ÌìÃÀÂ黨ÐÇ¿ÕmvÃâ·Ñ²¥·Å

In most cases as an audience in concert, we are hardly able to observe the conductors from their front. Even for those musicians on stage, the off-podium life of conductors is often veiled under obscurity. Therefore, the Conducting Division of the School of Music, CUHK-Shenzhen has launched the series activity "Meet the Maestro", which unfolds to us the conductor's real mind, decisions, and philosophy from more angles. During each event, the invited guest conductors are featured to deliver lectures, masterclasses, rehearsals, or talks.

In the previous two sessions, we met with two famous conductors, Prof. Lingfen Wu and Prof. Zhilian Xu respectively, to discuss the art of conducting through historical masterpieces. In the upcoming third event of the "Meet the Maestro" series, we are honored to have Prof. Sharon CHOA from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, to reveal her music philosophy. The repertoires which will be presented in this masterclass are somewhat considered milestones in classical music: innovative harmonic sequences in Mozart "Symphony No. 40" that almost foreshadows the Wagnerian tonal collapse; The soul-knocking opening of "Fate Symphony" and the tragic coda of the "Coriolan Overture" have adorned the immortal legend of Beethoven; Dvo?¨¢k's "Symphony No.8" carved his idyllic poetry into the traditional symphonic structure. Meanwhile, as a representative figure of female conductors, we especially look forward to hearing her sharing of any personal insights on the music career.

This lecture and masterclass will continue to offer a free Q&A session for the live audience. If you are curious about what the conductor's brainwork is like or looking for a supplementary way to improve your musical skills, this would surely be your must-see event. In the masterclass, you can learn beyond the exact music knowledge, exchange ideas with experienced musicians, and even acquire social resources for music and art. The event will be also on livestream for those who are willing to attend online. We look forward to seeing all of you joining us on Wednesday morning.

¡¾±Ê°ù´Ç²µ°ù²¹³¾³¾±ð¡¿

1.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

(1756-1791)

Symphony No.40 in G minor, K.550

II.     Andante

V.     Allegro assai

2.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

(1770-1827)

Symphony No.5 in C minor, Op.67

I.     Allegro con brio

¡ª¡ª±õ²Ô³Ù±ð°ù³¾¾±²õ²õ¾±´Ç²Ô¡ª¡ª

3.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

(1770-1827)

Coriolan Overture, Op.62

4.

ANTON?N LEOPOLD DVO??K

(1841-1904)

Symphony No.8 in G major, Op.88 

I.     Allegro con brio

Piano | ZHANG Yue, YUAN Fangqixiong

¡¾¶Ù²¹³Ù±ð&²¹³¾±è;°Õ¾±³¾±ð¡¿

Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 at 10:00

¡¾³Õ±ð²Ô³Ü±ð¡¿

Auditorium 364, School of Music, CUHK-Shenzhen

501 Longfei Boulevard, Longgang District, 

Shenzhen, Guangdong

Admission Free.

Visitors are requested to scan 

the QR code for registration upon entry.

The masterclass and lecture will be on livestream. 

Please scan the QR code above.

Prof. Sharon CHOA

In 2007, Sharon was nominated an 'inspirational woman of the world' with her portrait appearing in the National Gallery. Her achievement as a musician, conductor, and entrepreneur is featured in Zerbanoo Gifford's book Confessions to a Serial Womaniser. Trained rigorously both as a performer and academic, Sharon possesses the intellectual prowess always to seek the deepest meaning, the innermost essence of the composers' thoughts in her interpretation of musical works. Her mixed ancestry encourages an understanding of the value and strength of cross-cultural ties and interdisciplinary connections in her programming ideas. Sharon's long years of practicing the art of Taiji makes for a physical approach to conducting that focuses on the inner strength of the body and mind. Her premiere of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde in Chinese at the 2004 BBC Proms 'East meets West' series established her as a conductor of remarkable musical abilities and intensity. 

Born in Hong Kong (China) and enjoyed an exceptional Anglo-Chinese education, Sharon excelled in the violin at an early age and first began conducting while still at school at the age of 16. She was later accepted at the Royal Academy of Music as a violinist to study under the great quartet leader Sidney Griller. Sharon also holds a First Class B.Mus. and Ph.D. degrees from King's College London. It was during her studies at King's that her talent for conducting was rediscovered and led to coaching from the conductors Lawrence Leonard, Diego Masson, Georg Tintner, Janos F¨¹rst, Ji?¨ª B?lohl¨¢vek, and Sir Colin Davis. Trained rigorously both in performance and academia, she became Director of Performance and Lecturer in Music at the University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich in 1996; taking over the UEA Symphony Orchestra as Chief Conductor. Since then, she has taken the orchestra on tour to Germany, Italy, Austria, and Moravia as well as guest conducted professional orchestras in Germany, Russia, the Czech Republic, and Hong Kong (China). In 2001, Sharon founded Chamber Orchestra Anglia (COA), a professional ensemble that draws together creative, cultural, and academic strengths in the UK. The orchestra has since presented a string of concerts that earned itself a reputation for its innovative programming. Whilst in the U.K., Sharon has been awarded many performance and academic prizes and has been given individual grants by Arts Council England, the British Academy, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and the British Council to further her many musical and entrepreneurial activities. She was awarded the Norfolk Arts Award and the A.R.A.M. (Associate of the Royal Academy of Music) in 2014, the same year when she returned to her birthplace, Hong Kong (China), to take up the position as Dean of the School of Music at the HK Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). 

In Hong Kong (China), she guest conducted the HK Philharmonic and was Principal Guest Conductor of the HK New Music Ensemble ¨C taking the ensemble on tour to the Tong Yeong Festival and the Gwangju Festival in Korea, as well as performing in a series of high-profile concerts in Hong Kong. In 2016, she and her colleagues at the HKAPA founded an ensemble made up of the most distinguished graduates from the School of Music. It was named Philharmonia APA (PAPA). Since then, Sharon has taken the ensemble on tour to Vienna, and performed in venues in Hong Kong (China) to considerable acclaim. Sharon is also serving as the chief resident conductor of the APA Symphony Orchestra, performing regularly with the orchestra locally as well as on tour to Taipei, Beijing, and Shenzhen. She also conducts the annual composition workshops at APA, giving young student composers the opportunity to hear their works played live and recorded.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused, please note that children under the age of 3 are not permitted to enter.

The digital full score of the masterclass repertoire is available to download at the entrance, upon request only.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!