Hong Kong Jury
- October 24, 2025
- Posted by: admin
- Category:
Hong Kong Jury
- October 24, 2025
- Posted by: admin
- Category:
Distinguished Jury
Semi-final
For Strings
Hong Kong-born young Violinist Brian Kwan Yeung Choi, has become the first Hong Kong representative to ever participate in the 14th Edition Chinese National Golden Bell Violin Competition in 2023. Brian has won numerous international competitions, including the winner of the Musicus Society‘s Young Artist Audition program in 2018, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition First Prize in 2017, the New York International Artists Association (NYIAA) First Prize in 2017, the Third Prize in the Boston Pops Concerto Competition in 2017, Third prize in the Bales Violin Competition in 2015, and the Hong Kong Young Musician of the Year First Prize in 2006. Brian has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the Musicus Society. Brian is currently an avid violin soloist, chamber musician as well as Concertmaster of the Hong Kong String Orchestra, Guest Concertmaster of the In-heritage Philharmonic, Associate Concertmaster of the Opera Hong Kong.
Brian started learning the violin at the age of six. Brian entered the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) at the age of eight as a preparatory student under the tutelage of violinist Leung Kin Fung, and he obtained the Certificate of Music at HKAPA at the age of seventeen. He recently completed a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree at the New England Conservatory (NEC) in Boston, where he studied with violin masters Paul Biss, and pedagogue Donald Weilerstein. He has participated in several international competitions, including as a semi-finalist in the Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition in 2017, the 11th Wieniawski International Violin Competition for Young Violinists, as well as the 6th Tchaikovsky International Youth Violin Competition.
He has frequently performed as a soloist and in chamber music concerts. He often collaborates with famous musicians, including famous cellist Trey Lee, Hong Kong Pianist Colleen Lee, Rachael Cheung, Vanessa Wong, KaJeng Wong, and Hong Kong Violist Born Lau. In 2021, he has invited by the famous cellist Trey Lee to perform Vivaldi Double Concerto with him at the Hong Kong City Hall at the “ Musicus International Festival”. In the same year, he performed Vivaldi’s Winter from “The Four Seasons” Concerto with the famous pianist Colleen Lee at the Hong Kong City Hall. He has been repeatedly invited by the Music Society to perform for Mr. Tung Chee-hwa, the former Chief Executive of Hong Kong. In Jan of 2022, he was invited by the Hong Kong Orchestra to perform the Sibelius Violin Concerto at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. In 2019, he was invited to perform with the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra as a soloist and was highly praised by Maestro Fu. In 2017 he performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto as a soloist with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic Orchestra, and the festival Paesaggi Musicali Toscani as a guest artist in the same year performed a recital in Italy with the legendary pianist Bruno Canino in late August and made his debut recital in Carnegie Hall as the winner of the NYIAA in September 2017.
Brian has extensive chamber music experience, studying with renowned artists including Joel Krosnick, Laurie Smukler, Katherine Murdock, Mai Motobuchi, Yeesun Kim, Roger Tapping, Donald Weilerstein. He has also performed in masterclasses including for members of the American String Quartet, Pacifica String Quartet, Juilliard String Quartet, Emerson String Quartet, Parker String Quartet. He attended the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival summer of 2016 and 2017 and was part of the Aspen Summer Music Festival Center for Advanced Quartet Studies, Juilliard String Quartet Seminar with the Ceres Quartet 2018.
Brian is currently an avid violin soloist, chamber musician as well as Concertmaster of the Hong Kong String Orchestra, Guest Concertmaster of the In-heritage Philharmonic, Associate Concertmaster of the Opera Hong Kong.
Born in Hong Kong, Chris Choi Shu-lun began studying violin at the age of six and viola at 17 under the tutelage of Wang Jiayang and Ivan Chan at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where he completed his Master of Music Degree with full scholarships.
