Music Appreciation: Pacific Cello Orchestra Grand Concert

Paw Man-hing Hermann joined the Hong Kong Sinfonietta in 2013 as Principal Horn. He obtained his Bachelor of Music degree with First Class Honours from the HKAPA in 2011 under the tutelage of Joe Kirtley, and his Master’s degree in Music from the Carnegie Mellon University under the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund scholarship studying with William Caballero. He played with the Asian Youth Orchestra in 2007-2009, touring China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. In 2010, he played as guest principal horn with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, touring the South America in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. He has also participated in Pacific Music Festival (Japan) and National Orchestral Institute (USA), where he played under distinguished conductors including Fabio Luisi, Asher Fisch, Leonard Slatkin and Daniel Hege.

Elliot Ho Yat Leung s a composer who seeks to blend the five human senses through poignant musical storytelling. He is the youngest recipient of the prestigious Huabiao Award for music. The South China Morning Post observed Leung as a composer who writes “evocatively with flair and romance.”

His works has been described as “audio-graphically visual,” (The Standard) “invigorates life” (Film Inquiry) and “vibrantly energetic” (Classical Music UK). His music has been performed by leading orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, premiered in major halls such as the Berlin Philharmonie, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Juilliard School. Leung has collaborated with many renowned conductors, such as Charles Dutoit, Daniel Harding, Long Yu and Gerard Salonga. Recent works include “Lunar Overture,” (New York Philharmonic Premiere), Symphony No. 1 “The Metaverse,” (Hong Kong Philharmonic Premiere, Sony Classical Release), “Wuxia,” (Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Premiere). Furthermore, Leung has received commissions from notable organisations such as the United States Department of State, the Asia Society and the TTA Academy of China.

Leung is also known for his celebrated film scores. Recent releases include his Hollywood debut “Freelance” (John Cena/Alison Brie), the highest-grossing Chinese film in 2021 “The Battle at Lake Changjin” (Wu Jing/Jackson Yee) and Playstation title “Six Days in Fallujah” (Victura/Highwire). Leung’s score for "Operation Red Sea” was broadly praised by critics for elevating Chinese film music to a world class standard. As of November 2023, his films have grossed $2.2 billion USD worldwide.

Born in Hong Kong, Leung received early musical training at the age of 5. He was a gifted child case study in The Oxford Handbook of Children's Musical Cultures. During his time in the U.S., he was mentored by renowned composer Martin O’ Donnell. In 2022, he was named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list and is a 4-time ASCAP Music Award recipient.