Rendezvous 5: The Companions
Aptly named Rendezvous 5 – The Companions, the concert marks the 5th anniversary of the Rendezvous chamber music series since its inception in 2019. This milestone concert provides the perfect opportunity to celebrate the profound friendship forged throughout the artists' musical journey.
Rendezvous is thrilled to showcase many of their dear friends from past performances:
Elly Hyun-ae Lee, an acclaimed violinist who made her debut at Hong Kong City Hall in 2018, will be accompanied by the talented Fortsmann Quartett from Korea, adding a touch of elegance and virtuosity to the evening.
Additionally, they will present five captivating pianists, including the awe-inspiring Steinway artist Kin Wai Shum, the dynamic Duo Ping Ting, Dora Tsang, and Nicole Ho, who will join the celebration.
The concert will pay tribute to the works of their lifelong music companions, titans like Maurice Ravel, Dmitri Shostakovich and Frédéric Chopin, as well as showcasing gems by Albert Lavignac, Reynaldo Hahn and Paul Desmond and more.
Presenter: Ho Wing Hei, Nicole
Concert Manager: Lau Man Fong, Julian
Performers: Forstmann Quartett, Nicole Ho, Kinwai Shum, Dr. Dora Tsang, and Ping Ting Duo
Programme Highlights
Maurice Ravel
Jeux d'eau
String Quartet in F major, Il. Assez vif. très rythmé
Reynaldo Hahn
Le ruban dénoué for 2 pianos
No. 2 Les soirs d' Albi
No. 7 Danse du doute et de l'espérance
Robert Schumann
Piano Quintet in E- flat major, Op. 44
Frédéric Chopin
Waltz No. 5 in A-flat Major, Op. 42
Nocturne Op. 15 No. 2 in F-sharp Major
Polonaise Op. 53 in A-flat Major
And much more
For more details, please visit
instagram.com/RendezvousEnsemble
Nicole Ho
Pianist
Collaborative pianist Nicole Ho graduated from the University of Hong Kong and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London with a Degree of Master of Music in Music Performance.
Now an accomplished accompanist, Ho has shown her flair in concerts and appeared on RTHK4 with eminent artists including Sir James Galway, Robert Morris Aitken, and Adam Rapa. She has premiered with local and overseas artists from the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the Korean Chamber Orchestra, and the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra.
Ho was invited to attend the Piano Pedagogy Conference at the Crane School of Music State University of New York, Potsdam in 2016. Currently an adjunct faculty member of the Education University of Hong Kong since 2013 and instructor at the Music Office, she treasured the joy of teaching. Ho frequently engaged as a guest pianist for various vocal ensembles and choirs including the Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir and the Hong Kong Children's Choir.
Ho is a proud four-time presenter of the Rendezvous chamber music series and a performer for the 6th time.
Kinwai Shum
Pianist
Pianist Kinwai Shum took major prizes in the 11th Schubert International Piano Competition in Dortmund, Germany and the 4th Hilton Head International Piano Competition in the US. He has performed numerous recitals in North America and Far East Asia, and has appeared as a soloist with the Dortmund Philharmonic and the Hong Kong Symphonia, among others.
Shum was a junior student at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and graduated from the Eastman School of Music. He studied with Yau Shan Ngai, Eva Lue, Douglas Humpherys, and Edward Auer, and was later coached by Jorg Demus and Gabriel Kwok. He currently teaches at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Education University of Hong Kong where he is an Honorary Artist-in-residence. In recent years, he has been invited to perform and teach as an artist-faculty at Yeoncheon DMZ International Music Festival in Korea, Indiana University Summer Music Festival and Lancaster International Piano Festival, both in the US. His Schubert album was released in 2014 by Universal Music.
He was presented the Certificate of Commendation by the Secretary for Home Affairs, the Government of Hong Kong in 2008, and the Distinguished Young Pianist Award by the Hong Kong Piano Music Association in 2009. He is the awardee of the 2013 Ten Outstanding Young Persons in Hong Kong. He is a Steinway artist.