First Prize winner of the Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld 1st International String Competition (Chamber Music Division). Chris has performed extensively across Asia and Europe in venues such as the Royal Academy of Music, the West Dean College, the Wells Cathedral, the Central Conservatory of Music, the Shantou University, the Harvard Club of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong City Hall; and in music festivals such as the Pacific Music Festival (Japan), the Chilingirian’s Chamber Music Festival (U.K.), Musicus Fest (Hong Kong) and Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival. He also participated in the New York String Orchestra Seminar at the Carnegie Hall in New York, as well as toured with the Asian Youth Orchestra as
Assistant Principal Viola. Other performances included Walton’s Viola Concerto and Forsyth’s Viola Concerto with the Academy Symphony Orchestra, as well as solo performances at the ABRSM Prize Ceremony Presentation 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Chris has received numerous scholarships including the Y. S. Liu Foundation Scholarships, the SAR Philharmonic Scholarships, the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Scholarships for Outstanding Merit and the ABRSM Scholarships. He also participated in masterclasses and private lessons with Yuri Bashmet, Roger Benedict and Choong-Jin Chang. He joined the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra from 2018-2023.
Chris is now a violin and violin tutor at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts for the Junior Music Programme, as well as a chamber music coach at EdUHK.
Johnny is a conductor and violist born and raised in Hong Kong. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the Eastman School of Music in New York, and the John J. Cali School of Music. He studied under George Taylor, Richard O’Neill, and Li Honggang, a member of the Shanghai Quartet. He holds a Bachelor of Music, a Master of Music, and a Performer’s Certificate.
After returning to Hong Kong, he served as Assistant Music Director and Resident Conductor of the Hong Kong Children’s Symphony Orchestra, as well as Resident Conductor of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Orchestra and Guest Conductor of the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra.
Johnny is currently the conductor of the Diocesan Girls’ Junior School String Orchestra and has led the orchestra to win first place at the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival for two consecutive years. He also serves as a chamber music coach at Diocesan Boys’ School and an instrumental instructor at Diocesan Boys’ School Primary Division. Johnny has collaborated closely with local musicians, including renowned pianists Rachel Cheung and Richard Clayderman, pop artists Hins Cheung, Terence Lam, Priscilla Chan, Panther Chan, Hacken Lee, Kay Tse, Keung To, Grasshopper, Jan Lamb, Albert Au, Jade Kwan, Becky Lee and Kimman Wong, and the local band Supper Moment.
Ms Fang Xiaomu has been the Co-Principal Cellist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra since 2008. Xiaomu has enjoyed working with some of the world’s leading conductors, including Jaap van Zweden, Edo de Waart, Christoph Eschenbach, Paavo Järvi, Lorin Maazel, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Leonard Slatkin, Charles Dutoit, and David Zinman. She has also worked with top soloists, including Yo-Yo Ma, Maxim Vengerov, Evgeny Kissin, Lang Lang, Ray Chen, Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Sumi Jo, and Renée Fleming. Xiaomu has toured with different orchestras in many countries, including Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Croatia, the US, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, and Japan.
Ms Fang has been presented as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under the Baton of Maestro Jaap van Zweden, the China Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra, as well as the USC Symphony under the baton of Maestro Sergiu Comissiona. Ms Fang has been invited to give solo recitals repeatedly at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center in New York.
Ms Fang graduated from The Juilliard School on full scholarship, studying with the legendary cello master Harvey Shapiro. She was the Principal Cellist of both The Juilliard Symphony and The Juilliard Opera Orchestra. Ms Fang has won 13 first prizes in the United States and international competitions, including the prestigious Artists International Presentation’s Solo Competition, the American String Teachers’ Association Solo Competition, and the Five Towns Music String Competition in New York. An active chamber musician, she has performed frequently at the Lincoln Center in New York, Hong Kong, and Mainland China with her piano trio and string quartet. The New York State Assembly of the United States awarded Ms Fang the “Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Culture Award” for her extraordinary talent and contribution to the music world. She was the first Asian musician to receive this award.
