Upclose with Jimmy Chan
A music teacher by trade, Jimmy Chan spends his evenings and leisure time as the chorus master of Opera Hong Kong. Ahead of the company’s annual concert, he talks to Beverly Cheng about his love for choral music and his hopes for his choir to make it big one day.
HK Magazine: Are you a singer?
Jimmy Chan: I’m a Baritone, but a music teacher by trade. I studied Music and Voice at the University of Indiana.
HK: What’s the best part of this year’s concert?
JC: I love Faure’s requiem! Most people interpret this Faure work as dark and somber, maybe because it’s about death, but we keep it smooth and light, like Schubert.
HK: Has anyone from your choir moved on to bigger projects?
JC: One of our volunteer choir members, Sammy Chien, got a minor but important part in “La Boheme” last year [a show staged by Opera Hong Kong in collaboration with the Rome Opera House]. We were really proud of him. I really want to keep on creating that platform for people to break out in their careers.
HK: What are Hongkongers’ feelings towards the opera in general?
JC: Hongkongers prefer musicals and the pageantry of live shows. They find choral works stiff and boring. They don’t want to see people just standing around in a group, when they can see people in costumes dancing on stage. It’s a tough crowd.
HK: Do you ever want to give up?
JC: I get frustrated sometimes. Especially when there’s not been much in terms of development and interest over the past ten years.
HK: How do you feel about the premiere of local composer and notable pianist, Dr. Donald Yu Man-Ching’s piece “From the Depth (Psalm 130)”?
JC: I feel very honored that Dr. Yu decided to write and dedicate this piece to Opera Hong Kong. It’s really beautiful, but modern.
