Joy of firsts in HK-Austria orchestral live stream
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Cynthia Chan
Musicians from Hong Kong and Austria will livestream an intercontinental ensemble next month in an orchestral ensemble that features many firsts.
The ensemble is part of the Joy of Music Festival which runs from October 10 to 27 and is organized by the Chopin Society of Hong Kong.
The 38-member Haydn Orchestra from Austria’s Esterhazy Palace and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra cellist Richard Bamping, who will be in the SAR, will perform and connect using state-of-the-art technology to overcome time lags, sound quality and network issues.
Hong Kong audiences can watch Bamping’s live performance at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall in Central, where the Haydn Orchestra will be presented on a big screen with hi-fi settings.
The technology, which includes hardware and software facilities to provide two-way audio and video communication between Austria and Hong Kong, is of extremely high speed and quality, said the president of the Chopin Society of Hong Kong. , Andrew Freeris.
“We adopted advanced hardware and software to ensure smooth live streaming of the performance with excellent audio and video quality,” he said.
Freris said the sound, tone and texture of music being played can be delivered with the quality of an actual performance.
The technology was first used last year at the same Joy of Music festival that allowed audiences in Hong Kong and Austria to enjoy musical performances by eliminating distance and time restrictions. But viewing was limited to screens.
“The process was extremely smooth last year,” Freris said. “We keep improving our technology and this year it will be even smoother as the sound and picture quality is four times better than last year.”
Freris also added, “We solved the time lags and sound quality issues to ensure smooth streaming. We use super high-speed fiber optics, which solved the internet problem.”
The Austrian performances will take place in Eisenstadt, 42 kilometers from Vienna.
Freris said the company obtained the technology through a grant from the Hong Kong government and sponsorship from CLP Power.
“Technology, no matter how advanced it is or how well it can simulate real-time performance, can never replace live performance,” Freris said.
And it offers a solution to enjoy music by eliminating distance and time issues, he added.
The Joy of Music Festival and the Sixth Hong Kong International Piano Competition 2022 will be held from October 10 to 27, with musicians from different countries performing in Austria and presenting world-class concerts.
