The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts is delighted to announce the outstanding achievements of its Junior Music Programme (JMP) students at the prestigious 12th Steinway China Children and Youth Piano Competition, held in Shanghai.
Alexander Han Zong-you, a talented student in the Academy's Junior Music Programme, clinched the top honour by winning the Grand Prize and the First Prize in Professional Group A. This remarkable victory earns him the privilege of representing our country at the 2027 Steinway International Music Festival in Germany.
In addition, two other JMP students distinguished themselves in the competition:
Peng On-ki received the Third Prize in Amateur Group A
Lei Chin-lam received Merit Prize in Amateur Group A
The competition attracted over 43,000 contestants from 13 regions across the country. The outstanding achievements of these three students fully demonstrate the efforts and success of the Junior Music Programme in nurturing young musical talent.
The Junior Music Programme at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts is known as one of the most comprehensive programmes of music instruction for talented young people in Hong Kong. It recognises that musicians must begin to discipline themselves and nurture their talents at an early age. The programme is fully supported by the Academy and provides an atmosphere where artistic gifts and technical skills can flourish. The programme emphasises all-round musical training. In addition to individual instruction on the student's instrument, the curriculum includes musicianship classes and ensemble activities, and offers many opportunities for public performance.
Members of the media are invited to request interviews with the winning students. Please contact the Communications Office of the Academy for assistance with arrangements.
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (www.hkapa.edu)
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), established by The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Ordinance in 1984, is a world-leading higher education institution for the performing arts. It provides professionally-oriented undergraduate education and postgraduate studies in Chinese Opera, Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Its educational philosophy reflects the cultural diversity of Hong Kong with an emphasis on Chinese and Western traditions, and interdisciplinary learning. In the QS University Rankings announced in 2025, the Academy ranks in the global top 20 for Performing Arts education.
The Academy has been granted Programme Area Accreditation status by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications to award its own Certificates, Diplomas, Bachelor’s (Honours) Degrees and Master’s Degrees. In the past four decades, more than 10,000 artists have graduated from the Academy, going on to become performing artists, creative arts practitioners, filmmakers, educators and cultural leaders with global impact – many have won international awards and shone in their respective artistic fields.
Besides the main campus in Wanchai, Béthanie, the Academy’s Landmark Heritage Campus in Pokfulam, houses educational facilities for the School of Film and Television.