Hong Kong Jazz Congress
Everything Everywhere All about Jazz
Organized by JazzForFunHK, Hong Kong Jazz Congress features a series of workshops and panels, all geared to expanding the audience for jazz. Attendees may include presenters, artists, jazz professionals and students in the jazz community to exchange ideas in order to nurture and grow the jazz industry and support the music.
In this year, we will have different panelists from Hong Kong, U.S., Germany, Austria, Philippines, Malaysia and so on. The congress is free and totally online. Please stay tune and more information will be released soon!
Session Descriptions
*The language in the sessions may be conduct in different language or jazz language by the instant availability.
More sessions would be updated soon!
Keep your eyes on us!
Venue*(Online Platform):
Discord, https://discord.gg/c32Y2mbCdK
Applications:
www.jazzforfun.hk/reg
Enquiry：admin@jazzforfun.hk
While Hong Kong Jazz Congress 2O22 is free, you can feel free to make donations to support the event by bank transfer or deposit.
Bank name : The Bank of East Asia
Account name : JAZZFORFUN HK
Account number : 151-68-00490-5
If you wish to have a receipt or apply for tax exemption, please kindly send the deposit or transfer bank advice with your own payee name and mailing address to admin@jazzforfun.hk.
About our Panelists
Oliver B. Cura
Oliver Bernardino Cura started his music career at the age of 10. He studied in the University of Sto.Tomas Conservatory of Music where he took his tertiary course, Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Major in trombone and band conducting. He worked as a trombonist in an international company,The Royal London Circus Orchestra, in 2000 to 2002. He joined the Southeast Asian Youth Orchestra and Wind Ensemble (SAYOWE) in 2003 as a principal trombonist and became a member of the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra from 2002 to 2004. Coupled with these achievements are the facts that from 1998 to 2000, he played in a ska band called "Jeepney Joyride " which became the first prize winner of the 1st Red Horse Redhot Muziklaban in 1999 and he was the band conductor of The University of Manila Band, Philippine Normal University, Pakil Band No. 2 and the Zamora Band. He was also the trombonist of Route 70 Band in Manila. He attended various workshops and seminars like the Parson Music C.G. Conn trombone workshop of Maciek Walicki trombone instructor of Hongkong Academy for Performing Arts and trombonist of Hongkong Philharmonic Orchestra and trombone masterclass of Alex Iles, studio recording artist and former trombonist of the Big Phat Band, held in Hongkong in 2010 and Organised by the Hongkong Trombone Association.He also attended Tom Lee Music 60th anniversary presents Jacques Maguer Trombone Masterclass from Paris,France and the endorser of the Antoine Curtois Trombones and Jazz Trombone workshop of John Yao from New York, USA. He played with some groups in Hongkong like The Straykatz Bigband, Ned Kellys Bigband, Island Express Jazz Orchestra, Saturday Night Jazz Orchestra and performed with some great musician like Bob Mintzer and The Platters. He was a Trombonist and Band Arranger of Hong Kong Disneyland Band, Fantasyland Band and Main Street Music Men from 2005 to 2014. He is now currently the Band Director of The BandExpress that occasionally performs in venues like The Wanch, Music Cabaret , G and V Music Cafe and The Fringe Club Hongkong. He now teaches as partime at Chinise International School and Stewards Poo Kei College, Hong Kong. He also conducts private tutorials (home/studio based) and a Fulltime Music Teacher/Instructor and Head of Music Department at M.Q Music Studio in Siu Sai Wan and Sai Wai Ho, Hongkong.
