Stars & Friends Concert – “In Perfect Harmony”

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.

Lee Hin is passionate about song writing and singing with self-accompaniment. He has studied piano under the mentorship of renowned pianists, Ms Nancy Loo and Ms Michelle Kim. Lee Hin was also sponsored by the “Artists with Disability Development Fund” to further study music composition and arrangement from Anthony Lun to enhance his musical attainments and share music with greater audience.

In recent years, Lee Hin has participated in many public performances and cooperated with various music maestros and groups, including Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, SAR Philharmonic, Hong Kong Generation Next Arts, theatre iStage, musician Kung Chi-shing, Wong On-yuen, pop star Hins Cheung, Phill Lam, etc. He also had the opportunities to attend music festivals and exchange with overseas artists including the “International VSA Festival” in Washington D.C. and “The 8th International Abilympics” in Seoul.

Lee Hin was the leading male character and composer of the theme song in an original, local musical named “A Story of Ups and Downs” in 2013. This aroused his interest and confidence in drama performance and pop music production. His composed works include “A Story of Ups and Downs”, “Love at Station”, theme songs of “Off Key Buddies” and “The Troubled Nursing Home” etc.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Nancy Loo is one of Hong Kong’s most versatile artists, as pianist, radio programme host, actress and writer. She was a recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award in 1978. She currently teaches piano at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and The Chinese University of Hong Kong and is often invited to host music talks and master-classes, and to serve as a juror for piano competitions.
Ms. 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 prizewinner at the Fourth Rina Sala Gallo International Competition in Monza in 1976, and has won 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 Orchestra and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. A keen promoter of contemporary music, she has participated in the annual Musicarama and the ISCM World Music Days Festival. She has also played the piano part for the soundtrack of several Hong Kong films and television series. Her recordings include a piano solo album of Christian music, Ambush and Moonlight on Spring River with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and piano works by local composers.

Formed by four current students of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Rivendell Quartet first started playing together in Fall of 2018. Original members were Jason Fung and Sammi Chan on violins, Bowie Ma on viola and Hilson Yip on cello. Recently, violinist Athena Shiu joined the Quartet and Sammi Chan has taken up the viola, replacing Bowie Ma who has graduated from HKAPA and is pursuing further studies at the Juilliard School. The quartet is coached by Associate Professor Ivan Chan.

Last June, the Rivendell Quartet was chosen to participate at the 1st Chamber Music festival held by the International Chamber Music Centre of Shanghai Conservatory of Music. There, they received coachings from Johannesburg Melissa and Tim Frederiksen, artistic director and violin tutor of the European Chamber Music Academy. In 2018, they also received coachings from the Shanghai Quartet during the annual Chamber Music Project Week at HKAPA.