The 2019 Hong Kong Youth Music Camp, organised by the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will be held in July and August. Highly acclaimed international musicians will be invited to give orchestral, band and choral training for about 400 young musicians, exploring the wonderful world of music.

     Applications are now open for qualified young musicians aged 10 to 29. To encourage international music exchanges, Parsons Music Foundation, the event sponsor, will offer scholarships to cover the camp fees for non-local musicians with excellent musical standards.

     Camp A will be in-camp residential training at Tso Kung Tam Outdoor Recreation Centre for music groups of Chinese Orchestra, Junior Chinese Orchestra and Symphonic Band from July 22 to 27. The fee is $1,688 for local campers and $2,438 for non-local campers.

     A Day Camp entitled "Day Trip to Music La La Land" will also be held at Tso Kung Tam Outdoor Recreation Centre from July 23 to 27. Schools, organisations, families and individual groups are welcome to visit rehearsals, attend mini-concerts and take part in music games. Day Camp participants will also be able to use various recreational facilities at the camp. The fee will be $92 per person per day. A concessionary rate of $68 will apply to children, full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 and above, people with disabilities and minders and participants from subvented organisations registered with the Social Welfare Department.

     Camp B will be non-residential daytime training at designated music centres of the Music Office for groups of Youth Choir, Senior Strings and Junior Symphony Orchestra from July 29 to August 3. The fee is $800 for both local and non-local campers.

     Camp conductors include the Resident Conductor of the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra and National Class One Conductor, Zhang Lie; Conductor of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Affiliated Secondary School Youth Chinese Orchestra, Liu Jie; former Associate Professor of Conducting and Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, Dr Peter Ettrup Larsen; Professor of Conducting, Yale School of Music, the US, and Artistic Director to the Yale International Choral Festival, the US, Dr Jeffrey Douma; Associate Professor of Violin, University of Iowa School of Music, the US, and featured artist at the conferences of the Music Teachers National Association and the Suzuki Association of the Americas, Dr Scott Conklin; and Professor of Violin, Whitworth University, the US, and Conductor of the Whitworth Orchestra, the US, Dr Philip Baldwin.

     In addition, masterclasses and workshops will be arranged for campers to hone their musical skills. Campers will participate in two public concerts to be held at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall on July 28 and August 4 respectively to showcase their achievements. Tickets will be available for sale at URBTIX from May 10.

     Online applications are now available at www.lcsd.gov.hk/musicoffice. Application forms are also available at the website and the Music Office music centres. The application deadlines are April 1 for the Music Camp (A and B) and May 24 for the Day Camp.

     For enquiries, please call 2582 5334 (Music Camp) and 2796 7523 (Day Camp).

Ends/Thursday, February 28, 2019
Issued at HKT 15:00

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