Yvone Chan, a 9 years old girl, loves singing and has become a member of Opera Hong Kong Children Chorus (“OHKCC”) since 2022. She has already attended many different kinds of performances at a very young age and demonstrated much remarkable talent for singing.
Having on-stage performance experience is always a key to improvement. At OHKCC, she has had a number of opportunities to receive intensive training for the preparation of various performances in the past years. The performances were of different scales, ranging from a Christmas carols in hotel, an operetta The Gondoliers in OHKCC annual concert as a lead role Tessa, a grand-scale opera production La bohème with international acclaimed artists, to the Opera Hong Kong 20th Anniversary Gala Concert for her solo piece singing in front of a full orchestra! Before joining the OHKCC, Yvone also performed at the Pok Oi Charity Ball in 2021. Her singing experience is certainly rewarding.
She showed her excitement when mentioning OHKCC’s performances she participated, “The performances I have had with the Opera Hong Kong Children Chorus are very different from what I did in the past. Not only can I sing with my classmates (other OHKCC members) in the class, but also on stage!” Yvone enjoys every lesson with OHKCC and has built up good friendships with other members. Besides, she showed her self-motivated attitude at a such young age and is keen to explore and improve her vocal techniques through various performances. “I was very excited when I knew that I had the chance to perform in various grandest theatres in Hong Kong, singing with a full orchestra and other international opera singers! I have learnt a lot from them during the rehearsals and performances.” Yvone also showed her enthusiasm in performing in the productions reflected by her comments on the costumes in the productions, “They (the costumes) are very colourful and unique. I really like wearing them on stage!”
Regarding challenges, Yvone shared her experience of overcoming stage fright and dealing with stress under OHKCC teacher’s guidance and encouragement, “I felt very stressed and pressured like everyone else when stepping onto the spacious stage for the first time. The teachers (OHKCC director and vocal coach) have always encouraged me not to worry too much, to be in the character’s mind, and to sing out loud. During the rehearsals, my classmates are also very kind and helpful by showing limitless support. Therefore, I began to build up my confidence in singing and became more and more experienced every time I perform on stage.”
Apart from singing, Yvone learns piano from a world renowned pianist and music educator Liu Shih Kun and was selected to perform on stage with him. In addition she also enjoys drawing in her spare time. “I like to draw colourful objects and capture their beautiful moments through drawing.” She showed her great talent for drawing by receiving awards including the Selected Prize in the 22nd Kanagawa Biennial World Children’s Art Exhibition from a pool of around 10,000 pieces of painting by participants of over 50 countries, and Silver and Bronze Medals in the International Metropolis Youth Arts Festival. Her paintings have recently been collected by Villepin Gallery and other private art galleries.
Despite the recent performances coming to an end, Yvone is enthusiastic about joining the OHKCC’s upcoming performances, “I hope that I don’t have to wait too long to perform again. I love singing!”
About Opera Hong Kong Children Chorus (OHKCC)
Established in January 2008, Opera Hong Kong Children Chorus (“OHKCC”) has grown to become a leading children’s chorus in Hong Kong. The mission of OHKCC is to educate, develop and inspire children to enjoy beauty of opera and develop a commitment to excellence through singing and stage performances. In addition to staging its own concerts, OHKCC collaborates with renowned singers in grand scale productions by Opera Hong Kong.
Members of OHKCC have ample opportunities to learn vocal techniques through master classes and performing a variety of music genres, from opera to musical and choral works, in both solo and ensemble settings. They also learn to sing in the original language written in operas including English, German, Italian and French. Through these activities, students can discover and nurture their musical gift while expanding their intellectual capacity and cultural horizon.
