Simon Yau

Composer

Hong Kong

 

Yau started his piano lesson under Mdm. Tang Kin-fun, later with Ms. Cheung Ing and pianist Mr. Choi Sown-li.  After his graduation from the Hong Kong Baptist College and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, majoring in composition (studied with Dr. Yip Wai-hong, Mr. Chen Chien-hua and Mr. Wong Yuk-yi) and Horn performance (studied with Mr. Wong Yat-chiu, principals from the HK Philharmonic Mr. Frank Portone and Ms. Cheryl Z. Hoard), Yau joined service to the Music Office as Horn instructor in 1981.  He also played for Maestro Alan Civil in his Horn master-class, and conducting master-classes with Ms. Yip Wing-sze and Mr. Samuel Wong.  Since then he conducted the Hong Kong Youth Symphony, Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band and the Jazz Band until his early retirement from the government in late 2004.  In the 90’s he was also conductor of the APA junior orchestra, chorus master of the Belilios Public School choir.

 

In 1995, he was awarded a scholarship by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music UK to study in the Royal Academy of Music in London, with the retired Principal Horn of BBC Mr. Derek Taylor, pianist Mrs. Judith Burton and internationally renowned trumpeter Mr. John Wallace.  In 1986 and 2001, Yau was twice appointed as assistant conductor to the Hong Kong Youth Symphonic band in its tour concert to Japan and Jeju, Korea.  In 1989 he was sent as the only representative from the Music Office to the All-Japan Band Clinic in Nemu-no-sato; and participant to the International Horn Symposium held in Munich, Germany.

 

As a composer/arranger, Mr. Yau’s musical works have been widely commissioned or performed by groups like the Central Band of the Royal Air Force (UK), the Beijing Central Armed-Force Band, the Beijing Children’s Palace Wind Band (China), the Beijing Ba-I High School Band, Band of the Guangzhou Youth Palace, the concert band of the Monash University & Ivanhoe Grammar School Golden Orchestra (Melbourne, Australia), the Edina High School Band (USA), the faculty Wind Quintet of the Tennessee University of Technology , the Vanderbilt University Wind Symphony, Nashville, Tennessee (USA); the Taiwan Navy Band, the Taiwan Chung-Ching Military High School, the Taipei province Teachers’ Wind Orchestra, the Concert Band of the Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls’ High School, the Perak Symphonic Band of Ipoh - Malaysia, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, ‘Les Six’ Woodwind Sextet, the Hong Kong Symphonic Winds, the Symphonic Band of the Hong Kong University of Technology & Science, the Hong Kong City Brass, the Eastern Wind Ensemble, the Tom Lee Band, the Tom Lee NeoWinds Youth Symphonic Band, the Hong Kong Festival Wind Orchestra, the Hong Kong Youth Symphony, the Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band, the Hong Kong Youth Marching band, the concert band and chorus of the Belilios Public School, PLK Siu Hon Sum Primary School, Chinese Orchestra of the New-Asia College CUHK, the Hong Kong Yao-Yueh Chinese Orchestra and, the Music Office Instructors’ Orchestra, Wind Quintet & Brass Quintet and Chinese Plucked Strings Orchestra etc.

 

In April 2005, Yau was invited by the Music Director of the HK Sinfonietta, Ms Yip wing-sie, to compose the ‘Fanfare Prelude’, to commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the HK Sinfonietta.  In the 2007 Hong Kong Arts Festival, the piece was once again put on stage by the same orchestra.

 

Another work for Symphonic Band ‘Jie-Qing’, was composed with an invitation from Mr. Danilo Delfin, Vice-chairman of the HKBDA, premiered at the US CBDNA 2006 Conference.  Later the same work was performed by the Vanderbilt University Symphonic Band under the baton of their Music Director, Dr. Thomas Verrier.

Yau was commissioned to arrange his music ‘Charming Asia’ as the opening piece for the 14th APBDA Conference, July 2006, Macau.  The piece also got its US premiere in September by the Vanderbilt University Wind Symphony, Tennessee, under the baton of Dr. Thomas Verrier.

 

In June 2007, Yau was invited as guest speaker in the 1st Taiwan Music Clinic.

 

Yau is now still being active as a freelance composer/arranger, guest conductor, soloist and speaker on special topics in music. Also Yau is the member of Chinese Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles; national representative & life member of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles; life member of the International Horn Society; member of the Composers & Authors Society of Hong Kong; part-time Horn instructor of the Music Office of the HKSAR Government, and vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Band Directors’ Association.

 

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