Within the first year since its establishment, the Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble has held many concerts and more than 20 events of various types, including pre-show talks, educational workshops, cultural exchange activities, music experience workshops, etc., with great success. The Ensemble has attracted a wide range of supporters, including professionals in music, education, and cultural sectors, who found its sounds refreshing and invigorating.

The musical projects of the Ensemble are based on the theme of Dunhuang murals: our resident composers use their imagination and interpretation of the ancient culture and mural art to create new pieces of music. The murals are rich in cultural and artistic elements, covering a wide range of themes, including Chinese traditional culture, history, art, Buddhism, design, jewelry and costume, architecture, etc. They preach kindness through depictions of Buddhisttales and classic mantras.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been supportive to the Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble. Since the founding of the Ensemble, the government has continuously provided funding and support towards various performances, notably the opening ceremony of the “Heavenly Music of Dunhuang” Exhibition and interactive performances at the Jao Tsung-I Academy at the end of May 2018, and the Special Programme for “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Digital Dunhuang – Tales of Heaven  and  Earth” exhibition starting in early July 2018, jointly organized with the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, which included the opening ceremony performance – the “Gaudeamus Dunhuang: The Heavenly Music of   Dunhuang” Concert, special seminars, and the “New Experience in Dunhuang Music” educational workshops. On 15 September, the Ensemble was able to hold a music performance in front of the famous 9-floors Big Buddha Cave No. 96 of the Mogao Grottoes, with support from the Dunhuang Academy. The Ensemble was the representative from Hong Kong to join the 3rd Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, and successfully organized the “Heavenly Music of Dunhuang” Concert with the Dunhuang Grand Theatre on 19th September. The Ensemble expresses its immense gratitude towards the full support and sponsorship of the Hong Kong Home Affairs Bureau and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department for these incredible opportunities to grow.

In June 2019, the Ensemble successfully organised its 1^st Anniversary concert at the Grand Hall of The Hong Kong University. An open rehearsal was added as a result of the concert being full. Through the use of audiovisual stereo stage setting, the concert combined new and traditional forms, and presented an immersive experience of Dunhuang music to the audience, in attempt to promote Dunhuang and Chinese cultural arts in an innovative apporach.

The Ensemble is grateful for having the great support from different parties. At the end of 2019, the Ensemble is honoured to join the 4th Maritime Silk Road International Arts Festival, the Belt and Road Initiative “Performance Week”. The Dunhuang, Resonance of Silk Road Past and Present Concert was held at Quanzhou Grand Theatre on 30^th November. With the great success of the concert, it received a high reputation and favorable criticism of Quanzhou citizen.

Soon after, the Ensemble and Quanzhou Nanyin Ensemble co-presented “Silk Road Past and Present” Exchange Concert at Quanzhou Nanyin Art Centre. Through this meaningful concert, not only to deepened the understanding of Quanzhou Nanyin as one of the intangible cultural heritages, HKGDE members were also admired the Quanzhou Nanyin Ensemble and inspired by the shown passion and determination of cultural preservation on Quanzhou Nanyin. The Ensemble will keep improve our works in the future, and looking forward to share Dunhuang music and Silk Road culture to audiences around the world.