Opera Hong Kong stages concert in Guiyang

The Opera Hong Kong stages an "Under the Lion Rock" concert at the Guiyang Grand Theatre on Oct 26. [Photo/ddcpc website]

The Opera Hong Kong staged an "Under the Lion Rock" concert at the Guiyang Grand Theatre in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, on the evening of Oct 26, hosted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu, with support from the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Guizhou Provincial People's Government and the Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

Renowned tenor Warren Mok from Hong Kong, along with several other vocalists and piano artists, delivered a mesmerizing musical feast to the live audience.

The concert's title, "Under the Lion Rock", is inspired by a classic Hong Kong TV drama and represents the spirit of perseverance and moving forward with courage.

In the first half of the concert, the singers performed excerpts from classic foreign operas such as "La donna è mobile", "Toreador Song" and "Santa Lucia", earning applause from the audience. In the second half, the artists passionately interpreted popular Hong Kong songs like "Under the Lion Rock", "Like You" and "Pearl of the Orient" using a bel canto technique, bringing the concert to its climax. Students from the master class of Guizhou University's Academy of Music also took the stage to showcase their vocal talents. 

As the concert drew to a close, the audience remained enthralled, showing undiminished enthusiasm. Amidst the lively applause and cheers, the singers returned to the stage multiple times, culminating in a joint performance of "My Motherland and I" with the audience, finally bringing the concert to a close.

The "Under the Lion Rock" concert was divided into two parts. In addition to the formal concert held at the Guiyang Grand Theatre on Oct 26, the Opera Hong Kong Opera singers also attended a roadside concert at Zhucheng Square on Oct 25.

"The roadside concert, a more down-to-earth performance, brings music to the streets, which I especially love!" said Wang Bingbing, one of the top 10 sopranos of CCTV and a soprano at the Opera Hong Kong.

Singers perform enthusiastically at the concert. [Photo/ddcpc website]

"We are sharing the best of Hong Kong with Guiyang, hoping that everyone can feel our sincerity and support our activities," said Enoch Yuen, Director of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu, expressing his desire to use this event to share Hong Kong's emotions and tell its stories.

Over the years, channels for exchanges and cooperation between Guizhou and Hong Kong have continuously expanded and deepened, fostering a longstanding and close relationship between the two.

"On Oct 16, John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, announced in the Policy Address that there would be a significant reduction in import duties on liquor. We hope that through this plan, Chinese baijiu can be exported through Hong Kong, actively developing the trade and storage of liquor in Hong Kong and driving tourism, gastronomy, and other related industries. Therefore, we believe there is ample room for cooperation in this regard," Yuen stated, emphasizing the mutual advantages between Hong Kong and Guizhou and expressing hope for further cooperation and exchanges at various levels and in different areas in the future.