The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) has announced the launch of its Arts Tech programme with the first-ever symphonic work to be performed in both a concert hall and the metaverse.
Metaverse Symphony, co-commissioned by the HK Phil and Asia Society Hong Kong Center, represents Hollywood film composer Elliot Leung’s personal experience of ‘what it means to be alive in Hong Kong in the currents of the data-driven 21st century’. Performances will be conducted by Gerard Salonga and feature an immersive art experience created by Hong Kong-based digital artist Henry Chu.
To engage the community, the HK Phil will perform alongside bite-sized sound recordings submitted by the public in the third movement. The concert will open with Through the Fog, Into the Darkness, another new work by Leung. Metaverse Symphony will make its virtual debut in The Sandbox metaverse in the summer of 2023.
In partnership with Artifact Labs, The Sandbox will showcase the possibilities of music in cyberspace, blending technology and music in unprecedented ways. The audience will have the opportunity to engage in deeper ways with a number of quests and time trials, which help them learn about the composer, the music, and the transformation of technology in the 21st century. Metaverse Symphony will also be released by Sony Classical in July 2023.
As the Education Partner, the Asia Society Hong Kong Center will host a series of education programmes about the metaverse, digital art and symphonic music, including a talk with Elliot Leung, studio visits with Elliot Leung and Henry Chu, and a symposium to engage with a new generation of art and cultural supporters and the community at large.
In addition, co-presented by the HK Phil and Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) Academy of Music, a lecture demonstration was held on 18 April 2023, in which Elliot Leung discussed his role as a composer when developing an open-world game.
More information
- ‘Chow Sang Sang Jewellery Proudly Sponsors: Metaverse Symphony’ will be held on 5 May 2023 and 6 May 2023 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall with three performances, followed by a virtual debut in The Sandbox metaverse.
- Tickets are priced at HK$320. For enquiries, please call +852 2721 2332 or visit hkphil.org.
Graphic: HK Phil in the metaverse © Artifact Labs
