Established in October 1977 by the Government, the Music Office promotes knowledge and appreciation of music in the community, especially among young people, through the provision of instrumental and ensemble training and the organisation of various music activities with a view to building a new generation of concert audiences. It has come under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region since January 2000.

The Music Office runs three major training programmes: Instrumental Music Training Scheme, Ensemble Training, and Outreach Music Interest Courses. In addition, it organises the Hong Kong Youth Music Camp, the Hong Kong Youth Music Interflows and a variety of music promotional activities with target groups range from primary and secondary school students to members of the public from all walks of life.

In addition to the above activities, the Music Office organises music exchange concerts and community performances for visiting youth music groups from around the world, and sends its advanced level orchestras, bands, or choirs on concert tours abroad to foster youth music exchange and to widen the horizons of local young musicians. Since 1978, young musicians trained by the Music Office have toured Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Australia, the USA, Canada, Italy, France, the UK, Israel, Austria, Czech, Russia, and cities in the Mainland. In recent years, youth music groups from Japan, the USA, the UK, Germany, Canada, Singapore, and the Mainland have visited Hong Kong and participated in the cultural exchange programmes organized by the Music Office.

Established in 1985, Music Office String Orchestra attained the formal title of Hong Kong Youth Strings (HKYS) in 1989. It provides advanced string ensemble training for local young musicians whom have been trained under Music Office’s district string orchestras.

The HKYS performed actively for the community with great music, including the Hong Kong Youth Music Interflows, Music Office Annual Gala and other community concerts. As a prestige youth orchestra, the HKYS has collaborated with renowned professional artists, such as Yip Wing-sie, Wong Sze-hang and Kumi Sugiyama, etc.

The HKYS performed with several overseas visiting groups for music exchanges, including Cincinnati Junior Strings in 1992, Shenzhen Music Lovers’ Chamber Orchestra in 1996, Lincoln Youth Orchestra in 1998, Beijing City 101 High School Orchestra in 2000, and Youth Orchestra from Chinese Youth Corps of New York in 2007.

The HKYS has been serving as youth music ambassador of Hong Kong by organising overseas performing tours. It left footprints on the USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Macau, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia. The orchestra was recognised with high musical standard by receiving awards internationally. In 2017, it was awarded with the Gold Band (Winner of the Category) in string orchestras up to 21 years old, and the Grand Prix for Orchestras (the Best Orchestra) from the 8^th International Youth Music Festival in Bratislava.

With members under the age of 25, the HKYS is currently trained and managed by Dr Joseph Kam, Cheung Ching-ting, Maxine Cheung and Wong Lok-hang. Recruitment is held annually through open audition.

Hong Kong Youth Strings Won High Acclaims at 2024 Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna

As the Music Office’s youth music outbound exchange programme of the year, 43 members of the Hong Kong Youth Strings (HKYS), led by conductor Dr Joseph Kam, has visited Vienna, Austria, between 4 and 11 July for the 2024 Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival, and won 2nd Place with Outstanding Success in the String Orchestra Category with their premiere performance in the world-renowned Weiner Musikverien.

Among the youth music groups from around the world, the jury greatly praised the HKYS’s curation of repertoire with the seamless transition between captivating excerpts from Shostakovich’s classic Sinfonia and the Festival’s compulsory piece Puccini’s Crisantemi, followed by the east-meet-west “Canthoven” Rhapsody, and the conclusion with the waltz from Bernstein’s Divertimento. Besides HKYS gave two exchange performances respectively in the House of Strauss on 6 July and in the ORF RadioKulturhaus on 8 July.

Since its establishment in 1985, the HKYS has been serving as youth music ambassador of Hong Kong by organising overseas performing tours. It left footprints on the USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Macau and Austria, and was recognised with high musical standard by receiving awards internationally. In 2017, it was awarded with the Gold Band (Winner of the Category) in string orchestras up to 21 years old, and the Grand Prix for Orchestras (the Best Orchestra) from the 8th International Youth Music Festival in Bratislava.