A Hong Kong Ring cycle? Klaus Heymann, the founding Director of Naxos Records, admits he was far from convinced when the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra asked if he’d record their concert performances of Wagner’s monumental tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen.
The opening night of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s Götterdämmerung. Photo © Ka Lam
The German-born entrepreneur who moved to Hong Kong in 1967 and founded Naxos there in 1987, has had a close relationship with the Philharmonic for decades. He was invited to join its board in 1973 when it was still an amateur orchestra, and became Chairman of the Fund-Raising Committee and Honorary General Manager. Within a year, the orchestra had transformed into a full-time professional outfit. Heymann even met his wife, Japanese violinist Takako Nishizaki, through the Philharmonic when she played as a soloist in its inaugural professional season. So, he was invested. But...
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