Life Begins at 40

THE ARTS we have an orchestra that is quite even,” says Liu. “The musicians are extremely happy and morale is high because they respect him. They know Jaap is demanding, they have to work extremely hard.” And he respects that van Zweden doesn’t get personal with the musicians – the Dutchman has no LIFE BEGINS time for politics; it’s always only about the music. Van Zweden understands that if you are going to demand discipline and dedication, the best way to get it is to be a living example. His own father was a tough AT 40 disciplinarian and he shares that tough love with the Elsewhere in the world, orchestras are often struggling to musicians he works with. maintain interest and audiences. As the Hong Kong Philharmonic “If you ask for a certain discipline, for a passes its 40th anniversary, morale has never been higher. preparation, a way of living even, living for your music - they need to feel, to smell, to see, that you also live STORY KATE WHITEHEAD that life yourself. You walk on stage with your life, the way you live,” van Zweden said in a recent interview in the South China Morning Post. A FORMIDABLE TEAM Concertmaster Jing Wang first met van Zweden in Dallas when the Guilin-born, Canadian-educated violinist was with the Dallas Opera. The Dutch conductor invited him to join the HK Phil and he took up residency last September. Wang is the recipient of a number of prizes, including the “Young Soloist of the Year” by Les Radios Francophons Publiques in 2003. The 28-year-old’s new position with the HK Phil was announced in April. He succeeds previous concertmaster Igor Yuzefovich. “You bring nothing less than your game; Master van Zweden demands it. He wants every rehearsal to sound like a recording,” says Wang. “It puts pressure on us, but 01 ed by one of the world’s most sought-after no international career for 40 weeks of the year, or Waart (also from the Netherlands). Beginning with conductors, the Hong Kong Philharmonic one who is in great demand for 12 weeks?” asks the more than 70 names, the long list was whittled down to seems to prove that life can truly begin at orchestra’s chief executive, Michael MacLeod. 20 and Liu flew to Dallas to see van Zweden in action. 02 40. While orchestras around the world have Amsterdam-born Jaap van Zweden began his “I saw the things he said to the string players and been struggling, the HK Phil has been going conducting career in 1995. His positions have included the way he rehearsed – I was impressed,” says Liu. “And Lfrom strength to strength. being chief conductor of the Netherlands Symphony of course, there’s the fact he was the youngest ever Jaap van Zweden, who joined as music director Orchestra, the Residentie Orchestra of The Hague and concertmaster at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and conductor in 2012, isn’t the only reason for this, the Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra. He received in Amsterdam.” but he’s certainly a very large part of the equation. As a the Musical America Conductor of the Year Award 2012 Liu knows a thing or two about concertmasters man who eats, sleeps and breathes music, he demands in recognition of his work with the Dallas Symphony – he is a former concertmaster (the first ever to no less from his musicians. His absolute dedication to Orchestra and as a guest conductor at other US orchestras. 01 Conductor become chairman) and violinist of the HK Phil. He and music his craft helps ensure he is much in demand. It is obvious that MacLeod, who joined the director Jaap also founded and was concertmaster of the British His contract with the HK Phil – recently renewed orchestra in 2011, a year before van Zweden, is quite van Zweden with Columbia Sinfonietta in Vancouver in 1992. to the end of the 2018/2019 season – commits him to happy with the 12 weeks. There is no doubt that they the Hong Kong Van Zweden was just 19 when he took up the Philharmonic. 12 weeks in Hong Kong each year. When he’s not here, are intense weeks, and the conductor is known to Amsterdam concertmaster role. It is his talent with the he is busy conducting great orchestras of the world demand a lot from his musicians, but they are rising to 02 Jaap van violin that Liu believes is helping the HK Phil evolve Zweden joined - in Dallas, Berlin, Vienna, London, New York and the occasion and morale is said to be at an all-time high. the Hong Kong into a well-rounded orchestra. He says that as de Waart Chicago. He’s been the music director of the Dallas YS Liu, who has been chairman of the orchestra’s Philharmonic as PHILHARMONIC THE HONG KONG was an oboe player, he helped lift the wind section, but music director