Afternoon Series

Live performances to brighten your day

Taking place every Monday afternoon, “Afternoon Series” invites emerging local artists to curate and develop mini-concerts, dance, theatre, comedy and multi-disciplinary performances for the unique environment at Tai Kwun. Sitting in the heart of Central, Tai Kwun is perfectly located to offer a brief reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the week. Come and relax with your co-workers, friends and families all the while being inspired by the innovative ideas of the artists.

May to June 2020 Performances

Performances: 25.05 & 29.06.2020

Sheng, also called the Chinese mouth organ, is one of the most ancient traditional Chinese instruments with a history of at least 3,000 years or more. When it 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 perform Western classic and Chinese instrumentalist music re-arranged for harmonica and sheng duo. Join us and hear the new sound of this intercultural duo on May 25 “Harmonies from East to West” and June 29 “The Crashing Reeds.”

25.5.2020 Concert I: Harmonies from East to West

Performed by Yue Kin-long (Sheng), Kelvin Leung (Harmonica) & Janice Tsui (Keyboard)

29.6.2020 Concert II: The Crashing Reeds

Performed by Yue Kin-long (Sheng), Kelvin Leung (Harmonica) & Janice Tsui (Keyboard)

About the artists

Kelvin Leung (harmonica) and Yue Kin-long (sheng) both play a wide range of music, ranging from Western classical/Chinese tradition to jazz and pop music. Their dedication to expand new repertoire of their respective instruments led to their collaboration.

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 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 Janice Tsui graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong under the tutelage of Julie Kuok. She is a prize-winner of Antonio Vivaldi International Competition Vienna in 2018 and currently works as the pianist of Opera Hong Kong Children Chorus. In 2019, she and Kelvin performed together in Moscow and Shanghai.

Yue Kin-long (Sheng)

Kelvin Leung (Harmonica)

Janice Tsui (Keyboard)

Performances: 01.06 & 15.06.2020

The Up:Strike Project returns to Tai Kwun after the successful concert series in 2019. We have prepared 2 exciting programs of solo and chamber percussion music. This time around we will focus on the new younger generation of Hong Kong’s best percussionists, on top of our 4 core members. Programmes include classic percussion pieces ranging from Cage and Lansky, to more contemporary Temple and Hansen. Let us embark you on this colourful journey to your ears and other senses at Tai Kwun!

01.06.2020 Concert I: New Generation

Performed by Matthew Lau, Bevis Ng, Eugene Kwong, Sunny Ho, Michael Yeung & Vonald Chow (Percussion)

15.06.2020 Concert IV: New World

Performed by Matthew Lau, Eyo Li, Emily Cheng & Jonathan Wu (Percussion)

About the artists

The Up:Strike Project aims to embody the nature of the integral movement in percussion: “up and strike.” Founded by two Hong Kong-based percussionists, Karen Yu and Dr. Matthew Lau, The Up:Strike Project is a diverse and flexible group, aiming to thread the community together by welcoming all levels of percussionists and musicians, and consistently engaging different young and emerging percussionists to work with us.

By bringing professional and emerging percussionists together, presenting and championing a diverse mix of percussion music, and supporting the future leaders of percussive arts, The Up:Strike Project endeavours to strike and stand out as the pioneer of the ever-changing art form in percussion and contemporary music.

Devoted to bring changes, The Up:Strike Project seeks to elevate the artistry of percussion, at the same time, focusing on community engagement through musicmaking and broadening the diversity of performed repertoire.

The Up:Strike Project

Matthew Lau (Percussion)

Bevis Ng (Percussion)

Vonald Chow (Percussion)

Eugene Kwong (Percussion)

Sunny Ho (Percussion)

Michael Yeung (Percussion)

Eyo Li (Percussion)

Emily Cheng (Percussion)

Jonathan Wu (Percussion)

Performances: 08.06 & 22.06.2020

The instrument brought from somewhere west of China by Zhang Qian in Han Dynasty (206 -220 BC) was commonly regarded as the origin of dizi. Dizi has a bright lyrical sound and is often used to describe vivid scenes. The concerts on Jun 8 & 22 feature music hand-picked by young dizi player Yau Kwan-lam with respectively two themes “Postcard of Scenery” & “Dizi x Dizi” that showcase the unique playing techniques of dizi, such as circular breathing and imitation of birdsongs, together with the sound of guzheng, percussion, xiao and sheng. Audience can enjoy a wide range of dizi music.

08.06.2020 Concert I: Postcards of Scenery
Performed by Yau Kwan-lam (Dizi & Xiao), Grammy Yeung (Guzheng) & Sylvia Tam (Percussion)

22.06.2020 Concert II: Dizi x Dizi
Performed by Yau Kwan-lam (Dizi & Xiao), Kwok Chun Hei (Dizi & Xiao) & Xiang Yong Qi (Sheng)

About the artists

Yau Kwan-lam is currently a student of University of Hong Kong (HKU) and RTHK’s Young Music Maker 2019.  She has won a number of dizi competitions, including the Bronze Prize of the 3^rd Songting Cup and the Silver Prize of the 1^st Songting Cup National Dizi Competition. She studies dizi with Sun Yong-zhi and is a player of Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra (HKYCO) and Hong Kong Music Lover Chinese Orchestra (HKMLCO).

Yau’s music partners are either current student or graduate of The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. Grammy Yeung is graduate student with a major in guzheng performance. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from HKU and was RTHK’s Young Music Makers 2017. Sylvia Tam is a core member of the Hong Kong Chinese drum team Refiner Drums. She was awarded the Best Drummer (Creative Presentation Section) in the 16th Hong Kong Synergy 24 Drum Competition in 2018. Kwok Chun-hei is the dizi principal of the HKYCO and the Gold Prize winner of the 1^st Tongying Cup and 3^rd Songting Cup national dizi competitions. Xiang Yong Qi is a sheng player of HKMLCO. She has interned for Windpipe Chinese Ensemble and has been awarded a number of scholarships.

Yau Kwan-lam (Dizi & Xiao)

Grammy Yeung (Guzheng)

Sylvia Tam (Percussion)

Kwok Chun Hei (Dizi & Xiao)

Xiang Yong Qi (Sheng)