Chairperson

Ms. Winona CHAN

Winona specializes in setting strategies for arts industry development, fundraising, mass participation events as well as organization development, corporate governance, communications in non-profit sector.  She founded W&U Creative in 2017 and is its CEO.  Currently Consultant, Event Marketing of Youth Square, she aspires to strengthen the position of arts and culture in Hong Kong and uses her expertise to contribute voluntarily to the sector as Board Member of SingFest, Board Member of Alice Theatre Laboratory, Chairperson of Music Lab, and Assessor of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

With strong network across different sectors local and overseas, she has been speakers for many local and overseas organisations and interviewee for media, introducing the ecology and development of arts in Hong Kong.  She worked as Director of Fundraising and Communications of Suicide Prevention Services, Senior Development Manager of Hong Kong Philharmonic and General Manager of Hong Kong Arts Administrators Association.  She was a part-time instructor teaching and planning a programme on fundraising for arts.  She also previously worked in such large organisations as Ernst & Young, Hong Kong Arts Development Council, and Sun Hung Kei Properties (hotel projects) etc.

Members

Mr. Andrew CHAN

Artistic director of Alice Theatre Laboratory (ATL) and a graduate from the School of Drama in the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a major in directing. Chan founded ATL in 2003, an avant-garde ensemble that specialises in experimental theatre. He was named Best Director (Tragedy / Drama) at the 18th Hong Kong Drama Awards in 2009 and the 1st Hong Kong Theatre Libre for Seven Boxes Possessed of Kafka; Endgame won him another Best Director at the Hong Kong Theatre Libre, at its 5th edition in 2013. As well as dedicated to promoting theatre education, Chan has edited and published a number of volumes on theatrical studies.

Mr. David KWAN

David Kwan was co-founder and chief designer of "Glimpses of China" and "China Programs", educational initiatives based in Shanghai and Beijing for Western students from leading high schools in the US and Europe to learn in some depth about contemporary China, which involved creative collaboration between experienced educators brought in from the US and locals in the academic, artistic, and professional communities. Prior to that he worked in banking, consumer products, and management consultancy in Hong Kong and Singapore. He holds an MA degree from the University of Cambridge, where he studied law, and is currently an independent investor and sponsor of educational initiatives in Hong Kong.

Dr. WONG Chi Chung

Dr. Wong Chi Chung is currently the Assistant Director of the General Education Unit of The University of Hong Kong and an active DJ at Commercial Radio Hong Kong.

Focusing on international music and local indie music culture, he has been interviewing hundreds of musicians and artists of different music genres, local or international, in his radio programmes, such as Chi Chung’s Choice and Chi Chung’s Class, since 1985.

He also serves as the role of a producer and curator of various cross-cultural projects, such as the production of David Bowie's Mandarin song A Fleeting Moment (1997), Dream Come True 80 Days Around the World (2000), PoPo Song, post-SARS goodwill music (2004), the curation of Gen-S Concert at Shanghai Expo (2010) and HK Week@Taipei (2012).

Ms. Nancy LOO

Ms. Nancy Loo is one of Hong Kong’s most versatile artists, as pianist, radio programme host, actress and writer. She was a recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award in 1978. She currently teaches piano at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and The Chinese University of Hong Kong and is often invited to host music talks and master-classes and to serve as a juror for piano competitions.

As a pianist, Ms. Loo has given solo recitals and performed with orchestras in England, Europe, North America and Asia. Locally, she has appeared in the Hong Kong Arts Festival and performed with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Also, Ms. Loo is the presenter of a music programme Belle Nuit and Hong Kong’s only classical music radio show for children, Children’s Corner, on Radio 4 of Radio Television Hong Kong. She has participated in multi-media performances such as Kung Chi-shing’s M Garden, and in several drama productions.

Ms. Ada WONG

Ada Wong has led a varied career as solicitor, educator, social innovator and civil society figure. She is a staunch advocate of social innovation, creative education and cultural development.
 
Ada founded the Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture (HKICC), a unique non-profit cultural organization whose mission is education innovation and a creative civil society.  Among other projects, HKICC founded the HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity in 2006.
 
