SYMPOSIUM  "5 Million People, 100 Festivals - The Experience of Finland"

12 March 2010 (Fri) at 2:00 - 6:30 pm

Morgan Stanley Auditorium, Level 46, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon (MTR Kowloon Station), Fee: $ 120

Speakers:
Kai Amberla (Executive Director, Finland Festivals)
Minna Pensola (Violin, Meta4 Quartet)
Tomas Djupsjöbacka (Cello, Meta4 Quartet)
Timo Heino (Director of Public Diplomacy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland)
Sari Rusanen (Director, Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival)

The annual symposium is a significant and integral part of the Hong Kong Arts Festival. It is an opportunity for contemplation, examination and discussion about a subject that is of interest to the arts community, pertinent to the cultural development of Hong Kong and complementary to the work of the Festival.

The symposium this year looks into the case of Finland, a country with a population of only 5 million, and yet is able to support over 100 festivals a year - the factors behind the large number of festivals in Finland, and how with such a small population, these festivals manage to thrive. Issues will be presented not only from the point of view of arts administrators, but also from the point of view of artists.

With the Hong Kong government’s policy of creating an environment that is conducive to the growth of the arts; the formation of more arts groups; and the prospect of a significant increase in the number of venues and audience capacity; what lessons can Hong Kong learn from the Finnish example? This is a rare opportunity for local artists and arts administrators. You can meet and learn from the experience of festival directors and policy makers behind successful events in Finland, many of which feature international artists.

Participants stand a chance to receive two invitations to the Savolinna Opera Festival in Finland.

Co-presented with Finland Festivals
With support of Finnish Appetizers

META4 QUARTET

11 Mar 2010 at 8:00 pm
Auditorium, Yuen Long Theatre
9 Yuen Long Tai Yuk Road, N.T.
Tickets: $240 $140, Students $120 $70 from Urbtix

12 Mar 2010 at 8:00 pm
Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall
Edinburgh Place, Central, HK
Tickets: $360 $280 $180, Students $140 $90 from Urbtix

 "In this wonderful performance the music's epic scale emerged with unforced strength and grandeur" The Daily Telegraph

Meta4 Quartet is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic string quartets of today. Exciting and infectiously energetic, the Quartet's concerts at Vienna's Mozart Saal, London's Wigmore Hall, Stockholm's Konserthuset and New York's Carnegie Hall received rave notices, especially for their "breathtaking and authoritative" (Classical Source) interpretation of Sibelius's String Quartet in D minor. In 2007, Meta4 won the annual Finland Prize and was chosen as the BBC New Generation Artist 2008-2010.

The Quartet has an impressive repertoire ranging from classical to contemporary. The programme includes Szymanowski’s very rarely performed second string quartet, a new work by Finnish composer Verneri Pohjola, and the passionate quartet by the greatest Finnish master Sibelius.

Szymanowski         String Quartet No 2, Op 56
Verneri Pohjola       new work
Sibelius                    String Quartet in D minor, Op 56, Intimate Voices

Cast
Antti Tikkanen (violin)
Minna Pensola (violin)
Atte Kilpeläinen (viola)
Tomas Djupsjöbacka (cello)