“Organ Plus 2.0” Organ Concert by Eric Fan plus Music Talents

(Concluded Successfully)

 

Eric Fan (organ)

Eric Fan started learning the piano as a child, and was mesmerised by the organ when he first came to know it in 2008. Three months after taking his first lessons from his mother Dr. Chiu Siu-ling, renowned organist and music educator, Fan gave his organ debut at Hong Kong Cultural Centre, featuring his rearrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee on pedalboard. In 2015, Fan even broke the world record of playing the piece in one minute and thirteen seconds, blowing the audience away with his extraordinary and agile pedal techniques ever since. Fan took a special interest in composition and organ improvisation. He studied the piano improvisation with Dr. Joachim Segger, and Bach’s works with his mother’s organ instructor, Dr. Paul Jordan. He also majored pipe organ at the Eastman School of Music and studied with Dr. John Schwandt at the American Organ Institute from University of Oklahoma. Fan appeared actively on the international stage. These included his recitals at the University of Oklahoma, Manchester Town Hall, Hangzhou Grand Theater and in many cities in China. In 2009 and 2010, Fan was invited to give three touring concerts in Seoul sponsored by the Korean pipe organ manufacturer, Treanor Pipe Organ Company. He also engaged the organ music programmes at Hong Kong Cultural Centre and “Beautiful Sunday Concert Series” at Shenzhen Concert Hall, sharing the unique performance style of his original and arranged works with the audience.

 

Au Yin Tak (saxophone)

Au Yin Tak embarked on her music journey by learning the instrument on her own at the age of 13. In 2001, she studied abroad in the United States where she came under the tutelage of Kent H. Eanes at County College of Morris in New Jersey and Dale Underwood at George Mason University in Virginia. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in music performance in 2007. Over the years Au performed extensively in the United States and Southeast Asia, and more recently gave regular performances in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. She has shared a stage with many local ensembles including Clementi Secondary School Band, Clementi Secondary Orchestra, Klappen Ensemble, Parsons Wind Orchestra, Galaxy Wind Ensemble, PM Concert Band, Hong Kong Tak Ming Philharmonic Winds and Hong Kong International Band Fair Youth Band, and also appeared on Radio 3 and 4 of Radio Television Hong Kong and TVB for live performances and interviews. Au is active in the local music scene. She founded Saxo Electro and Opus a la Carte Collective under Opus a la Carte with talented musicians and joined them for regular performances in Hong Kong. Pip & Phone, a pipe organ and saxophone duo which she co-founded with organist Eric Fan, was invited to perform at prestigious venues including Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong Fringe Club and Shenzhen Concert Hall. In recent year she expanded her repertoire from concert saxophone music to jazz music, and joined the Happy-Go-Lucky Big Band, The 5422 Collective and Starlight Elan Orchestra for jazz performances at home and abroad. Au is now pursuing her career as a performer and educator for the promotion of music.

 

Cherry Tsang (piano)

Cherry Tsang received her doctorate degree from the Eastman School of Music in the United States. Tsang appeared on stage as a soloist and chamber musician in Asia, Europe and the United States, and made her debut at the legendary Carnegie Hall in 2009. Under the batons of Neil Varon, Alan Cumberland, Christoph Campestrini and other renowned conductors, she performed with local and overseas orchestras including The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Ars Nova Orchestra and the Eastman Symphony Orchestra. Recently Tsang has toured with her chamber groups in Spain, Australia and numerous cities in China. She also remains very active with her violin piano duo, Duo Estrellita this past months in doing several Live stream Concerts. She often appeared in the Hong Kong Sinfonietta Chamber Music series, Music del Cuore Series, and was invited to Wooster Music Festival and Sanibel Music Festival in the United States, and at prestigious venues including the Kneisel Hall, New York University, Symphony Space and the Miller Theatre at Columbia University. She also shared a stage with Giuliano Sommerhalder, Esteban Batallán Cons, Florent Héau, Michel Arrignon and Piotr Milewski. She collaborated with trumpeter James Thompson in recording arias from Bach’s cantatas released by the International Trumpet Guild in 2014, and was presented as a featured artist in “Our Music Talent” series by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in the following year. Tsang is a piano faculty at Hong Kong Baptist University, and concurrently an academic staff teaching chamber music and collaborative piano for the graduate degree programmes at HKAPA.

