Introduction to IC2026
Hailed by the Financial Times as a festival with a "finely hewn sense of craft," Intimacy of Creativity – The Bright Sheng Partnership: Composers Meet Performers in Hong Kong (IC) returns for another innovative season from June 2 to June 10, 2026. This year, it is presented in partnership with Accademia Stauffer (The Stauffer Academy) from Cremona, Italy, the world's premier center for string instrument making (lutherie) in the 16th to 18th centuries, through families such as the Amati, Guarneri, and Stradivari.
The Stauffer Academy was established in 1985 to preserve and promote the Italian school of string instrument making and performance, training talented young musicians from around the world.
Intimacy of Creativity explores the creative process through public, in-depth Open Discussions on the campus of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), which hosts the festival presented by the HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS). Revised compositions by 3 selected Composer Fellows, between ages 20 and 35, are formally presented at a Preview Concert on campus, and at the World Premiere Concert held at the renowned Hong Kong City Hall Theatre.
Bright Sheng (IC Founder and Artistic Director, and HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study Helmut and Anna Pao Sohmen Professor-at-Large) and Intimacy of Creativity 2026 are proud to present the Stauffer String Ensemble as IC2026's Ensemble-in-Residence, along with LI La (李拉), a vibrant, internationally celebrated, multi-prize-winning young cellist, as our Guest Artist.
Presented by
Supported by
- Dr. and Mrs. Helmut Sohmen in memory of Sir Yue-Kong Pao CBE JP
More About IC2026