(2025)

In 1950, Dmitri Shostakovich began composing the bold and enigmatic 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87, amidst waves of pressure from the Soviet Power. This monumental work, believed to be inspired by J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, embodies not only Shostakovich's masterful contrapuntal artistry but also the profound exploration of his complex inner turmoil. Marking the 50^th anniversary of Shostakovich's passing, pianist Hannes Minnaar presented this tour de force in a three-hour recital.

(2023)

Pianists Konstantin Lifschitz and Alexei Volodin performed Medtner's ethereal Fairy Tales, Mussorgsky's stately Pictures at an Exhibition, Stravinsky's idiosyncratic Rite of Spring, Prokofiev's picturesque 3 Pieces for Piano, two sets of 24 Preludes by Rachmaninov and Shostakovich, and more. The two internationally celebrated pianists narrated these pianistic gems over four concerts.

(2023)

Acclaimed violinist Isabelle Faust and pianist Alexander Melnikov shared "the most stimulating and fascinating accounts of the Beethoven violin sonatas" (BBC Music Magazine) with Hong Kong audiences across a captivating three-concert series. Drawing on their long-standing musical partnership, the duo delivered fresh perspectives on these works, shedding new light on Beethoven's rich palette of ideas, colours, and moods in these 10 astonishing works.

(2023–24)

British pianist Paul Lewis, lauded as "one of today's finest exponents of Schubert" by The New York Times, took us on a heart-wrenching journey across a series of 4 concerts spanning 2 years. Lewis delved into the poignant and profound sentiments woven into Schubert's keyboard masterpieces, exploring some of the most intimate and sincere facets of human emotion.

(2023)

Israeli cellist Gavriel Lipkind took the unusual step of retreating from the stage at the height of his career, returning with profound philosophical insights into music and performance. He presented Bach's six Cello Suites in two concerts, offering "a unique, creative, imaginative, rich personal artistic expression of the world of Bach and the Baroque" (cellist Uzi Wiesel).

(2021–22)

In collaboration with the Bard College Conservatory of Music, New York, and M+, Hong Kong, this creative exchange project explored the aesthetic commonality and discovered the innovative potential of Ink Art and New Music. Through lectures, mentorships, commissions, and performances, this multi-phase series connected creative, knowledgeable, and curious minds and encourages meaningful conversations and new compositions.

(2021)

Composed in a World War II camp, Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time is a testimonial of humanity's standing perseverance in the face of adversity. To mark the masterpiece's 80th anniversary, HKU MUSE presented a curated series of lectures, performance, and a newly commissioned quartet by Dr. Joshua Chan, exploring the work's enduring relevance and spiritual depth.

(2019)

Composed over three decades, Bartók's six string quartets reveal his evolution as a modernist and nationalist, blending folk influences with bold innovation. Audiences experienced the full arc of Bartók's creative journey in this rare cycle across two concerts, brought by the Wigmore Hall Medal-winning Takács String Quartet with their impeccable technical mastery and musical balance.

(2019)

Widely recognised as one of today's finest interpreters of Franz Schubert, celebrated tenor Ian Bostridge was joined by pianist Saskia Giorgini at HKU, presenting the composer's monumental song cycles, Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise. Their performances invited listeners into the heart of Schubert's poetic world, where every song resonates with emotional immediacy and depth.

(2018)

J.S. Bach's two books of The Well-Tempered Clavier, written in all 24 major and minor keys, laid the backbone of classical chromaticism and is revered as the 'Old Testament' of piano repertoires. Pianist Angela Hewitt returned to HKU to present these 48 most sophisticated preludes and fugues with her signature clarity and dexterity in two concerts.

(2017)

Regarded as the 'New Testament' of piano music, Beethoven's 32 sonatas chart his creative evolution throughout his life and stand as an artistic monument. In eight concerts at HKU, Konstantin Lifschitz offered his intelligent and distinctive approach, with live recordings released by Alpha Classics in CD and vinyl box set as a "brilliant fusion of resonance and structure" (Gramophone).