Building a Successful Career in Music
Cultivating Your Personal Artistic Voice in a Multidisciplinary, Creative, and Global Environment
Content of School Leaflet
In a rapidly growing performing arts landscape in Hong Kong, the demand for talented individuals in the field continues to rise. The School of Music strives to create a vibrant and nurturing environment where aspiring musicians can develop their artistic talents, refine their skills, and prepare for successful careers in the global music industry. With a world-class faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, international collaborations, and a commitment to excellence, we are dedicated to fostering the next generation of music professionals who will make a significant impact on the world stage.
The Bachelor of Music (Honours) programme has been designed to meet the industry's requirements and expectations for new talent. Students undergo comprehensive aural training and consolidate their knowledge of music theory. They have the opportunity to specialise in Western or Chinese instruments, vocal studies, keyboard studies, composition and electronic music; and they can choose Conducting and Cultural Leadership as their second specialisation in Years 3 and 4. Additionally, the programme offers a wide range of electives, including Jazz Improvisation, Contemporary and Intercultural Ensembles, Medieval Music History, and Music Therapy.
To provide a comprehensive performing arts training, the School of Music offers unique courses such as "Concert Practice" and "Composers' Seminar," where students perform and showcase their work weekly. You can engage in solo performances, chamber music, instrumental and vocal ensembles, choral and orchestral performances, as well as collaborate with students from the Schools of Chinese Opera, Dance, Drama, Film and Television, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts on interdisciplinary and multimedia projects, including an annual fully staged opera production.
Faculty and Visiting Artists
The School of Music boasts world-class faculty members from Asia, America, and Europe, complemented by an impressive roster of international visiting artists each semester. The School is led by the internationally renowned pianist and composer Dr Iñaki Sandoval, with renowned and outstanding faculty members across the Departments of Keyboard Studies; Composition and Electronic Music; Strings; Woodwind, Brass and Percussion; Vocal Studies; Chinese Music; and Academic Studies in Music.
Visiting artists deliver masterclasses, offer individual and group lessons, and provide guidance to instrumental and vocal ensembles and orchestras. Notable musicians who have collaborated with the School of Music in recent years include cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Aquiles Delle Vigne, violinist Cho-Liang Lin, former Music Director of Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Jaap van Zweden, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for Life of Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra Prof. Yan Huichang, composer and former Chairman of the International Society of Contemporary Music Prof. Richard Tsang, operatic soprano Nelly Miricioiu, Principal Flute of the Orchestre de Paris Vincent Lucas, Jeff Nelson of Canadian Brass, renowned percussionist Evelyn Glennie, Guzheng player Wei Jun, Chaozhou Gongs and Drums player Chen Zuohui, Chinese woodwind instruments and Cantonese music master Chen Fangyi, among many others.
Facilities
At HKAPA, there are seven halls of varied sizes which range from the intimate Recital Hall to the grand Lyric Theatre with 1200 seats. Together with Composition Studios and Music Technology Labs, our performance venues and teaching facilities are among the highlights of HKAPA. Equipped with a wide variety of musical instruments, including Steinway grand pianos, valuable string instruments, percussion instruments, Chinese musical instruments, Baroque instruments, and a magnificent pipe organ made by Rieger in Austria and more, our facilities provide students with professional-grade resources for their performances and practice sessions.
The School of Music offers exchange programmes with leading international music conservatories and universities worldwide. We frequently arrange short-term exchange projects and students can also apply for formal exchange studies at these institutions. These programmes enable you to gain a global and regional perspective on the performing arts industry.
In addition to on-campus performances, students are encouraged to participate in external performances and productions spanning diverse geographical locations, including concerts in Mainland China, Asia, Europe, and the United States. Below are some of the highlights:
Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winner Wynton Marsalis made his first visit to The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2024. He inspired students and music lovers with a sharing session, alongside two concerts with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
The Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society and the Academy Chamber Music Week brought international students to exchange with the Academy students and chamber groups in 2024.
Students of Wind, Brass and Percussion performed in the Hong Kong Week 2023@Bangkok organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), HKSAR Government. This cultural exchange featured joint concerts and a masterclass with students from Mahidol University in Thailand.
The Composition and Electronic Music Department presented original work at an exchange concert and at the 2023 C-LAB Sound Festival: DIVERSONICS in Taiwan, China.
