Stars & Friends Concert

Born in Guilin, China, Jing Wang began playing the violin at the age of three; he made his first public appearance three years later in Marseille, France, and his concerto debut aged nine with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, Canada. Subsequent engagements have taken him across North America and Europe and include concerto appearances with the Czech Radio Philharmonic, Moscow State Symphony, Montreal Symphony and Metropolitan Orchestra of Montreal. Jing Wang has given solo recitals and chamber music performances at prestigious venues including the National Arts Center in Ottawa and throughout Canada where his performances are frequently broadcast on CBC Radio-Canada.

Jing Wang has been the recipient of numerous competition prizes including the Irving M. Klein International Competition (First Prize – 2007), Concertino Praga (First Prize – 2000), Montreal Symphony Competition (First Prize – 1998) and the Canadian Music Competition (First Prize – 1997). In addition, he was awarded the “Young Soloist of the Year” (2003) by Les Radios Francophones Publiques, a broadcast network of four countries including France, Canada, Switzerland, and Belgium. This award sponsored the release of his first CD album including works by Beethoven, Ravel, and Gershwin.

Resident in Dallas from the 2010/11 concert season Jing Wang held the position of Concertmaster for the Dallas Opera for three years. Active on the Dallas music scene he co-founded Ensemble75 – a chamber music series featuring young Texas Artists at the Steinway Hall, Dallas. Other commitments included Concertmaster for the Dallas Chamber Symphony, Guest Concertmaster for the Kansas City and the San Antonio Symphony Orchestras as well as Fort Worth Opera and regular invitations to play with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Jing Wang studied at the Juilliard School as a Joseph Fuchs Scholar and completed post-graduate studies at the Shepherd School of Music (Rice University). He studied violin and chamber music as well as participating in masterclasses held by Zakar Bron, Zvi Zeitlin, and Pinchas Zukerman. Jing Wang took up the position of Concertmaster with the HK Phil in September 2013 at the invitation of Maestro Jaap van Zweden. He plays a 1700 violin by Giovanni Tononi on loan from the Canada Council for Arts Rare Strings International Collection.

Richard Bamping has been the Principal Cellist of the HK Phil since 1993. He has performed with many of the finest musicians of recent history—Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Leonidas Kavakos, Mstislav Rostropovich, Carlo Maria Guilini, Valery Gergiev, Leonard Bernstein, Lorin Maazel, Sir Colin Davis and Claudio Abbado, to name but a few.
Bamping has performed many of the staples of the solo cello repertoire with orchestras from Europe to the Far East. He has a great passion for playing chamber music with friends and colleagues whenever he gets the chance.
Bamping’s cello, dated 1674 was made in Cremona by Andrea Guarneri and is one of only nine surviving examples of his work.

International award-winning pianist Liyan He’s major teachers include Gabriel Kwok (The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts), Chengzong Yin, Zhe Tang(Shanghai Conservatory of Music) and Jintian Kang(Shenzhen Arts School).
Hailed as the Young Talent from the Far East for his concert in Israel, Liyan has Performed at Carnegie Hall, Peking University, the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Festival, Pianofest in the Hamptons, Beijing International Music Festival, and Academy, and HKGNA Music Festival. He has performed concertos with Xiamen Philharmonic, Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Tak Ming Philharmonic, and HKAPA Symphony Orchestra under the batons of Song Gao, Wing-heng Pak, Colin Touchin, and Alan Cumberland. In the past 2017-2018 season, Liyan performed in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Wuhan, Changsha, Yinchuan, Shantou in China, Trossingen in Germany and Singapore. Liyan also working with Harmonica player Gordon Lee and Flutist Nancy Wong as an ensemble called Encore Trio, released their first album in the early 2018.

Annalise is an 11-year-old student at Hong Kong International School. A student of world-renowned harpist, Ms Dan Yu, Annalise made her solo debut on the harp at Carnegie Hall in November this year. She recently won the 2nd Prize at the International Golden Classical Awards Competition 2017. Annalise has also represented Hong Kong in the elite Harp Symphony Ensemble at the World Harp Congress 2017, and her performances with them have been featured in the South China Morning Post and Radio Television Hong Kong (Radio 4). She has had the privilege to participate in masterclasses and lessons with some of the greatest harpists and harp teachers in the world such as Milda Agazarian, Jana Bouskova, Katerina Englichova, Elizabeth Hainen, Deborah Henson-Conant, Isabelle Moretti, Park Stickney and Moya Wright.

An ardent supporter of local charities such as Hong Kong Arts with the Disabled Association, and Kids Against Poverty, Annalise has been a seasoned public performer at their events in major concert venues on both piano and harp since she was 7 years old. Annalise was one of the youngest guest artists at the HKGNA Music Festival 2014, where she performed with her older sister, Elanna, another multi-instrumentalist who is now a member of the prestigious Hong Kong Camerata Strings.

