Exclusive: Hong Kong cancels international piano competition
mainJudges have been notified that the 4th international Hong Kong piano competition, due to take place October 10-27 at City Hall, has been cancelled ‘due to events’.
The competition was to have been chaired by Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Several top musicians are busily having to reorganise their Asia travel diaries.
Which goes to show that from chaos
there is always some good.If only this would spread more quickly, what a better world for music it would be .
another provocation from the HK Government. There was no problem to organize that competition. The protester are not an issue except to the government.
The Hong Kong Competition is privately organised by the Chopin Society of Hong Kong, not the government. This year’s jury included Peter Frankl, Gary Graffman and Pascal Roge in addition to Ashkenazy. So I fail to understand how this could be any “provocation from the government”. Far more likely, surely, is that he Concert Hall is very close to the main demonstration area which could restrict access. Anyone have any more information?
Since US Vice President Joe Biden welcomed the Occupy Central fellows at the White House earlier this year, he should organize it…
The concert hall, whichever one they are using (Cultural Centre, Lyric Theatre at the Performing Arts Centre) are very much in the way of demonstration centres. Getting around that area is probably very tricky, even when you know the place. Tough for young strangers. (Or old ones).
I understand it is the City Hall Concert Hall. This is not only close to the main protest centre, it is right next door to the headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army HQ which itself is next door to the new government office building!
If the Piano Competition is cancelled, what would happen to Ashkenazy’s scheduled performance with the Singapore Symphony featuring the winner of this very competition?!
Well, it’s not dangerous enough to avoid concerts and masterclasses by previous winners. Just dangerous enough to cancel something that contractually banned participants from taking part in anything else for two months prior this.