Afternoon Series

Groovy Buddies

Funk, Jazz, Pop & Fusion

Performances: 01 & 08.03.2021

Groovy Buddies has been unleashing high-energy brassy funk and jazz pop to the audience since forming in 2019. The intensity of the band’s energy is fueled by their desire to share the healing and inspirational power of music with others. They are going to present wind and brass music in the less traditional and popular ways. They will perform some original music and cover popular songs, with their own very special brassy arrangements, such as Motown, Funk, Fusion, Jazz Pop style and etc.

Programme

Synergy by Kaho Wong (Groovy Buddies)

Sweet Dreams Are Made of This by Eurythmics

Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran

Best Things by Lucky Chops

Treasure by Bruno Mars

Elephantry by Kaho Wong (Groovy Buddies)

Funky Town / I Feel Good by Lipps Inc & James Brown

Dance Monkey by Tones and I

Danza by Don Omar

Heal The World by Michael Jackson

Rebellious by Kaho Wong (Groovy Buddies)

About the artists

Groovy Buddies is a Hong Kong brass band founded in 2019, featuring a 6-pieces brass band made up of trumpet, tenor saxophone, trombone, baritone saxophone, tuba and drums. The band began as a cover band playing popular songs and giving their own very special brassy arrangements to songs. After months of collaboration, they started to compose their own original music. Playing mostly Funk, Motown and Jazz Pop music, Groovy Buddies has grown their reputation and popularity.

Members: Hei Kwok (Trumpet), Kaho Wong (Tenor Sax), Snake Ming (Trombone), Kenny Kin (Baritone Sax), Long Kwan (Tuba) & Blue Kwok (Drums)

Performances: 22.03.2021

What’s more enjoyable than playing chamber with your brothers? Violinist Mark Hui will take the stage with his brother in music cellist Joe Chan on March 22.

The concert brings us classic violin and cello duo pieces such as the two-part invention by J.S. Bach, and “Lazurite,” a contemporary piece by Hong Kong composer Leung Chi-hin. Come join us!

Programme

Performed by Mark Hui (Violin) & Joe Chan (Cello)

About the artists

Violinist Mark Hui graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with first-class honours and obtained his Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music. Hui is an active soloist and has an immense passion in orchestra which has taken him around the world to perform and to work with renowned conductors such as Christoph Eschenbach and Michael Tilson Thomas, among others. He also serves as Resident Conductor at the Hong Kong Festival Orchestra.

Joe Chan is a master graduate of Sydney Conservatorium of Music. As an avid performer, Joe has appeared as soloist with many orchestra and international music festivals. He is also a dedicated and passionate educator. He studied string pedagogy with Mimi Zweig and Rebecca Henry.

Western & Chinese Instrumental

Performances: 29.03.2021

When the Chinese Sheng, also called the Chinese mouth organ, was introduced to Europe in 18th century, the way sound is produced from the Sheng reed inspired the invention of harmonica. The ancestor (sheng) and the grandson (harmonica) are brought together by young Hong Kong musicians Yue Kin-long (sheng) and Kelvin Leung (harmonica). They will once again perform Western classic and Chinese instrumentalist music re-arranged for harmonica and sheng duo. Join us and hear this dynamic intercultural duo on December 21.

Programme

Performed by Yue Kin-long (Sheng), Kelvin Leung (Harmonica) and Alison Ma (Keyboard)

About the artists

MouWongGun is formed by harmonica player Kelvin Leung and Chinese sheng player Yue Kin-long with the aim to extend the repertoire of these two “free-reed” instruments. They both play a wide range of music, ranging from Western classical/Chinese tradition to jazz and pop music.

Kelvin Leung is a member of harmonica ensemble RedBricks. He won the Chromatic Harmonica Solo (Adult) in World Harmonica Festival 2013, Germany, among other international awards, when he was only a student. Kelvin was also the youngest jury members of the Seoul International Harmonica Festival 2016 to 2018. In 2017, he was selected by RTHK Radio 4 as one of the Young Music Makers.

Sheng player Yue Kin-long is currently head of orchestra with the Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang ensemble, Sheng Musician-in-Resident of West Kowloon Tea House Rising Stars Troupe and a member of John Chen Ensemble. A graduate of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and multi-scholarship awardee, he has performed overseas many times.  His sheng mentors are Cheng Tak-wai and Loo Sze-wang.

Pianist Alison Ma is currently a music student of The Chinese University of Hong Kong under the tutelage of Timothy Kwok. She is the first runner-up of Taiwan Asia Aegean Music Contest 2017 and has performed with the School Choir of Belilios Public School and The Greeners’ Sound as a pianist.