Year of Award
2020
Biography
World renowned Dutch conductor Mr Jaap van Zweden has been the Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) and the New York Philharmonic since 2012 and 2018 respectively. Under his leadership, the HK Phil was the first Asian orchestra to have garnered the Gramophone Orchestra of the Year award in 2019.
A violinist by training, Mr van Zweden became the first violinist of the prestigious Dutch Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra when he was just 19. He turned to conducting in his late 30s, and was the Chief Conductor of the Royal Flemish Orchestra and Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
Mr van Zweden aims to cut across the boundaries of genres and generations, demonstrating his openness to music as diverse as Lady Gaga and techno. In 1997, he established the Papageno Foundation with his wife to promote the practice and research of music therapy for autistic individuals.
Mr van Zweden has recently been awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star by the HKSAR Government for his achievements and contributions to the performing arts in Hong Kong.
Mr Jaap Van ZWEDEN, SBS 梵志登先生, SBS