The Consulate General of Italy wishes to thank the sponsors of the 2021 Italian National Day celebration in Hong Kong Message from the Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong

Mr. Clemente Contestabile

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to “Concerto Italiano”.

Tonight we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Italian Republic.

On the National Day, the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong has invited local and Italian artists to perform a program of inspiring Italian music, from great Opera classics to contemporary popular compositions.

With this concert, we wish to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives due to Covid-19, while, at the same time, sending a message of hope and confidence in the future.

This music celebration is possible thanks to the support of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong and the generous sponsorship of both local and Italian companies.

To all Italians and to all friends of Italy, my heartfelt wishes for a happy Italian National Day.

Viva l’Italia! Programme SPECIAL GUESTS

Louise Kwong Official Opening Ceremony Louise Kwong, a soprano at theYoungArtist Programme of Rome Opera House in Italy from 2018-2019, an awardee of the Hong Kong Ten Outstanding Young Person in 2019 and the Rossini - Overture from “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” Young Artist Award of ADC in 2014. She was Mimì in La Bohème, Cio-cio-san in Madame Butterfly, Micaëla in Carmen, Liù in Turandot, Anna in Anna Bolena, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and many others. Kwong won the 2nd prize, Audience prize and the Best Soprano prize Paganini - La Campanella (from Violin Concerto No.2) in the 18th International Singing Competition Ferruccio Tagliavini in Austria. Gian Paolo Peloso (Violin) Warren Mok Respighi - I Pini del Gianicolo A world-renowned Chinese from Hong Kong, Warren Mok has been making frequent appearances in many leading opera houses throughout the world. In recent years, he is active in promoting western opera and music in Hong Kong, Macao and the Mainland; An Artistic Director Mascagni - Intermezzo from "Cavalleria Rusticana" of Opera Hong Kong, he is also one of the China’s Three who has toured the world to promote Chinese culture since 2012. Mok was awarded Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy in Puccini - "O mio Babbino Caro" (from "Gianni Schicchi") 2018. Louise Kwong (Soprano) Gian Paolo Peloso Verdi - Overture from "La Traviata" Peloso is presently on faculty at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and plays a Matteo Goffriller violin of 1710. He made his debut at the age of ten under the direction of composer Luciano Berio. Throughout his career, he has been invited to participate in the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, Cilea - "Io son l'umile ancella" (from "Adriana Lecouvreur") the Argerich Festival, and has made appearances at the Societa dei Concerti Foundation of Louise Kwong (Soprano) , the Moscow International House of Music, and numerous festivals around the world. He has toured extensively with the Camerata de Lausanne and performed chamber music with Sofia Gubaidulina, Mark Lubotsky, Vladimir Mendelssohn, and Bruno Canino and appointed Violin Award Ceremony of Italian Honors Professor at the Conservatory of Music of Neuchatel in Switzerland. www.gianpaolopeloso.com Tribute to Dante Alighieri Francesco Teopini Lucia Del Vita (Voice) & Francesco Teopini (Guitar) Francesco Teopini is a guitarist, music educator, and musicologist. A graduate of both the “G.B. Martini”Conservatory(Bologna)andtheRoyalAcademyofMusic(London),Francescohasperformed Rota - Ballabili from "Il Gattopardo" in important international venues for almost two decades; his performances and recordings have been broadcasted by RAI, TVB, RTHK, Radio France, NPO, and RBB. Morricone - Main Theme from "C’era una Volta il West" His first international release with Brilliant Classics, J. S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas BWV 1001–1006 (2016), has been receiving enthusiastic praises from audiences and critics alike as “[an] intense and felt interpretation… [with a sound] endowed with warmth and attack but also power” (Diapason, France). Mia Martini - "Almeno Tu nell'Universo" Recently he has been awarded a PhD in musicology from the Hong Kong Baptist University, where he Heidi Li (Vocal) & Lorenzo