Two Mainland Chinese Arts Troupes to Debut Together at Tan Dun WE-Festival in December
Two major national arts troupes will jointly perform at the Tan Dun WE-Festival in Hong Kong for the first time on 2-5 December 2026. The programme features the Hong Kong premiere of Tan Dun's choral concerto "Nine Songs", alongside Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and other works.
Two major national arts troupes from mainland China will join hands for the first time at the Tan Dun WE-Festival in Hong Kong this December, according to a government announcement on 26 October 2026. The festival will feature two orchestral concerts at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall and a free forum-concert at the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
The first concert, titled Beethoven 9 • Nine Songs, will take place on 2 December at 8pm. It will present the Hong Kong premiere of Tan Dun's choral concerto Nine Songs, the world's first work of its kind. Based on the ancient Chinese poem Nine Songs from Chu Ci by Qu Yuan, the piece reimagines the same orchestral and vocal forces used in the premiere of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, blending Eastern percussion and chant with Western orchestral music. The concert will also feature Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, creating a cross-temporal dialogue between the two works. Four acclaimed soloists—soprano Kuang Liling, mezzo-soprano Liu Niru, tenor Li Yi and bass Yang Yi—will perform.
The second concert, Mozart and Ode to Joy, on 3 December at 8pm, will open with Beethoven's overture The Creatures of Prometheus. Violinist Wang Qian'er and violist Xu Enle will then perform Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat major. The second half will again feature Nine Songs, concluding with Beethoven's Ode to Joy. Ticket prices range from HK$250 to HK$550, with sales starting on 28 October via Urbtix (www.urbtix.hk) or by calling 3166 1288. An early-bird discount of 30 per cent will apply to full-price tickets purchased between 28 October and 10 November.
A free pre-concert forum and concert will be held on 5 December at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The forum will feature a dialogue between Tan Dun and Dr Malte Bork, director of the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Germany. The concert will include Tan Dun's string quartet Feng Ya Song and adaptations of Beethoven's works, performed by young musicians Wang Qian'er, Chen Mingze, Huang Luoheng and Nie Jiapeng. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Tan Dun WE-Festival, first launched in 2023, aims to position Hong Kong as an international hub for cultural exchange by blending Eastern and Western elements. This year's edition features several local young musicians performing alongside artists from other regions.