 

Alan Kwan (guitar)

Alan Kwan is an award-nominated jazz guitarist, composer, producer and educator. Kwan was born in Hong Kong and started playing guitar at the age of 14. Kwan devoted himself to jazz and studied with Ted Lo and Eugene Pao, two of the most distinguished jazz musicians in the city, before embarking on his journey as a jazz artist. In 2009, Kwan moved to the United States to further pursue his studies in music. He has studied with Fred Hamilton, Richard McClure and Noel Johnston at the University of North Texas, where he was the recipient of the College of Music Scholarship, Kris Kolflat Scholarship and Academic Scholarship. He has also studied privately with David Berkman, Paul Bollenback, Stefan Karlsson, Rodney Jones, as well as many other renowned musicians. He took his pursuit of jazz music further by completing Master of Music in Jazz Performance at Queens College, City University of New York in 2017, where he concurrently tapped into the New York jazz scene. Kwan has actively performed in New York, Texas, Tokyo, Taiwan and Hong Kong. He has performed or recorded with a number of well-known jazz musicians with performances ranging from jazz gigs, stage performances to outdoor performances, such as “Our Hong Kong Young Notes Concert” organised by Radio Television Hong Kong and KoSwing Big Band Summer Jazz Camp in Tainan. He has invited by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York to perform in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 20th Anniversary Gala Dinner. Kwan appeared on various music festivals including Taichung Jazz Festival (main stage), Taipei Jazz Festival (main stage), Hong Kong Jazz Marathon, Macau International Music Festival and Jazz Gala at Hong Kong Cultural Center. Kwan also received three nominations including the best album, best album producer, and best composition for the 31st Golden Melody Awards. Alongside his performance career, Kwan has been invited to conduct master classes in Hong Kong and Taiwan. He was also a semi-finalist of the International Songwriting Competition in 2016-2018.

 

Haza Chan (vocal)

Haza Chan is a classically trained singer-songwriter with enthusiasm on jazz and electronic music. Chan studied music at De Anza College in the United States in 2004 and received her bachelor degree in music performance at George Mason University where she studied clarinet under the tutelage of Brian Jones in 2009. Since her return from the United States, Chan discovered her unique talents in songwriting and performance. In 2010, Chan won the third place in the 22nd CASH Song Writers Quest.

 

Programme

B. Heiden (1910 - 2000)
Diversion
Performers: Eric Fan (organ), Au Yin Tak (saxophone)

J. S. Bach (1685 - 1750)
Fugue in G Major, BWV 577
Performer: Eric Fan (organ)

E. Grieg (1843 - 1907)
Adagio
from Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16
Performers: Eric Fan (organ), Cherry Tsang (piano)

J. S. Bach (1685 - 1750)
Fugue in G Minor, BWV 578
Performer: Eric Fan (organ)

M. Ellerby (b.1957)
The Fast Lane
From Cinnamon Concerto
Performers: Au Yin Tak (saxophone), Cherry Tsang (piano)

N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 - 1908)
Flight of the Bumblebee
from The Tale of the Tsar Saltan, Op. 57
Performer: Eric Fan (organ)

J. Mitchell (b.1943)
Both Sides Now
Performers: Eric Fan (organ), Alan Kwan (guitar)

F. Chopin (1810 - 1849)
Revolutionary
from Etude No. 12 in C Minor, Op. 10
Performer: Eric Fan (organ)

P. P. Bliss (1838 - 1876)
It Is Well With My Soul
Performers: Eric Fan (organ), Haza Chan (vocal)

B. Pasek (b.1985) and J. Paul (b.1985) (arr. Eric Fan)
A Million Dreams
from The Greatest Showman
Performers: Eric Fan (organ), Au Yin Tak (saxophone), Cherry Tsang (piano), Alan Kwan (guitar), Haza Chan (vocal)

Free tickets will be given out, limited to two per person, on a first-come first-served basis at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre enquiries counter between 9 am and 9 pm, or through online registration starting from 28 April (Thur). Children aged 6 and above are welcome. The programme lasts approximately 60 minutes without intermission.

The presenter reserves the right to substitute artists and change programme should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary.
The content of this programme does not represent the views of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

Enquiries: 2734 2009 / 2734 2819