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| Hong Kong Shows Off Their Musical Talents in Shanghai |
| 25 JUL 2010 |
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VTC Symphony Orchestra Concert was held at Shanghai Concert Hall on 25 July 2010. Chuanyun Li and Jojo Wang, two talented violinists joined the concert and presented the guests an unforgettable evening.
The Hong Kong Vocational Training Council (VTC) aims to promote whole person development for young people. The VTC Symphony Orchestra and VTC Chorus were established in 2005 and 2009 respectively, serving as a unique cultural platform for VTC students, alumni and staff to unleash their talents in music. Since the establishment of the VTC Symphony Orchestra and VTC Chorus, they earned the reputation as the Musical Ambassadors of VTC, offering an opportunity for their members to realize their potential.
Henry Shek
Artistic Director and Conductor
VTC Symphony Orchestra & VTC Chorus
Henry Shek was brought up in an artistic atmosphere and studied both piano and violin since his early age. His vocation to take up conductorship as his lifelong career was inspired by a concert of an internationally-acclaimed conductor he had heard of when he was a teenager.
After high school, Shek won a scholarship to study piano, theory, composition and conducting at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Upon graduation with distinction, Shek was immediately engaged by maestro Yasushi Akutagawa to be his assistant conductor at the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and the New Symphony Orchestra in Japan. Shek also studied under the great Viennese maestro Carl Bamberger and the legendary conductor-teachers Hans Schwarowsky, Franco Ferarra and lgor Markevitch. After winning conducting prizes at the San Remo Opera House (Italy), the Besancon (France) and the Herbert von Karajan (West Germany) competitions, Shek embarked on his career of conducting over 80 prestigious orchestras, opera houses and ballet companies throughout Europe, United States and Asia.
Committed to promoting music for years, Shek was appointed Music Director of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra from 1993 to 1997, and continued to be its Principal Conductor until 1999. During his tenure, Shek had made great strides to internationalize and promote Chinese symphonic music. He also founded the Hong Kong Opera Company, Hong Kong Chorus, New Philharmonia of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Choir of Outstanding Children where the finest young performing talents of Hong Kong are nurtured.
In 2006, Shek was awarded the“Most Outstanding Chinese of the World” together with an honorary doctoral degree. In the same year, Shek was invited to be Artistic Director and Conductor of the VTC Symphony Orchestra to provide members with orchestral training and music knowledge. Under his baton, the Orchestra was highly acclaimed for its outstanding performances. He also took up the post of Artistic Director and Conductor of the VTC Chorus in 2009 for the furtherance of music education.
Chuanyun LI
Violinist
Chuanyun Li is hailed one of the most gifted violinists in China and internationally. Li first studied with Professor Lin Yaoji from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Under Lin’s guidance, Li won the first prize of the 5th Wieniawski International Youth Violin Competition at the age of 11. The youngest ever winner, he earned the name of prodigy. At 16, he went to Juilliard School with full scholarship under Dorothy DeLay and Itzhak Perlman. He was subsequently crowned champion in the Nakamichi Violin Concerto Competition held in Colorado in 1998.
Li has performed under the baton of various famed conductors, including Valery Gergiev, Neemi Jarvi and Edo de Waart, and with different orchestras in Asia, West Europe, Australia, North America and other regions. He toured extensively and appeared as soloist in performances all over the world.
Li performed the solo violin part for the original soundtrack of Chen Kaige’s movie “Together” in 2002, noted by the Washington Post for “his ethereal playing… which has given the movie such a magnificent aural backdrop”.
As the best artist of Hong Kong, Li was invited to perform in the concerts celebrating the 5th and the 10th Anniversary of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Then and there, he was met by President Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao. In 2008, Li was awarded the Chinese Gold Record Award and the Best Artist (Music) Award of Hong Kong Arts Development Council.
Jojo WANG
Violinist
Jojo Wang received her master degree in Shanghai Conservatory of Music where she studied with famous Chinese violinist Professor Lina Yu. She also attended the master classes of Pinchas Zukerman and Cho-liang Lin. Now she is studying with maestro Kolja Blacher in Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” Berlin, while still holding the position as the youngest Faculty member in Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
Wang was the winner in a series of competitions, including the First Prize in the Eighth Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists in 1998, which is the last competition, held by Sir Menuhin himself. Wang was subsequently invited to perform as soloist under the baton of Sir Menuhin. She also won both the First Prize and the Chinese Piece Performance Prize of the Sixth China National Violin Competition in 1998, where she was the youngest first prize winner ever in this competition. In 2003, Wang distinguished herself by receiving the First Prize and three special prizes, including“The Youngest Finalist” in the 22nd Lipizer International Violin Competition.
The most recent accomplishments of Wang include the successful tour with Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under maestro Okko Kamu and John Storgards, and the highly acclaimed concert with St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra under maestro Yuri Temirkanov as soloist. Furthermore, invited by the world-famous violinist Pinchas Zukerman, Wang performed in Zukerman's recital in Shanghai as a special guest. After listening to her play, legendary violinist Gidon Kremer invited her to perform in the festival "Chamber Music Connects the World" in Kronberg where he held the position as the artistic director.
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