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Press Release
2008-10-02 Proudly presented by The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation
Kunqu is the essence of traditional Chinese performing art forms, an artistic blend of poetry, painting, music, singing, dance, and drama. Its achievements in the realms of literature, drama, music, and fine art have nurtured every Chinese opera form, earning Kunqu the acclaim of “the mother of a hundred opera forms”. In 2001, Kunqu was recognised by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) as one of the inaugural “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”, the highest honour bestowed upon Kunqu. To carry on the heritage of Kunqu is a meaningful undertaking. In view of this, the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation and The University of Hong Kong collaborate for the first time to invite the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu and the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe to perform in Hong Kong. The aim is to foster understanding and appreciation of Kunqu by the young generation. Exquisite Beauty: The World of Kunqu is an unprecedented large-scale Kunqu promotion programme in Hong Kong. A series of six demonstration talks on different themes will be conducted at respective tertiary institutions from the 4th to 15th November 2008, while six performances will be staged at the Jockey Club Auditorium of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University from the 18th to 23rd November 2008 to showcase a variety of Kunqu repertoires. Mobilising over a hundred members from the troupes, including eminent artists and reputable masters, this programme leads young people and the public into the world of Kunqu. “Exquisite Beauty” best describes the art of Kunqu — its refined language, elegant movements, and regard for tunes and voices. Calling himself a “Kunqu enthusiast”, Professor Hsien-Yung Pai was deeply attracted to this oldest form of existing Chinese opera since his youth. In recent years, he has been actively involved in revitalizing this art form, leading to his accepting the invitation as the honorary chairman of the “Research and Development Project on Kunqu” at The University of Hong Kong in October 2007. The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Supports the Revitalisation of Kunqu Professor Pai’s unfailing commitment to introduce the art of Kunqu to young people coincides with the mission of the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, which is to revitalise traditional Chinese arts and promote art education. Since 2006, the Foundation sponsors performance and lecture tours of the Peony Pavilion, one of the greatest classics of Kun Opera, modernized and adapted by Professor Pai. Performances and lectures have been given at universities throughout China, and have generated significant public, academic and media interest. The upcoming programme in Hong Kong is a continuation of the Foundation’s support for the revitalisation of Kunqu. Mr Robert Hung-Ngai Ho, the Foundation’s Chairman says, “Following the success of The Peony Pavilion in arousing enthusiasm for Kunqu from the young generation in China and abroad, Professor Pai proceeds to broaden the audience’s world of Kunqu. We support Professor Pai’s idea of bringing Kunqu to universities and schools, and proactively reaching out to the public. The passing on and development of Kunqu relies on the size and sophistication of its audience. If The Peony Pavilion is the foundation, we hope that through the eleven repertoires in Exquisite Beauty: The World of Kunqu, the audience will gain a deeper level of appreciation of the beauty of Kunqu.” The University of Hong Kong Supports Kunqu Research and Heritage Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong, remarks, “The University of Hong Kong is fully committed to promoting cultural exchange between China and the world. As an internationally renowned university, we are committed to advancing Chinese traditional culture to ascend to the world stage. To carry on the heritage of Kunqu is a meaningful undertaking and we are honoured to have Professor Hsien-Yung Pai’s leadership in this project. We hope to facilitate the promotion of this traditional Chinese art form to the world through academic research, collecting of related archives, and educational programmes." Kunqu Masters leads us into the World of Kunqu Exquisite Beauty: The World of Kunqu features the internationally acclaimed the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu and the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe Young people and the public of Hong Kong will enjoy free admission to a variety of classic repertoires, including The Jade Hairpin《玉簪記》, Defeat on the Huarong Pass《華容道》, The Western Chamber《西廂記》, Farewell