HK orchestra brings Beethoven to life on the mainland

Jaap van Zweden brings the Hong Kong Philharmonic to the mainland. Provided to China Daily

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His career as a conductor started in 1997, and he has successively held the chief conductor positions at the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Residentie Orchestra of The Hague and the Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra. While being music director of the Hong Kong orchestra, he serves in the same capacity for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and as honorary chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.

The year of 2014 marks the Hong Kong Philharmonic's 40th anniversary as a professional orchestra. According to Michael MacLeod, chief executive of the orchestra company, a special heritage concert was held in January this year, and on the day of the anniversary, another gala concert will be held in June.

"The other orchestras Van Zweden has worked with are the very best. I think that's great for us that we have a music director who is so highly regarded," MacLeod says.

Being among the world's top violinists enabled the veteran musician to closely observe how conductors brought the orchestra to musical heights.

"To stand in front of an orchestra is a powerful feeling," he once said in an interview.

"The big thing for a conductor is to inspire the players so much that they agree with what you want.

"But I like to talk not about what I want, but what the composer would like. Because, otherwise, it starts to look like it's about me. But it's not about me; it's about the composition."