Hong Kong Young People’s Chorus (HKYPC), a local non-profit-making organization, was founded in 2005. Though her original founding intent of participating in the upcoming Choir Olympics at Fujian was not realised, she gave her inaugural concert in the summer of 2005 at the Hong Kong Union Church.
HKYPC’s members consist of choral enthusiasts from both local and international choral scene, many of whom come from prominent participating schools in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. Owing to the presence of some overseas members, rehearsals are limited and the choir performs twice each year. The Chorus’ repertoire spans from sacred to popular music, from classical to contemporary genres, striving to expose everyone to music of different styles and languages. To date, HKYPC has offered approximately 10 performances, with selections including Rutter’s Requiem (chamber version), Ward Swingle’s Music History 101, as well as premiering pieces by budding local and contemporary composers.
In January 2008, HKYPC was the core chorus in Hong Kong Youth Wind Philharmonia’s rendition of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana (Hong Kong Premiere). In July 2009, HKYPC has had a recording session for RTHK Radio 4’s programme, Music of Friends, which was aired in October; on Christmas Eve HKYPC was part of the core chorus in RTHK’s production of Christmas Concert in the Park 2009 – The Messiah Story. And the chorus was again invited by the LCSD Cultural Presentations Section, to be the demonstration choir in the Music Appreciation Concerts series in November and February 2010. In May, HKYPC presented a charity concert for the Qinghai Earthquake, with all proceeds going to The Salvation Army. (August 2010)
Virginia Cheng
Founder & Music Director
Virginia Cheng began her piano studies with Amelia Chan, then Gabriel Kwok, and subsequently with Joshua Tsai in Sydney. She has also studied violin with Ngai Ho Chow, voice with Barbara Fei, organ with Wong Kin-yu, and oboe with Victor Tam.
Cheng has won various prizes in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festivals. Also, she has obtained an LTCL Recital Diploma in Solo Piano from Trinity College London and a Licentiate diploma in Music, Australia (LMusA) from the Australian Music Examinations Board, and passed the Grade 8 exams of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music with distinction in the subjects of violin, voice and organ.
Upon returning to Hong Kong in the mid-90s, Cheng joined The Learners Chorus as its accompanist. She later became a soprano in the chorus and conducted several times in its concerts. In recent years, Cheng has performed in Opera Hong Kong’s Turandot, joined the Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus, and sung with Hong Kong Voices. She founded the Hong Kong Young People’s Chorus in 2005. In January 2008, she collaborated with the Hong Kong Youth Wind Philharmonia as its chorus mistress in their production of Carmina Burana. Subsequently in June, she completed a part-time degree course in music at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In July 2009 and 2010, Cheng furthered her music study by participating in the Taipei International Choral Festival Conducting Class. (October 2010)
Felix Shuen
Conductor
Felix Shuen found great passion in choral music during secondary school, and soon became very active in various school choirs and vocal ensembles. At the age of 17, he was awarded the Miss Barbara Fei Vocal Scholarship in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. He actively participated in numerous school choirs during his undergraduate engineering studies, and studied voice and choral conducting under Bruce Gladstone. He was also the director of a community choir at the University. After his graduation, he returned to Hong Kong to work in his Alma Mater as a conductor and a music teacher, and continued his vocal training under the guidance of the renowned bass Mr. Jimmy Chan. During his 3 years of work in Hong Kong, He led his choirs to achieve satisfactory results in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festivals. He also served as director and conductor in several other vocal ensembles.
Shuen is currently pursuing master’s degree of music in choral conducting in Eastman School of Music. (November 2010)
香港青唱為本地非牟利團體，成立於二零零五年，本是為了參加翌年於福建舉行之合唱奧林匹克而籌組之室內合唱團。爾後雖然未能成行，卻成就了零五年夏天於香港佑寧堂的第一場音樂會。
香港青唱的成員多活躍於本港或外地合唱音樂活動，絕大部分畢業自幾所於校際音樂節屢獲殊榮的中學，個人亦在聲樂或器樂達到相當的造詣。由於時間上遷就海外團員，故每年定於夏冬兩季演出。曲目廣泛，從聖樂到流俗，從古典到當代，各種風格及語言飽覽無遺。
香港青唱至今已主辦過大小約十次音樂會，曾演出曲目有：瑞特的《安魂曲》室樂版、史溫格所編之《音樂歷史１０１》等，以及為多首本地及當代作曲家的作品作全球或香港首演。二零零八年一月，香港青唱以主要團體身份，協助香港愛樂青年管樂團籌組八十人的合唱團，參與新編卡爾．奧夫《布朗尼之歌》管樂團版的香港首演。二零零九年七月，香港青唱曾為香港電台第四台之「室樂雅聚」節目進行錄音音樂會，節目於十月份播出；十二月廿四日亦將作為主力團體在香港公園演出「聖誕園林音樂會－彌賽亞的故事」。另外，再受康文署文化節目組邀請，於十一月及二零一零年二月為《黃昏前/後讓音樂響起》導賞音樂會系列作示範合唱團。而於二零一零年五月底，香港青唱亦舉辦了一場為青海地震災區籌款之慈善表演，所籌得之善款全數撥捐救世軍。
(二零一零年八月)
鄭瑋菁
創辦人及音樂總監
鄭瑋菁先後跟隨陳莉華，郭嘉特及蔡美約習琴，亦曾分別跟隨魏豪洲學習小提琴，費明儀學習聲樂，黃健羭學習管風琴，以及譚子輝學習雙簧管。
鄭氏於香港校際音樂節中屢獲獎項，並持有英國聖三一學院及澳洲音樂考試局之鋼琴演奏文憑，在英國皇家音樂學院小提琴、管風琴和聲樂之八級考試中更取得優異成績。
於九十年代中期，鄭氏回港後以鋼琴伴奏之身分加入學士合唱團。後來，她轉至女高音聲部，更數次擔任該團的指揮。鄭氏於二零零五年創立了香港青唱，她近年也曾參演香港歌劇院的歌劇《杜蘭朵》，還有香港管弦樂團合唱團及香港和聲的演出。於二零零八年一月，她為香港愛樂青年管樂團的演出──《布朗尼之歌》──作合唱指導，並於同年六月完成香港中文大學音樂系之兼讀課程。鄭氏在二零零九年及二零一零年七月參加了台北國際合唱音樂節，修習指揮課程。
(二零一零年十月)
孫子承
指揮
孫子承於讀中學時發現自己對歌唱有著濃厚的興趣後，積極參與中學裡多個合唱團，並屢次擔任合唱團中的獨唱。他於十七歲時於「香港校際音樂節」非公開獨唱組勝出，獲頒費明儀女士獨唱奬學金。於美國修讀工程系的同時，他亦積極爭取歌唱機會，加入了大學裡數個合唱團，並隨布魯斯∙格拉德史東學習聲樂及合唱指揮，期間亦曾擔任一社區合唱團的音樂總監。畢業後，他隨即回到香港於其母校任職合唱團指揮及音樂教師，並隨著名男低音陳晃相先生學習聲樂。在港工作的三年中，他帶領合唱團於校際音樂節為母校數次奪下錦旗，成績不俗，亦擔任著數個合唱團體的音樂總監及指揮。
孫氏現於美國伊斯曼音樂學院攻讀合唱指揮碩士學位。
(二零一零年十一月)