Press Release
HKBU Symphony Orchestra Annual Gala Concert presents an East-meets-West journey
Saturday, 20 April 2024
The two-day Annual Gala Concert of the Hong Kong Baptist University Symphony Orchestra (HKBU Symphony Orchestra) came to a successful close at the Academic Community Hall today (20 April). The concert, themed “East West Encounters”, blended Chinese and Western cultures with art tech, offering a unique and immersive artistic experience and drawing an enthusiastic response from the audience.
The performance of Dance of the Yao People by the HKBU Symphony Orchestra was the highlight of the concert. The rendition of this orchestral composition, which combines elements of Chinese folk music with symphonic arrangements, was accompanied by the vivid performance of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated virtual Yao dancers, whose performance was inspired by the dance and culture of the Yao ethnic group. The motion data of the Yao dancers was used to create a machine learning model to train the AI dancers. Their performance added a stunning visual effect to the concert, making it a fascinating musical journey to remember.
Another highlight of the concert was the performance of the masterpiece Butterfly Lovers by renowned violinist Ms Yao Jue, showcasing cross-cultural musical collaboration at its finest. This composition combines Chinese folk melodies and instrumentation with Western classical music structures and orchestration. It manifests fully the essence of the integration and sublimation of Chinese and Western cultures.
The concert, featuring a programme which integrates Chinese and Western cultures, resonates with HKBU’s goal of promoting Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. It also marks a bold and innovative attempt by HKBU to create a novel and immersive artistic experience with the use of technology.
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