HK Phil to stage free outdoor concert at Central Harbourfront on November 13
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra will hold its annual free outdoor concert Swire Symphony Under The Stars on November 13 at Central Harbourfront. Music director Tarmo Peltokoski will lead the event for the first time, with a programme including Saint-Saëns, Gershwin and Tchaikovsky.
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra will return to Central Harbourfront on November 13 for Swire Symphony Under The Stars, its annual free outdoor concert pairing classical music with the city's nighttime skyline. This year marks a first for HK Phil music director Tarmo Peltokoski, who will lead the event for the first time since taking up the orchestra's top artistic post.
The programme moves between orchestral colour, Broadway-inflected melodies and blockbuster film music, giving the evening broad appeal. One highlight will see Peltokoski step away from the podium to join Hong Kong pianist Aristo Sham at two pianos for Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the Animals. Sham, winner of the gold medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, returns to perform the characterful work.
HK Phil principal clarinet Andrew Simon and vocalist Talie Monin will turn to the world of George Gershwin, bringing American jazz and musical theatre to the harbourfront stage. The programme will then shift into cinematic territory with John Williams's Star Wars Suite, before Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture brings the evening to a traditional high-impact finale, accompanied by fireworks over Victoria Harbour. Mayanne Mak will return as presenter.
The format has long made Symphony Under The Stars one of the orchestra's most accessible annual events. Rather than a concert hall, audiences gather outdoors with family and friends, with the Central skyline and harbour becoming part of the experience. This year's edition carries particular significance for Peltokoski, offering a relaxed setting to meet a wider Hong Kong audience beyond the regular concert season.
For those unable to attend in person, the performance will be streamed live through the HK Phil website, Facebook, YouTube and WeChat channels, as well as SwireThrive and Swire Pacific's Facebook pages. It will also be broadcast live on RTHK TV31, the RTHK website and CCTV.com.
Admission is free, but tickets will be allocated through an online ballot. The public can register from 10am on October 16 until 7pm on October 20, with each applicant able to request up to four tickets. Only one ballot entry may be submitted per person. If duplicate registrations are detected, only the latest submission will be processed. All valid entries made during the registration period will have an equal chance of being selected. Ballot results will be announced on October 23, with successful applicants receiving confirmation and electronic tickets by email. Guests can enter by presenting the QR code on their e-ticket on a smartphone or by bringing a printed copy.