Hong Kong Children's Symphony performs in Seattle

Under the theme of Tribute to the Golden Age, a concert featuring a blend of Western and Chinese classical music was performed by the Hong Kong Children's Symphony Orchestra at Benaroya Hall in Seattle.

Established in 1996, the symphony is comprised of musicians who range in age from 7 to 18. They are recruited after participating in competitive open auditions. Over the years, the symphony has become a highly soughtafter performing-arts group with international acclaim.

The 75-member orchestra arrived in Seattle, the third of the group's five-stop tour of North America on July 28 and performed the next day. Other cities on the group's itinerary include New York, Portland,

Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen of Washington State, attended the performance. King County,

Washington Executive Dow Constantine proclaimed July 29 as a "Day of Hong Kong Children's Symphony Orchestra" to celebrate their performance and influence on the culture of China and King County.

The concert also honored the symphony's music director and conductor, 84-year-old Dr Yip Wai-hong.

He was cited for his dedication to children's music education in Hong Kong and Toronto over the last

Known as the father of children's choir, Yip is an icon in Hong Kong's music education. He has worked tirelessly to popularize choral and symphonic music for children, and to build international bonds through these performances.

The symphony performed one of George Gershwin's most notable pieces, An American in Paris. The group also performed Chen Gan's Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto, and China Sea, a song composed by Yip.

The concert was co-organized and supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco, the Hong Kong Association of Washington and the Seattle Chinese Chorus.

lindadeng@chinadailyusa.com