Ms Fang has been invited to be a cello jury member in numerous international competitions, including the Schoenfeld International String Competition, the Concours International de Musique de Versailles France Compétition, the Premia International Competition, the Hong Kong International Music Festival Competition, the Hong Kong Music Talent Award Competition, the Belt and Road International Talent Show Competition, as well as the Hong Kong International Music & Arts Festival Competition.
In addition to her full-time role with the HK Phil, Xiaomu is also a sought-after teacher. She has been invited to give masterclasses in Hong Kong, the US, and Mainland China, including HK Phil’s “Keys to Music Education Programme” and the Montecito International Music Festival in the US. Ms Fang has been appointed the Artist Teacher of the Department of Music at Hong Kong Baptist University since 2011. Her students have won numerous awards in competitions in Hong Kong and internationally. Her students have been accepted to The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, and professional music schools in the UK and Germany.
Fang Xiaomu plays a fine c. 1870 Luigi Fabris cello kindly loaned to her by the Stretton Society through the HK Phil String Instruments Circle.
Korean cellist Park Si-won won the Artist International Competition in 1997 and made her Carnegie Hall début as recipient of the Special Presentation Award. She studied at The Juilliard and graduated from the Manhattan School of Music, and has appeared as soloist in Korea, USA and Hong Kong. She is a member of Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Bauhinia Piano Trio, and a faculty member of HKAPA.
For Piano
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. Recently, Ms. Kim received the 2020 Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award from the South Korean Government for her dedication and contribution to Korean classical music abroad and enhancement of the reputation of Korea.
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.
Taiwan-born pianist Evelyn Chang has been an active performer in Asia since moving to Hong Kong in 2009. She enjoys collaborations with composers and artists across the world. Evelyn has been invited several times to perform at the International Hong Kong Chamber Music Festival, Bear’s Premiere Festival and Hong Kong Arts Festival.
She spent eighteen years in London where she studied and performed regularly as a soloist and chamber musician, appearing at the Buckingham Palace, South Bank Centre, Wigmore Hall and many other venues in the UK and Europe. She premiered new works and also made numerous recordings including ‘Mahakali’- an improvisatory album with saxophonist Paul Dunmall, a recital album with violist Maxim Rysanov and a debut solo album ‘Poets from the East’ for Avie Records featuring miniatures by Desyatnikov, Ma Shui-Long and Tabakova.
Graduated from The Purcell School of Music and Royal College of Music, her teachers included Valéria Szervénszky, Graham Fitch, Andrej Esterhézy, Irina Zaritskaya and Andrew Ball.
Recently Evelyn began writing music. Her debut composition Fantasies for Children – a set of 20 miniatures based on animal themes for piano solo is published by Universal Edition. They are music memos of the story & play times with her children.
She is a Steinway Artist.
Young Steinway Artist Kiu Tung Poon appeared as recitalist and collaborative pianist on concert stages in the US, UK, France, Germany, Portugal, Vienna, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, and Mainland China. International music festival appearances include Tanglewood and Aspen in the US, Konzerthaus in Austria, St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, Great Wall in Beijing, and Le French May in Hong Kong. As an advocate of new music, she was privileged to work with today’s foremost American and Chinese composers and has given numerous lecture-recitals and performances in the US, Asia, and Europe on Chinese-Western syncretism. Her rendition on Chinese and American contemporary compositions as well as Ravel’s piano works was described as “lyrical and emotionally nuanced… displayed lyricism and virtuosity” (Woodstock Times). Her playing with violinist Patrick Yim on their latest Naxos release on American living composers was noted as “lively and authoritative” (American Record Guide), “effective presence (Strad), “fresh, adventurous, and beguiling”, and “beautifully crafted and extremely sensitive” (Fanfare). Her world première of Mark Morris/Samuel Barber’s Excursions with Mark Morris Dance Group in the Tanglewood Music Festival received enthusiastic review by critics writing for The New York Times and Boston Phoenix. Her solo album “One Piano, Two Cultures: Early Piano Works by Contemporary Chinese Composers” will be released this Spring by Naxos’ Grand Piano.
