The Orchestra Academy Hong Kong announces Young Pro Platform’s 2021/22 Season

Young Pro Platform (YPP) of The Orchestra Academy Hong Kong (TOA) will commence its inaugural season in June. Titled “Venture Into The Unknown,” 19 music talents graduated from the School of Music of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (the Academy) will present 2 full ensemble concerts and 8 chamber music concerts from June to October. 

The entire season programming is curated by players from Young Pro Platform, showcasing a wide spectrum of musical styles and genres, including classical, contemporary, and pop music. “It’s a list of extraordinary works that represent the contemporary taste of today’s young musicians: colourful, energetic, and relevant to today’s world,” said Professor Sharon Andrea Choa, Head of Conducting and Cultural Leadership (Music) of the Academy, and Music Director of YPP. 

In June, YPP will commence the journey into the unknown with multimedia concert Eroica Reimagined, led by conductor Professor Sharon Andrea Choa and theatre director Ata Wong. Performing the nonet version of Beethoven’s Eroica symphony (HK premiere) and Chamber Symphony by John Adams, YPP will break boundaries of traditional concert performance by imaginatively manipulating the use of space and designs in The Box at Freespace of the West Kowloon Cultural District.

From July to October, YPP players will present a series of unconventional chamber music concerts in two distinctive cultural venues – Haw Par Music and Xiqu Centre’s Tea House Theatre at the West Kowloon Cultural District – to offer audiences a unique experience. The concerts are devised for three to six players, mixing strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion in unusual ways. 

Tickets for Venture Into The Unknown: Eroica Reimagined are now on sale at westkowloon.hk. Ticketing arrangements for Venture Into The Unknown Chamber Music Series will be announced shortly.

Young Pro Platform is one of the core schemes of The Orchestra Academy Hong Kong (TOA). TOA is the first joint programme co-directed by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the School of Music of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, funded by “TrustTomorrow” of The Swire Group Charitable Trust with a promising sponsorship of approximately HK$9 million over a 3-year period.

Photo captions 

Professor Sharon Andrea Choa, conductor and artistic director of Young Pro Platform
Photo credit: HKAPA

Ata Wong, artistic director for Venture Into The Unknown: Eroica Reimagined

Venture Into The Unknown: Eroica Reimagined presented by Young Pro Platform

19 Young Pro Platform players graduated from HKAPA School of Music

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 leading tertiary institution in the performing arts in Asia. It provides professional undergraduate education and practice-based postgraduate studies. The study encompasses Chinese Opera, Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Its educational philosophy reflects the cultural diversity of Hong Kong with emphasis on Chinese and Western traditions, and interdisciplinary learning. Since 2008, the Academy has attained the Programme Area Accreditation (PAA) status awarded by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) to self-monitor and accredit its own Undergraduate and Post-secondary programmes in the five programme areas of Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Since 2016, the PAA status has been extended to cover Master’s Degree programmes and below. The programmes operated by the School of Chinese Opera are accredited by HKCAAVQ for recognition under the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework. Besides the main campus in Wanchai, Béthanie, the site of the Academy’s Landmark Heritage Campus in Pokfulam, has housed training facilities for the School of Film and Television since 2006. In the QS World University Rankings announced in 2022, the Academy is ranked 1st in Asia and 10th in the world in the Performing Arts category.

About The Orchestra Academy Hong Kong 
The Orchestra Academy Hong Kong is the first joint programme co-directed by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) and the School of Music of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), funded by “TrustTomorrow” of The Swire Group Charitable Trust (Swire Trust) with a promising sponsorship of approximately HK$9 million over a 3-year period. The programme, consisting of two schemes namely Fellowship Programme and Young Pro Platform, aims at enhancing professional training for distinguished graduates from HKAPA’s School of Music and facilitating their career development in the orchestral field. Those who are admitted to The Orchestra Academy will contribute their talents to servicing the community through volunteering opportunities.