43rd Hong Kong Arts Festival opens

The 43rd Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) officially opened here Friday with a performance by Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden.

This year's festival presents about 1,500 acclaimed artists from around the world in 137 performances, including 16 new works and 10 Asian premiers.

"Of the 110,000 available tickets, over 98,000, or 88 percent, have been sold as of Friday, and sales are expected to further increase during the festival period," said Ronald Arculli, chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

To accomplish its mission of enriching the cultural life of Hong Kong, this year's festival not only continues to present renowned overseas artists, but also carries on the tradition of commissioning new works and showcases the creative talents of the Hong Kong region.

Among the local productions this year are chamber opera Datong - - The Chinese Utopia, theater production The Amahs, and the HK Jockey Club Contemporary Dance Series.

This year's festival continues to reach out to a broad spectrum of the Hong Kong community through its 300-plus outreach events comprising: events for Yong Friends, other education activities with schools and community groups, and PLUS for the general public, said Ronald Arculli.

Launched in 1973, the HKAF is a major international arts festival committed to enriching the life of the city. The festival features the world's top artists as well as stars of tomorrow and gives equal importance to great traditions and contemporary creations.