Graduated from the Indiana University Bloomington and the University of Texas at Austin with a DMA in Piano Performance, her principal mentors were Cheng Wai, Jean-Louis Haguenauer, Gabriel Kwok, and Anton Nel. She also worked with Michel Béroff, Claude Frank, Jean-François Heisser, John O’Conor, Garrick Ohlsson, John Perry, and Manahem Pressler during summers. She currently teaches at her alma mater The Chinese University of Hong Kong as a Senior Lecturer in performance and serves as the performance stream coordinator in the Department of Music.
Final
For Strings
Internationally acclaimed violinist Timothy Chooi (pronounced “Chewy”) is celebrated for his passionate interpretations, emotional depth, and dynamic stage presence. Praised for “dazzling the audience with a combination of flawless technique and heartfelt expression” (El Informador, Guadalajara), he has appeared with leading orchestras and at prestigious venues worldwide. Beyond the concert stage, Chooi is recognized as a cultural leader, committed to expanding access to classical music through education, outreach, and digital platforms that have reached millions of viewers worldwide. His artistry reflects the traditional roots of Asia, the elegance of European training, and the openness of his North American upbringing—embodying the voice of a 21st-century violinist.
A laureate of some of the world’s most distinguished competitions, Chooi won First Prize at the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition in Hannover, Second Prize at the Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition in Brussels, and the Yves Paternot Prize from Switzerland’s Verbier Festival. His career has been supported and mentored by luminaries including Pinchas Zukerman and Anne-Sophie Mutter, whose encouragement has helped shape his path as one of today’s leading violinists.
Chooi has collaborated with renowned conductors including Gianandrea Noseda, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Michele Mariotti, Xian Zhang, and Pinchas Zukerman. His orchestral partners include the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Belgian National Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Wiener Concert-Verein, and Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
He made his solo concerto debut at age 16 with l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM), launching a career that has since taken him to Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, London’s Royal Albert Hall, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
The 2025–26 season marks a significant milestone in Chooi’s career, highlighted by his debuts with the NHK Symphony Orchestra and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, as well as a major European tour with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra across Munich, Innsbruck, Paris, Antwerp, Eindhoven, Linz, and Prague. Other highlights include Hong Kong’s Generation Next Arts Festival; concerto engagements with the Calgary Philharmonic and other North American orchestras; and his appointment as Artistic Partner of Wiener Concert-Verein for the 2025–26 season, including a concert at the Musikverein Wien and performances in France. Festival appearances include the Verbier Festival, Toronto Summer Music Festival, and recitals in Vancouver, Brussels, Antwerp, Tokyo, Seoul, Ottawa, and New York City.
Chooi’s artistry is widely broadcast and recorded, including collaborations with Anne-Sophie Mutter and Mutter’s Virtuosi for Deutsche Grammophon, Medici TV features, and appearances on NPO Radio Klassiek (Amsterdam), WQXR (New York), RTBF (Belgium), Swiss Public Radio, CBC Radio Canada, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, and Danish Public Radio.
Born in Canada to Chinese-Indonesian parents, Chooi is now Professor of Violin at the University of Ottawa (Canada), where he received the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research Award in 2025. His work emphasizes research in violin performance and classical music as a cultural connector, community engagement, accessibility, and nurturing the future of the violin as a mentor and teacher.
Timothy Chooi performs on the legendary 1714 “Dolphin” Stradivarius, once played by the legendary Jascha Heifetz, generously loaned by the Nippon Music Foundation. He also plays the 1741 “Titan” Guarneri del Gesù (Canimex Group, Drummondville, Québec) and a 1761 Landolfi violin (University of Ottawa).
Hong Kong-native Andrew Ling is a concert violist and violinist, conductor, and music educator. Currently Principal Violist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil), Andrew has garnered acclaim for his orchestral playing and solo recitals worldwide. His appearances as concert soloist have included the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, and the China Film Orchestra.
