Maestro Andris Nelsons and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig Return to Hong Kong with World-Class Performances of German and Russian Masterworks

Maestro Andris Nelsons and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig to perform German and Russian masterworks in Hong Kong this June

The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig from Germany, with a history of over 280 years, will return to Hong Kong after a seven-year hiatus, presenting two concerts at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in June. This also marks the Hong Kong debut of world-class conductor and Grammy Award winner Andris Nelsons - he will lead the orchestra in symphonic masterpieces by Schumann and Shostakovich, and be joined by International Chopin Piano Competition winner Yulianna Avdeeva to perform piano concertos by Beethoven and Rachmaninov, opening the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)'s "Great Music 2026".

This musical extravaganza, bringing together top-tier musicians and timeless classics, has received an overwhelming response from music lovers. Tickets for the second concert (June 3) are already sold out, while over 80 per cent of tickets for the first concert (June 2) have also been snapped up. Those who are interested are reminded to buy tickets as early as possible.

As the final stop of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig's Asia tour this year, the first concert (June 2) in Hong Kong will feature two masterpieces that received their world premieres by the orchestra in the first half of the 19th century: Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat, Op. 73,'Emperor'", first performed under then-music director Schulz in 1811; and Schumann's "Symphony No. 1 in B-flat, Op. 38,'Spring'", conducted by Mendelssohn at its 1841 premiere. Under the baton of Nelsons, current music director of the orchestra, this concert not only honours the orchestra's glorious chapters in classical music tradition but also allows audiences to experience the legendary "Leipzig sound" passed down through centuries. The second concert (June 3) will present two 20th-century classics: Rachmaninov's "Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18" and Shostakovich's "Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93". Avdeeva will be the soloist for the piano concertos of both concerts, weaving her extraordinary artistry into the orchestral tapestry and engaging in a profound dialogue with the works.

The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig is the world's oldest civic symphony orchestra. Its origins date back to 1743, when it was founded by a group of 16 musical philanthropists, comprising noblemen and burghers alike. It earned its name after moving into the upper hall of the Gewandhaus (a textile merchants' trading house). The orchestra is revered for its highly individual, warm, dark sound palette that clearly distinguishes it from other elite orchestras. Over the years, it has made a significant contribution to the development of the symphonic musical tradition, including performing all of Beethoven's symphonies during the composer's lifetime.The orchestra also presented the world's first complete Bruckner symphonic cycle, as well as the first Shostakovich cycle, during the 1970s.

Nelsons is currently Gewandhauskapellmeister (music director and conductor) of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and has established a pioneering alliance between the two institutions. His complete recordings of the symphonies and concertos of Shostakovich and the opera"Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District" have garnered four Grammy Awards for "Best Orchestral Performance" and "Best Engineered Album, Classical". He also completed a Bruckner symphonic cycle and a Beethoven cycle with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra respectively.

Avdeeva is the First Prize Winner of the 16th International Chopin Piano Competition in 2010. Her performance was praised by The Telegraph (United Kingdom) newspaper as "spontaneous and volatile" and "full of depth and colour". She has collaborated with numerous orchestras, such as the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. She has recently appeared at the "Chopin and his Europe" Festival in Warsaw and the Shostakovich Festival in Leipzig, and has given solo recitals at Vienna's Musikverein Wien, the Berliner Philharmonie and more.

"Gewandhausorchester Leipzig" concertswill be staged at 8pm on June 2 and 3 (Tuesday and Wednesday) at the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Tickets for the first concert priced at $450, $650, $850, $1,000, $1,300 and $1,600 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. Discount schemes are available for the programmes under "Great Music 2026". All tickets for the second concert have been sold out. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_1947.html.

Two pre-concert talks (to be conducted in Cantonese) will be held at 6.45pm on June 2 and 3 respectively at Level 4 Foyer, Auditoria Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The first talk entitled "From the Classical Period to the Romantic Period" will be hosted by music practitioner Jimmy Shiu, while the second talk entitled "Echoes of Russia - The Sound of Leipzig" will be hosted by music critic Savio Lau. Admission is free, with limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The "Great Music 2026", presented by the LCSD, will bring a world-renowned orchestra and musicians to Hong Kong from June to December, offering music lovers a stellar line-up of performances. For more details, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/groups_1946.html.

