Mr. Wong Nga Chung (2nd from left) congratulated the three winning HKBU student composers, Lui Kin Lok (2nd from right), Gloria Mui Man Sze (1st from left) and
Lauryn Vania Kurniawan (1st from right)

With an objective to expand the creativity and professional growth of the music students and promote music composition in Hong Kong and beyond, the Academy of Music at HKBU held its inaugural “NC Wong Young Composers Award Presentation Ceremony” on 19 August 2022 to recognise the creation of world-class compositions by its current undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Selected by a jury comprising world-renowned professionals, the first, second and third prizes of the award were presented to undergraduate students Lui Kin Lok, Gloria Mui Man Sze and Lauryn Vania Kurniawan respectively. Apart from a cash award, the first prize winner’s composition will be performed for the first time in the world by the French award-winning new generation string quartet ensemble, Quatour Arod, in January 2023.

The biennial NC Wong Young Composers Award was established in 2021 with a generous donation of HK$1 million from Mr. Wong Nga Chung, President of Nakagawa Electronics Ltd. and Honorary Permanent President of the HKBU Foundation.

Mr. Wong, who officiated the Award Presentation Ceremony said, “I am impressed by HKBU’s commitment to driving excellence in music teaching, learning and research, as well as expanding new creative opportunities. I hope this award can encourage the University’s young musicians to strive for greater reach and a bigger impact on the global music scene by bringing us more innovative and diverse compositions.”

Professor Johnny M. Poon, Associate Vice-President (Interdisciplinary Research), Founding Dean of the School of Creative Arts and Dr. Hung Hin Shiu Endowed Professor in Music at HKBU said, “HKBU is dedicated to nurturing future-ready talent for Hong Kong and beyond. The NC Wong Young Composers Award inspires our students to expand their musical horizons and dream up impressive new compositions that travel far beyond the classroom walls.”

The three winners said they were honoured to have the opportunity to get their music heard by some of the most exceptional artists in the world. They are determined to be active composers, and hope to create impactful musical pieces in various genres and for all kinds of media.

The international jury of this year’s award comprised a group of all-star performers, conductors, arts administrators and composers. They were Mr. Paul Tam, Executive Director, Performing Arts of the West Kowloon Cultural District; Professor Sergey Malov, winner of the OPUS Klassik award, a prestigious classical music prize in Germany; Ms. Jessica Cottis, conductor of the Royal Opera House; Mr. Lio Kuok Man, Resident Conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic; and Dr. Eugene Birman, Assistant Professor of the Academy of Music at HKBU and a recipient of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in 2018.

The jury complimented on the quality of the submissions this year and was impressed by the exceptional talent of the HKBU student composers.

The Ceremony was well attended by distinguished guests and members of the HKBU Foundation. They included Mr. Paul Tam, Ms. Rosanna Choi, Treasurer of the Council and the Court of HKBU; and members of the Alumni Committee of the HKBU Foundation including Professor Sunny Wong, Professor Harrison Ho, Mr. Lau Pak Shing, Mr. Alex Leung and Mr. Tyrone Siu. Professor Ho Wai Chung, Acting Director of the Academy of Music, and Mrs. Lily Chan, Director of University Advancement and Secretary-General of the HKBU Foundation, also attended the Ceremony.