to the Mother: from The Iron Crown《鐵冠圖‧别母》, At the Lenke Mountain《爛柯山》, The Palace of Eternal Life《長生殿》, Winning the Beauty Queen《占花魁》, The Ghost King Marries Off His Sister《鍾馗嫁妹》, Gazing toward the Homeland《望鄉》, Escape of the Little Monk《下山》and Conquest of Demons《請神降妖》. To deepen understanding of the exquisite beauty of Kunqu by young people and the public, The University of Hong Kong is partnering with various tertiary institutions, including the City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Baptist University and Lingnan University to organise six demonstration talks on a wide range of themes, including The Jade Hairpin《玉簪記》, The Story of the Beauty Queen《花魁記》, At the Lenke Mountain《爛柯山》, The Western Chamber《西廂記》and The Palace of Eternal Life《長生殿》. The talks will be hosted by Professor Hsien-Yung Pai, Xing Yiyun 幸意雲, Dr. Si Tou Sau-ieng 司徒秀英，Gu Zhaoshen古兆申, and various prominent Kunqu artists, directors and experts will be guest speakers. They are Yue Meiti 岳美緹, Weng Guosheng翁國生, Zhang Jiqing張繼青, Yao Jikun姚繼焜, Wang Shiyu 汪世瑜, Liang Guyin梁谷音, Cai Zhengren蔡正仁, Zhang Jingxian 張靜嫻, Zheng Peikai鄭培凱, Professor Hua Wei華瑋教授and Zhang Lizhen張麗真. Don’t miss this precious opportunity and unprecedented grand occasion. For more information, please refer to the poster or visit www.hku.hk/kunqu。 About The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation With deep roots in Chinese culture, the Robert H. N. Ho Foundation was founded in 2005 with a mission to foster and support Chinese arts and culture, in particular cross-cultural understanding between China and the world. Since its inauguration, the Foundation has taken an active role in supporting numerous arts and cultural programs internationally. In 2007, it supported Britain Meets the World: 1714–1830, an international partnership between the British Museum and the Palace Museum in Beijing. In early 2008, the Foundation partnered with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York to present Cai Guo Qiang: I Want to Believe, realizing the museum’s first-ever solo retrospective of a contemporary Chinese artist. In June 2008, the Foundation sponsored the exhibition Power & Glory: Court Arts of China’s Ming Dynasty, the first-ever cooperative effort among the Asian Art Museum, the Palace Museum Beijing, the Shanghai Museum and the Nanjing Municipal Museum. The exhibition features over 240 artifacts, bringing to life not only the artistic achievement of the Ming Dynasty, but also dialogues between museums in China and the U.S. In its home base, the Foundation develops arts education programmes and other initiatives that fulfill the cultural needs of Hong Kong society. It designs and operates Through Our Eyes, a creative arts programme that brings a fresh approach to the arts to young people. Through Our Eyes focuses on helping young people find and express their authentic voices through photography and creative writing. It is currently an extra-curricular programme in schools and has served more than 1,000 students from 200 schools in southern China and Hong Kong. Students explore issues of identity, family, community, cultural heritage and the environment. Students are also provided opportunities to interact with international artists visiting Hong Kong through the Foundation’s effort in crossing over with other local arts events. Convinced that Buddhist philosophy can create an important path for personal and societal transformation, the Foundation supports programmes that provide a variety of view and tools to apply Buddhist insights to everyday life. It also supports programmes that explore the relationship between Buddhist philosophy and the arts - it collaborates with the Honolulu Academy of Arts in a multi-year project that aims to preserve, document and present the living Vajrayana Buddhist culture of Bhutan. The exhibition, The Dragon’s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan, began in early 2008 and will tour until 2010, embracing such destinations as the Rubin Museum in New York, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the Museum of East Asian Art, and the Museum Rietberg Zürich. The project will continue to provide conservation training for Bhutanese monks, create a video archive for Cham ritual dance, and develop a database on Bhutanese arts in museum collections worldwide. The Foundation hopes to inspire other efforts to preserve and revitalize traditional arts and culture. To learn more about the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, please visit its official website at www.rhfamilyfoundation.org
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Co-released by the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation and The University of Hong Kong. For media enquiries, please contact:
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