World-famous soprano Diana Damrau to make her HK debut in May

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has invited the globally acclaimed German soprano Diana Damrau to make her Hong Kong concert debut on May 10 (Wednesday), which also marks the opening of this year's Encore Series. All music lovers should not miss out on this concert.

With the theme "All for Love", Damrau, together with bass Nicolas Testé and pianist Mathieu Pordoy, will perform arias and duets from classic operas in the concert, including Bellini's "Casta diva" (from "Norma"), Verdi's "Ella giammai m'amò" (from "Don Carlos") and Lehár's "Liebe, du Himmel auf Erden" (from "Paganini"). Songs from musicals such as Rodgers' "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" (from "Oklahoma!") and Loewe's "I Could Have Danced All Night" (from "My Fair Lady") will also be featured. In addition, this highly awaited performance will include an array of art songs by composers such as Duparc, Richard Strauss and Rachmaninov. With Damrau and Testé's exquisite vocal abilities, the audience will be able to enjoy an unforgettable musical feast.

Damrau is one of today's most sought-after sopranos and has been performing on the world's leading opera and concert stages for two decades. Her vast repertoire includes classic works such as Gräfin Madeleine in "Capriccio", Queen of the Night in "Die Zauberflöte", and title roles in "La Traviata" and "Roméo et Juliette". Honored as the Bavarian Kammersängerin in 2007, she is also the recipient of the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art in 2010 and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2021. Receiving acclaim all over the world for her performances and albums over the years, Damrau was once complimented by The Guardian newspaper, who wrote of her "impeccable diction and vocal gleam from top to bottom".

The concert, "Encore Series: An Evening with Diana Damrau", will be staged at 8pm on May 10 at the Concert Hall of Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Tickets priced at $280, $420, $560, $680 and $800 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For discount schemes and programme enquiries, please call 2268 7321.

A pre-concert talk entitled "Love in Perspectives" (in Cantonese), hosted by music practitioner Jimmy Shiu, will be held at 6.45pm on May 10 at the Foyer Reception Area, 4/F, Auditoria Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Admission is free with limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Moreover, a masterclass (conducted in English) jointly organised by the LCSD and Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) will be held at 3pm on May 9 (Tuesday) at the Concert Hall of the HKAPA. Damrau and Testéwill share their musicianship and experience with young vocalist and the audience. Admission is free, and online registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For details, please visit the above-mentioned website.