HK musicians triumph at World Harmonica Festival with 9 golds and 18 podiums

Hong Kong musicians have won big at the recent “Olympics” for the harmonica, clinching an impressive 18 podium finishes—including nine championship titles.

Held from October 30 to November 1 in Trossingen, the 10th World Harmonica Festival saw the Hong Kong Harmonica Association field its largest-ever delegation with over 150 musicians who competed against hundreds of top players worldwide.

The delegation participated in 14 of the 16 competition categories, achieving remarkable success across 10 of them during the three-day event.

Young members of the King’s College Old Boys’ Association Primary School harmonica band led the charge, capturing three golds, two silvers, and one bronze across six events. In adult divisions, Amanda Leung Tsz-kiu made history as Hong Kong’s first female winner in the solo chromatic category and also took bronze in adult duos.

Matthew Yip Tsz-chung claimed gold in the solo chromatic with test piece event, while his ensemble RedBricks triumphed in adult trios and placed third in the group category.

Beyond competition, participants explored harmonica repair workshops, toured factories, and visited the Harmonica Museum’s collection of 25,000 instruments. They also attended masterclasses and lectures to refine their craft.

Notably, the association was invited by the organizer of the festival to perform in the concert themed “Dances Through The Eras” on Saturday afternoon (Nov 1) at the University of Music, Trossingen, Germany.

To showcase the stunning performances of these talented musicians to the Hong Kong public, the Association announced the "World Harmonica Festival 2025 Winners Concert," set to take place at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall on February 8.

Association president Ivan Chong Ting-ho noted that Hong Kong players have now amassed over 300 international harmonica awards in the past 30 years, with winners trending younger.

The nine titles, he said, honor decades of dedication to harmonica education and promotion in the city.

Held every four years since 1989 in the musical hub of Trossingen, the festival remains the premier global gathering for harmonica enthusiasts.