2022 Programmes

Pandemic wreaked havoc on our lives. It struck us with fear and left many in despair. Yet, where there is love, there is hope! With hope, our world is intact. We are taming the disease and dancing with it, whilst trying to explore what it means through living. With hope, life will never cease to amaze you. This is the 3rd RENDEZVOUS with you the music lover, where the musicians bring a feast of chamber music that emanates the essence of love, conveying to the audiences the sounds of love. May the music, simple yet passionate, fill the city and the world with hope.

Named "Révélation Soliste Instrumental" of the year at the prestigious Victoires de la Musique Classique in 2020, French oboist Gabriel Pidoux has enjoyed a flourishing international career since winning the Second Prize at the 2019 Prague Spring International Music Competition. This French May, he will make his Hong Kong début and present two delightful programmes, playing Vaughan Williams' idyllic Oboe Concerto to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth with Hong Kong Sinfonietta under the baton of Jason Lai, in a concert which also features Sibelius' epic Symphony No 5, as well as appearing in recital on 21 June with local pianist Colleen Lee, performing a sparkling selection of Romantic gems featured in his début CD released just this February.

Hong Kong Shifts partners with French May Arts Festival to share the stories of people working behind the scenes in the Hong Kong arts world, as a tribute to the craftmanship and efforts that are integral in bringing events such as the French May to life. The stories will be exhibited both online and on a pop-up basis at different locations during the festival.

Perfumes have long been a part of French culture. Not only do they bring joy and happiness to us, but also help us create different images. Together with a registered psychologist, we have developed a special system that uses the official MBTI type test to help you find your personality type. From here, you will discover the perfect perfume to match your personality!

Taking the status and roles of French and Chinese women as the starting point, the concert performs the famous French musical works Carmen, L'Arlésienne and La belle Hélène etc., and Chinese modern symphonic works The Red Detachment and White-haired Girl etc., as well as the Beijing Opera works Pear Flower, Tsing Yi and Farewell My Concubine. With the distinctive style of the two countries, the works extol the love and hatred of Chinese and French women, letting the audience experience the delicate Women's inner world.