Perhaps composers are superstitious people, and after Beethoven, few dared to write more than nine symphonies. Mahler proved the point – he died while writing his Tenth! Many scholars have tried to finish Mahler’s incomplete Tenth Symphony and today we hear the first performance in 95 years of two of the Symphony’s movements prepared by the legendary conductor Willem Mengelberg, who was a close friend of the composer. But to prove that it is possible to survive beyond a ninth symphony, this concert also presents the Tenth of Shostakovich’s 15 fully completed symphonies.

[1]. SIBELIUS: “Finlandia”
[2]. Magnus LINDBERG: “Clarinet Concerto” (China premiere)
[3]. SIBELIUS: “Symphony no. 2”
The series will conclude in style under Finnish conductor Osmo Vanska with his “Finnish Adventure”, an evening of music by two eminent Finnish composers – Magnus Lindberg and Jean Sibelius.

Yu Long, the HK Phil’s Principal Guest Conductor, is an ambassador for contemporary Chinese music and will conduct the second programme, opening with Five Elements by renowned Chinese composer Chen Qigang. He will then partner with Zhang Haochen, winner of the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, to enrapture the audience with Rachmaninov’s lyrical Piano Concerto no. 1.