Symphony Orchestra since 2008. board of governors since 2008, led the search in 2010 and conductor in the string section was weak. “Would you rather have a music director with to find a replacement for the then conductor, Edo de 2012. COURTESY “The string section improved tremendously – now 168 THE PEAK THE PEAK 169 THE ARTS Wilson believes the success of the HK Phil lies in reaching out to as many people as possible. Last year, he helped launch the “Denim Series” which was targeted “YOU BRING at busy city folk who enjoy the classics but didn’t want to commit several hours to a long production. NOTHING LESS “Not everyone wants to have the traditional orchestra experience where it’s quite formal,” says THAN YOUR GAME; Wilson. “The orchestra was informally dressed and MASTER VAN the audience was encouraged to relax, come in jeans. We will continue the series.” ZWEDEN DEMANDS And for those who want to enjoy the HK Phil in their own time, there are two recent recordings by IT. HE WANTS Hong Kong-based label Naxos. In both cases, a top EVERY REHEARSAL Chinese composer conducts the orchestra, playing his own music. The first features Tan Dun (2012) - who TO SOUND LIKE A wrote the symphonic work for the 1997 Hong Kong RECORDING” handover – and the second is with Bright Sheng (2014). Klaus Heymann, founder of the Naxos label, has been - Jing Wang, Hong Kong Philharmonic 03 recording the HK Phil for 30 years, but his relationship with the orchestra extends to its very beginnings. In 1973, it is always good for the orchestra. He is tough. He is all 04 when the orchestra was still amateur, he was invited to about the detail and won’t move on until we get it.” join its board of directors. In his new position, he drew up And it certainly seems like the hard work has been 02 a fictional seasonal programme and went knocking on the paying off. Attendance figures and tickets sales are up. The doors of tycoons and taipans to lobby for funding. Within a HK Phil 2012/2013 season saw gross income from tickets year, the orchestra became a full-time professional group. increase by 18.5 per cent to HK$19.4 million. And there were “The first concert was in 1974 and I’ve been following 23 sell-out concerts – six more than the previous season. “THE ORCHESTRA FEELS the orchestra ever since,” says Heymann. Although Gary Pollard, an executive producer at RTHK, has he’s since left the board, his hard work was rewarded in been listening to the HK Phil since the late 1970s and WONDERFULLY TIGHT NOW. another manner because it was during his time at the believes the orchestra has really come together under HK Phil that he met his future wife, Japanese violinist the direction of de Waart and then van Zweden. I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO Takako Nishizaki, who came to play as a soloist with the “When I first heard them, ‘school orchestra’ came to SEEING MORE ... I HOPE THEY HK Phil. And it was Nishizaki who inspired him to set up mind and certain pieces were beyond them, but we had a the record label, which enabled him to record her music. very conservative audience then, too,” says Pollard. GET MORE VISIBILITY” “We started recording the Hong Kong Phil in 1984. The audience in those early days wanted to hear - Gary Pollard, RTHK It’s a much better orchestra today than it was back then,” 05 Chopin and thought even Beethoven was “pushing it”, says Heymann. “And now that they have Jaap until 2019, says Pollard. And the attitude of the orchestra itself was it will definitely go places. He’s an interesting musician - less than enthusiastic. He recalls speaking to a visiting Glimmerglass Opera in central New York state, executive in-concert. The remaining trio of operas will be held in he makes old favourites sound fresh, which is rare.” conductor in the mid-1980s who told him he thought director of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra in the following three years. While in other parts of the world, orchestras are most of the players were just “time-servers”. Connecticut, and director of the City of London Festival. “It’s Wagner’s most ambitious project. The music struggling – not least because of ageing audiences and “The orchestra feels wonderfully tight now. I’m After the European tour, there are plans in the 03 Jing Wang is incredible; some of the best ever composed,” says falling attendance – in Hong Kong, interest is still strong. looking forward to seeing more and hope they don’t step pipeline to possibly tour Japan, Korea and the US, Liu has recently director of artistic planning Raff Wilson, who has been “In America, the audience is literally dying off.

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