2024 Hong Kong Youth Strings Vienna Tour

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2024 Hong Kong Youth Strings Vienna Tour

 

4-11 July

 

As the Music Office’s youth music outbound exchange programme of the year, 43 members of the Hong Kong Youth Strings (HKYS), led by Senior Music Officer of the String Music Section of the Music Office and conductor Dr Joseph Kam, will be visiting Vienna, the capital of Austria, between 4 and 11 July for the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in which young musicians from around the world will gather.

 

Besides contesting the string orchestra category in the world-renowned Musikverein Wein on 7 July, the HKYS will give two exchange performances respectively in the House of Strauss on 6 July and in the ORF RadioKulturhaus on 8 July. The repertoire includes Jasmine Flower scented with Chinese culture overtones, captivating excerpts from Shostakovich’s classic Sinfonia, Puccini’s Crisantemi, and“Canthoven” Rhapsody written by Hong Kong aspiring composer Luk Wai-chun under the commission of the Music Office.

 

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Established in October 1977 by the Government, the Music Office promotes knowledge and appreciation of music in the community, especially among young people, through the provision of instrumental and ensemble training and the organisation of various music activities with a view to building a new generation of concert audiences. It has come under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region since January 2000.

 

The Music Office runs three major training programmes: Instrumental Music Training Scheme, Ensemble Training, and Outreach Music Interest Courses. In addition, it organises the Hong Kong Youth Music Camp, the Hong Kong Youth Music Interflows and a variety of music promotional activities with target groups range from primary and secondary school students to members of the public from all walks of life.

 

In addition to the above activities, the Music Office organises music exchange concerts and community performances for visiting youth music groups from around the world, and sends its advanced level orchestras, bands, or choirs on concert tours abroad to foster youth music exchange and to widen the horizons of local young musicians. Since 1978, young musicians trained by the Music Office have toured Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Australia, the USA, Canada, Italy, France, the UK, Israel, Austria, Czech, Russia, and cities in the Mainland. In recent years, youth music groups from Japan, the USA, the UK, Germany, Canada, Singapore, and the Mainland have visited Hong Kong and participated in the cultural exchange programmes organized by the Music Office.

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Established in 1985, Music Office String Orchestra attained the formal title of Hong Kong Youth Strings (HKYS) in 1989. It provides advanced string ensemble training for local young musicians whom have been trained under Music Office’s district string orchestras.

 

The HKYS performed actively for the community with great music, including the Hong Kong Youth Music Interflows, Music Office Annual Gala and other community concerts. As a prestige youth orchestra, the HKYS has collaborated with renowned professional artists, such as Yip Wing-sie, Wong Sze-hang and Kumi Sugiyama, etc.

 

The HKYS performed with several overseas visiting groups for music exchanges, including Cincinnati Junior Strings in 1992, Shenzhen Music Lovers’ Chamber Orchestra in 1996, Lincoln Youth Orchestra in 1998, Beijing City 101 High School Orchestra in 2000, and Youth Orchestra from Chinese Youth Corps of New York in 2007.

 

The HKYS has been serving as youth music ambassador of Hong Kong by organising overseas performing tours. It left footprints on the USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Macau, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia. The orchestra was recognised with high musical standard by receiving awards internationally. In 2017, it was awarded with the Gold Band (Winner of the Category) in string orchestras up to 21 years old, and the Grand Prix for Orchestras (the Best Orchestra) from the 8th International Youth Music Festival in Bratislava.

 

With members under the age of 25, the HKYS is currently trained and managed by Dr Joseph Kam, Cheung Ching-ting, Maxine Cheung and Wong Lok-hang. Recruitment is held annually through open audition.

4 July

(Thursday)

  • Departure from Hong Kong

5 July

(Friday)

 

  • Arrival at Vienna

  • City Tour

  • Attending the Opening Ceremony of the Summa Cum Laude Festival at the Wiener Konzerthaus

6 July

(Saturday)

 

  • Rehearsal at the Yamaha Concert Hall Vienna

  • Cultural Visits

  • Performance at the House of Strauss

7 July

(Sunday)

 

  • Rehearsal at the VHS Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus

  • Cultural Visits

  • Participating in the String Orchestra Contest of the Summa Cum Laude Festival at the Musikverein Wien

8 July

(Monday)

 

  • Attending workshops at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna

  • Performance at the ORF RadioKulturhaus

9 July

(Tuesday)

  • Attending the Gala Winners Concert of the Summa Cum Laude Festival at the Wiener Konzerthaus

  • Attending the Closing Ceremony of the Summa Cum Laude Festival at the Wiener Rathaus

10 July

(Wednesday)

  • Departure from Vienna

11 July

(Thursday)

  • Arrival at Hong Kong

6 July (Saturday) House of Strauss

Arrow

Serenade in G "Eine kleine Nachtmusik", K. 525 No. 13

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

I

Allegro

 

II

Romanze: Andante

 

III

Menuetto: Allegretto

 

IV

Rondo: Allegro

 

 

 

Jasmine Flower

Bao Yuan Kai

 

 

Conductor: Cheung Ching-ting

 

 

Sinfonia for String Orchestra
(from String Quartet No. 8, Op. 110)

Dmitri Shostakovich/ arr. Drew

II

Allegro Molto

 

III

Allegretto

 

 

 

Crisantemi, SC 65

Giacomo Puccini / arr. Drew

 

 

“Canthoven” Rhapsody (Music Office Commissioned Work)

Luk Wai Chun

 

 

Waltz, from Divertimento

Leonard Bernstein

 

 

Conductor: Dr Joseph Kam

7 July (Sunday) String Orchestra Contest of the Summa Cum Laude at Musikverein Wien

Arrow

Sinfonia for String Orchestra
(from String Quartet No. 8, Op. 110)

Dmitri Shostakovich/ arr. Drew

II

Allegro Molto

 

III

Allegretto

 

 

 

Crisantemi, SC 65

Giacomo Puccini / arr. Drew

 

 

“Canthoven” Rhapsody (Music Office Commissioned Work)

Luk Wai Chun

 

 

Waltz, from Divertimento

Leonard Bernstein

 

 

Conductor: Dr Joseph Kam

8 July (Monday) ORF RadioKulturhaus

Arrow

Serenade for Strings in G major
"Eine kleine Nachtmusik", K. 525 No. 13

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

I

Allegro

 

II

Romanze: Andante

 

III

Menuetto: Allegretto

 

IV

Rondo: Allegro

 

 

 

Conductor: Cheung Ching-ting

 

 

Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

II

Walzer: Moderato — Tempo di valse

 

 

 

Conductor: Dr Joseph Kam

 

 

Simply Symphony

Benjamin Britten

I

Boisterous Bourrée- Allegro ritmico

 

II

Playful Pizzicato- Presto possible pizzicato sempre

 

III

Sentimental Sarabande- Poco lento e pesante

 

IV

Frolicsome Finale- Prestissimo con fuoco

 

 

 

Ave Verum Copus

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

 

 

Conductor: Maxine Cheung

 

 

New Year’s Eve

Liu Tianhua

 

 

Jasmine Flower

Bao Yuan Kai

 

 

Conductor: Cheung Ching-ting

Dr Joseph Kam

Arrow

Dr Joseph Kam, a violist, violinist and orchestral conductor, graduated from the University of Michigan, where he obtained his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees. He received several awards and scholarships from the University, including Graduate Merit Award, Humanities Award, and Rackham Block Fellowship, etc. He was also appointed as a viola faculty in the Interlochen Music Festival (Michigan, the USA).

As an active conductor, Dr Kam launched his conducting career since his debut with Metropolitan Youth Orchestra in 2005. He has been conducting the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra since 2007. He led the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra to perform in 2010 Shanghai Expo and 2015 International Music Festival EURASIA in Yekaterinburg with high acclaims. In 2017, Dr Kam led the Hong Kong Youth Strings and participated in the 8th International Youth Music Festival in Bratislava, Slovakia with a huge success. He was awarded a special prize for winning the “Best Orchestral Conductor”.

Dr Kam also conducted frequently as a guest conductor, including Ural Youth Symphony Orchestra in Yekaterinburg (Russia), the Filharmonie Bohuslava Martinu in Czech Republic, the Adelphi Symphony Orchestra in Long Island (New York), the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign-Illinois Summer Youth Music Senior Orchestra, Asian Youth Orchestra Alumni Orchestra and Macao Orchestra, etc.

Dr Kam is currently Senior Music Officer of the String Music Section of the Music Office, and conductor of the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Youth Strings and the Music Office Instructors’ String Orchestra.