A versatile and an all-round musician, Andrew has brought his musicianship to conducting engagements with the HK Phil, the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra, Kunming Nie Er Symphony Orchestra and Finland’s Seinäjoki City Orchestra and Kuopio Symphony Orchestra. Handpicked to conduct the HK Phil in rehearsal for Christoph Eschenbach and the late Lorin Maazel, he has worked alongside some of the world’s foremost conductors, including Jaap van Zweden, Edo de Waart, Jun Märkl, and Leonard Slatkin. Ling was the finalist of the Besançon International Conducting Competition 2017.
Andrew’s journey with music began at six, where he studied violin with the late Professor Lin Yaoji at the Central Conservatory of music, Beijing. He went on to pursue Violin Performance at Indiana University under Henryk Kowalski, Mauricio Fuks, Alan de Veritch and the late Ik-hwan Bae, and was a protégé of Cho-Liang Lin at Rice University.
A successful musician and a much sought-after art educator, upon his return to Hong Kong, Andrew remains active in the classical music scene. He is often seen playing solo, chamber and conducting. After returning to Hong Kong, Andrew continued his career as a concert musician and conductor. He has played with many renowned musicians including Yu-Ja Wang, Cho-Liang Lin, Jaime Laredo, Ning Feng, Michael Guttman and The Shanghai Quartet etc.
Outside the concert hall, Andrew is passionate about cultivating the next generation of musicians. He holds teaching positions at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University and Hong Kong Chinese University, and has also served as director of The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Orchestral Fellowship Scheme.
Andrew is the recipient of Certificate of Commendation from Secretary of Home Affairs of Hong Kong in 2012.
Andrew plays on a violin and viola made by Gaetano Sgarabotto.
Hong Kong Canadian violinist Anders Hui is a passionate concert violinist, chamber musician, orchestra executive and music educator. Currently the Second Associate Concertmaster of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Anders Hui first joined the orchestra in 2010. Anders was invited by Christoph Eschenbach to be the Assistant Concertmaster for the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival Orchestra, performing with soloist Lang Lang in a month-long 23-concert tour across North America. He was first chosen by Eschenbach as Assistant Concertmaster in 2007 and became Concermaster the following year. In this position he did tours around Hungary, Denmark, Brazil, and extensively in Germany. With this orchestra he also had the opportunity to work with other world-renowned conductors including Herbert Blomstedt, Mikhail Pletnev, Christopher Hogwood, and Ivan Fischer.
An active chamber musician, Anders has worked with many world-renowned musicians such as Cho-Liang Lin, Janos Starker, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Alex Kerr, Yuval Gotlibovich, James Campbell, and Andre Watts. In 2018, he toured with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Quartet to Shanghai and Beijing, and the highlight of the tour was a highly acclaimed performance in the Beijing Music Festival in collaboration with Andreas Ottensamer and the Shanghai Quartet., During that tour, he also gave masterclasses in the Shanghai Orchestra Academy.
In 2020, Anders was invited to be the Orchestra Executive of Opera Hong Kong, where he coordinated and founded the Opera Hong Kong Orchestra, and performed as Guest Concertmaster in productions such as Carmen, The Marriage of Figaro, Don Pasquale, I Capuleti e I Montecchi, and L’Eslisir D’Amore. All of them received critical acclaims.
Anders is also a dedicated educator. He was first appointed as one of a few Violin Associate Instructors at Indiana University, and he is currently an adjunct faculty member at the Music Department of Hong Kong Baptist University. Along with teaching orchestral repertoire classes and chamber music, he has been invited to hold multiple month-long intense summer orchestral repertoire workshops. He also holds a position in Hong Kong University of Science and Technology teaching chamber music. and he was recently been invited to hold masterclasses and workshops for the orchestra at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He has been invited to many competitions in Hong Kong as a member of the violin jury throughout the years. He has also been invited to the 2022 Singapore Raffles International Music Festival as a Violin Jury member, and there he will conduct open masterclasses for the winning participants of that year.
