The HK Phil’s annual Your Stage Awaits event brought 24 performing units to the stage in a celebration of music and community
The Stage Belongs to Everyone
On the evenings of February 7 and 8 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra hosted its annual Your Stage Awaits fundraising concerts — two nights that brought together 24 performing units, from toddler-aged musicians to seasoned performers, all sharing a stage with one of Asia’s most celebrated orchestras. The events, led by HK Phil Resident Conductor Lio Kuokman, were a demonstration of what remains genuinely alive and extraordinary in Hong Kong’s cultural life: a commitment to music, to education, and to the belief that performance is not a privilege reserved for the few.
A Remarkable Range of Performers
The breadth of the programme was striking. Five student orchestral groups from Canadian International School of Hong Kong, HKBUAS Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School, Hong Kong International School, Malvern College Hong Kong, and St. Stephen’s Girls’ College all shared the stage with professional HK Phil members, an experience made possible through extensive guidance from HK Phil principals and conductor Kuokman. Vocal performances came from young talents including Annette Che, Seven Xiya Jing, and Michelle Kwong, alongside more experienced singers including Dr Alex Chui Chuen-shun and Catherine Leung, co-chair of the Fundraising Concert Organising Committee. The programme moved from Glinka’s Ruslan and Ludmila Overture, performed by HK Phil musicians to open the concert, through classical masterpieces and on to a world premiere that spoke directly to Hong Kong’s own traditions.
A World Premiere Rooted in Hong Kong
The highlight for many in attendance was Fisherman’s Song, a new composition by Yannis Lee, an artist from the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong. The piece draws its inspiration from the Dragon Boat Festival celebrations at Tai O Fishing Village and the vibrant tradition of Cantonese folk melody. Lee performed as horn player in the ensemble, and the work was sponsored by the Swire Group Charitable Trust. That a world premiere at this level should be rooted so specifically in Hong Kong’s local culture — Tai O, Cantonese folk song, the Dragon Boat tradition — speaks to what the HK Phil has always done at its best: hold the world-class and the locally specific in the same space, giving each equal dignity.
What the HK Phil Represents
The Hong Kong Philharmonic is one of Asia’s great cultural institutions. It presents more than 150 concerts across a 44-week season and draws over 200,000 music lovers each year. Its 2019 recognition by Gramophone magazine as Orchestra of the Year — the first Asian orchestra to receive that accolade — confirmed what its audiences had known for years. Music Director Designate Tarmo Peltokoski takes up the full Music Director role in the 2026-27 season, while Long Yu serves as Principal Guest Conductor and Esa-Pekka Salonen holds the position of Composer-in-Residence for the current season. For concert schedules, tickets, and educational programmes, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra official website is the authoritative source. The Gramophone magazine provides international context for orchestral achievement and recognition. The Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong champions inclusive participation in cultural life across the city.
A Performer Who Keeps Coming Back
One of the most touching details from this year’s concerts was the return of Charis Chan, who made her debut in the Your Stage Awaits fundraising concert at the age of three and came back this year for her eleventh consecutive appearance. That a single event could span more than a decade of one young person’s musical life — from toddler to teenager — says something profound about the continuity and community that the HK Phil has built around this annual fundraiser. The orchestra’s commitment to education, to accessibility, and to genuine community engagement is a reminder of what cultural institutions can be when they take their responsibilities seriously. In a city that has experienced so much disruption in recent years, evenings like these are not merely entertainment. They are acts of cultural affirmation.
Sarah Lau
Culture, Media & Society Journalist, Apple Daily UK
Contact: sarah.lau@appledaily.uk
Sarah Lau is a culture, media, and society journalist whose reporting examines freedom of expression, media ecosystems, and cultural change within Chinese-speaking communities. She completed her journalism education at a prestigious Chinese-language journalism school, where she focused on media studies, reporting ethics, and cultural criticism.
Sarah has contributed to Apple Daily and other liberal Chinese magazines and newspapers, producing work on press freedom, artistic expression, digital culture, and social trends. Her reporting blends qualitative interviews with careful contextual research, ensuring her work is grounded in both lived experience and verifiable information.
She has extensive newsroom experience covering cultural issues during periods of political transition, giving her reporting experiential depth and historical awareness. Sarah is recognized for her careful language use, accurate representation of sources, and commitment to editorial integrity.
Her authority comes from sustained professional practice within reputable media organizations and consistent editorial oversight. She follows established correction and transparency standards, reinforcing reader trust.
At Apple Daily UK, Sarah Lau delivers culturally informed, fact-based journalism that upholds professional standards while documenting the evolving realities of Chinese and diaspora societies.
