2024 Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra Annual Concert “A Journey through Orchestral Music”
Music Office 45th+ Anniversary Celebration Programme “Carry the Music On” Concert Series:
2024 Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra Annual Concert
“A Journey through Orchestral Music”
14 January 2024 (Sun) 3pm
Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall
In celebration of the Music Office (MO) transcending beyond its 45-year mark, the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra (HKYSO) will jointly perform with conductors cum MO instructors and alumni Lee Sing-wan and Dr. Joseph Kam, the HKYSO Alumni Orchestra and the notable MO alumni cum local performers, Prof. Yiu Song-lam, Choy Kwok-tin, James Leung, Homer Lee and Kelvin Tsang will join hands to present a delightful programme, taking music lovers on a splendid journey through orchestral music.
Conductors cum Music Office Instructors and Alumni
Lee Sing-wan
Dr. Joseph Kam
Sponsored by
Tickets
$100 $80 $60
Available at URBTIX from 14 December
Half-price tickets are available for full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and the minder, Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients
For ages 6 or above
Enquiries
Ticketing Enquiries: 3166 1100
Telephone Booking: 3166 1288
Internet Booking: www.urbtix.hk
Programme Enquiries: 2796 7523/ 3842 7784
Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra |
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| Overture to Poet and Peasant | Franz von Suppé | ||
| Orchestral Suite Before and After No. 4* | Ng Lik-hei, Christopher (Mentor: Dr. Ng Wah-hei) |
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| Hungry Fishes are Competing for Food* | Siu Pak-tung (Mentor: Poon Po-choi, Maurice) |
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| Symphonic Variants for Euphonium | James Curnow | ||
| I Introduction - Allegro con Brio II Variant I - Allegro con Spirito III Variant II - Lento con Teneramente IV Variant III - Presto V Variant IV - Adagio con Calore VI Finale - Tempo Primo |
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Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra Alumni Orchestra |
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| Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds in E flat, K. 297b | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | ||
| I Allegro | |||
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Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra |
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| The Firebird Suite (1919) | Igor Stravinsky | ||
| I Introduction II The Firebird and Its Dance III Variation of the Firebird IV Ring Dance of the Princesses V Infernal Dance of King Kashchey VI Berceuse VII Finale |
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Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra and Alumni Orchestra |
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| Finlandia | Jean Sibelius | ||
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Programme and artists subject to change without prior notice
*Compositions are written by secondary school students who have participated in the “GalaMusica” series, and been selected to join the “Hong Kong Composers’ Guild Mentorship Scheme 2023”, jointly presented by the Education Bureau and the Hong Kong Composers’ Guild
^ Music Office alumnus
+ Music Office instructor-alumnus
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Lee Sing-wan |
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Dr. Joseph Kam |
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| Prof. Yiu Song-lam* Prof. Yiu Song-lam is a distinguished Hong Kong-born oboist who has worked in the music industry as a performer and a veteran arts practitioner. An early graduate of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), Yiu was awarded the scholarship by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund to study abroad at the Queensland Conservatorium in Australia, the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Rotterdam Conservatorium in the Netherlands and the Köln Musikhochschule in Germany. He has served as the honorary artist-in-residence at the Education University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and RTHK. Since 2022, he has been elected as the oboe at-large director of the International Double Reed Society (IDRS) and is the vice president of the Asian Double Reed Association (ADRA). He has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras worldwide and has shared the stage with world-class artists at prestigious music festivals. Prof. Yiu is regularly invited to adjudicate at prestigious international competitions, notably the international competitions of the IDRS, the International Muri Competition, and the renowned Geneva Competition. He has given masterclasses at leading institutes worldwide and has been a visiting professor at the Shanghai Conservatory. His students have won major prizes in many international competitions and have been appointed to key positions in renowned orchestras across Europe and Asia. He was elected as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in recognition of his significant contributions to the music profession. Prof. Yiu is currently the Head of Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion at the HKAPA. He is also the founding Artistic Director of the Hong Kong Wind Kamerata. * With kind permission of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts |
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| Choy Kwok-tin Choy Kwok-tin started learning clarinet at the age of 12, under the guidance of Norman Foster. He later entered the Hong Kong Conservatory of Music (former The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts), where he studied with Daniel Silver. In 1985 he furthered his pursuit of music at the Royal College of Music under John McCaw, the Principal Clarinet of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London. After returning from the UK, he was engaged as clarinetist in the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra for the season 1987/88. He is one of the founding members of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta in which he was the Principal Clarinet from 1990 to 2006. Choy has collaborated with different orchestras as soloist such as Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Macau Chamber Orchestra. He is one of the founding members of Les Six and Hong Kong Wind Kamerata. Besides, he is very active as a chamber musician and soloist at numerous local and overseas festivals, such as the Musicarama Contemporary Music Festival and the International Society of Contemporary Music (ISCM) World Music Days. He has been very active in the concert halls of Hong Kong as well as in Macau, Japan, France, Poland, Switzerland and Lithuania. Choy is an active band director and has been invited several times to host masterclasses and serve as adjudicator in the Macau Youth Music Competition. For the past few years, he has been putting efforts in the cooperation with local composers for commission of new works for schools’ band training. In 2012-2016, he was the Chairman of the Hong Kong Band Directors Association. Choy is currently Chairman of Hong Kong International Single Reed Association. He serves as instructor of clarinet and saxophone at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Baptist University and the Hong Kong Music Institute. |
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| James Leung James Leung entered the Hong Kong Conservatory of Music (former The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts) in 1981 with the scholarship of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund, major in Bassoon. He continued his studies with Martin Gatt, former Principal Bassoon of the London Symphony Orchestra and obtained his Licentiate Performer's Diploma from the Trinity College of Music, London in 1984. In 1991, he obtained his Bachelor Degree with honours from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Part-time Degree Programme, major in Music. Leung had been an instrumental instructor and band conductor of the Music Office and many schools. He was a freelance player of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Principal Bassoon of the Macau Sinfonietta, Chairman of the Hong Kong Wind Ensemble Society and Founder and Principal Bassoon of Hong Kong Sinfonietta. In 1994, Leung was the Bandmaster of the Cape Collinson Marching Band of Correctional Services Department. In 1995, he was appointed as the Assistant Director of Music of the Hong Kong Police Band and was promoted as the Deputy Director of Music in 1997 and as the Director in 2010. In 2010, Leung led the Band to participate in the 10th Zurich Police Music Festival and perform at the “Hong Kong Week” of Shanghai Expo. In 2012, he led the Hong Kong Police Band to participate in the 48th “Musikchau der Nationen” (Music Show of Nations) at Bremen, Germany and the Hong Kong International Military Tattoo in celebrating the 15th Anniversary (2012) and 20th Anniversary (2017) of the Establishment of HKSAR with critical acclaims and was awarded the Hong Kong Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2018. Leung was formerly Chief Music Officer of the Music Office. |
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| Homer Lee* Homer Lee has long been active in Hong Kong's music circles, even in his teens. He joined the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra (HKYSO) in 1978 with whom he toured the UK, France and Australia in the summers of 1979 and 1980. He was Principal Horn with the HKYSO until he began studying at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) in 1983. He soon won many major prizes, such as the scholarships awarded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund from 1983 to 1985 and the Lady MacLehose Prize to study at the Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada in 1985. Lee joined the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 1987 and has been on the faculty of the HKAPA, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University and the Education University of Hong Kong since then. In addition to his teaching duties, he also conducted the Academy’s Junior Symphony Orchestra until 2013 and being part-time lecturer at the Hong Kong Baptist University. Being one of the region’s most active horn performers and teachers, Lee’s highlight performances include with the Orchestra of the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields during their Hong Kong visit and participating in the Asian Friendly Concerts in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1994 and 1995, as a representative of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He also performed as the Principal Horn at the 7th World Philharmonic Orchestra at Busan, Korea in 2015. He records extensively in the studio as well as for many music appreciation programmes on the television and radio. * With kind permission of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra |
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| Kelvin Tsang Kelvin Tsang started playing the euphonium at the age of 16 under the tutelage of Tse Luen-wah. He received his professional training at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) under Ben Pelletier and became the first euphonium student at the HKAPA. He won the Concerto Competition twice in 2014 and 2015, and performed the winning concertos with the Academy Symphony Orchestra. He received his Bachelor of Music (Honours) and Master of Music at the Royal Northern College of Music. He studied with two world-renowned euphonium soloists, Prof. Steven Mead and Prof. David Thornton. He also performed in masterclasses and received tutelage from different euphonium soloists such as Thomas Rüedi, Dr. Matthew van Emmerik, Bastien Baumet and Glenn Van Looy. During his stay in the UK, Tsang played as a solo euphonium player in Royal Northern College of Music Brass Band as well as different local brass bands, such as Diggle Band, Blackburn & Darwen Band and Stratos Band. He competed in many brass band contests, of which he received first prizes at Thailand Low Brass Competition in 2015 and Singapore Brass Festival Solo Competition in 2019. He also performed with Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Wind Philharmonia, Hong Kong professional Winds and Macau Wind Symphony. Tsang currently serves as a euphonium tutor and conductor in different schools, also a part-time performer at the Music Office. He is one of the founders of the local euphonium ensemble “Versatile”. |
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