Reach for the stars

Chiu Tsang-hei is not one to let opportunity pass him by. The musician has enjoyed a fruitful career as a film-score composer, concert director, record producer and even a singing-competition judge, and he says that when it comes to reaching for the stars, time is of the essence.

Since last year, Chiu has been serving as a judge on the popular singing competition The Voice on TVB. Many of the contestants are young adults who see the show as their shot at breaking into the entertainment industry, and Chiu emphasises how important it is to take advantage of these opportunities.

'If you're passionate about your interests and your career, you should absolutely grab these opportunities as they come,' he says. 'Time flies. If you let these chances pass you by, your dreams can go with them.'

Chiu says that his shot at success came years ago at the New Talent Singing Awards organised by Capital Artists.

Music producer and composer Michael Lai saw him working as a piano player for the competition and offered him a job as his production assistant. Chiu took the offer and started making his way up in the local music industry, in which he first gained recognition when he worked with Chiu Jun-fun on the award-winning music score for the 1996 Hong Kong film, Comrades - Almost a Love Story.

The movie, featuring Leon Lai Ming and Maggie Cheung Man-yuk as ill-fated lovers, was a success and, when it comes to the relationship between time, fate and love, Chiu seems to know what he's talking about.