"We strongly believe that art and culture are bridges to launch exchange platform of any type. We are, in this sense, looking for more and more artistic co-productions between France, Hong Kong and Chinese mainland," said Jean-Pierre Thebault, French Consul-General in Hong Kong.

"This specific attention is also a way for Le French May to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Hong Kong handover," he said.

Grown from an enthusiast idea of a group of Hong Kong and French art-lovers, Le French May is now the largest French arts festival in the Asia-Pacific Region and also one of Hong Kong's major cultural events.

And it has also run over the edges of the calendar month. This year's festival will have a jazz in April and an exhibition that will close in July.

"One of the main goals of our 15th anniversary edition is to showcase the variety and dynamism of French art scene over the country," he said, adding that the festival will bring together top quality artistic institutions and talented artists from France.

The Lille National Orchestra, directed by world-renowned Jean-Claude Csadesus, will celebrate in its own way their return to Hong Kong. This will be their second trip in ten years since Hong Kong returned to the motherland in 1997, with a program including Berlioz, Bizet and Ravel.

Directed by Paul-Emile Fourny, the opera Romeo and Juliet, based on Shakespeare's masterpiece, will be performed by international cast with magnificent sets and costumes from Opera of Nice.

The Anomaly company from Marseilles will perform their unique and creative "Anatomy-Anomaly", breaking the barriers between contemporary circus and dance, in order to provoke bodies and spirits' juggling.

The Lyon pianist Ariele Zanini will perform "French melodies from the 19th and 20th centuries with Dominique Moralez, one of today's most sought-after young tenors in the international scene.

"There is no denying that this 15th anniversary will be a turning point in the history of Le French May," the French Counsul-General said.