World-leading stringed instruments dealer J & A Beare announces a long-term sponsorship with the Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival

J & A Beare is delighted to announce that with effect from January 2019 it will begin a new long-term collaboration with the Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival. The partnership will see the name of the Festival change to the “Beare’s Premiere Music Festival”.

Launched in 2009 by Premiere Performances of Hong Kong, the Festival was first major presenter of chamber music in Hong Kong and quickly became a cultural landmark. Taking place every January, the Festival showcases world class musicians performing diverse repertoire in the city’s major concert halls and smaller boutique venues alongside a range of education and outreach programs.  Since 2012, Taiwanese-American violinist Cho-Liang Lin (Jimmy) has been the Artistic Director.  Past performers have included the Emerson Quartet, Augustin Hadelich, Lynn Harrell, Ning Feng, Gary Hoffman, Wu Han and the Jerusalem Quartet.

J & A Beare, the world’s leading dealer of fine stringed musical instruments, is in many ways the perfect partner for the Festival. The company continues today its 126-year old tradition of helping musicians find their musical voice through violins, violas and cellos crafted by master Italian and European luthiers. As part of the collaboration, J & A Beare will hold a number of exclusive events at the Festival and throughout the year, showcasing a variety of the very finest examples of stringed instruments.

Steven Smith, Joint Managing Director of J & A Beare, said: “We are very excited to be involved in this culturally sophisticated and dynamic project. The Festival enables us to connect talented artists with potential patrons and provide musicians with the finest stringed instruments. This is a wonderful collaboration, further consolidating the work of the Beare’s International Violin Society established in 2011.”

Premiere Performances was founded in 2007 by Andrea D. Fessler to bring internationally celebrated artists and the world’s brightest rising stars to Hong Kong for solo recitals, chamber music and community outreach, building a vibrant local arts scene and inspiring audience members of all ages with performances that are accessible to all.  In 2018, Ms Fessler was named one of Musical America’s “Movers & Shapers” of classical music.

Ms. Fessler said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be working with J&A Beare. It is a great privilege for a burgeoning arts organisation like Premiere Performances to be partnering with such an esteemed institution. There is a great synergy between us and I look forward to developing our collaboration in Hong Kong and beyond into China”.

The 10th edition of the Festival will take place from January 16th – 24th, 2019 at various venues around the city of Hong Kong.  Full programme details will be available in October 2018 at www.pphk.org.