Forstmann Quartett
Violin – Sunghun Koh, Hyunae Lee
Viola – Jaeyoon Kim
Violoncello – Yongsik Kim
The Forstmann Quartett was founded in Essen, Germany in 2004. They are known for their diverse repertoire, spanning classical, romantic, and modern music. Initially based in Germany while studying at Folkwang Universität der Künste under Professor Andreas Reiner, a former member of the Rosamunde Quartett, the Forstmann Quartett began performing extensively in South Korea upon their return.
They have held regular concerts at prestigious venues such as the Seoul Arts Center and Kumho, as well as the 'The Prestige' series at Jangcheon Art Hall. The quartet has also embarked on national tours alongside renowned violinist Laurent Korcia and received acclaim for their world premiere performance of the string quartet version of J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations in 2010.
The Forstmann Quartett has performed at esteemed halls in South Korea, including Sejong Chamber Hall, Youngsan Art Hall, Maria Callas Hall, Baroque Chamber Hall, YAMAHA Hall, Kt Chamber Hall, and Pyeongchon Art Hall.
With their academic interpretation and exceptional performances, the quartet aims to evoke emotional impressions that surpass technical prowess. They staged a highly acclaimed restaging of J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations in 2014 and successfully completed their first overseas performance in Rome, Italy in 2016. Their nine-year-long series dedicated to W.A. Mozart's string quartets concluded in 2022 to positive reviews.
Recently, they premiered N. Bacri's String Quartet No. 4 in Korea, receiving praise from critics and composers.
Duo Ping Ting
As the founder of the Hong Kong Piano Duo Association and Honorary Artists of the Foshan Grand Theatre, Duo Ping Ting (Lok-Ping and Lok-Ting Chau) have performed as piano duo worldwide and received high acclaim. They graduated with first-class honours at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the 'Hochschule für Musik Theater und Medien' Hannover in Germany, under the guidance of Prof. Eleanor Wong, Genova, and Dimitrov respectively. They were prize winners of numerous international piano duo competitions, including the ARD International Music Competition, the International Piano Duo Competition, Bialystok, San Marino International Piano Duo Competition, and Grieg Á Deux International Two Piano Competition.
The Duo performed with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, New Zurich Orchestra, Bialystok Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Children Symphony Orchestra. They were invited to Liesborner Chamber Music Festival in Germany, the International Gedánsk Piano Duo Festival in Poland, the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Joy of Music Festival in Hong Kong, the Gulangyu Piano Festival in Xiamen.
In addition, they have engaged with music organisations such as the Dranoff Two Pianos Foundation in Miami, Wennigsten Cultural Association (Germany), the Chamber Music for Life Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Musicus Society. They also hosted piano duo workshop regularly in the HKUSPACE, as well as giving master classes in mainland China.
Dr. Dora Tsang
Pianist
Dora Tsang holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the University of Minnesota. She is a highly accomplished pianist, having received her Master of Music degree and Performer Diploma from Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music. In 2023, she served as a faculty member in Collaborative Piano at the School of Music, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.
During her D.M.A. studies at the University of Minnesota, Tsang performed numerous solo and chamber concerts in the Twin Cities. As a teaching assistant at the Piano Department since 2018, she taught tertiary-level piano lessons and group piano classes while also assisting with curricular planning. Her doctoral thesis, titled 'The Art of Collaboration - Brahms' Three Sonatas for Violin and Piano', explores the interplay between piano and violin.
Tsang has received recognition for her musical talents, including the Artist Excellence Award at Indiana University and the Judson and Barbara Bemis Graduate Fellowship. She was a finalist in the Coltman Chamber Music Competition in Texas, USA and performed in many piano and chamber recitals across Hong Kong, North America, and Europe. She will be featured in the Chamber Music Connection series presented by the Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
Tsang has collaborated with esteemed musicians, including Andrew Ling and Richard Bamping from the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Her chamber music performances have been recorded for various organisations. In addition to her performing career, Tsang is passionate about teaching and participated in the Macau Summer Piano Festival in 2023.
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Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall 
06.05.2024 (Mon) 7:30 pm 
$680 / $480 / $280 / $180URBTIX
