HK Phil and HKAPA Reveal Selected Musicians for The Orchestra Academy Hong Kong 2023/24 Season

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) have announced the musicians selected for The Orchestra Academy Hong Kong (TOA)’s two schemes in its third season, Beyond Boundaries. TOA welcomes the four new Fellows to the Fellowship Programme* and will have 23 Young Pro Platform (YPP)^ players this season (details of new Fellows and YPP players listed on P.2).

Co-directed by the HK Phil and the School of Music of the HKAPA, TOA offers professional training for outstanding HKAPA Music graduates and supports their career development in the orchestral field through its two schemes - Fellowship Programme and YPP. Those 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.

Providing professional orchestral training opportunities, the Fellowship Programme nurtured a total of 11 Fellows from the first two seasons, where they performed under the baton of world-class conductors in a wide range of programmes. They also had a memorable time learning practical orchestral skills and knowledge by playing with professional musicians and receiving personalised career guidance through the mentorship scheme.

‘TrustTomorrow’s vision is to make a positive impact on the community. By supporting TOA, we hope to nurture more young, home-grown musicians who not only excel in their musical endeavours but also enjoy serving others through the programme’s volunteering opportunities,’ said Tina Chan, Group Head of Philanthropy at John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Limited.

‘I am delighted to meet new talented Fellows every season. They have infused the HK Phil with youthful vigour and obtained valuable live orchestral experiences from our professional players, guest soloists and conductors,’ said Jaap van Zweden, Music Director of the HK Phil.

Challenging the traditional boundary of classical music, YPP serves as a medium for its players to express their creative ideas through unconventional programming and concert presentations. After the highly acclaimed inaugural concerts, Eroica Reimagined, YPP continued to promote their message of “sea change” in music presentations, incorporating theatrical elements directed by Roy Szeto, Tony Wong and Becca Cheung in the Towards A Sea Change concerts last season.

‘Young Pro Platform was created to unleash the immense creativity, imagination and musical talent that many of our graduates innately possess. After two years of “Venturing into the Unknown” and working “Towards a Sea Change”, the players begin to realise that their creativity sees no boundaries. This season, our theme is exactly that: ”Beyond Boundaries”. We hope to present to audiences concert ideas that are designed with the players' utmost imagination and creativity!’ said Sharon Andrea Choa, Artistic Director of YPP and Head of Conducting and Cultural Leadership (Music) of HKAPA.