Anders won his first major competition in Canada – Canadian Music Competition – when he was 17, and then went to the US where he received his Masters’ and Bachelor degrees in Indiana University Jacob school of Music under the supervision of Mauricio Fuks and Nelli Shkolnikova. Whilst at Indiana University, he won the Brahms Violin Concerto Competition and performed with the IU Philharmonic Orchestra. In America, he was the Assistant Concertmaster and Interim Concertmaster for Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra, as well as Guest Concertmaster in Carmel (IN) Symphony Orchestra. He was also Tutti Violin of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. Before returning to Hong Kong and joining the HK Phil, he undertook further studies in Germany with Michael Vogler and Kolja Blacher, professors at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin.
Anders performs on a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin made in 1855.
Richard Bamping has been Principal Cellist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra since 1993. He has performed with many of the finest musicians of recent history – Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Leonidas Kavakos, Mstislav Rostropovich, Carlo Maria Giulini, 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.
Bamping’s chair is sponsored by C. C. Chiu Memorial Fund.
A native of Hong Kong, Letty Poon is a sought-after cellist for various solo, chamber, and orchestral performances. Her performance engagements have taken her to the Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Italy, France, Spain, and Austria for Pacific Music Festival, Carinthian Festival, Prades Music Festival and Zell an der Pram chamber music festival as such, in addition to her regular concert appearances in Hong Kong.
Poon co-founded the Hong Kong International Cello Association and the Cellistra, a cello ensemble with professional cellists, in 2004 to promote cello music and cello playing in Hong Kong. In 2018, she founded the Pacific Cello Orchestra to provide professional training for young cellists aged 18 or below in the summer holidays.
For Piano
Gabriel Kwok was born in Hong Kong and studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Guy Jonson and later with Louis Kentner in London. He had been Head of Keyboard Studies at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts from 1989 till April 2025. A Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London, he is Visiting Professor at the Shenzhen Arts School, Xian Conservatory of Music, Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Wuhan Conservatory of Music and China Conservatory of Music in China. He has served on the faculty of the Cliburn Piano Institute (USA), International Institute for Young Musicians (USA), Colburn Academy Festival (USA), Art of the Piano (USA), Chetham’s International Piano Summer School (UK), Music Fest Perugia (Italy), Coimbra World Piano Meeting (Portugal), Beijing International Music Festival and Academy (China), Beijing International Piano Festival (China), Guangzhou Piano Masterclasses (China), Shanghai International Piano Festival (China), Singapore International Piano Institute, Asia International Piano Academy and Festival (Korea), Kyungsung International Piano Academy (Korea) and Tel-Hai International Piano Master Classes (Israel).
He has given masterclasses at the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing), Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Royal Academy of Music (London), Royal College of Music (London), Royal Northern College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Hannover Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Rotterdam Conservatorium, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Queensland Conservatorium of Music, University of Auckland, University of British Columbia, Carnegie Mellon University, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music, University of Iowa, University of Kansas, Northwestern University, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Peabody Institute, Roosevelt University, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Temple University, Texas Christian University, University of Washington and The Yale School of Music as well as classes in Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Korea.
Gabriel Kwok has been a jury member of many international competitions including the Rome, Vianna da Motta, Gina Bachauer, Hong Kong, China, Hilton Head, Minnesota Piano-e, Darmstadt Chopin, Rio de Janerio BNDES, James Mottram, China Shenzhen Piano Concerto, Geneva and Bayreuth-Weimar Liszt International Piano Competitions.
He has collaborated with many distinguished artists in concerts, among whom were Pierre Amoyal, Alexander Ballie, Siegfried Behrend, Alan Civil, Eugene Fodor, Lu Siqing, Albert Markov, Yuri Mazurkevich, Clarence Myerscough, Roberta Peters, Qian Zhou, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Jenny Ren, Aaron Rosand, Nathaniel Rosen, Rohan de Saram, Hansjoerg Schellenberger, Denis Shapovalov, Jeffrey Solow, Leon Spierer, Richard Stolzman, Wang Jian and Xue Wei.
In 2014, Professor Kwok was awarded Medal of Honour from the Hong Kong Government for his contribution to piano education in Hong Kong.
