“The writing is on the wall” comes from the biblical story of King Belshazzar. Will he mend his decadent ways, or will the hand of God strike him down and destroy his kingdom? Find out, in William Walton’s riveting work for huge orchestra, massed choir and bass-baritone soloist Jonathan Lemalu. Our principal flute Megan Sterling will also showcase her virtuosity through the dazzling Reinecke flute concerto.

The world’s premier theatrical ice skating company, The Imperial Ice Stars, make their debut at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre with their award-winning masterpiece Swan Lake on Ice.

To Tchaikovsky’s glorious music, the 23 Olympic, World, European and National Championship-level skaters push the boundaries of ice dance with their breathtaking high-speed leaps and throws, awe-inspiring flying sequences and lifts, and their grace and athleticism.

Sumptuous sets, spectacular fire-on-ice effects and opulent costumes all add to an unforgettable experience.

The biggest-selling magic show in Broadway history is set to dazzle Hong Kong audiences with some of the most innovative and jaw-dropping acts of illusion ever to be seen on stage.

The Illusionists has shattered box office records across the globe – from London’s West End to the Sydney Opera House to Broadway – and has mesmerized audiences in more than 200 cities in 25 countries.

The mind-blowing magic extravaganza is packed with hilarious tricks as well as astonishing and sophisticated acts of grand illusion, levitation (need to check), mind-reading, disappearance and a heart-stopping full view water escape.

Principal Guest Conductor Yu Long joins with cellist Jian Wang in Haydn’s joyous cello concerto. Then we begin a journey with Strauss’ thrilling tone poem Thus Spake Zarathustra, unforgettably used in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The HK Phil is delighted to present Beijing composer Du Wei, The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Composer-in- Residence for the 2015/16 season, and her commissioned work will receive its world premiere in these concerts.

Mussorgsky’s beloved Pictures at an Exhibition,originally written for piano and orchestrated by Ravel, crowns this programme of Russian fairy tales and folk flavours. We welcome back Hans Graf to conduct, and Russian star violinist Dmitri Makhtin.

Renowned Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato created this version of the beloved fairy tale for the Mikhailovsky Ballet in 2011 during his tenure as Artistic Director. He retains all the elegance and magic of this famous ballet, interpreted in his own style and gilded with enchanting images, humour and his trademark musicality.

Truly a grand finale to the HKAF in 2016, The Sleeping Beauty is a spectacular from one of the world’s leading companies – the Mikhailovsky is one part of the triumvirate of great Russian ballet companies along with the Bolshoi Ballet and Mariinsky Ballet. Enjoy great performances, over a hundred lavish costumes and Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score. A gorgeous treat not to be missed!

Three string quartets form the musical and dramatic spine of this red-hot fusion of extreme acrobatics and lyrical movement, choreographed with exquisite timing and detail. While circus artists balance, tumble, spin and fly in astonishing explosions of graceful physicality, four musicians – sometimes blindfolded, sometimes weaving through the moving mass of acrobats – play from memory, music filled with passion, and intensity. 

Opus explores the complex relationship between the individual and the group, the tragic and the comic; its mix of risk and athleticism a flawless match for some of the most beautiful chamber music ever written.

Popular music superstar Rufus Wainwright makes his Hong Kong debut with a symphonic, visual concert that combines his opera, Prima Donna, and a session of his best-known songs.

Blending fiction, camp and glamour, Prima Donna explores the role and nature of the Diva, and themes of power, loneliness, fear and hope. Inspired by a series of interviews with legendary soprano Maria Callas, it tells the story of a former star who loses her voice and her heart, and of her attempted comeback six years after retiring from the stage.

A reformed pirate rises to become the elected ruler of Genoa, but the daughter from his illicit love affair has been abducted and he is cursed by the child's powerful grandfather who swears enmity until she is found. Twenty five years later, a Doge of Genoa now in political turmoil, Boccanegra is surrounded by intrigue and conspirators. Fate finally brings him together with his long-lost daughter, but has the reunion come too late?

Multi-dimensional circus arts inspired by a masterpiece painted by Salvador Dalí.