 

Dr Joseph Kam

Cheung Ching-ting

Arrow

Cheung Ching-ting, a cellist, pianist and conductor, obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Music from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and further studied Jazz at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, the USA. She later obtained a postgraduate diploma in music therapy at HKU SPACE. During her study, she often participated in string ensembles, and performed with the New Philharmonia Orchestra of Hong Kong and the SAR Philharmonic. As a conductor and music educator, Cheung has instructed with the Hong Kong Youth Strings, the New Territories Youth Strings, and the Island Youth Strings for over 10 years. She has participated in conducting workshops in Seattle, the USA, and the Czech Republic and received under guidance from several well-known conductors, such as Anna Edwards, Dianna Wittry, Kirk Trevor, and Tomáš Netopil.

Cheung is currently Music Officer of the String Music Section of the Music Office, and conductor of the Hong Kong Youth Strings and the New Territories Youth Strings.

 

Cheung Ching-ting

Maxine Cheung

Arrow

Maxine Cheung graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, majoring in cello performance. She then furthered her studies at the University of Bristol for her Master’s Degree. Cheung proactively participates in classical and contemporary chamber music performances, and she attended conducting workshops in the Czech Republic and Chicago in the USA with guidances from renowned conductors such as Kirk Trevor, Markan Thankar, Thomas Netopil and Donald Schleicher and Larry Rachleff.

Cheung is currently Assistant Music Officer of the String Music Section of the Music Office as a cello instructor, and manager and conductor of the Hong Kong Youth Strings.

 

Maxine Cheung

1st Violin

2nd Violin

Viola

Wong Yu Ching*

Ng Pak Lam#

Mak Ho Pong#

Zhu Anyi

Ho Hiu Ki

Szeto Wang Kit

Yu Yuet Anastasia

Lee Sam In Kirsty

Leung Pak Yui

Ng Yi Ho

Wang Cheuk Tong

Wan Pui Ka

Chow Lok Hei

Tsang Tsz Ki

Fung Hei Pui

Cheung Ka Ling Angelina

Tang Shing Hei

Liu Hau Chi Rosella

Wong Yui

Tam Cho Yiu

Lau Chi Yeung

Yeung Colin

Tam Cho Kiu

 

Lau Long Sze

So Pak Kiu

 

Pan Yan Pei

 

 

Kong Ho Ming

 

 

Kwan Adelie

 

 

 

 

 

Cello

Double Bass

 

Lau Yee Ka#

Li Yee Ching#

 

Ho Wan Sing

To Man Ip

 

Ng Clement

Chao Man Hei

 

Ng Ka Hei Miki

Wong Tsz Wai Daniel

 

Lee Ngan Yee Daphne

Yun Bernice Lok Kwan

 

Ma Hiu Laam

 

 

Chan Yin Fung

 

 

Chan Pak Hei Matthew

 

 

Tsang Tsz Chung

 

 

Wong Tsz Lam

 

 

 

*  Concertmaster

#   Principal

Tour Director/ Conductor

Dr Joseph Kam

Tour Manager

Leaper Li

Orchestra Manager/ Conductor

Maxine Cheung

Conductor

Cheung Ching-ting

Instructor

Wong Lok-hang

Hong Kong Youth Strings Won High Acclaims at 2024 Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna

Hong Kong Youth Strings Won High Acclaims at 2024 Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna
As the Music Office’s youth music outbound exchange programme of the year, 43 members of the Hong Kong Youth Strings (HKYS), led by conductor Dr Joseph Kam, has visited Vienna, Austria, between 4 and 11 July for the 2024 Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival, and won 2nd Place with Outstanding Success in the String Orchestra Category with their premiere performance in the world-renowned Weiner Musikverien.

Among the youth music groups from around the world, the jury greatly praised the HKYS’s curation of repertoire with the seamless transition between captivating excerpts from Shostakovich’s classic Sinfonia and the Festival’s compulsory piece Puccini’s Crisantemi, followed by the east-meet-west “Canthoven” Rhapsody, and the conclusion with the waltz from Bernstein’s Divertimento. Besides HKYS gave two exchange performances respectively in the House of Strauss on 6 July and in the ORF RadioKulturhaus on 8 July.

Since its establishment in 1985, the HKYS has been serving as youth music ambassador of Hong Kong by organising overseas performing tours. It left footprints on the USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Macau and Austria, and was recognised with high musical standard by receiving awards internationally. In 2017, it was awarded with the Gold Band (Winner of the Category) in string orchestras up to 21 years old, and the Grand Prix for Orchestras (the Best Orchestra) from the 8th International Youth Music Festival in Bratislava.