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International Symposium on Chinese Music, which was documented in a special feature by China Central Television.
In 2007, apart from the 130 performances given locally, the orchestra made touring performances in Vancouver, Toronto, Auckland, Moscow and St Petersburg. The orchestra continued its efforts in promoting art education in Hong Kong through the Hong Kong Children Chinese Orchestra, the Hong Kong Junior Chinese Orchestra, instrumental classes and various music education projects in collaboration with tertiary education institutions.
Hong Kong Dance Company
Established in 1981 with the aim of promoting Chinese dance, the Hong Kong Dance Company was formally incorporated in April 2001 as a charitable and non- profit-making institution. Since its inception, the company has staged over 100 productions, many of which are highly popular, winning critical acclaim.
During 2007, the company staged 31 productions, attracting a combined audience of over 30 000. The productions included The Border Town, Red Poppies, The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Qingming Riverside and Angel Falls. The company also held eight performances in Shanghai, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Nanjing and Beijing to foster cultural exchange.
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
The 90 full-time musicians of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, under the leadership of Maestro Edo de Waart, built on the success of the three previous years which saw a significant increase in paid attendance and a higher participation rate in its education and outreach activities. In addition to the main-stage concerts in Hong Kong, the orchestra also gave performances at two prestigious music festivals in China the Shanghai Spring International Music Festival and the Beijing Music Festival. In September, Maestro Edo de Waart conducted a complete cycle of the Beethoven Piano Concertos featuring five outstanding young Chinese pianists. In November, the orchestra performed a free open-air concert, playing to an audience of more than 16 000 people. Throughout the year, the orchestra also collaborated with the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Opera Hong Kong, Hong Kong Ballet, the Hong Kong Arts Festival and the International Society for Contemporary Music.
Hong Kong Repertory Theatre
The Hong Kong Repertory Theatre celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2007. Highlights of the year included local performances and the Beijing tour of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, a highlight programme commissioned to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Establishment of the HKSAR Government, and the revival of the company's signature production Secret of Resurrection. To celebrate the Centennial of Chinese Drama, the company contributed an original play Dust and Dawn to the 6th Chinese Drama Festival, and revisited the quintessential Cao Yu's works through the revival of three Cao Yu's masterpieces.
The company continued its efforts in drama education as well as audience building. The company was also commissioned by the Independent Commission