Apart from music performance, Annalise is also a composer and an award-winning writer. Last year, she won the Most Promising Writer Award for in the Kids4Kids “Writing for a Cause” Competition 2016 and was spotlighted by Kids4Kids in an interview in their Annual Review

10-year old Jinan Woo, is a year 6 student at the ESF Kennedy School. A student of Rami Yoo and Euna Kim, Jinan has played the violin since the age of three. She began playing the violin in the Suzuki program and later was admitted to the Junior Music Program in the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts at the age 4 after she had moved to Hong Kong from South Korea.

Jinan always enjoys performing her music so that she could win several international competitions
including the first class honors in Youth division at the Osaka International Music Competition(2013), the first place in the Hong Kong Students Open Music Festival(2014), Korean Spring-Autumn Music Competition(2015), American Protégé Concerto Competition(2015), Singapore Raffles International Music Competition(2015), and the 1st Prize Winner in the HKGNA Music Competition 2016 and Hong Kong International Violin Competition(2017). She was also taught by many classes with renowned violinists, Miheala Martin, Koichiro Harada, Ladu Blidar and Yura Lee. She joined Tianwa Yang’s masterclass sponsored by Lin Yao Ji Foundaion in 2016. Now, she was accepted to participate in Zhuhai Mozart Music Competition for Young Musicians through the competitive DVD selection process.

She appeared as a soloist in numerous concert events including the winner’s performance at the
Carnegie Weill Hall and National University of Singapore, public concerts at Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Gala concert in Thailand Suzuki Music Conference and Korean Suzuki Music Festivals. In 2016, She joined the Classic Fever Concert for children playing solo pieces and ensembles with Hong Kong musicians, Ho Hong-Ying, Kitty Cheung and Doris Lee and participated in “Pyeong Chang Music Festival and School” which is directed by Kyungwha Chung in Korea performing Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto no.2. Recently, she was awarded 1 st place by all juries’ unanimous decision playing Wieniawski’s Polonaise No.1 and Paganini Violin Concerto No.1, 1 st movement.

As an active chamber musician for her young age, she played J.Haydn’s piano trio “Gypsy” in G major as a violinist in Trio Camellia at the recital hall of Hong Kong City Hall. The news of the concert was appeared on Mingbao daily in June, 2017. The trio played the piece and interviewed for Nancy Loo’s program and broadcasted RTHK Radio 4 in July.
Jinan has an upcoming debut concert in December as a prodigy concert series sponsored by Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation.

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 Eight Examination. 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. In 2011, she was awarded Champion of the Children Group C of German Irmler Competition in China. In 2013, she won 1st place in Grade Four of Graded Piano Solo and 1st Place in Piano Solo of Chinese Composers (Junior) at the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. She also won 1st Prize in Junior Class A of Professional Category of the 2nd Japan-Hong Kong International Music Competition and Children Class C and in Piano Solo of Chinese Composers (Junior) of Chopin Memorial Prize of 2013 Hong Kong International Piano Open Competition. In 2014, she won Gold Award in “Age Group 6 – 8” of Gifted Pianist Contest and 1st Place in ABRSM Piano Grade 7 Class of Liszt Memorial Prize of 2014 Hong Kong International Piano Open Competition. In 2015, she won 1st Place in Grade Six of Graded Piano Solo and the Piano Solo of Chinese Composers (Intermediate)at Hong Kong Music Festival as well as she received ABRSM Piano Grade 8 Music Exam – Distinction. She also won The 79th Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition (Hong Kong & Macau Regional Competition) – 1st Prize (Amateur Class Group A). In 2016, Grace won 1st place in Grade Seven of Graded Piano Solo. She won the 1st Prize in HKGNA Music Competition 2016.

Grace is currently studying at Maryknoll Convent School (Primary Section).

Lee Hin started learning piano when he was 11 and attained LTCL Performance Diplomas from the Trinity College London and Grade 8 in singing from ABRSM.He was awarded the Most Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award of “Cross All Borders: A Mini Festival Showcasing New Performing Artists with Disabilities”. Apart from the local performances, he also had the opportunities to exchange with overseas artists in the 2010 International VSA Festival in Washington D.C. and “The 8th International Abilympics (Seoul)”.
The loss of eyesight due to congenital retinitis pigmentosa brings inconvenience to his practice, but does not defeat his enthusiasm for arts and continuous music learning.

Lee Shing experienced serious vision impairment due to congenital retinitis pigmentosa. Despite his gradual worsening eyesight, Lee Shing continued with a strong pursuit of piano music. He obtained the ACTL Performance Diploma provided by the Trinity Guildhall with an outstanding grade.
He gave his first solo piano recital in 2009. He performed with musicians from the Royal Academy of Music HK Alumni Association in St. John Cathedral for “Musical Bridge – A Charity Concert for the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong”.
He was awarded both The Most Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award and The Most Outstanding Performer Award at “Cross All Borders: Hong Kong Festival Showcasing New Performing Artists with Disabilities 2011”.
Lee Shing also participates in various international exchange events. In 2015, he was invited to perform as HKGNA/ADA Musical Angel in “HKGNA Young Virtuoso Concert 2015” at Carnegie Hall in New York City.