The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig from Germany will return to Hong Kong in June for the opening of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's "Great Music 2026". Photo shows pianist Yulianna Avdeeva. (Photo source: Maxim Abrossimow) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig from Germany will return to Hong Kong in June for the opening of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's "Great Music 2026". Photo shows the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. (Photo source: Eric Kemnitz) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig from Germany will return to Hong Kong in June for the opening of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's "Great Music 2026". Photo shows the orchestra's music director and conductor Andris Nelsons. (Photo source: Marco Borggreve) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig from Germany will return to Hong Kong in June for the opening of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's "Great Music 2026". Photo shows the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. (Photo source: Konrad Stöhr) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Global Fast Track 2026 opens for applications expanded eight-vertical line-up and new online market readiness programme to support global startup expansion into Asia via Hong Kong

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (May 4) announced that applications are now open for the ninth edition of the Global Fast Track (GFT) 2026 until September 25. For the first time, the flagship initiative will cover eight major verticals and introduce a new Online Market Readiness Programme, alongside an upgraded pitching competition. These enhancements provide a platform for innovative technology companies to showcase their solutions, while offering more diverse and flexible pathways to leverage Hong Kong as a launchpad for expansion into Asian and international markets.

Anchored around Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK 2026, the programme offers participating companies tailored business matching, one-on-one meetings with corporates, investors and community partners, live pitching opportunities, mentorship and market-entry support to scale their innovations.

The Global Head of Financial Services, FinTech and Sustainability at InvestHK, Mr King Leung, shared, "Every year, the Global Fast Track continues to impress with the quality and diversity in innovative global solutions spanning fintech and a wide spectrum of cutting-edge technologies. As Hong Kong continues to strengthen its role as an international financial and technology hub, GFT 2026 reflects our long-standing commitment to facilitating cross-border collaboration and sustainable growth. By bringing together global, Chinese Mainland and local innovators with investors, corporates, and service and community partners, GFT has proven to be a powerful platform for validating solutions, forging commercial partnerships and supporting companies as they expand into Asia and beyond."

The Head of Startups at InvestHK, Ms Jayne Chan, added, "With the expansion into more verticals and the introduction of new programme features, GFT 2026 opens up even more opportunities for startups and scaleups to bring bold ideas to life. We are excited to see innovations from a wider spectrum of technology sectors, and to provide founders with a clear and comprehensive pathway to market readiness, visibility and meaningful engagement with decision-makers. Hong Kong offers a unique environment for ambitious companies to test, refine and scale their innovation for international growth."

Eight Verticals Powering the Next Wave of Cross-Industry Innovation

GFT 2026 features its largest and most diverse lineup of verticals to date, reflecting the growing convergence of innovation across industries:

FinTech & InsurTech

Applied AI for Financial Services

Green FinTech, Sustainability & GreenTech

Blockchain & Digital Assets

HealthTech & Life Sciences

AI & Robotics

PropTech & Transport

Consumer, HospitalityTech & Creative Industries

New Features Strengthen Market Readiness and Global Exposure

GFT 2026 introduces several new programmes designed to enhance market readiness and maximise exposure for participating companies:

Online Market Readiness Programme

New to Global Fast Track 2026, the Online Market Readiness Programme is a virtual initiative designed to better prepare participants for market entry and engagement through Hong Kong. Conducted ahead of the in-person programme in Hong Kong, it equips startups and scaleups with practical insights on investor engagement, corporate collaboration, the Hong Kong market landscape, regulatory and licensing considerations, and pitch refinement. Delivered through closed-door discovery sessions, roundtable discussion, and expert-led coaching, and supported by experienced ecosystem partners including Accenture FinTech Innovation Lab Asia-Pacific, Felix Strategic Investments, Orange Juice Ventures, AFG Partners, Forms Syntron Information (HK) Limitedand MilestoneThree, the programme provides participants with early exposure to Hong Kong's innovation, investment and corporate landscape, and the commercial readiness needed to maximise opportunities during the programme and beyond.

Enhanced Pitching Competition Platform

The GFT Pitching Competition 2026 has been further enhanced to offer more pitching opportunities and more flexible pathways to the grand finale. The new virtual qualifier rounds, held between April and September, allow companies to pitch online to potential investors and customers in Hong Kong without the need to travel, expanding their early visibility and access to the ecosystem. In addition, companies securing a start-up exhibition booth at Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK 2026 will be eligible to take part in quick-fire pitches in the main conference, providing another route to reach the semi-finals. From these quick-fire sessions, the top-scoring companies will advance to a mixed-vertical semi-final, and participate in live semi-finals and grand finale during the main conference, offering innovators high-visibility exposure to senior decision-makers.

Beyond the pitching competition itself, all shortlisted companies will have the opportunity to run live product demonstrations on site in front of global audiences, corporates and investors during Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK 2026.

Through these enhancements, GFT 2026 provides a more flexible and accessible pathway for companies at different stages of international growth to engage with Hong Kong's vibrant innovation ecosystem. Since its inception, GFT has supported over 1 000 companies from more than 70 economies, providing meaningful exposure to a regional network of corporates, investors, professional service providers and community partners. Leveraging Hong Kong's strong connectivity with the Chinese Mainland and global markets, the programme further reinforces the city's role as a two-way hub for investment and innovation—helping global startups enter Asian markets via Hong Kong, while supporting Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland companies in expanding internationally.

For details of GFT 2026 and the application process, please visit here.

Source: AI-found images