New York's Carnegie Hall Hosts 'Four Seasons' Concert Showcasing Hong Kong's Musical Talent and Cultural Exchange

New York ETO brings Hong Kong artists to Carnegie Hall

A New York audience embarked on a captivating musical journey at the "Four Seasons: A Journey of 1725 - 2025" concert presented by Hong Kong music talentand supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (New York ETO) at the prestigious Carnegie Hall on November 22 (New York time).

The performance featured Hong Kong-based Korean violinist Ruda Lee and the city's innovative ANIMA Ensemble, led by dynamic young Hong Kong conductor Vivian Ip, who is Associate Conductor of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and the third-prize winner of the 2025 International Ferenc Fricsay Conducting Competition.

Welcoming the New York debut of the ANIMA Ensemble with Lee, the Director of the New York ETO, Ms Maisie Ho, said initiatives like this are at the heart of Hong Kong's mission to be a dynamic world-class hub where Eastern and Western cultures meet, create, and inspire.

"We are proud to provide a global platform for our extraordinary artists to share their vision with the world. This concert is a testament to the transcendent creativity emanating from Hong Kong," said Ms Ho. The New York ETO is the government partner of the tour.

The concert reimagined Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" across centuries and cultures through today's climate lens, exploring nature's influence on sound and emotion, and culminating in a vibrant tribute to Hong Kong's defining season - summer.

Extending the spirit of creativity and underscoring Hong Kong's commitment to global cultural exchanges, the programme also featured the premieres of the winning composition from a Rutgers University competition, "Fool's Spring", by Brandon DiNatale, and "The Memory of Snow" by Dr Scott Ordway, Associate Professor of Music and Head of Composition at Rutgers.

In addition to the Carnegie Hall performance, Lee and Ip conducted two workshop sessions at Rutgers on November 18 and 19, focusing on music sharing and artistic exchanges, with an emphasis on educational and creative dialogue between composers and performers.

New York ETO brings Hong Kong artists to Carnegie Hall Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

New York ETO brings Hong Kong artists to Carnegie Hall Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

New York ETO brings Hong Kong artists to Carnegie Hall Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

New York ETO brings Hong Kong artists to Carnegie Hall Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

New York ETO brings Hong Kong artists to Carnegie Hall Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

New York ETO brings Hong Kong artists to Carnegie Hall Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

New York ETO brings Hong Kong artists to Carnegie Hall Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Re-launch of Reporting Scheme for Unauthorised Building Works in New Territories Exempted Houses

Following the direction of earlier proposals, the Buildings Department (BD) announced today (April 1) the re-launch of the Reporting Scheme for Unauthorised Building Works (UBWs) in New Territories Exempted Houses (NTEHs). The reporting period will last for one year from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.

"In view of the history and unique circumstances of the NTEHs (commonly known as village houses), the Government launched a one-off administrative reporting scheme in 2012 as a special arrangement. Under the scheme, owners could report to the BD about UBWs that were erected before June 28, 2011, posed lower risks or constituted less serious contravention of the law. The reporting period ended in December 2012. The Development Bureau (DEVB) put forward proposals to amend the Buildings Ordinance in December 2024, which included rationalising the policy for handling UBWs. The DEVB also pointed out that in response to the views of villagers and Legislative Council members that the reporting period was too short, the Government prepared to re-launch the Reporting Scheme to allow owners who at that time did not report their UBWs to do so," a spokesman for the BD said.

Relevant stakeholders and Legislative Council members generally considered the above proposals practical and feasible, and they welcomed the proposals. The DEVB and the BD have also consulted Heung Yee Kuk on the relevant implementation arrangements.

The re-launched Reporting Scheme will maintain the original criteria, including:

(1) The types of UBWs that can be reported and their erection dates are the same as the original Reporting Scheme, meaning that only UBWs erected before June 28, 2011, posed lower risks or constituted less serious contravention of the law and were not the First Round Targets (Note) are eligible. Examples include signboards projecting from the external walls of village houses; enclosed rooftop structures with a coverage of not more than 50 per cent of the roofed-over area of the main building.

(2) Same as the original Reporting Scheme, owners are required to conduct safety inspections on the reported UBWs every five years.

"The BD will not require the immediate removal of the reported UBWs unless their structures become obviously dangerous. Regarding UBWs in village houses, the BD is prioritising the handling of First Round Targets. If any relevant UBWs remain not reported after the application deadline of March 31, 2027, the BD will, after dealing with the First Round Targets, take priority enforcement action against the non-reported UBWs. The BD will formulate enforcement strategy for the reported UBWs at a later stage in accordance with the risks and the actual situation," the spokesman added.

To enhance the efficiency of processing applications, reports must be submitted via the electronic platform on the BD's website by technically competent persons or registered professional engineers appointed by owners. In accordance with the user-pays principle, an administrative fee of $600 is payable for each application. Upon successful reports, owners must also pay the relevant administrative fee when conducting safety inspections of the reported UBWs every five years.

Details of the re-launched Reporting Scheme are available on the BD's website at https://www.bd.gov.hk/en/safety-inspection/ubw/UBW-in-new-territories-exempted-houses/index_relaunch_reporting_scheme.html; Villagers who wish to report can call 2626 1616 for enquiry. The BD will also use different channels such as distributing leaflets and posters to Rural Committees to enable villagers to know more about the re-launch of the Reporting Scheme.

Owners who had successfully participated in the Reporting Scheme in 2012 are not required to submit reports again. However, they must continue to comply with the requirements of the original Reporting Scheme, including conducting safety inspections of the reported UBWs every five years, submitting safety certificates and paying administrative fees to the BD.

Note: The First Round Targets refer to UBWs with higher potential risks and more serious nature, such as village houses of four storeys or more, and enclosed rooftop structures covering more than 50 per cent of the roofed-over area.

Source: AI-found images