executive. “However, I am pleased that Lawrence Renes, a protégé of de Waart and no stranger to the HKPO audience, is able to step in to bring his considerable charisma to these great works. Please help us give a warm welcome to Lawrence.” 
Lawrence Renes, conductor
“The Mahler…came off brilliantly…The Symphony, with its extraordinary ending, seemed freshly miraculous.” 
The Sunday Times, June 2011
Lawrence Renes came to worldwide attention in 1995 when he replaced Riccardo Chailly as conductor for a performance of Strauss's Ein Heldenleben and Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra with Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The performance was broadcast on Dutch TV and was the basis for a documentary on Renes entitled A Dream Début.
Between 2001 and 2006 Lawrence Renes held the post of Director of Opera at Bremen Theatre and General Music Director of the Bremer Philharmoniker where he concluded his tenure with performances of Strauss’s Metamorphosen and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. From 1998 to 2003 Mr Renes was Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Gelders Orkest, Arnhem, with whom he built his reputation for authoritative performances of works by Mahler, Bruckner and Wagner.
In recent seasons Lawrence Renes has conducted many of Europe’s most prestigious orchestras including the Staatskapelle Dresden, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, BBC and Gothenburg Symphonies, La Monnaie in Brussels, MDR Leipzig, WDR Köln, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Oslo and Royal Stockholm Philharmonics. Later this season he makes his debut with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and at San Francisco Opera.
After studying violin at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, Lawrence Renes went on to study conducting at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, graduating with honours in 1993. Mr Renes was subsequently Edo de Waart's assistant at the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic where he was involved in the Netherlands Opera production of Werther, the Mahler celebration at the Concertgebouw, Schoenberg's Gürrelieder at the Holland Festival and a recording of the Mahler cycle.
Bank of Communications brings to you: 
Season Opening Gala – Heaven and Earth
2&3 | 9 | 2011
FRI & SAT 8 PM
HK Cultural Centre Concert Hall
HK$400 $300 $220 $140
Available at URBTIX from now

Artists
Lawrence Renes	conductor
Michelle DeYoung	mezzo-soprano
Stuart Skelton	tenor

Click the thumbnail to download photos

Programme
MOZART	Symphony No.41 Jupiter
MAHLER	The Song of the Earth

Rachmaninov Gala – Rach 3
9&10 | 9 | 2011
FRI & SAT 8 PM
HK Cultural Centre Concert Hall
HK$400 $300 $220 $140
Available at URBTIX from now
The opening performance is sponsored by Jones Lang LaSalle

Click the thumbnail to download photos

An All-Rachmaninov Programme

Piano Concerto No.3

Symphony No.2

Ticketing Information
Credit Card Booking
(852) 2111 5999
Online Booking
www.urbtix.hk
For programme enquiry, please call HKPO at
(852) 2721 2030

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HONG KONG PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Edo de Waart
Artistic Director and Chief Conductor

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPO) is one of Asia’s leading orchestras. Enriching Hong Kong’s cultural life for over a century, the Orchestra has grown into a formidable ensemble of Chinese and international talents, attracting world-class artists to collaborate on its stage. HKPO annually touches the lives of over 200,000 music lovers through more than 150 performances including its extensive education programme HSBC Insurance Creative Notes and free concerts such as the popular Swire Symphony under the Stars, and regular broadcasts and telecasts. Outside of Hong Kong, the HKPO has made a number of critically acclaimed tours in Asia and Europe.
The 2011/12 season will mark Maestro Edo de Waart’s eighth and final season with the HKPO. Apart from his own series of five special programmes which are summaries of his achievements with the Orchestra over the last seven years, ending with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the new season will also attract a stellar cast of great artists and guest conductors.

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
SWIRE is the Principal Patron of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is the Venue Partner of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre