Hong Kong Youth Zheng Ensemble

The Hong Kong Youth Zheng Ensemble is guided by Ms. Choi Ngar Si, Education Executive of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (HKCO), and Ms. Lau Wai Yan, young zheng virtuoso, whose technical training and careful choice of repertoire and versions of the scores enable the young players to accurately grasp the mood and style of different types of music.  

The Ensemble has been offering valuable opportunities for young zheng players of Hong Kong to share their experience and to receive training. Unlike the more common way of learning through self-practice alone, the members can enjoy the beauty of the art form and hone ensemble playing skills with like-minded zheng enthusiasts under the tutelage of seasoned instructors. Such training also enhances teamwork and cooperation, which are conducive to their development on the whole.

Training and learning aside, members of the Ensemble enjoy opportunities to participate in different types of concert environments, such as the ‘Chinese Music Fun! Fun! Fun!’ gala organised by the HKCO, the Fourth International Chinese Costume Festival cum the Sixth Confucius Carnival at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, the Haw Par Summer Fest 2015 at the Diocesan Boys’ School Yip Kit Chuen Concert Hall, and the Cultural Show in Celebration of the 67th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China cum 25th Anniversary of the Kowloon East Association Ltd. held at the Kowloon Bay International Trade & Exhibition Centre in 2016. In the same year, ex-members joined current members to perform with Ms. Choi Ngar Si in the concert, ‘Musicmaking Is Fun with the JHKCO’. During the Hong Kong International Youth Chinese Music Festival in 2017, the Ensemble enjoyed the opportunity to share their performing techniques with other groups, give outreach performances in various districts of Hong Kong, and to feel the warm response from the audiences. In 2019, the Ensemble participated in the ‘Let's Fun@HKCC’ fun day commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, organised by the HKCC. The occasion not only offered the young members the practical experience of performing on stage but also the gratification of making music together.

Choi Ngar Si
Education Executive of the HKCO and Instructor of the Hong Kong Youth Zheng Ensemble

Joined the HKCO as zheng virtuoso in 1977, Choi has become Education Executive since 2006, promoting the art of zheng to the younger generations. Choi is also currently a part-time zheng instructor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Many zheng players in Hong Kong today were trained by her.

Over the years, Choi has performed regularly in Beijing, Macao, and many places in Asia, the United States and Europe. Noted for her tremendous contribution to zheng music and education, Choi is the arranger of some hundred zheng ensemble pieces and the author of An Introduction to Guzheng, she has also made recordings of Guang-Ling-San, Bao-Qin and Elementary Guzheng, etc, for use as teaching aid. Her name is included in Who’s Who in China’s Contemporary Music Circles.

Lau Wai Yan

Instructor of the Hong Kong Youth Zheng Ensemble

A freelance musician of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, tutor of Hong Kong Youth Zheng Ensemble and the instrumental class of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. Lau is also a Music Office part-time instructor, a member of Hong Kong Chinese Instrumental music association. She is participating in Hong Kong Music Lover Chinese Orchestra as Principal Zheng and committee member, Hong Kong Taoist Orchestra as professional member and Miu Yiu Zheng Ensemble as music supervisor, and member of The Hong Kong Legends Chamber Orchestra.

Lau holds a Master of Music degree in Chinese Music Performance from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Following the national level performer Professor Xu Ling-zi majoring in Zheng. Lau received Zheng training under Chun Yee-fung at a young age. She has won the championship in Hong Kong Schools Music Festival Zheng advanced section. Later on she was admitted into the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts following Xu Ling-zi majoring in Zheng, Zhao Tai-sheng minoring in Sanxian and Sze Ying-lam minoring in harp. 

During her study, Lau obtained the HSBC Scholarship, which allowed her to further her education with Suen Wen-yian of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She has also obtained the Scholarship from the Society of the Academy for Performing Arts (SAPA). 

Lau won the APA Concerto Competition twice and subsequently performed together with the APA Orchestra. In 2013 and later in 2016, Lau obtained the Performance Prize of the Han Ya Cup Zheng's traditional genre and styles Competition. In 2013, she obtained the Gold Prize in the Youth (Professional) section of the Third International Zheng Contest.

She has been on tour to Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuxi, Jiangyin, Xian, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Nanchang, Jingtan, Wuhan, Jilin, Guangxi, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Canada for performance and artistic exchange.

Recruitment

Please refer to Chinese version for details

Members