Stars & Friends Concert

Elanna Mak 14 years old and studying at Hong Kong International School. This year, she won First Prize at the American Protégé International Strings Competition on Solo Viola and made her Carnegie Hall debut in June 2018. Elanna was also the Principal Violist of the Asian Middle Schools Honor Orchestra 2018 and Principal Violist of the prize-winning Hong Kong International School Middle School Strings Orchestra.

A gifted multi-instrumentalist, Elanna was one of the youngest invited guests at the Hong Kong Generation Next Arts Festival 2014 (playing piano) and Musicus Society Festival 2017 (playing violin and viola). She has performed on stage with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Mantua Chamber Orchestra and played at some of the most prestigious concert venues in Asia, including the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong City Hall. She has been invited to perform with the world-renowned Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra on violin in January 2019.

Elanna has had the privilege of participating in masterclasses and lessons with Dong Suk Kang, David Takeno, Pavlo Beznosiuk, Michael Ma, Klaus Manfrini, Gian Paolo Peloso, Felix Ungar and Jeremy Williams. Elanna is also an active chamber musician and soloist with the elite Hong Kong Camerata Strings, playing both violin and viola. An ardent supporter of several charities, she hopes to use her talents to serve her community locally and globally.

Wong Sze Yuen has won top prizes in many prestigious competitions including First Prize in the 17th International Chopin Piano Competition in Asia, the Asian Youth Music Competition and the International Competition Hamburg Composers – ICoM Piano Award in Germany. He also won Second Prize in the Korea International Competition for Young Pianists and Grand Prize in the 2016 HKGNA Music Competition. He was invited to perform in the Paris Salle Cortot Hall, Shanghai Concert Hall and as soloist with the Hong Kong Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra.
Wong Sze Yuen graduated the junior division at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) and is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s degree at HKAPA under the tutelage of Professor Gabriel Kwok with full scholarship.

Wong Sze Yuen made his New York debut at Carnegie Hall 2017 as Grand Prize Winner in the 2016 HKGNA Music Competition.

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.

Born in Heilongjiang, China, Ethen Yang started learning erhu when he was twelve. Losing his eyesight due to sickness did not deter him from pursuing his interests in music. He had been taught by two renowned mainland China artists, Aping Li and Bolin Gan.

After migrated to Hong Kong in 2014, Ethen has worked with different musicians and organizations, local and overseas, such as Asian Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic and represent Hong Kong to perform in the 9th International Abilympics in Bordeaux, France in 2016. He was awarded Gold Medal in The 5th and 6th International Chinese Instrumental Competition (Erhu Category), and The Most Outstanding Performer Award (Children and Youth) in “Cross All Borders: Hong Kong Festival Showcasing New Performing Artists with Disabilities 2015”. Ethen is supported by the Lee Hysan Foundation.

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.

Mr. Patrick Yeung, general manager of Cathay Pacific, Taiwan and Korea has a longtime passion for classical music and philanthropy. Mr. Yeung started his singing journey as a member of the St. Paul’s Co-Educational College choir under the baton of Mr Jimmy Chan. Mr. Yeung has performed as a soloist in numerous charitable/fundraising concerts in Hong Kong and has helped raised money for many charities including Medecins Sand Frontieres Hong Kong, Arts with Disabled Association, LifeLine Express, and Opera Prima Society to name a few. Mr. Yeung has performed with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and Opera Hong Kong. He has performed extensively in Asia and US, including Beijing, Singapore, Taiwan, Manila, Shanghai and New York’s Carnegie Weill Recital Hall. Mr. Yeung has been studying Bel Canto singing with world renowned professor NI Cheng Feng since the late 90’s.

A native of Hong Kong, Andrew Ling is currently the Principal Violist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He has performed solo performances with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra to critical acclaim. In the past, he had assumed the role of concertmaster at the IU Concert Orchestra, the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra, and the principal violist of the IU Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ling had recently conducted the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra educational project in rehearsal for the late Maestro Lorin Maazel. He also conducted the Seinäjoki symphony orchestra and Kuopio Symphony Orchestra in Finland. He is also the guest conductor for Hong Kong Baptist University symphony orchestra. He has worked with maestros including Jaap van Zweden, Edo de Wart, Leonard Slatkin, Lorin Maazel, to name a few.

Ling began studying the violin at the age of six under the tutelage of the late Professor Lin Yaoji of the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing. As a child, he toured around the world as a violin soloist with the Hong Kong Yip’s Children’s Choir, He has also collaborated with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and the China Film Philharmonic Orchestra, and has given recitals in Hong Kong, the North America and Europe.

Ling is an active chamber musician, having performed with Cho-Liang Lin, Jaime Laredo, the Shanghai String Quartet and has been invited as a guest artist at the Chamber Residency of Banff Centre in Canada and the Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival.

A dedicated music educator, Ling has directed The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Orchestral Fellowship Scheme as well as been invited to teach at the NTSO Youth Music Camp in Taiwan. He is currently an adjunct faculty member of the Hong Kong Baptist University and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

Ling completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at the Indiana University, and have studied at Rice University in Houston. He has had a broad musical education having studied with Henryk Kowalski, Ik-Hwan Bae, Alan de Veritch and Cho-Liang Lin.