Timothy Wan
Timothy Wan 雲天慈
職業爵士樂手，紐西蘭奧克蘭大學爵士樂系畢業生。網上平台<<樂人谷>>之專欄作家。台灣色士風品牌TKmelody 代言人。活躍於香港各類型表演場地及Jazz Jam Session。鮮少的港人爵士色士風手。希望透過文章，讓更多有興趣接觸爵士樂及無從入手的初學者越過入門階段，真正體驗爵士樂的樂趣。
回流自紐西蘭，畢業於奧克蘭大學音樂系爵士樂主修色士風，跟隨澳紐名師Roger Manins、Oliver Holland等學習即興演奏。活躍於本地爵士樂酒吧如Peel Fresco、 Orange Peel、Visage One等等。 自2011年開始，在各表演場地、婚禮、酒店、演唱會等作不同類型的表演。除了香港，亦有積極參與外地爵士樂交流如TISJA台北爵士音樂營，接受國際級爵士樂手Rosario Giuliani、John Ruocco等之指導，以及在紐西蘭、台北、國內等地Jazz Pub與當地樂手以即興演奏交流。 於2016年，雲氏更隨爵士樂團J-Funk Ensemble於澳門管樂節在澳門文化中心演出，在不同地方留下香港爵士的聲音。
Kingston Lo
Kingston Lo is a Jazz pianist and composer based in Hong Kong.
Despite of his Jazz training, he does not like the idea of being confined into a certain genre, he believed music should be free, and Jazz should be one of the expression of that freedom.
The Papa-Go Jazz Quartet (since 2017) has been able to serve him as the test laboratory or playground for his latest original compositions and rearrangements, in pursue of newer and more creative sounds in Jazz.
Outside of Jazz, he play keyboard and write original songs for the indie band, Franklin Telescope. (since 2016)
They were invited to perform in Unlimited Freedom FESTIVAL 2019, the largest music festival Day of Taichung.White Noise Records recommended their song "3310", and was featured in the Japanese Radio channel "J-Wave", which is the most popular FM radio station in Tokyo. Their single "Wan Si Deon" is also featured in RTHK FM948 騷動音樂. (2020) They released their album “Burst Into Your Quirky Soul” in 2021 featuring his song “Lovestruck” and their first instrumental music “First Try”.
He is also the keyboardist for Wildstyle Records hip-hop artist, Triple G, and recorded piano part for his single “列車” (2020).
He also played for Matt Force, and Room 307 at the Wildstyle Records 10th Anniversary Concert (2021) which was held in StarHall.
Academically, he received his Bachelor of Music in Musical Composition with first-class honor (2015), and a Steve Thomas Memorial Prize for Composition, in Brunel University London. He met his Jazz piano mentor, John Bailey, during his study there. He also received lessons from Tom Cawley, the Professor from Royal Academy of Music (RAM), and also who supervised Jacob Collier academic work.
He has several years of teaching experience behind him, teaching from beginners to professionals.
Bernard Hui
Bernard is an energetic and experienced crossover pianist and music educator in Hong Kong for more than twenty years. His deep and wide horizon in performing music of different styles enables him to nurture and inspire students in a unique and rich way. So profound and knowledgeable his keyboard technique is that he is able to incorporate a vivid and practical teaching method to help his students acquire a deeper appreciation and interpretation of music, helping them build up a formal and solid performing techniques while realizing their full potential. He is widely recognized as a gifted and warm-hearted educator.
Bernard graduated from Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) and Chinese Mission Seminary respectively. He acquired Bachelor of Music (Honor)and Master of Divinity. Studying at HKAPA, he majored in pipe organ performance under Wong Kin-Yu, Nicholas Danby and Arthur Wills. He also studied piano performance under Tam Ka-kit Tam and Choi Sown-le, and harpsichord under Joyce Lindoff. Besides, Bernard also received Professional Diploma in electronic music. Thereafter, he dug deep into keyboard improvisation and studied with the well-known Jazz piano master Bob Mocrasky. Over the years, his improvisation skill has gained applauding feedback.
As a performer of gracious artistic spirit, Bernard is active and vibrant on stage. He has given performance over many different places ranging from the Cultural Centre, City Halls of different districts and HKAPA. As well, he has also performed with different local choirs and orchestras. Feeling honored, he was invited by the renowned conductor Yip Wing-sie to be the organ soloist for the inauguration of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra in Guangzhou in 2003. Next year, he was honored again to play as the organ soloist for the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra’s concert “The Wonderful World of Reeds”.
