Suzuki Music Academy of Hong Kong

"Music Exists for the purpose of growing an admirable heart" ~Shinichi Suzuki

A Happy Halloween!

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What a joy to be back at Stanley – almost two years after our last public performance! While we have been fortunate to have some “in person” performances – these have been limited to very small audiences comprised of immediate family members. It was so exciting to share our music and our costumes with an audience that included people we didn’t know at all.

There were lots of opportunities for the audience to join in the performance as well: singing, dancing, clapping…sometimes it seemed that the spooky sounds were happening in “surround sound”.

We are all excited to have more chances like this in the future.

Please enjoy some of the sights of our performance!

  • lower strings
  • pianists watching carefully
  • Two Grenadiers!
  • Everyone joined in Witches Dance
  • Pianists playing Gabby Ghost
  • French Folk Song
  • Ms Sonomi had a great costume!
  • Ms Susan’s first play-in in Hong Kong!
  • waiting…
  • SMAHK staff dressed for Halloween

Reflections from the Performers: Andrew and Cecilia, Book 6 Violin Recital

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Cecilia and Andrew have unique perspectives on Book Recitals.

They were also paired for their Book 4/5 recital, originally scheduled during Spring Term, 2020. Because of the Pandemic, their plans changed numerous times. The vast majority of their preparation was held online. Their Spring Term, 2020 recital was eventually held in Fall Term, 2020…online from home with the joint pieces “performed” as Acapella videos. Book 4/5 is the first time a violin student performs a full concerto; for Cecilia and Andrew, this meant performing with an app doing the accompaniment!

One year later, they have had a very different preparation and performance experience for the in person Book 6 recital. Here are their reflections on the experience.

from Andrew

To finally be able to perform with one another in person with a live audience after collaborating with each other through videos, apps and zoom is a great experience and refresher. Practicing with each other in person allows us to communicate easier both in discussion and playing the violin together. Being able to perform the finished recital in person also creates a greater sense of accomplishment and allows us to share the achievements of our violin journey with others. As we rehearsed for our recital, it was quite difficult to get used to the formalities of an in person performance such as the paths to walk, when to bow and giving a que. I am very pleased with the final result although I still hoped that we could polish up the pieces a bit more. In conclusion, I enjoyed doing my Violin Book 6 Recital in person, collaborating with others and being able to share the results of our journey with others.

from Cecilia

This recital was definitely more memorable than the book 4-5 recital because it was in person, and I was able to play with Andrew together. We had a hard time practising together since it was so different, we had trouble communicating with one another, and we sometimes just start playing on our own, forgetting that we’re actually playing together. I felt a lot more anxious and scared since there were actual people in real life watching my performance, and I wasn’t really prepared for that due to the many recitals and performances I’ve had online. This recital was better than the last one because I got to really talk to my partner about things that we needed to work on. Although I made mistakes while playing, I really enjoyed this recital and I look forward to the next one. 

HK meets NZ with NZ Suzuki Connect!

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New Zealand Connect Virtual Concert Hall

Recently, Lincoln had the chance to participate in a NZ Suzuki Connect Concert organised by the New Zealand Suzuki Institute. Here is his reflection on the experience:

One sunny day, I participated in an online concert hosted by New Zealand Suzuki Institute. 

My mom told me that it is a meaningful event because New Zealand is under a lockdown and people there need to stay at home, so it is good that we can cheer people up by sharing music!

I was practising the performance piece hard to prepare for the performance. 

There were 21 performers and 17 audiences. As New Zealand is turning to spring, we were required to wear spring clothes. Most people there were from Auckland, New Zealand and only me is from Hong Kong! They played piano, violin, cello and guitar. Most people played either Book 1 or 2. I believe I played my piece wonderfully, the host there said that I am “Well Done” and a student there said “Wow” after my performance. 

The audiences and performers who aren’t playing clapped in amazement for every performer that played their instrument. At the end of the concert, we took a funny group photo with virtual audience seats. It is a wonderful event and I enjoyed it very much!

Thank you very much for Ms Diane introducing this event to me.

Reflection from the Performers: Hugo, Gwen-Sofia and Chloe

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Chloe, Gwen-Sofia and Hugo gave their first recital on Saturday, 24 April. It was wonderful to hear their performances as they “looked back” at the Book 1 pieces from their perspectives as Book 2 students! For both cello and piano, Minuet 2 is the piece for Graduation Level 1. Hugo graduated from Level 1 in 2020; Gwen-Sofia and Chloe will graduate from Level 1 in May, 2021.

Please enjoy Gwen-Sofia, Hugo, and Chloe’s reflections on their experience:

from Hugo

Before the recital I felt very nervous I thought everyone would hate my performance.  After the recital I felt very proud of myself of finally finishing book 1. During the recital I took deep breaths to calm myself down.  I would tell other kids that are going to have recitals to not look at the audience and focus on playing.  I liked my perpetual motion the most.

from Chloe

Hi my name is Chloe Chung and on Saturday April 24, 2021 3pm, I had my first cello recital in Hong Kong. 

Let’s start. I felt very worried and I had butterflies in my tummy. I don’t like it. First song I played was Long Long Ago. It was a beautiful song and I loved it.  There were Hugo my cello classmate and Gwen Sofia the piano student too. We played Allegro and Twinkle variations together.  Later, I felt less and less worried and I started to enjoy my playing. My parents said it was really good. 

After we left school, my mom said she would buy me a new toy on Sunday but I was so tired, I took a day off school today.  I think I worked hard with my mom and I felt proud of myself. It is an amazing feeling.  Maybe next time I will spend more time practicing even more slowly, and I will listen to the CD more.  But I think the graduation went well and I really loved it because I feel more confident starting Book 2 now.

Thank you Miss Sandra, Ms Sonomi and Miss Lan for your help, and Dad, mom and Caleb for helping me and listening to my pretend recitals this month. I love my cellito very much and I am calling her ‘Harmony’ now cos I can play some harmonies now too! 

  • Hugo and family
  • Gwen-Sofia and family
  • Chloe and family
  • Performers and teachers
  • performers
  • Trio

Reflection from the Performer: Julian Mak

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One of the positive and exciting things that has come about as a result of the pandemic is the realisation by teachers worldwide that technology allows us to do things together no matter where in the world we might be!

Recently, SMAHK student Julian Mak had the opportunity to play for an international concert organised by the American Suzuki Institute as part of the lead-up to its (delayed) 50th Anniversary Celebration. Performers based in the ASI’s home of Stevens Point, Wisconsin played in person, while other students joined on zoom from around the world. Julian was the only performer from Asia, so the recital began at midnight Hong Kong time!

Here are his thoughts about the experience:

Last Saturday, I was invited to perform in a virtual studio recital which was based in Wisconsin.
Obviously, waking up at 7am and staying up until midnight is not the most promising sleep schedule for playing well in a concert, so I took a nap for around 4 hours, just in time to eat dinner. Dad also made a setup for the recital, which looked ridiculous. 
Overall, the concert was a very fun and new experience for me. I certainly never have had to stay up until midnight to perform in a concert, let alone a virtual one!   

Suzuki Music Academy of Hong Kong believes:

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