Hong Kong is a major cultural hub, regularly visited by the most renowned performers from all over the world and with an equally broad range of local cultures and talent. The Cosmopolis Festival aims to introduce audiences to music from a cross section of cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, representing traditions such as Indian classical music, Indonesian gamelan, Filipino jazz, Chinese orchestral repertoire, chamber music, as well as avant-garde, experimental, and multimedia works.
Organized by the School of Humanities and Social Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in collaboration with the Shaw Auditorium, the festival is designed to include new commissioned works and performances by prominent local musicians alongside distinguished international guests. Concerts are paired with talks, workshops, and masterclasses, serving an educational role within HKUST’s music program but open to the broader public.
As we gear up for Cosmopolis Festival 2025 in November, we are excited to present a number of off-season events throughout the 2024/25 season. These include an exclusive Hong Kong appearance by the world-renowned pianist and composer Olli Mustonen (Finland), featuring Mustonen's work Eight Inventions in an Asian premiere and first public performance by the composer; virtual-reality based music-making by JUNK!VR (Hong Kong); jazz from South Africa and Eswatini with the Tlale Makhene Quartet; and the pride of the city, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in its full line-up, conducted by Ken Lam and featuring viola soloist Roberto Díaz (United States), in a concert of music by Strauss and Liszt alongside works by HKUST composers Bright Sheng and Timothy Page. All events are free and open to the public and paired with talks, workshops, and masterclasses.
Stand by for an announcement of our next full festival season!
Cosmopolis Festival Co-Artistic Directors
Ilari Kaila — Composer-in-Residence; Senior Lecturer, HUMA
Timothy Page — Composer, Sound Engineer; Lecturer, HUMA
Festival Artistic Advisory Panel
Mercedes Dujunco — Ethnomusicologist; Senior Lecturer, HUMA
Kung Chi-shing — Head of Contemporary Performance, West Kowloon Cultural District
Timothy Tsukamoto — Director of Artistic Planning, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Andrea Fessler — Founder and Executive Director, Premiere Performances
Anna Kwong — Program Director, Center for the Arts; Senior Lecturer, HUMA
Isaac Droscha — Vocal Artist; Senior Lecturer, HUMA
Galison Lau — Composer; Instructional Assistant, HUMA
Anish Mishra — Instructional Assistant, HUMA
Festival Production Team
Jenny Lim — Officer, DHSS
Galison Lau — Composer; Instructional Assistant, HUMA
Rod Yu — Pianist; Instructional Assistant, HUMA
Alvin Tam — Composer; Instructional Assistant, HUMA
Ilari Kaila — Composer-in-Residence; Senior Lecturer, HUMA
Timothy Page — Composer, Sound Engineer; Lecturer, HUMA
Special Thanks To:
Shaw Auditorium Program Committee
Shaw Auditorium Unit Staff
Contact
Email: cosmopolis@ust.hk
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