Conductors & Pianists
Nancy Cheng
Conductor
Simon Leung
Conductor
Joyce Yu
Conductor
Elsie Ching
Pianist
Jocelyn Hui
Pianist
Patience Fung
Pianist
NANCY CHENG
Founder, Artistic Director, Conductor
A recipient of the Outstanding Arts Teacher Award from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Nancy has been widely recognized for her achievement in music education and promotion, as an experienced conductor.
Nancy received her Diploma in Music studies from Ueno Gakuen University in Japan majoring in vocal and minor in piano. She graduated from the Master of Arts in Music at Hong Kong Baptist University, and was awarded the Scholastic Award as top of the class. As the music head of Diocesan Girls’ Junior School from 1998 to 1993, Nancy founded the school orchestra and brought the school choir to the “Most Outstanding Primary School Choir of the Year” in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival for 5 years.
Since Nancy joined Methodist School in 1995, she has been training her choirs, percussion band and directed blacklight musicals -- a unique performing art rarely performed in HK schools. In 2011, her choir was named the ‘Best Hong Kong Primary School Choir’ and received the Gold Prize at the HK International Youth Camp. She also led the school choir to perform at Karuizawa International Choral Festival and sang at Tokyo Disneyland Music Festival in 2016. Her choir also won Gold Awards in Hong Kong Inter-school Festival in 2019 and 2020.
In 2015, Nancy was invited to be the adjudicator for the ensemble contest at Karuizawa International Choral Festival (KICF) in Japan directed by Ko Matsushita. And in 2018 and 2019, she was a host of ceremony in 1st and 2nd Tokyo International Choir Competition and the 1st World Choral Championship. She is grateful to have worked with great composers and conductors and learned from many great choral masters in exploring the music world.
Her passion for music never stops. Inspired by maestro Ko Matsushita and the support of choral friends, Nancy founded Ko Chorus in 2017. As the founder and artistic director of Ko Chorus, Nancy is dedicated in promoting choral works from Japan and sharing the joy and beauty of choral pieces to the choir and the community.
SIMON LEUNG
Executive Director, Conductor, Composer
Simon received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from The University of British Columbia in Canada, and the Master of Arts in Music from The Chinese University of Hong Kong with Dean's List. He has received conducting masterclasses from Carmen Koon, Vivian Ip, Ko Matsushita and Kurt Suttner, and has served as conductor in the DSOBA Choir, HK PharmaChoir, and the MA Chorus.
Simon is blessed with a music journey. He recorded children tunes in a studio at the age of 8, conducted the DBS Intermediate Choir at HK City Hall, and performed a Mozart piano concerto with the DBS Orchestra at the A.C. Hall at 16. His passion in Cantopop brought him the 2nd place in the Vancouver Amateur Singing Contest and the 1st place in the Hospital Authority Singing Contest. He later received vocal training from Wong Wah Fung, and has performed in musical productions with Hong Kong Singers at the City Hall Theatre.
Besides his professional career as a hospital pharmacist, Simon believes in music as a team-building tool, and as a powerful medium of emotional sharing. A member of Composers & Authors Society of HK (CASH), Simon has written over 20 songs/lyrics for healthcare, including anniversary songs for hospitals, and has produced musical plays in Pharmacy Conferences, advocating patient care. During COVID-19, he has directed virtual recordings to spread hope and positivity by MVs on the YouTube. Simon is also the founder and music director of “Pharmacy Music Club (PMC)”, “Broadway Viva”, “HK PharmaChoir” and the “MA Chorus”. His ensembles have given meaningful performances in charity events and raised funds for patients in need.
JOYCE YU
Conductor
Yu received her Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Music from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She majored in vocal performance under the tutelage of Ms. Clara Yip. She also received her Masters of Education, majoring in Administration and Leadership in 2008. She has been the Head of the Music Department as well as the choir conductor and music director at Heep Yunn School since 1996. Under her leadership, choristers of Heep Yunn School have achieved outstanding results at local music festivals and international competitions. The Heep Yunn School Choir won the best girls’ choir trophy and was named the most outstanding choir in both 2018 and 2019 in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. In 2018, the Choir won Gold Prize in the 1st Tokyo International Choir Competition in the Children’s Choir Category and rank second in the category. The choir also won Grand Prix prize in the International Youth Music Festival I 2016 from Bratislava, Slovakia. In the past decades, she is grateful and privilege to understand the global development of choral music through learning with great choral masters: Ragnar Rasmussen, Ursa Lah Rasmussen, Ko Matsushita, Zoltán Pad, John Rutter, Paul Pheonix. Yu is passionate in choral singing and education especially in women chorus and equal voices chorus.
ELSIE CHING
Pianist
Elsie Ching is a graduate of Hong Kong Baptist University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music (Hons) degree, majoring in piano and music education. Apart from attaining the LRSM and DipABRSM in Piano Performance, Elsie also acquired professional proficiencies in various instruments including voice, violin and flute. She was awarded the HKSAR Government Talent Development Scholarship in recognition of her academic achievements in music.
Elsie started singing in the Hong Kong Children's Choir in 1998. Upon graduation, she was invited to join the children’s choir as a choral instructor. In 2011, Elsie was appointed the assistant conductor of the Hong Kong Virtuoso Chorus. Over the years, Elsie has collaborated with a number of renowned music groups including the HK Philharmonic Orchestra, HK Sinfonietta, Cantoria Hong Kong, Hong Kong Singfest, Ko Chorus, Hong Kong Festival Orchestra and Hong Kong Metropolitan Pop Orchestra.
While studying in college, Elsie studied piano performance with Mr. Raymond Young, singing with Dr. Melody Sze and harpsichord with Dr. David Chung. A holder of Postgraduate Diploma in Education specialising in Music, Elsie is currently working as the music head in a local government school.
JOCELYN HUI
Pianist
Jocelyn has played piano since childhood. She was actively engaged in choirs during her teens, and later years in piano, harpsichord and chamber music. After her overseas studies on keyboard and conducting, she has performed with local theatre companies, participated in musicology research, presented a music education program on radio, and served as a judge in competitions. All along, she experiences music in life, and experiences life in music.
PATIENCE FUNG
Pianist
Patience graduated from the University of Hong Kong and obtained her Master Degree in Arts and Cultural Management at the University of South Australia. She passed all graded piano examinations with distinction and has obtained the Licentiate Performer Pianoforte (LTCL). Patience has been singer and pianist for Opera Hong Kong and Opera Society of Hong Kong. She has also worked with Diocesan Girls’ Junior School; Good Hope School; Heep Yunn Primary School; the Hong Kong Children’s Choir; Kowloon True Light School; Marymount Secondary School; St. Paul’s Convent School etc as conductor and/or pianist. She has been Senior Manager of the Hong Kong Children’s Choir and General Manager of Opera Hong Kong. Patience is the Founder of Opera Hong Kong Children Chorus and the Founding Chairperson of the HKCC Alumni Chapter. She is now devoting herself to arts / events management as well as music performance and teaching.