Antonio Iosco (Clarinet) studied under the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme. Casadei - Polka Tribute Lucia Del Vita Andrew Simon (Clarinet) & John Schertle (Clarinet) Lucia Del Vita is a very active member of the Italian community in Hong Kong with a deep love for culture and languages. She is an entrepreneur in the translation field, born in Tuscany, the homeland of Dante. She has been living in 6 different Di Capua& Mazzucchi - "O Sole Mio" countries, and since 2014 she is living in Hong Kong, where she also volunteers Warren Mok (Tenor) her time to teach Italian to people in need. Since 2019 she is lecturing at the HKUST on Cross Cultural Issues, Personal Brand Building and Business Etiquette. Verdi - "Libiamo, ne’ Lieti Calici" (from "La Traviata") Louise Kwong (Soprano) & Warren Mok (Tenor) Heidi Li Heidi Li is a Hong Kong born Jazz/pop singer-composer who grew up with a Cantonese opera background under her parents’ influence. After having lived in Canada, the UK and France, she has been living in Italy for over 10 years, where she completed a degree in Jazz vocal performance with the full marks of 110. With her project “Heidi Canta In Tutti I Dialetti”, originally published as a Youtube video series, she has been performing songs in various Italian dialects across Europe and Asia, including the States General of the Italian Language in the World in . Lorenzo Antonio Iosco |Conductor Marco Iannelli |Artistic Director Clarinettist and conductor Lorenzo Iosco is one of the most successful Marco Iannelli is an Award-Winning Italian Composer and Musicologist, and his works are played Italian musicians of his generation, having been a member of the London all around the world: Milan, Vatican City, Paris, Strasbourg, San Francisco, Athens Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid Titular del Teatro Real, and (Olympic Games), Hong Kong . currently the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. As an all-round Composer, he designs soundtracks for films, theaters, advertising and He was born in Potenza in 1985, and studied music at the Luigi Cherubini promotional events. For years, his work has diverted also into contemporary dance productions, and Conservatory in Florence. He has performed in the most prestigious concert halls he collaborated with international choreographers such as Iancu, Sanders, Ezralow, Parsons. around the world, such as Philharmonie Berlin, Musikverein in Vienna, Salzburg, La For his book “The Cassandra Case”, in 2009 Iannelli was honored by the International Award Scala, Lincoln Center in New York, Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall in London, and “Luigi Illica”. The opera “Cassandra”, restored by Iannelli, and forgotten for almost a Suntory Hall in Tokyo. century, is become an enormous international success. Parallel to his work as a clarinettist, Lorenzo enjoys his increasingly busy career as a conductor. Among his most recent works, Iannelli has been music director and arranger of He is founder and artistic director of Ubertini Ensemble, its members joining from Europe, Donizetti’s “Rita”, performed in Hong Kong on November 2020 (Greater China United Kingdom and Asia. The main interest and passion of this group is to rediscover some of première), and broadcasted on RTHK at the beginning of 2021. the most important repertoire of the twentieth and twenty-first century.

Ensemble from the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra The Production Team

Violin I Flute Consulate General of Italy Anders Hui Concert Master Megan Sterling Giorgia Norfo Ba Wenjing Linda Stuckey Simone Razzauti Miyaka Suzuki Wilson Alena Tang Zhang Xi Oboe Antonio Zimone Rachael Mellado Michael Wilson Marrie Rose Kim Violin II Italian Cultural Institute Leslie Ryang Moonsun Clarinet Stefano Fossati Fan Jie Andrew Michael Simon Katrina Rafferty John Schertle Event Management Gallant Ho Ka-Leung Lorna Chan Bassoon H. L. Hung Viola Benjamin Moermond Andrew Ling Patrick Yeung Jiali Li Horn Let Me Plan It Co Kaori Wilson Harry Chiu Jorge Medina Sound & Lighting Production Cello Jonathan Lam Richard Bamping Trumpet Arrow Production Limited Dora Lam Douglas Waterston Tae-Mi Song Trombone Live Streaming Production Double Bass Christian Goldsmith Brothers Production George Lomdaridze Jeffrey Lehmberg Percussion Aziz Barnard Luce

Keyboard Yoonie Han

With kind permission of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra