Festival Artists

Yeol Eum Son’s graceful and timeless interpretations, crystalline touch and versatile, thrilling performances have caught the attention of audiences worldwide. Praised for her widely eclectic concerti repertoire, ranging from Bach and all-Mozart to Shchedrin and Gershwin, her recent concerto highlights include appearances with the Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Dresdner Philharmoniker, The Tonkunstler Orchestra at the Grafenegg Festival and Bergen Philharmonic (Dmitrij Kitajenko and Pablo González); a debut Paris date with Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (Mikko Franck); Swiss concerto debut with Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Susanna Mälkki and Jonathan Nott) amongst many others.

A distinguished Mozart interpreter, across the 17/18 season Yeol Eum made major UK debuts with the CBSO in Birmingham (Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 21 with Omer Meir Wellber) and at London’s Cadogan Hall with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (Mozart’s Piano Concerti No’s 8 & 21). Her London debut coincided with Onyx CD release of a highly acclaimed all-Mozart recording featuring Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.21 with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields under Sir Neville Marriner for whom it was the very last recording. According to The Times Yeol Eum Son is a model of clarity and fleetness whilst Gramophone called the recording an uncommonly fine debut.

Strengthening her UK presence, in the 18/19 season Yeol Eum makes her BBC Prom debut with the BBC Philharmonic under the baton of Omer Meir Wellber interpreting Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 15. Most recently Yeol Eum also made her debut at King’s Place with Aurora Orchestra (Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 21 with Nicholas Collon) and appeared at the Wigmore Hall for a chamber collaboration with the cellist Natalie Klein. In the 19/20 Yeol Eum makes her debut with Liverpool Philharmonic (Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with Andrew Manze) and tours the UK with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra (Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the left hand with Yan Pascal Tortelier).

Further recent and future distinguished concerti appearances include collaborations with Moscow Virtuosi (Mozart Piano Concerti No’s 13 & 21 with Vladimir Spivakov); St. Petersburg Philharmonic (Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the left hand with Alexander Dimitriev); Budapest Festival Orchestra (Rachmaninov No. 2 with Dmitrij Kitajenko); Singapore and West Australian Symphony Orchestras (Mozart’s Piano Concerti No’s 27 & 21 with Vasily Petrenko) and WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne interpreting Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 arranged for Piano and String Quintet.

A sensitive, emotional and powerful pianist, Yeol Eum gives frequent solo and chamber music performances across the globe. Most recent recitals include debuts with San Francisco Chamber Music Society, The Phillips Collection in Washington DC, Helsingborg Piano Festival, International Piano Series in Switzerland, Welsh debut at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Scottish recital debut at the East Neuk Festival for which The Scotsman presides Yeol Eum for having found that vital emotional connection with the music and physically embracing its raw energy and dynamic extremes with ferocious virtuosity. Further significant recital debuts include appearances in Luzerne (KKL Saal), Istanbul (Istanbul Recitalleri), Porto (Casa da Música), Moscow (House of Music) and Belgrade (Kolarac Concert Hall).

Yeol Eum’s new releases include two DECCA albums: recital CD Modern Times- featuring solo piano music written between 1910-1920 by Berg, Prokofiev, Stravinsky and Ravel, and Schumann and Brahms CD with violinist Clara-Jumi Kang. Previous albums include debut CD of complete Chopin Etudes (2004); Chopin Nocturnes for Piano and Strings (2008); prize-winning Cliburn Competition live performance (2009) and a multi-channel SACD O’ New World Music (2012).

In 2018, Yeol Eum was appointed Artistic Director of PyeongChang Music Festival & School in her native Korea where she is responsible for programming both summer and winter festivals at the Olympic site in PyeongChang. Yeol Eum is Honorary Ambassador of the Seoul Arts Center and her home city of Wonju. A double Second Prize winner at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 2011 and at the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009, Yeol Eum Son was a student of Arie Vardi at the Hochschule für Musik Theater und Medien Hannover in Germany, where she now lives. She holds a degree from the Korean National University of Arts.

Thomas Beijer (1988) is a young pianist and composer praised for his excellent technique and artistic integrity. A clear and profound musical insight is evident in his performances and compositions.

Born and based in The Netherlands, Thomas Beijer enrolled at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, where he studied with Jan Wijn. He took masterclasses with Jorge Luis Prats, Emanuel Ax, Menahem Pressler, Murray Perahia, Pascal Devoyon, Jacques Rouvier and Elza Kolodin. Thomas Beijer concluded his Master’s study in 2011 by graduating with the Highest Distinction.

By winning the prestigious Young Pianist Foundation National Piano Competition in 2007, Thomas Beijer positioned himself at the top of a new generation of pianists in The Netherlands. The international jury characterized Beijer as a ‘ very interesting musical personality, with distinctive ideas about music. A true artist ‘.

From the age of ten Thomas Beijer performed recitals in Europe and Asia. As a soloist he played piano concertos by among others Mozart, Beethoven, Grieg, Brahms, Franck, Ravel, Gershwin and Adams, with orchestras such as The Hague Philharmonic Orchestra, The Brabants Philharmonic, Amsterdam Sinfonietta and the Netherlands Student Orchestra. He worked with conductors like Neeme Järvi, Nicholas Milton, Ed Spanjaard and Bas Wiegers.

His repertoire ranges from seventeenth-century music to contemporary compositions. Thomas has a special affinity with Spanish music; works by Albéniz, Granados and De Falla are often part of his recital programmes.

Thomas Beijer is a multitalented musician. Besides his performances as a concert pianist he is also a composer and a passionate chamber musician.Thomas is a member of the Amsterdam Chamber Soloists and a regular guest of Camerata Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Thomas Beijer’s debut CD with compositions by Johannes Brahms was released in 2008. In 2012 he presented his second CD with works by Rachmaninoff. Thomas was signed by Lyrone Records in 2013 which resulted in the release of Canción y Danza and the preparations for his fourth CD. His recordings are available in over 40 countries worldwide. Thomas receives support from a trust provided by the Young Pianist Foundation.

An internationally acclaimed pianist, educator and ambassador for the arts, Michelle Kim has performed in concert halls throughout the US, Europe and Asia including performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Caramoor, New Jersey Performing Art Center, Sejong Cultural Center, Hong Kong Cultural Center, LACMA and Chicago Cultural Center, among others. She has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras across the world including the New Jersey Symphony, the Brevard Music Festival Orchestra, the Seoul Philharmonic, the Xiamen Philharmonic, the Bergen Philharmonic, Bangor Symphony, Ridgefield Symphony, Reading Symphony, Brooklyn Symphony, the Orchestra del Teatro Massimo di Catania, and many others. Her performances have been televised in the US, Europe and South Korea and broadcast on radio stations throughout the US and abroad.

An advocate for young artists and disadvantaged youth, Michelle is motivated by a profound belief in music’s power to transform lives. In 2009, she founded Hong Kong Generation Next Arts (HKGNA), a Hong Kong Charity dedicated to nurturing artistic excellence and personal success in young artists and changing lives through music. In 2011, she was awarded ‘a Hong Kong & Shenzhen Lifestyle Award’ by the Southern Metropolis Daily for being an ambassador for culture and performing arts and promoting youth development in Hong Kong. Featured as one of the “Inspiring Women of Hong Kong” in the October 2013 Anniversary Issue of Marie Claire, she has performed numerous concerts to raise money for Hong Kong Charities including performances with violinist Lu Siqing at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and “Concert of Power” with renowned evangelist and motivational speaker, Nick Vujicic. Michelle was invited to speak at TEDxWanchai and shared a talk “Finding the True Gift of Music.” She was also invited by Humanitarian Affairs, UK, in partnership with the Hong Kong Government to speak at the 6th University Scholars Leadership Symposium, which was attended by over 700 student leaders representing 69 different countries.

Born in Seoul Korea, Ms. Kim began her musical training at age four. At age ten, she gave her orchestral debut with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. She went on to graduate from The Juilliard School earning both a Bachelors and Masters of Music. She was also the recipient of the prestigious Arthur Rubinstein Award and garnered top prizes in numerous international competitions. Ms. Kim makes her home in New York and Hong Kong with her husband Thomas and son Max.

Recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award 1978, Ms. Nancy Loo is one of Hong Kong’s most versatile artists. She currently teaches piano at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is often invited to host music talks and masterclasses, and to serve as a juror for piano competitions.
Loo attended the Juilliard School on scholarship, where she studied with Adele Marcus. After graduating with a Master’s degree, she studied with Vlado Perlemuter in Paris and Guido Agosti in Italy. She was First Prize winner at the Fourth Rina Sala Gallo International Competition in Monza, and has won awards in many other international competitions, including the Marguerite Long International Competition in Paris.
As a pianist, Loo has given solo recitals and performed with orchestras in England, Europe, North America and Asia. Locally, she has appeared in the Hong Kong Arts Festival and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta.

Catherine Cho is recognized for her remarkable virtuosity, combining technical mastery of her instrument with an extraordinary and distinctive musicality. Praised by The New York Times for her “sublime tone”, she has appeared worldwide as soloist with many orchestras and chamber ensembles as well as in recital. Her repertoire ranges from the traditional works by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms to those of Bartók, Korngold and Berg, in addition to music of our time.

Catherine Cho’s orchestral engagements have included appearances with the Detroit, Montreal, and Washington DC’s National Symphony orchestras, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, the Edmonton Symphony, the Korean Broadcasting Symphony, the symphony orchestras of Barcelona, Haifa, and New Zealand, the Het Gelders Orkest in Holland, the Orchestra of the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, and the Aspen Chamber Symphony performing with distinguished conductors such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Robert Spano, Sixten Ehrling, Hugh Wolff, and Franz-Paul Decker. A regular guest on tour with “Musicians from Marlboro”, Ms. Cho has also been a frequent participant in their summer Music Festival in Vermont since 1993.

She has performed as special guest soloist with the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center for two ballets by renowned choreographer Peter Martins including the New York premiere of his ballet Viva Verdi. Her concert performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, with the Buffalo Philharmonic under the baton of Jo-Ann Falletta, was taped live and broadcast nationwide on National Public Television in January 2002. In broadcasts heard around the world, Catherine Cho has appeared on such stations as Radio Frankfurt (Germany), CBC (Canada), WQXR (New York City), and National Public Radio. Her performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the Korean Chamber Ensemble was recorded live and released on Credia Classics.

As a recitalist and chamber musician, Catherine Cho has performed on the prestigious stages of Alice Tully Hall with the Chamber Music Society at New York’s Lincoln Center, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Casals Hall in Tokyo, the Seoul Arts Center, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of Boston, and on Ravinia’s “Rising Stars” series in Chicago. She has performed the complete cycle of Violin Sonatas by Beethoven at HOAM Art Hall in Seoul, Korea with pianist, Mia Chung, and a recital of five Beethoven Sonatas at the Rockport Chamber Music Festival. Ms. Cho has appeared at the Aspen, Marlboro, Bridgehampton, Eastern Shore, Santa Fe, and Skaneateles Festivals as well as at Bargemusic and Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, OR. She has collaborated with such renowned artists as Richard Stoltzman, Andras Schiff, Anton Kuerti, Mitsuko Uchida; the members from the Guarneri, Orion and Juilliard String Quartets, and the Beaux-Arts Trio. She has been invited for several summers to teach at Mark O’Connor’s String Conference in San Diego where she has collaborated with Mark O’Connor and Natalie MacMaster. Ms. Cho was a member of the Johannes String Quartet from 2003 to 2006, and is a founding member of the chamber ensemble, La Fenice.

Among her various awards, scholarships, and achievements, Ms. Cho was a recipient of both the 1995 Avery Fisher Career Grant and, Korea’s 1995 World Leaders of Tomorrow Award as presented by the Korea Central Daily News in recognition of outstanding achievement and commendable leadership in the Arts. She was the recipient of the 1994 Sony ES Award for Musical Excellence; a top prize winner at the 1991 Hannover International Violin Competition, the 1989 Queen Elizabeth Music Competition of Belgium, the 1987 Montreal International Music Competition. In 1995 Catherine Cho served on the jury of the Montreal International Violin Competition. In 1996 she was selected for the Janet and Avery Fisher Music Residency Program at Goucher College. Ms. Cho holds a Masters Degree from The Juilliard School where she studied with Dorothy DeLay and Hyo Kang, and coached chamber music with Felix Galimir. Her former teachers include Ruggiero Ricci, Franco Gulli, and Michael Avsharian. Ms. Cho is a faculty member of The Juilliard School, and has taught at the Heifetz Institute, Killington Music Festival, Seoul Music Festival, Starling-DeLay Symposium, Perlman Music Program, Great Mountains Music School and Festival, and coached chamber music at the New York String Seminar.

Devoted to the cause of promoting peace through music, Catherine Cho was VP of the Board of Musicians For Harmony for several years, and is an artist member of Music For Food, a musician led initiative to fight hunger in our local communities.

Korean violinist, Rami Yoo, is a graduate of Peabody Conservatory of Music (Master of Music), and Yonsei University. She performed as the member of Korean Symphony Orchestra, Festival Orchestra of Seoul Arts Center, and KT Chamber Orchestra. Ms.Yoo also performed in numerous solo recitals including at the Seoul Arts Center, Youngsan Art Hall, Sejong Chamber Hall, and LA Korea Center. She participated and performed in the Asia-Pacific United Orchestra Europe tour in 2012 and Vienna Music festival.

Ms. Yoo was a violin faculty at the Yonsei University, Yewon School of music and Seoul Arts Center Music Academy for young artists in Korea.

Jeremy Williams is currently Music Director at Yew Chung Education Foundation.

Jeremy began his career as a violinist with the London Symphony Orchestra. He was a member of the Delme Quartet and Nash Ensemble, playing regularly with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the London Sinfonietta.

As violinist with the York Trio and violist with the Beethoven String Trio of London, he featured regularly on BBC broadcasts and made numerous recordings. Concert tours have taken him to major festivals all over the world including Edinburgh, Salzburg, Prague, Hong Kong and venues ranging from the Wigmore Hall, London, Sydney Opera House to the Forbidden City, Beijing.

In 1998 Jeremy was appointed Principal Viola with the Hong Kong Philharmonic and taught at the HK Academy for Performing Arts.Jeremy became a member of the Australian String Quartet in 2003 and in 2009 was appointed Lecturer in Chamber Music and Director of Strings at the University of Tasmania.

In 2015 Jeremy relocated to Hong Kong and in 2016 formed Hong Kong Camerata Strings, an ensemble for talented young string players.

Jeremy studied violin at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London with Yfrah Neaman and David Takeno.

Matthew Chan is one of today’s foremost young pianists. Matthew graduated with a Master of Music in Piano Performance (Mmus) with distinction honours and an Artist Diploma at the Royal College of Music. He studied under Professor Dina Parakhina, the prestigious Russian piano professor(Keyboard) at the Royal College of Music.  He has obtained Fellowship of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (the highest diploma level granted by the ABRSM) in Piano Performing and Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music in Instrumental/ Vocal Teaching.

Matthew has won numerous prizes in international competitions, including first runner-up in the 73rd Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition (Hong Kong, Macau) Class Group E, first runner-up in the 2014 Kyungsung International Piano Competition in South Korea, second prize winner, Hopkinson Gold Medal in the United Kingdom to name a few. Matthew has made appearances in important international concerts in Europe and Asia.

Cameron Zeluck was born and raised in Hong Kong to a Jewish-American father and a Taiwanese mother. He began playing piano at the age of three, and has been playing ever since. He attended Chinese International School, where he led the CIS Jazz Band, and was a featured performer at numerous CIS outings. At CIS, he was exposed to HKGNA and became a fellow in Year 13. Cameron had three concerts in high school, the first at City Hall, the second at CIS (raising HK$17,000 for Kids4Kids in HK), and the third post-graduation at the Hong Kong Country Club.