In 2010, she founded the Make A Difference (MaD) initiative (www.mad.asia), a continuing platform to groom the next generation of creative and innovative changemakers in Asia.  Two years later, she founded The Good Lab (www.goodlab.hk), a do tank and social innovation hub to enable tri-sector collaborations in bringing about innovative solutions for a better Hong Kong.  One of the recent endeavours of the Good Lab is to promote the sharing economy and in particular innovative co-housing projects among young people.
 
In 2016, Ada was invited by the Mayor of Seoul, Mr Park Won-soon, to join as member of his “Advisory Group for Seoul Innovation" together with social innovation leaders from around the world.
 
Ada was an elected member of the Urban Council and Wan Chai District Council between 1995 and 2008 with the last four years as Chairperson of the Wan Chai District Council.  She received her BA (Hons) from Pomona College, California USA, and M Ed from the University of Hong Kong.  She is an Honorary Fellow of Lingnan University and Hong Kong Institute of Education. 

KaJeng WONG

KJ’s musical talent has brought him onto the international stage since a very young age. He began his piano studies with Nancy Loo, and later studied violin under Yang Bao-Zhi, Michael Ma and Ho Hung-Ying, before furthering his piano studies at Indiana University Bloomington with Professor Emile Naoumoff.

“Extremely overpowering, talented but controversial.”

KJ won almost every category of local music competitions as soloist, ensemble and orchestra leader, and also as choir accompanist. During the temporary suspension of his study of the piano between the ages of 13 and 15, KJ auditioned at the Curtis Institute of Music as a violinist, before deciding to pursue a career as a concert pianist. Soon upon his return to the instrument studying under Professor Gabriel Kwok – the head of the piano department at HKAPA – KJ participated in prestigious international festivals including the Verbier Music Academy and PianoTexas. These rare opportunities provided him with excellent exposure to the teachings of great pianists such as Menahem Pressler, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Claude Frank, John O’Conor, Gabor Takacs-Nagy and Emile Naoumoff. Lately, he has received critical acclaim for his performance at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, where he was a semi-finalist, and for being selected as the winner of the Young Concert Artist Audition in Seoul.

”Probably the most talented musician I have ever met.” – Claude Frank

KJ’s calling to be a musician, as well as a personal letter from the legendary Claude Frank, fortified his decision to pursue music at the Jacobs School of Music. In his freshman year, he won the piano concerto competition and thereby performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto K467 with Maestro Uriel Segal. Subsequently, he won the concerto competition again with Chopin’s first concerto in his sophomore year. His talent in working with other musicians was soon widely recognized, and he was then heavily involved in chamber music and accompaniment for choirs and orchestras. KJ is also known for performing contemporary music, especially the works of Ligeti, Kapustin and Takemitsu; he premiered Naoumoff’s work at the Petroushka Project by Schott. Recently he premiered the Mussorgsky-NaoumoffPictures at an Exhibition – The Piano Concerto in Asia with the Music Lab Orchestra under conductor Wilson Ng, achieving public acclaim.

During his gap year after his freshman year, KJ enthusiastically involved himself in various social activities. Working closely with LoveFaithHope Charitable Foundation, he organized several workshops with humanitarian and environmental themes in various schools and communities. These non-musical endeavors prompted his realization that an artist should not only be exclusive to the stage, but inclusive of society as well. His exposure to the teachings of Buddhism and experience of meditation has further shaped his musical persona. Through Music Lab, he has created a plethora of projects such as the Open Lab Series, school tours, private recitals, educational workshops as well as the establishment of the Music Lab Education Studio.

“A Special Pianist” – Martha Argerich

A documentary was made of KJ’s youthful passions, pursuits and ideals in 2009. KJ – Music & Life has received rave reviews and awards including “Best Editing”, “Best Documentary” and “Best Sound Effect” at the Golden Horse Awards.

“Most pianists are either virtuosic or musically deep, the special case for KJ is that he is genuinely both.” – Emile Naoumoff