Much has been made about the technological and business advantages of the Greater Bay Area but less has been heard about the arts - and music in particular.
All that will change when the Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra gets going this year. Recruitment for the 2023 season started in February 16.
Classical musicians aged 16 to 24, who were either born, graduated, are living, studying or working in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area are welcome to submit their applications by March 8.
The first intake will comprise of around 80 to 100 young musicians.
First announced in July 2022 as a pioneering youth initiative to foster cultural exchange in the Greater Bay Area, the orchestra is established and directed by The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with the support of the Swire Group as founding patron.
Despite being a newcomer on the world stage, it has great aspirations of being one of the finest youth orchestras around the globe by offering professional training and coaching by world-class musicians to talented young musicians across the region.
"The Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra will be launched in August at the HKAPA premises," said the acadamy's dean of music Inaki Sandoval.
" It is a truly unique opportunity for young talented artists from the Greater Bay region to share and exchange musical experiences in a multicultural environment while touring and offering concerts in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Macau."
The inaugural season will kick off with a training camp and concert tour.
Held from July 31 to August 16 in Hong Kong, the training camp will include sectional and full orchestra rehearsals, masterclasses, cross-disciplinary workshops and cultural visits.
Finally, the season will conclude with a concert tour in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Macau.
All accommodation, cross-border transportation, and tuition during the training camp and concert tour are covered for those who have made the cut.
A certificate will be awarded upon completion of the camp and concert tour.
The orchestra will be led by Sharon Choa, head of conducting and cultural leadership of HKAPA, with Yiu Song-lam, head of woodwind, brass and percussion as the artistic coordinator.
During the two-week rehearsal, the members of the orchestra will learn from professors and musicians from HKAPA, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, and Macao Orchestra.
Apart from gaining professional performance experience by touring performances, members will have opportunities to connect with other young talented musicians in the Greater Bay Area.
This will help them build personal network, and broaden their horizons in a unique and multicultural environment for music performance and cultural exchange, which will help with their career development in the classical music field.
An audition panel composed of professors and renowned musicians from HKAPA, Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Macao Youth Symphony Orchestra, will decide the finalist and waiting list based on the audition videos.
Deadlines for application and video submission are March 8 and March 31, respectively.
Website: hkapa.edu/music/gbayo
ivy.ong@singtaonewscorp.com
