Great Music 2024: World-Class Performances Ignite Hong Kong's Cultural Scene This Fall

Acclaimed international musicians to stage performances at LCSD's Great Music 2024 in October and November

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department's Great Music 2024 will continue to bring spectacular performances to Hong Kong in this October and November, featuring five world-class musicians. The programme enables audiences to feel the city's arts and cultural buzz through music, showcasing the unique charm of Hong Kong as a cultural hub.

Programme details are as follows:

Duo Recital by Gautier Capuçon (Cello) and Jean-Yves Thibaudet (Piano)

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Date and time: October 3 (Thursday), 8pm

Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Ticket prices: $280 to $680

Cellist Gautier Capucon and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet coming from France will present a duo recital with a programme of music composed by Schumann, Brahms, Debussy and Shostakovich for piano and cello to share their mastery of techniques and rapport.

Elīna Garanča Gala Concert

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Date and time: October 29 (Tuesday), 8pm

Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Ticket prices: $280 to $1,280

Mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča will make her Hong Kong debut in October, accompanied by conductor Karel Mark Chichon and the Macao Orchestra, to perform opera excerpts from Tchaikovsky's "The Maid of Orleans", Massenet's "Thaïs", Bizet's "Carmen", and more.

Piano Recital by Krystian Zimerman

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Date and time: November 11 and 12 (Monday and Tuesday), 8pm

Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Ticket prices: $280 to $1,280

After a hiatus of 12 years, Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman is coming back to Hong Kong in November for two recitals. He is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest pianists, and has worked with the most distinguished musicians and orchestras, as well as giving recitals in the world's leading concert halls. The programmes of the two concerts are partly different, including works by Chopin and Szymanowski and more.

Piano Recital by Evgeny Kissin

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Date and time: November 16 (Saturday), 8pm

Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Ticket prices: $280 to $1,280

Evgeny Kissin, born in Russia and one of the finest pianists of the age, will give a recital with a programme of formidable complexity, including sonatas by Beethoven and Prokofiev as well as music pieces by Brahms and Chopin, to conclude this year's Great Music on a high note.

Tickets for the above programmes will be available from August 21 (Wednesday) onwards at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/groups_1682.html. The above-mentioned programmes are the celebratory programmes of the 35th anniversary of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, while the "Elīna Garanča Gala Concert" and the "Piano Recital by Krystian Zimerman" are also programmes of this year's Asia+ Festival.

Acclaimed international musicians to stage performances at LCSD's Great Music 2024 in October and November Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Acclaimed international musicians to stage performances at LCSD's Great Music 2024 in October and November Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Acclaimed international musicians to stage performances at LCSD's Great Music 2024 in October and November Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Acclaimed international musicians to stage performances at LCSD's Great Music 2024 in October and November Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Acclaimed international musicians to stage performances at LCSD's Great Music 2024 in October and November Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government sets up inter-departmental dedicated investigation team to investigate business suspension of chain fitness and beauty group

The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is highly concerned about the temporary business suspension announced by a chain fitness and beauty group on September 6. An inter-departmental dedicated investigation team has been set up with a view to handling the cases as soon as possible.

Hong Kong Customs and the Police will conduct intensive investigation into offences under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO) with respect to the unfair trade practices and whether other criminal offences are involved respectively. Should there be any violation found, the authorities will take appropriate enforcement action.

As of 4pm today (September 10), Customs and the Police had received 733 and 19 complaints respectively regarding the chain group concerned.

Customs appeals to consumers who have purchased fitness or beauty services from the chain group to contact Customs as soon as possible.Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO. Consumers are also reminded to procure services at reputable shops and consider prudently before making decisions for consumption with prepayment. After purchasing services, they should keep the relevant records, such as transaction receipts and contracts, which can become basic information in case a complaint is lodged in the future.

Under the TDO, any trader commits an offence if at the time of acceptance of payment, the trader intends not to supply the product or intends to supply a materially different product, or there are no reasonable grounds for believing that the trader will be able to supply the product within a specified or reasonable period. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

In response to the above incident, the Commercial Crime Bureau of the Police has set up a task force to investigate into the fraud and false statement offences. The police urge members of the public to report any relevant information to the Police's 24-hour hotline 2860 5012.

Source: AI-generated images