With strong enthusiasm and passion, Bernard founded Aleatory Jazz Ensemble with his fellow jazz artists in 1996, HAZZ Trio, Fusion Jazz band Quartet SAN in 2016 and Chinese-Jazz band 'Gwat6 Koeng5'. Bernard also played with the other bands such as La Petite Jazzy Jam (LPJJ), The Big Band Express and the R&B/Jazz band M.I.D., and holding gigs at the most famous Jazz music stages in Hong Kong, such as Gecko, Peel Fresco, The Orange Peel, The Backstage, 1563 East, BB Jazz Lounge and The Fringe Club frequently. Bernard is also the director of Hong Kong Keyboard Art Centre promoting the keyboard improvisation and Jazz piano education. Moreover, he also gives speech on church music in different churches in an effort to uplift the quality of church music in worships.
Elli Altenberger
A single genre does not define Elli Altenberger; always ready to either do a funky house set to start the night or play the main room with some deep and heavy baselines. Being a resident DJ at Austria’s underground “Altholz Gipfeltreffen festival” and club-nights she quickly gained attention for herself locally, however, this changed when she had the opportunity to take it further into the world As of now the highlights of her DJ career would include: “Breakfast Club” Melbourne, “Sisyphos “ Berlin, “Rummelsbucht” Berlin, “Golden Gate” Berlin, “Vault” Bali/Indonesia, “Kanepes Kultural Club” Riga, “Odonien” Cologne, “Werkstatt 167” Copenhagen and “Substituted” Stockholm. She has recently released on Lekker Records Cologne.
Social media
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ellialtenberger
FB: https://www.facebook.com/ellialtenberger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellialtenberger/
Andre Basora
Alternative rock, hardcore techno, vaporwave, experimental hip-hop, bossa nova, jazz-funk, and metal: this wide variety of musical genres describes who Andre Basora is. He always insists on pushing the boundaries of music to see where the creativity of the human mind can lead. Andre creates his own music under the moniker Agon, delving into atmospheric black metal with influences from multiple genres. The solo project has released one album, one EP, multiple singles, and a split. Physical merchandise such as t-shirts, CD’s, patches, stickers, and pins were also produced for Agon. Some traction for the music even caught the attention of online magazines with few album reviews and online interviews. Although there have been no live shows yet, and Agon is still an unknown name, the determination and passion to create and spread boundary-pushing music is still at heart.
AiLin Yong
AiLin Yong is the founder of “Jazz Teachers Training” in Malaysia. She has worked as an arranger, songwriter and jingle writer. AiLin is currently dedicated to jazz music education, she’s also a music columnist.
Mathew Lai
Mathew Lai was born and raised in Hong Kong. He studied photography and graduated in 2009. He is the founder of Streefoto HK, a Youtube channel that focuses on promoting street photography in Hong Kong. It is a medium that allows Mathew to further express his photography and ideas.
Barry Lam
Barry Lam, upright bassist, bass guitarist
Barry is one of the few upright bassists in Hong Kong who are proficient at mainstream Jazz. He received guidance from Hong Kong Jazz virtuoso Teddy Suen and Portugal Jazz master Zé Eduardo.
He has acquired years of experience in performing in venues including Jockey Club Black Box Theatre (2015), Hang Seng Management College (2015-2017), The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2016), The Greedy Loft (2017), l'après-midi (2014-2016), SAAL (2016), Brew Note Coffee Roaster (2015-2016), CoCo Expresso (2017), Galaxy Macau (2015), Fundação Rui Cunha (2016-2017), etc.
Barry maintains a busy schedule at Jazz tutoring and is a frequent speaker at Jazz appreciation workshops organized by Jazz for Fun HK. He now writes online columns at musicvalley.com.hk to share his ideas of listening to Jazz music.
Jonathan Ng
Curator of Jazz Film Festival 2014 and 2016
Norman Li
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Norman always tries to balance between the life in this materialistic world and self-liberation. Living in foreign countries only challenges him with more questions. It is inaccurate to label Norman as an engineer, artist, teacher, or even a musician. One thing is true to him though, a human being trying to find his authentic voice through music and arts, farming or simply living.