Music

Young Hong Kong soprano Amanda Li will give a vocal recital in July under the theme “Lost and Found: The Harvest of Sorrow”, as part of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)’s Our Music Talents Series. Accompanying Li will be pianist Timothy Kwok, and together they will perform a range of European and American art songs to take the audience on a melodic and sentimental journey.

The programme will include Quilter’s “Four Songs, Op. 14”; Korngold’s “Drei Lieder, Op. 22”; Liszt’s “S’il est un charmant gazon”, “Enfant si j’étais roi” and “Oh! Quand je dors”; Wolf-Ferrari’s “Quattro Rispetti, Op. 11”; Coates’ “I Heard You Singing”; Vaughan Williams’ “Linden Lea”; folk songs “O Waly Waly” and “Sweet Polly Oliver” arranged by Britten; Barber’s “Despite and Still, Op. 41”; Rachmaninov’s “Never Sing to Me Again”, “Harvest of Sorrow”, “These Summer Nights”, “Lilac” and “Spring Waters”. During the performance, there will be two piano solo pieces by Timothy Kwok, namely Liszt’s “Consolation No. 3” and Rachmaninov’s “Elégie”(from Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3, No. 1).

Before studying at the Royal Northern College of Music, Amanda Li obtained a master’s degree in performance studies at Royal Holloway, University of London after reading music at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Li is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in vocal performance with renowned soprano Teresa Kubiak at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, the United States.

Li is an active concert soloist and teacher of singing in both the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. She also sings regularly as a soloist in productions of Musica Viva, Opera Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Oratorio Society. Li has performed in many cities in the United Kingdom and Europe. She also performed in Il Tempo del Postino, a group art show commissioned by the Manchester International Festival, singing excerpts from Madam Butterfly (Cio-Cio San) at the Manchester Opera House. She won third prize at the V Edizione Concorso Musicale Europeo, Filadelfia, Italy in 2013.

Timothy Kwok graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a bachelor of arts (honours) degree in Music, and was named a Fellow of Trinity College London. Kwok furthered his postgraduate studies at Indiana University, the United States, with scholarships and graduated with a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance. He then studied at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati with a full assistantship and stipend, and earned his doctor of musical arts degree in piano performance in 28 months, setting a new record in the history of the school.