Professor Eleanor Wong began her musical studies in Hong Kong with Betty Drown and later as an Associated Board Scholar at the Royal Academy of Music, London with Frederic Jackson and Max Pirani. Besides winning numerous prizes and awards, Eleanor was one the few students graduated with both the Graduate Diploma (G.R.S.M), and the Recital Diploma as well as top honours: the Walter Macfarren Gold medal and Majorie Whyte Memorial Award for the most outstanding students. After winning the coveted Boise Scholarship, Eleanor studied in Paris with Vlado Perlemuter and later in New York with Artur Balsam.
Winner of silver medal at the Viotti International Competition Italy, Professor Wong broadcasted on RTHK (Hong Kong), WNYC (New York), BBC (UK), and overseas services. As a soloist she has given recitals extensively in the United Kingdom (including the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room in London) in Hong Kong and the United States, as a Piano Duo with her sister they have performed together in Hong Kong, in cities of China and in the States.
Professor Wong is recognised as one of the foremost piano pedagogues with many of her pupils winning top prizes in international piano competitions including the Chopin International Piano Competition, the Van Cliburn, the Leeds, Gina Bachauer and the Casa. Being one of the most sought-after teachers, Professor Wong frequently hosted lectures and workshops on Piano Pedagogy and has given master-classes in China, Korea, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Uruguay, South Africa, England and USA. She is also a frequent member of jury in various international piano competitions and festivals.
Presently, Eleanor Wong is Professor of Music（Keyboard）at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She is also a visiting professor at the Shenzhen School of Arts and Wuhan Music Conservatory, and an honorary professor of the Tianjin Music Conservatory. She is a Steinway Artist, Co-Director of the Hong Kong Summer Music,
Professor Wong is the Chairperson of the Piano Teachers’ Association in Hong Kong and Artistic Advisor of The Dalcroze Society of Hong Kong. She has served as Advisors for the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (ADC), Trinity Guildhall music exam (Hong Kong).
In 2008, Professor Wong was elected one of 2007 Outstanding Leaders by Singtao Daily in Hong Kong for her contributions to the musical world. In 2013 Professor Wong was awarded the Hong Kong Women of Excellence in the Six Arts for her work in field of Music by the Hong Kong Federation of Women. In 2014, Professor Wong received the Medal of Honour from the Hong Kong SAR Government, recognising her dedication and contribution to piano education and grooming of local young pianists. In 2018, Professor Wong was honoured with a Life Time Achievement Award in music education by the 5th Hong Kong International Music Festival.
Tao Chang studied piano with Sequeira Costa, hailed as the heir to the last student of Liszt. He was the first Asian to win the Vianna da Motta International Piano Competition, and the first winner of the Johann Nepomuk Hummel International Piano Competition. Chang has performed numerous solo and chamber recitals in the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, France, Austria, Hungary, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, China, Brazil, Portugal and the United States. In the fall of 1998, he played three debut recitals at Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London and at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. He has made concerto appearances with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, the Slovak Sinfonietta, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the Hong Kong Academy Symphony Orchestra, and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. Chang’s performances have been broadcast on radio and television stations across the globe. His first CD, Tao Chang in Concert, was recorded live and released under the VMF label.
In addition to a performing career, Dr Chang is a teacher of prize-winning piano students in Irvine, California. His students have been California State Champions and the United States National Competitions winners for many years. In 2017 and 2019, two of his students won the Young Artist Guild (YAG) for piano, the highest honour for any Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) Certificate of Merit student.
He has given masterclasses regularly and has been on the Judge Panel for MTAC in California for many years. He had also served on the Associate Faculty at Irvine Valley College, as well as the Artist / Teacher at the International Institute for Young Musicians Academy. He had been on the Piano faculty at Azusa Pacific University in Los Angeles from 2006 to 2019.
Currently, he serves as Senior Lecturer (Keyboard) at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
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. Recently, Ms. Kim received the 2020 Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award from the South Korean Government for her dedication and contribution to Korean classical music abroad and enhancement of the reputation of Korea.
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.