Academy Cello Festival 2025

Distinguished alumna Xiong Yin returns to The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts to present a French recital programme alongside celebrated local pianist Cherry Tsang. A prolific cellist, Yin has contributed her talents to the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the Hsin Trio, Cellistra, and most recently, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Her playing has garnered prestigious prizes, including the 4th International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians, and she has collaborated with the likes of Alexander Shelley, Christopher Eschenbach and Valery Gergiev. Come witness the magic of Nadia Boulanger and Gabriel Fauré’s miniatures for cello and piano, J.S. Bach’s French dances from his fourth suite, and César Franck’s Sonata in A major for violin and piano, of which a beautiful transcription for the violoncello will be played in this concert, on 26 April 2025 at the Academy Concert Hall! 

The Junior Music Programme (JMP) is an area that The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) has dedicated a lot of labour and love to, and the talented young musicians emerging from the programme are a testament to HKAPA’s mission of raising artistic children. The JMP’s young cellists will be performing a diverse program of classical works, showcasing the emerging artistry from the next generation. Don’t miss the chance to witness their flourishing gift on 27 April 2025 at the Academy Concert Hall!
 

Our guest performers this year are fellow students from Xinghai Conservatory of Music. It’s our first collaboration of its kind and we are eager to receive our guests just like you. The programme of the evening includes solo and ensemble performances with a mixture of styles ranging from the East to West.
 

A significant part of the common cello repertory consists of works by French composers. What comes to mind when ‘French cello music’ is mentioned may be what the current students of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts will be presenting to audiences on 29 April 2025 as part of the 2025 Academy Cello Festival programme: Camille Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor and Édouard Lalo’s Cello Concerto in D minor. The cello students of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts be playing arrangements of the two concertos for cello ensemble, demonstrating skilful group as well as solo playing. Don’t miss out on this exciting concert!
 

Join the talented cello students of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts for an unforgettable evening of music that blends classical elegance with bold, fresh arrangements. The concert will feature the sultry tango rhythms of Piazzolla’s Oblivion and La Muerte del Ángel, as well as a smooth Bossa Nova twist on Ravel’s Pavane.
 
The ensemble will also perform Gershwin's iconic Porgy and Bess Overture, showcasing the vibrant energy of jazz and opera through the rich sound of the cello. With stunning arrangements and the passionate playing of these emerging musicians, this concert promises to be a unique and captivating experience.
 
Don’t miss the chance to hear these exceptional students bring these diverse works to life in a memorable performance filled with emotion and creativity.
 

The passion for music still burns on years after The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts experience. Our alumni cello ensemble will be presenting an exhilarating concert on 1 May 2025 at the Academy Concert Hall, which includes an uplifting programme with works by Mozart, medleys of various symphonies’ melodies and folk tunes, and movie music. Arrangements by prominent cellists and composers Blaise Déjardin and James Barralet also form part of this multigenre concert. Come join us for a fun night of well-known tunes!
 

The highly anticipated performance by the celebrated cello faculty of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts will take place on 2 May 2025 at the Academy Concert Hall. In this exciting new installment of the Academy Cello Festival, the eight distinguished teachers from the Academy will be playing arrangements of Mozart’s elegant Symphony No. 29, George Gershwin’s fiery Rhapsody in Blue featuring local piano legend Nancy Loo, along with a soothing rendition of Frank Ticheli’s There Will Be Rest in tribute to Dr. Betty Wei, who served as Head of Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts from 1993 to 2003. The concert is topped off by Aaron Copland’s stirring and most well-known work, Appalachian Spring, arranged for cello ensemble by Dr. Letty Poon, closing the Academy Cello Festival 2025 with a warm, heartfelt goodbye and the Spring will lead us to the Academy Cello Festival 2026 to celebrate its 5th Anniversary.