Posted in: Press Releases

April 6th, 2008

A capacity crowd of 800 people today (Sunday) attended a concert by a 50-member orchestra, featuring Chinese classical music and Hong Kong’s popular television themes, in Montreal to celebrate the friendship between Montreal and Hong Kong, as well as to raise funds for the McGill University Health Centre’s (MUHC) Women’s Health Mission.

The Friendship Across the Ocean concert, held at Monument National’s Salle Ludger-Duvernay, was presented by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (HKETO) in Canada, and organized by the Montreal Section of the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association.

The HKETO Director, Ms Maureen Siu, hosted a pre-concert reception for some 200 distinguished guests, including the First Vice-President of Quebec National Assembly, Madame Fatima Houda-Pépin; Mayor Gérald Tremblay of Montreal; Mayor Jean Pelletier of Brossard; and the Minister Counsellor Huikang Huang of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, as well as business and community leaders from Montreal and some neighbouring cities.

Speaking at the pre-concert reception, Ms Siu said she believes that “trade and business between Hong Kong and Canada, and between Hong Kong and Montreal, will flourish with the strengthening of mutual understanding of each other’s culture.”

The HKETO Director said over the years, Canada and Hong Kong have a lot of human ties and cultural exchanges. “There are over a quarter of a million Canadians living in Hong Kong, many of whom are Montreallers and they have contributed tremendously to Hong Kong’s development,” she said. She cited the the founder of Lan Kwai Fong Allen Zeman, who is also the Chairman of Hong Kong’s Ocean Park, as an example.

Ms Siu added that the “Friendship Across the Ocean” concert is especially meaningful because it serves as a fundraiser for MUHC, which is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching.

“The redevelopment of MUHC is a priority for the Montreal Community,” she said. “We are pleased to participate in this meaningful cause to help raise funds for the health centre that is one of the busiest and most vibrant in Canada.”

This evening’s concert was performed by an orchestra comprised of members from the Toronto Chinese Orchestra and the Chinese Instrumental Ensemble of the Overseas Chinese Music Society (Ontario).

The 50-member group was under the baton of its music director Karl Pang. The concert also featured the performance by three of the best known Chinese music masters in Canada: yangqin master Ms Anna Guo, erhu master George Gao and pipa master Miss Wendy Zhao, as well as guest performer Miss Ting Hong.

Repertoire performed at the concert included television theme music by Hong Kong’s well-known composer Joseph Koo; traditional pieces such as “Drums in Celebration of a Bumper Harvest and Ambush from All Sides; folk music such as The Dragon Boat; a unique modern interpretation of “Flying Apsaras; and The Fishermen’s Triumphant Song featuring eastern Zhejiang gongs and drums.

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For media enquiry, please contact:
Stephen Siu, Assistant Director (Public Relations), of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office at Tel: 416-924-5544, e-mail: Stephen_siu@hketotoronto.gov.hk, or
Elison Chu, Senior Information Officer of the HKETO at(416)924-7374 or email elison_chu@hketotoronto.gov.hk

Click here to download the Chinese version of the Press Release in PDF.