Following the first edition in 2018, local chamber orchestra Hong Kong Sinfonietta has announced a second Hong Kong International Conducting Competition, which will take place from 22-26 March 2023 at Hong Kong City Hall.
The Competition provides a platform for young conductors under the age of 35 to establish a network in Asia, with the top prize-winner taking home HK$200,000 as well as a concert engagement with Hong Kong Sinfonietta in the orchestra’s 2023/2024 season, and mentorship opportunities with selected members of the Jury.
Applications are now open until 25 Oct 2022.
Yip Wing-sie, Music Director Emeritus of Hong Kong Sinfonietta, shares the position of Co-chair of the Jury with Principal Guest Conductor Christoph Poppen. Other members of the Jury include Lü Shao-Chia (Conductor Emeritus, Taiwan Philharmonic), Thierry d’Argoubet (Former General Manager, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse), Philipp Ernst (Artistic Planning & Deputy Managing Director, Munich Chamber Orchestra – Münchener Kammerorchester), Xenia Groh-Hu (Managing Director, karsten witt music management), as well as James Cuddeford and Laurent Perrin (Concertmaster and Assistant Principal Cello respectively) of Hong Kong Sinfonietta.
The Competition comprises three live-streamed rounds with Hong Kong Sinfonietta as the official orchestra throughout. After the Preliminary Selection stage, a maximum of 16 candidates will be invited to Hong Kong to take part in Round 1 of the Competition. A maximum of eight candidates will be selected for the Semi-Finals, and a maximum of three candidates will go through to the Finals. Ticketing details will be announced in due course.
The inaugural Hong Kong International Conducting Competition took place in 2018, attracting 310 applications from 49 countries/regions, with Hungarian conductor Gabor Kali winning the 1st Prize and Orchestra Prize.
