Swire Properties Presents "A Sound Commitment"; HKPO Classical Music Delight at The Village at Sanlitun

With the full support of Swire Properties, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra ("HKPO") staged a special concert "A Sound Commitment" at The Village at Sanlitun ("The Village"), the new landmark in Beijing. The splendid performance was enjoyed by the audience in The Orange, The Village's multi-function venue, as well as shoppers and visitors in the Piazza through the live telecast on the shopping centre's giant LED screen, offering a one-of-a-kind outdoor classical music concert for the general public in Beijing.

The HKPO 2009 China tour covers performances in Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai. After its performance in the National Centre for the Performing Arts, HKPO struck an unconventional note and shifted the stage to The Village, the hip development of Swire Properties, and performed a collection of specially selected classical music pieces. In addition to the live broadcast, modern drum and ice-skating performances were staged in the Piazza, offering the Beijing audience a passionate winter fiesta.

"The Village at Sanlitun is Swire Properties' the first integrated project in China. We are extremely delighted with the opportunity to present the HKPO's excellent performance to our friends in Beijing," said Gordon Ongley, Swire Properties' Chief Executive Officer - Mainland. "The Company has always been a keen supporter of arts and culture and we look forward to bringing a variety of arts and culture programmes to the PRC."

Swire Properties is committed to bringing quality cultural entertainment to the community. In Hong Kong, the Company has been involved in hundreds of arts and cultural activities annually, from exhibitions, dramas, musical performances to dances and visual arts events. In December 2008 to January 2009, the Company's Island East portfolio staged Vivienne Westwood "A Life in Fashion" Exhibition, which was well received by the public. Other activities included Chinese Dinosaur Fossil Exhibition, The Brazilian and Argentinean Festivals, Cirque du Soleil's Alegria and Saltimbanco, lunch time music concerts and the Friday Fest' jazz performances, etc.

The HKPO is one of Asia's leading orchestras. Enriching Hong Kong's cultural life for over a century, the orchestra has grown into a formidable ensemble of Chinese and international talents in the last three decades, attracting world-class artists to perform on the same stage. The HKPO annually touches the lives of 200,000 music lovers through more than 150 performances. The Swire group became its Principal Patron since in 2006, with the aims to contribute to the artistic development of HKPO and to offer exciting performances to the public.

HKPO 2009 China Tour: