Swire is partnering with the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) to establish the Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra – a pioneering youth initiative to foster cultural exchange across the region. Directed by HKAPA, with the support of the Swire Group as Founding Patron, the youth orchestra aspires to be one of the finest in Asia and will aim to raise the standard of classical performance to new heights, by bringing together talented young musicians from across the Greater Bay Area for professional training, as well as offering opportunities for performance and cultural exchange. The programme will commence this autumn, with 80-100 young musicians aged between 16 and 24 years, from Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Macau.
The launch of the orchestra was jointly announced by Swire and HKAPA at a concert on 8th July to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong SAR. Guy Bradley, Chairman of John Swire & Sons (HK) Limited, said: “We are very excited by the potential offered by this new initiative to promote Hong Kong as Asia’s city of culture and creativity and we hope that through music, we can encourage the development of closer connections between young people from all parts of the Greater Bay Area.”