HK Phil and HKAPA Announce Selected Musicians For The Orchestra Academy Hong Kong 2022/23 Season

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) announced the musicians selected for The Orchestra Academy Hong Kong (TOA)'s two schemes in its second season. TOA welcomes the five new Fellows to the Fellowship Programme* and will continue the engagements of the 19 outstanding Young Pro Platform (YPP)^ players in the 2022/23 Season (click here to download full press release).

Co-directed by the HK Phil and the School of Music of the HKAPA, TOA provides professional training for distinguished HKAPA Music graduates and facilitates their career development in the orchestral field through its two schemes - Fellowship Programme and YPP. Those who are admitted to TOA will also contribute their talents to serving the community through volunteering opportunities. TOA is funded by "TrustTomorrow" of The Swire Group Charitable Trust (Swire Trust) with a pledged sponsorship of approximately HK$9 million over a 3-year period.

The 2021/22 Season saw the success of the first cohort of the Fellowship Programme. Six Fellows enjoyed a fruitful journey of learning and sharing despite the intermittent disturbance caused by COVID-19. They gained valuable orchestral experiences from playing amid professional musicians under the baton of world-class conductors in a variety of programmes. In addition, the mentorship scheme provided practical and career guidance to the Fellows based on their individual needs.

"We are proud of the TOA Fellows, who have not only made good progress in their professional development but also enjoyed opportunities to serve young people and underprivileged groups with their musical talent. They embody TrustTomorrow's spirit of bringing hope and positive impact to the community, and we look forward to empowering more home-grown musicians to reach their full potential," said Tina Chan, Group Head of Philanthropy at John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Limited.

"I am glad to witness the impressive growth of the Fellows over the season. Sharing the stage with the younger generation in regular rehearsals and performances, we assume the duty of passing on musical excellence for the future," Jaap van Zweden, Music Director of the HK Phil.

YPP also embarked on a thrilling adventure in the 2021/22 Season. The inaugural concert in June 2022, Eroica Reimagined making use of theatrical elements received critical acclaim from music critic Oliver Chou, "highly innovative, the interlacing performance of the classics of Adams and Beethoven displays the beauty of classical and modern." To commence the 2022/23 Season, YPP players will return to The Box at Freespace in December 2022 to present a creative, cross-media exploration with renowned director Roy Szeto.

"Collaborating with artists from different disciplines has been an inspiring process, not only to find new ways to present classical music, but also to ignite musicians' spirit and unleash their potential to the fullest," said Sharon Andrea Choa, Artistic Director of YPP and Head of Conducting and Cultural Leadership (Music) of HKAPA.

TOA members act as a prism reflecting the many facets of music. On the one hand, they absorb professional training. On the other, they spread music experiences to the community. Each member contributes at least 40 hours of volunteering every year, enhancing music accessibility and creating shared music experiences with the community through a variety of musical events.

To post a comment, you must register and login.