The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) has nurtured many exceptional talents. Our graduates are not only widely recognised and acclaimed, but also continuously challenging themselves and achieving breakthroughs in performing arts. We are privileged to invite the recipients of this year’s Hong Kong Arts Development Awards Artists of the Year, Mr Edmond Lo and Mr Lio Kuokman, JP, to share their learning experience at the Academy and explain how this broadened their horizons and inspired them to pursue a successful professional career in performing arts.

Lio Kuokman, JP, is the Resident Conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He was the second prize winner of the third Svetlanov International Conducting Competition in Paris with the Audience Prize and Orchestra Prize, and he served as the first Chinese Assistant Conductor with the Philadelphia Orchestra. In the interview, Lio tells us more about his journey in becoming an internationally acclaimed conductor from his first encounter with his mentoring teacher in a music competition, to his pursuance in music in Hong Kong from his birthplace of Macau.

Currently serving as the Assistant Artistic Director in Chung Ying Theatre Company, Edmond Lo is a seasoned drama practitioner. He was awarded the Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and nominated for Best Director in the Hong Kong Drama Awards. Recently, he was granted the Artist of the Year (Drama) from the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards. He shares with us his days at the Academy and reveals how HKAPA has encouraged him to challenge different heights in theatrical arts.

Watching live performances is an important part of arts education. Not only does it give students a memorable cultural experience, but it also helps them learn skills ranging from critical thinking, to empathy, to the ability to focus.

The Creative Journey Outreach Programme 2022/23 offers valuable opportunities for secondary school students to attend the Academy productions for free. Do not miss the Dance Matinee Performance on 10 December 2022 (Sat) at 3pm for an exhilarating afternoon at the Academy Lyric Theatre. Featuring three dances choreographed by a team of talented international and local artists, including ballet, contemporary dance and Chinese dance, secondary school students will be treated to a feast of diverse and spectacular dances.

Free Opera and Drama performances are also available to teachers and students who are looking for more theatrical experiences. Please contact us for registration or enquiry.

To performing arts enthusiasts, watching master performances, researching and studying these performances, or comparing different versions of interpretations are golden opportunities to further their understanding in performing arts and enhance their performing skills.

The HKAPA Library keeps an invaluable Electronic and Digital Collection and Academy Archives that include unique collections from all over the world and from different eras. These bountiful resources, which can offer excellent references for people to learn and study different performing arts, include:

• The Ernest Read Orchestral Collection: Donated by Academy Honourary Fellow Mr Henry Weinrebe, the Collection contains around 120,000 pages of scores which were digitised from over 900 pieces of music written by well-known composers from Bach to Britten, Handle to Walton, which covers overtures, symphonies, concertos, suites and ballet music.
• HKAPA Digital: A digital platform for the Academy Archives and local performing arts resources. These materials include annual publications of the Academy and works created and/or performed by our staff and students, donated works by local artists, and productions by local art groups.
• Electronic Resources: These resources include over 80 databases related to performing arts subscribed to by the Library. This year the Library includes LinkedIn Learning, a self-learning online platform, which offers more than 17,400 short courses on commerce, technologies and creative technology.
• Graduate profiles: The Collection showcases our graduates from the School of Drama, Dance, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts and their accomplishments during their years of undergraduate studies at the Academy.

We believe our sizeable and diversified resources will be able to inspire your creativity and help you develop your career in performing arts.

Since the launch of the HKAPA Principal’s Recommendation Scheme (PRS), the Scheme has been warmly welcomed by secondary schools in Hong Kong. For 2022/23 Academic year, we have received 213 nominations to apply for the Undergraduate programmes offered by the Academy.

In order to assist Principals, Career Masters and Counsellors to identify students with potentials and talents in their schools, the Academy has set up a new website for the Scheme.  It provides reference information about the learning experiences obtained by students successfully enrolled into our programmes according to the different majors provided by our six Schools.

These references include:

• Recommended personalities and skills required
• Learning experience and interest group participation in secondary school
• Extra-curricular trainings and production or performance experiences
• Participation in relevant competitions and awards