Following the triumph of the first edition in 2018, Hong Kong Sinfonietta is pleased to announce the 2nd Hong Kong International Conducting Competition, taking place on 22-26 March 2023 at Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall. Featuring an international Jury made up of conductors and people shaping the music business today, 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 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 musik management), as well as James Cuddeford and Laurent Perrin (Concertmaster and Assistant Principal Cello respectively) of Hong Kong Sinfonietta.
The Competition comprises of three rounds which will be livestreamed globally, 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 8 candidates will be selected for the Semi-Finals, and a maximum of 3 candidates will go through to the Finals. Ticketing details will be announced in due course.
The inaugural Hong Kong International Conducting Competition successfully took place in 2018, attracting 310 applications from 49 countries/regions, with Hungarian conductor Gabor Kali winning the 1st Prize and Orchestra Prize.