Taiwanese clarinetist CHEN Chiu-yuan has been praised by the New York Times as Ȋzestyȋ, energetic, and capturing the music’s spiritȋ after the Juilliard Chamber Festival. She has given her Carnegie hall debut recital as a winner of the Artist International Presentation in New York. She has won the first prize in the National Music Award for Solo Clarinet in Taiwan and the special prize of contemporary Chinese music in the Universal Chinese Concerto Competition of the 21st Century. She has performed as concerto soloist on tour with the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra and has participated in the Pacific Music Festival in Japan, Focus! Festival, Juilliard Chamber Festival, and Leipzig International Summer Academy.
Ms. Chen graduated with high honors from National Taiwan Normal University; Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School; Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The City University of New York, Graduate Center. She has been a clarinet member at Hong Kong Sinfonietta since September, 2008, and she teaches clarinet at the junior department of HK Academy for Performing Arts.
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Currently Principal Keyboard of Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Alan CHU has emerged as one of the most versatile pianists in Hong Kong, having appeared extensively as soloist, accompanist, chamber musician and orchestral pianist at major venues and festivals both locally and abroad. Born in Hong Kong, he achieved early successes under the tutelage of Choi Sown-le, winning prizes in the Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition, the Hong Kong (Asia) Piano Competition and the annual Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. During his years abroad, he was further named the first prize winner at the North London Piano Competition and the runner-up at the Jaques Samuel Intercollegiate Piano Competition, being acclaimed as a pianist who possesses Ȋformidable technique and real musicalityȋ and Ȋa very sensitive pianistȋ (with) great pianistic flair and powerȋ.
Recent highlights include chamber appearances in Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival, New Vision Arts Festival, East Asian New Music Festival, HKS ArtisTree Residency and HKS Lunchtime Concerts series, as well as concerto and orchestral performances with Pro Arte Orchestra of Hong Kong and Tak Ming Philharmonic Orchestra. His solo recital and interview has also been broadcasted by RTHK Radio 4. As a committed performer of contemporary music, he has participated in many premiere and multimedia performances and recordings, particularly with Hong Kong New Music Ensemble. One of his recent innovative projects include commissioned recording of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring for its centenary anniversary, in collaboration with dance video artist, Maurice Lai. Off the stage, Alan Chu has served as a jury member at the Hong Kong-Asia Piano Open Competition, an adjunct lecturer and course developer at the Open University of Hong Kong, Upper Iowa University (HK) and Hong Kong Buddhist College, and was a previous staff member at the Hong Kong Institute of Education.
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Eric YIP received his Bachelor of Music degree from the HKAPA under the tutelage of Ray Wang and his Master’s degree from the Chicago College of Performing Arts under John Sharp and Richard Hirschl. He was the principal cellist of the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra as well as a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He was one of the scholarship recipients of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund. Yip has participated in the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the International Menuhin Music Academy, Asian Youth Orchestra, Canton International Summer Music Academy and the Kirishima International Music Festival. He is currently cellist of Hong Kong Sinfonietta and is one of the founding members of the Romer String Quartet. He is also a cello coach of the Macao University Orchestra.