Patrick Ren Appointed Deputy Chief Executive of The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
26 AUG 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Dennis Wu
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Emily Hui
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[26 August 2025, Hong Kong] The Hong Kong Philharmonic Society is delighted to announce the appointment of Patrick Ren as its Deputy Chief Executive, effective October 2025.
Mr Ren is now Chief Executive Officer of China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) Orchestra. He joined NCPA in 2008 as its Executive Programming Director until 2016. From 2012, he became the Chief Executive Officer of the NCPA Orchestra. In 2018, he helped establish the Tianjin Juilliard School, where he served as Chief Public Affairs Officer.
After 17 years of his service at the NCPA, as a highly respected cultural and arts administrator, Mr Ren is widely viewed as an enthusiastic, visionary and deeply-trusted collaborator in the eyes of many musicians, orchestras, presenters, management companies and industrial partners both at home and internationally. As the NCPA’s Executive Programming Director, he spent his time working together with renowned artists, ensembles and management companies from around the world, making significant contributions to the presentation and operation of its music programmes, and playing an essential role in many of the Centre’s influential international exchange projects. In his role as the CEO of the NCPA Orchestra, he successfully grows the orchestra, only created 15 years ago, into an icon of the China’s new generation of professional symphony orchestra, achieving remarkable accomplishments in artistic planning, institutional reform, international tours, and recording projects, establishing itself as a leading professional orchestra in China that has also earned international acclaim.
During the preparatory period of the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing from 2004 to 2008, Mr Ren worked in the Games’ Department of Culture and Ceremonies, served in several roles including the Deputy Chief of Cultural Olympiad, where he was closely involved with the planning and execution process of the Olympic Cultural Festival, Olympic Music and Songs Competition, Media Operation of the Olympic Village etc. and gained extensive experience in the planning, execution and marketing of large-scale international events. By working together with influential composers, singers, producers and record companies, he also spearheaded the music creation, production, and recording distribution for the Beijing Olympics, leaving a timeless cultural legacy of renowned musical works. He also developed expertise in government operations, cultural policy assessment, and managing international cultural exchange initiatives during his tenure at China’s Ministry of Culture.
Mr Ren graduated from Shandong University in 1998 as a B.S. of Information Management. In 2011, as a Chevening Scholar sponsored by the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, he studied at the University of Warwick and graduated in 2012 as a M.A. of Creative & Media Enterprises.
David Cogman, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the HK Phil, said: “We are very delighted to have Patrick join us as Deputy CE. Patrick is a very experienced and successful manager with an excellent network in Mainland China and internationally, a deep understanding and passion for music, and a very strong track record building up the China NCPA orchestra. He is highly regarded by his many friends in the HK Phil, and we are very excited that he will be part of the orchestra’s next chapter.”
Bernhard Fleischer, Chief Executive Designate of the HK Phil, said: “I am excited that Patrick has decided to join our team. With his help to lead and with the determination of our staff, there is practically no limit of what we will be able to accomplish for this wonderful orchestra and its world-class musicians.”
Mr Ren stated: “As a beacon where the West and East meet and work together, Hong Kong has fostered in the HK Phil a vision that is uniquely global and culturally inclusive. I am deeply honoured to be entrusted with the role of Deputy CE, and, together with Mr Bernhard Fleischer, I look forward to working together closely with the Board, the management team, and HK Phil’s wonderful musicians. I firmly believe that the HK Phil—endowed with exceptional artistic prowess, rich multicultural roots, and a broad global perspective—will, through its renewed dedication to bridging East and West, forge a distinctive position on the world stage and usher in an exciting new chapter.”