Pre-concert Talk: Music and Humanism of Yo-Yo Ma

Speaker:

Professor Frederick Lau, Chairman of CUHK’s Music Department

Mr Dennis Wu, HK Phil’s Director of Marketing

Moderator: Ms Irene Au, Adviser, Workgroup on Yo-Yo Ma's Visit for the Celebration Programmes of 60th Anniversary

Language: Cantonese

To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of CUHK, widely acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma will join hands with Jaap van Zweden, Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil), to bring Hong Kong audience “CUHK 60th Anniversary: Yo-Yo Ma & HK Phil” concert in November.

A pre-concert talk will be held at CUHK's Lee Hysan Concert Hall on 1 August to help the audience enjoy the University's flagship anniversary event. In this talk, Professor Frederick Lau and Mr Dennis Wu will share their view on Ma's role as a performer and the relationship of his music, life, and the human spirit. Whether you are a fan of Yo-Yo Ma, or want to know more about his music journey and life experience, remember to register through the link below.   Each successfully registered alumni participant could collect an exclusive souvenir sponsored by the CUHK Convocation - "CUHK 60th Anniversary Commemorative Magnet - University Library". (on first-come-first-served basis).

Synopsis of Talk

Having appeared in front of Dwight D Eisenhower at age 5 and John F Kennedy at age 7, Yo-Yo Ma became a television celebrity. However, his pursuit of music and his belief in the power of music makes him way beyond an award-winning cellist. His lifelong commitment includes stretching the boundaries of genre and tradition to explore how music not only expresses and creates meaning, but helps us to imagine and build a stronger society and a better future. In this talk, Professor Frederick Lau and Mr Dennis Wu will share about his music, life and many facets that brings music closer to humankind.

Biography of Speakers

Professor Frederick Lau

Frederick Lau is an ethnomusicologist, flutist, and conductor with a broad range of academic research interest, covering major topics in Chinese, Western, and Asian music and culture. He is well-versed in both Chinese and Western musical traditions. His research output includes books, articles, and collections of essays published by university presses around the world, such as Oxford University Press, University of Hawaii Press, University of Wesleyan Press, Routledge, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press. His academic papers have been published in international academic journals. Lau is a member of the Academic Council of The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press and chief editor of the "Music and Performing Arts of Asia and the Pacific" series of the University of Hawaii Press. At present, he is the chair of the Music Department, professor of ethnomusicology, and the director of the Chinese Music Research Center Department of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He was the vice-president of the Society for Ethnomusicology and President of the Society for Asian Music. Before returning to Hong Kong in 2018, he was professor of music at the University of Hawaii, California State Polytechnic University, and Wisconsin State University.

Mr Dennis Wu

Dennis Wu is a specialist for classical music in Hong Kong with vastly diverse activities and outputs: writer, critic, editor, producer, public speaker, composer and more. His rich experience in the industry makes him a sought-after writer and speaker of eminent institutes on classical music. Dennis Wu completed his undergraduate study of music in The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2000, and further obtained a master’s degree in music composition in 2002. Mr. Wu has been a producer and programme presenter at RTHK Radio 4 since 2004. He has recorded and produced more than 300 recitals and concerts in studio, concert venues and outdoor events for RTHK alone. He is frequently demanded as speaker in talks and workshops. His lecture series Journeys through Music, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, focuses on composers and the historical contexts of music at the time, has run for eight weeks between 2013 and 2019, with warm receptions from a well-attended audience. He is also the online video presenter for the 2021 series of Top Ten Musical Invention broadcast on YouTube. In 2023, he has started a new lecture series A History of Western Music, with eight sold-out lectures on Classical Period presented also by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Other than works on classical music, he spends some of his time on web technology, being a technical consultant and analyst on web builds, mobile app developments and digital marketing strategy. He is currently the Director of Marketing of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. His personal website is at www.denniswu.com.

For more details on the CUHK 60thAnniversary: Yo-Yo Ma & HK Phil, please refer to the official website: https://60.cuhk.edu.hk/yoyo_ma_and_phil/