US music school makes impression on Hong Kong music hopefuls
Touring ensemble a class act for young hopefuls
A delegation of students, faculty and alumni from the Curtis Institute of Music in the US came to Hong Kong last week to spread the word about their school, and along the way give young students a taste of what it's like to be a touring professional.
Six musicians were in town to take up mini-residencies at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, St Paul's Co-Educational College, the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre, Diocesan Boys' School and Baptist University. The ensemble, a string sextet, held a series of classes and performances, finishing with a chamber music recital at Chinese University's Lee Hysan Concert Hall.
Roberto Diaz, violist and president of Curtis, played alongside his students.
The school's philosophy is "learning by doing" and this includes introducing students to the life of a touring musician, according to Andrew Lane, director of Curtis on Tour.
The students, all hoping for a career in music, seem to be thriving on the trip. Eunice Kim, violinist and recent graduate, says: "I like this life, it's just a little exhausting but really fun."
The music school has always had a mystique; the institute is elite and selective with only 178 students, who pay no tuition. Alumni include names such as Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber and Lang Lang. This tour confirmed the reality of the myth and provided some hints of how it is done.