The singer will debut her symphonic music with the city’s biggest orchestra and stage a boozy immersive concert this month
With her Best Supporting Actress win at the 2023 Hong Kong Film Awards in April for her role in Table for Six, there has been very little time for Cantopop singer Ivana Wong to rest. In fact, right after the HKFA ceremony, she’d hurried home to prepare for what she calls “a major personal milestone”: the debut of her symphonic composition and her first immersive concert—both of which will be taking place this month.
First up will be The Missing Something concert on May 12 at at City Hall with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPhil), for which Wong will also perform on the piano. And then starting from May 18, Wong’s The Pink Canvas concert will be staged in Freespace at West Kowloon. Blending together visual and performance arts and cocktail service, it will be an intimate and immersive artistic experience where the audience can walk around and enjoy the live music performance whilst sipping on cocktails.
Recently, Tatler caught up with Wong to talk about her win and the ambitious plans she has for the future.
Congratulations on winning Best Supporting Actress this year! How do you feel?
[On the night] I was very relaxed because I didn’t expect to win this category. I thought my nomination for Best Original Film Song stood a higher chance. I’m grateful for the award, but I’d also like to congratulate the other nominees in this category. Including [my friends] Patra Au Ga-man, for her role in The Narrow Road, and Lin Min-chen, my co-star in Table for Six. I have been a fan of Patra’s stage productions for a long time and Min-chen, of course, has a special place in my heart. I’m so happy to be nominated together with them.
At this point in your career, do you consider yourself a singer, an actress or a visual artist?
I’m learning all sorts of [artistic] expressions, and when I feel I’m ready, I apply them to my performances. I don’t really separate my artforms into categories. My main focus is how I can use my creativity to [say] what I want to say.
That said, there are times when people will put me into categories. In 2015, when I received Best Supporting Actress for my role in Golden Chicken SSS, some of my music fans left comments [on my social media] saying they [are going to] unfollow me because I took on a film role. I’ve been reflecting on this for many years, but I believe there’s no right or wrong in the way they categorise me. But I won’t limit myself from learning different artforms because only then can I discover my full potential and interests. I want to keep being well-rounded and comprehensive in my practices so I can come up with art that offers a fuller experience that tell my stories.