Students from the Vocal Studies Department captivated audiences with Opera Scene performances at the Shenzhen Arts School, and our students from the Chinese Music Department participated in numerous high-profile events throughout Mainland China and India. These events ranged from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music’s Guzheng Music Week to the World Music Festival with the Sai Symphony Orchestra in Bangalore, India. Additionally, they actively collaborated with the Macao Chinese Orchestra and Zhuhai Chinese Orchestra, among others.
The School of Music’s alumni have succeeded remarkably in their respective fields. Some notable graduates include:
Lio Kuokman (Western Conducting): Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2022 - Artist of the Year (Music) and appointed as the Chief Conductor of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra in 2024
Bobby Cheng Chi-yuen (Oboe): Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2022 - Award for Young Artist (Music)
Rachel Cheung (Piano): Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2018, Artist of the Year (Music)
Chan Ming-chi (Composition): Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2017 - Artist of the Year (Music)
Ma Wai-him (Suona): Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2016 - Award for Young Artist (Music)
Wu Pak-tuen (Chinese Conducting): Associate Conductor of Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and Resident Conductor of the Hong Kong Young Chinese Orchestra
Wong Sum-ho (Gaohu): Co-Principal Huqin and Principal Gaohu, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
Xiong Yin (Cello): Member of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Liu Tung-bo (Bassoon): Principal Bassoon, Hong Kong Sinfonietta
Outstanding achievement of our faculty includes:
- Joyce Tang Wai-chung (Lecturer in Academic Music Studies and Course Coordinator of Conducting and Cultural Leadership): The Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Ltd. (CASH): The 21nd CASH Golden Sail Music Awards Best Serious Music Award – Since When
- Florence Cheung Pui-shan (Associate Professor (Composition) & Alumna): The Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Ltd. (CASH): The 22nd CASH Golden Sail Music Awards Best Serious Music Award – The Lotus Script
Outstanding achievement of our students includes:
- Michelle Siu Hoi-yan (Voice): “Touching China 2023 Awards” by CCTV
- Ivan Cheung (Bass Trombone): 1st prize, International Trombone Association’s Edward Kleinhammer Orchestral Bass Trombone Competition 2022
(Listed in no particular order)
Whether locally or internationally, the School of Music graduates have been appointed to positions in various professional areas of music at different levels, such as the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Music Office of the HKSAR Government, etc. as full-time performers or teachers. Since the introduction of the Master of Music programme in 2006, more and more graduates who have pursued further postgraduate training have been appointed as faculty members in leading conservatories and universities, particularly for institutions in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). Several other graduates have become eminent performers as soloists or in orchestras overseas, or as accompanists, pedagogues, composers, recording or arts administrators.
The School of Music continued the second season of the Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra (GBAYO) with a successful summer camp and The Romancing the Dragon Concert Tour. Supported by the Swire Group as the Founding Patron, this project has established our school as a cornerstone of orchestral training in the region. The concert tour also brought together young talents from the Xinghai Conservatory of Music and the Macao Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Community Engagement and Outreach
The students and graduates from the School of Music actively engaged in off-campus shows at venues such as the LCSD venues, Hong Kong Arts Centre, the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre, the Fringe Club, ArtisTree at Taikoo Place, Tai Kwun, and Quarryside at Quarry Bay, highlighting their broad reach and commitment to community engagement. Also, through their collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund - Hong Kong, they also supported environmental protection.
As one of the leading higher education institutions in performing arts in the world, the School of Music’s faculty and students have actively engaged in practice-led research activities that enrich their knowledge of the profession as they inquire and research to broaden their vision and insight into embracing cultural lives and issues, locally and internationally. Faculty members have frequently been invited to present masterclasses and lectures in major performing arts institutions and professional conferences worldwide. Undergraduate students are required to present an Honours Portfolio as part of the graduation requirements. Postgraduate students are required to present a Lecture Recital or Lecture Demonstration as part of their postgraduate Thesis. Such research components will enable students to develop and advance in research skills that are pivotal for grounding informed music practitioners of performing arts. The faculty and students will also have opportunities to develop interdisciplinary research projects with colleagues from the other HKAPA Schools and departments. Research funding is also available for application to support research activities.
Master of Music
Major Study
> Composition
> Conducting
> Performance
Bachelor of Music (Honours)
Major Study
> Composition and Electronic Music
> Performance
Diploma in Music Foundations
(Feeder Programme to Undergraduate Programme)
Major Study
> Composition
> Performance
Programme Enquiry: (852) 2584 8623 | music@hkapa.edu