The HKBU Academy of Music held its Inaugural String Quartet in Residence Concert by Quatuor Arod on 16 January 2023 at the Academy Community Hall. Quatuor Arod, the French award-winning new generation string quartet ensemble, gave the world premiere of the winning composition of the Inaugural NC Wong Young Composers Award. The work was composed by Lui Kin Lok, a student of the Academy of Music, who is also the Award’s first prize winner.

A number of HKBU Foundation members joined this special occasion. They included Mr. Wong Nga Chung; Professor Sunny Wong and Mrs. Susanna Wong; Dr. Eddie Ho; Ms. Belinda Hung; Mr. Philip Kan, MH; Mr. Samuel Lam; Mr. Alex Leung; Professor James Tsien and Professor Teresa Tsien; Mr. Tyrone Siu and Mrs. Siu; and Mr. Kent Tsui. Other HKBU representatives attending the concert, included Professor Johnny M. Poon, Associate Vice-President (Interdisciplinary Research) and Founding Dean of the School of Creative Arts; Professor Ho Wai Chung, Acting Director of the Academy of Music; Dr. Eugene Birman, Associate Professor of the Academy of Music; Professor Jeffrey Shaw, Chair Professor of the Academy of Visual Arts; Professor Chan King Cheung, BBS, Raymond. R. Wong Endowed Professor in Media Ethics; Mrs. Lily Chan, Director of University Advancement and Secretary-General of the HKBU Foundation; and Dr. Kevin Yue, Associate Professor of the School of Chinese Medicine.

Apart from this concert performance, Quatuor Arod also conducted workshops and master classes for the Music students during its maiden tour to Hong Kong, thereby facilitating a fruitful and inspiring exchange with our students.

With an aim to nurture creativity for music students at HKBU, the biennial NC Wong Young Composers Award was established in 2021 with a generous donation from Mr. Wong Nga Chung, President of Nakagawa Electronics Ltd.