He attended Princeton University, and graduated in 2018 with Honours in Economics. At Princeton, during his Sophomore year, he held one private concert focusing on 20th century music. During Cameron’s senior year, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He continued with school while commuting to New York for chemotherapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre. After reaching remission in April 2018, the cancer returned in July, and Cameron underwent more treatment. He received an autologous stem cell transplant in October 2018, and is now once again in remission. Cameron will begin working at Oliver Wyman in New York in January 2020.

Cheung Man Ting Grace has an innate musical talent and was first introduced to the piano at the age of three. In 2011, Grace studied Piano with renowned pianist Ms Eva Lue and later was admitted to the Pre-Junior Music Programme of Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). At the age of eight, Grace gained a Distinction in the ABRSM Piano Grade 8 and ATCL Recital Piano with Distinction recently. Now, Grace is taking the Junior Music Programme and studying with Professor Eleanor Wong in HKAPA.

Grace has garnered a host of awards and competition prizes, including 1st Place in Children Class C and in Piano Solo of Chinese Composers (Junior) of Chopin Memorial Prize of 2013 Hong Kong International Piano Open Competition, 79th  Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition (Hong Kong & Macau Regional Competition) – 1st Prize (Amateur Class Group A)，1st Place in Open Group & Advanced Group of 2019 Purcell International Competition (Hong Kong Division), to name a few . She was also our  HKGNA Music Competition 2016 Junior Piano Division 1st Prize winner.

Grace is currently studying at Diocesans Girls’ School and being the Pianist of Junior Mixed Choir.

Lee Shing has a strong pursuit of classical music performance and he sees Beethoven, the classical musician as his role model. He is always hoping that his experience can inspire young people nowadays, enhance their morale, empower and help them to foster proper values towards life. Lee Shing was sponsored by the “Artists with Disability Development Fund” to further his study in music through musical exchange in Salzburg and Vienna respectively. In recent years, Lee Shing has studied piano under the mentorship of renowned pianist, Ms Michelle Kim. Lee Shing was also invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Lee Shing has actively participated in various performances and collaborated with different orchestra such as Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Generation Next Arts and Royal Academy of Music HK Alumni Association.

Charlotte Jane Woo, 11, is a student at St. Paul’s Convent School, Primary Section. She was introduced to the violin at a very young age, and when she was four years old, she joined the Junior Music Program of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Charlotte is a student of Professor Ivan Chan. She has also attended the Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg and this past summer, she participated in the Heifetz Program for the Exceptionally Gifted in Staunton, Virginia where she was also awarded a scholarship.

Charlotte is no stranger to the stage. After passing the ABRSM Grade 8 examination with high distinction at the age of eight, she was invited to perform at the High Achievers’ Concert in the same year. In the summer of 2018, she was invited by renowned conductor Wilson Ng to perform as a soloist with the Gustav Mahler Orchestra at two charity concerts. Her other solo appearances in the past included the Symphonic Cordiality Orchestra, the China Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Metropolitan Pop Orchestra.

She is a frequent prize-winner at the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, including the second prize of the Violin Concerto under 19 years old category won at the age of 10. Her recent awards include first prizes at the North International Music Competition, the Hong Kong International Concerto and Ensemble Competition, and the Italy-Hong Kong International Music Competition. Charlotte is a prize-winner of the 2016 HKGNA competition and is thrilled to be part of the Festival again.

Hong Kong Camerata Strings was formed in 2016 as a string chamber ensemble for talented young musicians. They have appeared on RTHK Radio 4, TVB, and have performed with illustrious stars such as violinist Rachel Barton Pine and pianist Mary Wu to great acclaim. They have worked with cellist Richard Bamping, violinist Pavlo Beznosiuk, violinist Leo Philips and the renowned violin professor David Takeno from London.

The accomplished members of Hong Kong Camerata Strings have been selected from many different Hong Kong schools, showing the depth of flair and musical ability to be found in young people in Hong Kong.