23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
DBKL to host KL Orchestra Festival, bringing world-class cultural experiences
KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will host the 2025 Kuala Lumpur Orchestra Festival (FOKL) from May 31 to June 29 at selected venues across the city.
It said the annual festival aims to advance orchestral music at local and regional levels while engaging the public in inclusive, high-impact world-class cultural experiences.
"Throughout the month-long programme, the public can experience a unique blend of Western classical music and traditional local instruments, performed by local and international orchestras, celebrating the richness and diversity of Malaysia's distinct culture," it said in a statement.
Now in its second edition, FOKL 2025 goes beyond music to celebrate culture, community, and unity, reinforcing Kuala Lumpur's identity as a culturally vibrant and globally competitive city.
This year's expanded programme is presented in partnership with the Kuala Lumpur Society, with a vision to position the capital as a Southeast Asian hub for orchestral music.
In addition to orchestral performances, FOKL 2025 will host masterclasses by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, giving local musicians and educators valuable access to world-class training.
To nurture a culturally literate generation, the festival also highlights youth participation, with school students across Kuala Lumpur given the opportunity to perform on a professional stage alongside seasoned musicians.
DBKL will hold a special charity concert in support of the Malaysian Association for the Blind, as well as invite more than 60 schools in Kuala Lumpur to selected performances free of charge, expanding access to live orchestral music.
To ensure inclusivity, DBKL is partnering with the OKU GNB Welfare Association to facilitate the attendance of persons with disabilities.
FOKL will also host a regional forum on orchestra management, uniting music leaders from across Asia, including the Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras, Beijing-based critics and conductors from Bangkok, to help strengthen the regional orchestral ecosystem.
"The forum will serve as a dynamic platform for exchanging insights, addressing challenges, and sharing best practices in contemporary orchestra management, while jointly shaping strategies to advance the orchestral music industry across East and Southeast Asia."
where the full programme schedule and festival details are available.
– Bernama
