The founder of Hong Kong’s chamber music festival has reached a pivotal moment that many once doubted would come: a mission finally fulfilled. Born to culture-loving parents, Andrea Fessler grew up amid art and music, yet she could not have predicted that she would become a leading advocate for chamber music in Hong Kong or that she would launch a festival for small ensembles that would grow to be a staple on the city’s classical music scene.
Fessler, who grew up in Vancouver and later earned a degree from Harvard Law School before working as a corporate lawyer, established Premiere Performances (PPHK). The organization is preparing for the 18th and final edition of its Beare’s Premiere Music Festival, which originated in 2009 as the Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival and is scheduled to take place in January.
As the festival gears up for its concluding edition, the South China Morning Post sat down with Fessler to explore the driving force behind her enduring dedication and what lies ahead for the project.
When the venture began in 2007, was Hong Kong short on chamber music offerings?
In those early days, the main venue for chamber music was the Hong Kong Arts Festival, which regularly brought in renowned ensembles such as the Emerson String Quartet and the Borodin Quartet.
Fessler recounted a moment that underscored the need for a local initiative: during a Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra concert, she witnessed a sensational up-and-coming pianist, Kirill Gerstein, performing as a last-minute substitute. Curious, she researched his background and found that his career included a notable performance with the Vancouver Recital Society (VRS), a organization she knew from childhood that had been championed by Leila Getz.
That discovery sparked a realization: someone needed to catalyze a similar, vibrant chamber music scene in Hong Kong. After recalling the positive impact the VRS had in Vancouver, Fessler felt compelled to replicate that model in her adopted city, especially given that local performances often appeared staged by individuals presenting themselves as professionals rather than true specialists.
