When it comes to music, engaging with the audience is everything. But it can hardly be more captivating than Hubert Yan Huichang, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for Life of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra who could lead the crowd with a wave of his hand when he encouraged them to sing along as his musicians played the famous Romance of the Condor Heroes.
With only two Chinese words --'Ho' and 'Ha', Yan invented a way to make the show feel more intimate and personal.
"It was so powerful and coordinated, it was like he was playing just for me," Hideo Takeshita, a Chinese music fan in Tokyo said off the stage as he was amazed by the orchestra's debut in Tokyo.
On the stage, musicians of HKCO were equally amazed because when they embarked on their week-long journey in Japan, they had no idea it would be such a resounding success.
The troupe of musicians, who known for their unique blend of traditional Chinese instruments and Western orchestration, wowed Japanese audiences not only with their intricate melodies and rhythms but also with their emotion and passion for music.
"This is the first time we performed in Japan as a whole team," said Yan, the conductor, adding that seeing audiences reluctant to leave the music hall even after three encores was a testament to the beauty and diversity of Chinese music.
With a hectic schedule, the HKCO presented four concerts in Japan from the north island of Hokkaido to Hyogo prefecture in the Kansai region from March 31 to April 6.
As "a leader in Chinese ethnic music" and "a cultural ambassador of Hong Kong", combined with the historical significance of Chinese music in Japan, it's no surprise that the HKCO's tour of Japan was highly anticipated by music lovers across the country.
