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Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the "Hong Kong City Hall Theatre Piano Series" featuring 6 young Chinese pianists with different styles has launched since early September till December. In November, there will be Piano Duo by Hui Ling and Julie Kuok.

Specially selected classical and memorable melodies are chosen for each performance of the Piano Series. For the Piano Duo, Hui Ling and Julie Kuok will perform an all-Russian programme including Stravinsky's "Russian Dance" (from "Petrushka"), Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite, Prokofiev's Selections from Romeo and Juliet (arranged by Hui Ling), Scriabin's "Fantasie in A Minor" and Rachmaninov's "Suite No. 2".

Hui Ling graduated from the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music and obtained her professional diploma at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with high distinction. She furthered her music studies in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 1990 where she received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music with full scholarship. Hui won the top prize of the Singapore Rolex Music Performance Awards in 1989. She has performed with several orchestras including the Queensland Youth Orchestra in Australia, Santa Rosa Symphony, Sierra Community Symphony and Martin Symphony in California. Hui also participated as a feature artist in San Luis Obisbo (California) Mozart Festival and has been the resident pianist of Lancaster Festival in Ohio since 1994. Hui is currently teaching in The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Her former teachers include Li Qifong, Yin Chengzong, John Winther and Mack McCray.

Julie Pun Man Kuok, born in Hong Kong, started her first piano lesson at the age of five. After finishing her post-secondary study, she entered the Oberlin Conservatory in the United States studying piano with Sedmara Rutstein and was awarded the Pi Kappa Lambda Prize for her dual achievement of excellent academic work and outstanding musicianship in her final year. She also won the Oberlin Concerto Competition and gave her winners' performance of Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra. In 1997, Kuok became the first Hong Kong young musician to be awarded the full scholarship by the British Council to pursue her Master degree at The Royal Academy of Music in London, while at the same time winning the Winifred Christie Award and the Barbara Kesterton Fund Award from the Academy as well. In 1999, she graduated with distinction in her final recital and was awarded the Alexander Roller Prize. Kuok has had outstanding achievements in several piano competitions including the 1995 and 1996 Hong Kong Open Piano Competition, as well as two intercollegiate competitions at The Royal Academy of Music - the Hilda Anderson Solo Competition and the Michael Head Vocal Accompaniment Competition.

"Piano Duo by Hui Ling and Julia Kuok" will be staged at 8 pm on November 7 (Thursday) at the Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall. Tickets priced at $120 and $80 are now available at all URBTIX outlets. Half-price concessions will be granted to senior citizens, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (Discount tickets for students and CSSA recipients available on a first-come, first-served basis). Please check out programme leaflets for discount schemes with purchase of more than one performance in the series.

Other attraction of the series includes "Piano Recital by Ci Ci Chang Chieh" (December 20). For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7321; for ticketing enquiries and reservation, please call 2734 9009; for credit card telephone booking, please call 2111 5999. To search more information on internet, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp

A free pre-concert talk (in Cantonese) will be organised at 8 pm on October 26 (Saturday) at Recital Hall, Hong Kong City Hall. Hui Ling and Julie Kuok will share their performing experience with participants. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

End/Wednesday, October 9, 2002

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