Water Variations
Hong Kong Chamber Music Society
proudly presents
Water Variations
Recital by mezzo-soprano Samantha Chong and pianist Rachel Cheung
Date and time:
Thursday 25 August, 2022
(Concert at 7:15pm / Dinner at 8:30pm)
Location:
Central
Admission:
$405 (concert only); $750 (concert & dinner)
Programme:
Elgar: Selections from Sea Pictures, Op. 37
Ravel: Selections from Miroirs
David Francis Urrows: Shore Pictures (World Premiere)
Schubert/Liszt: Der Müller und der Bach Auf dem Wasser zu singen
Schubert:
- Gondelfahrer, D808
- Auf der Donau, D553
- Meeres Stille, D216
- Gruppe aus dem Tartarus, D583
- Am Strome, D539
About the musicians:
Samantha Chong (mezzo-soprano)
A native of Sabah, Malaysia, mezzo-soprano Samantha Chong’s repertoire spans early music, oratorio, songs, opera and contemporary works. She was the winner of the 1st ASEAN Vocal competition, organised by Singapore Lyric Opera in 2016. She also won the 1st prize at the 41st National Singing Competition of Malaysia in 2015. After her graduation, she started her career as a soloist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera Hong Kong, Musica Viva and Global Symphony Orchestra. Samantha has made her Italian debut in 2019 with Teatro Petruzzelli, singing Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Recently, she has been invited to perform with Erasmus Orchestra, Hong Kong Art Festival, Hong Kong – Vienna Music Festival, Kuala Lumpur City Opera, Singapore Lyric Opera, Virama Music Malaysia, China Sichuan Music Conservatory and Mozart Festival in Shenzhen, China.
Her recent performances include the title role in Carmen, the role of Yu in Women Like Us (2023 Hong Kong Art Festival chamber opera), Giacinta in La finta semplice, Doralba in L’impresario in angustie, Sect Mother in Kungfood (world premiere), Handel’s Messiah, and Bach’s Mass in B Minor.
Samantha graduated with the Master of Music Degree, having previously earned her Bachelor of Music Degree, both from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). She was a member of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Opera Hong Kong Young Artist Development Programme from 2015 to 2018. She is currently a faculty member at the HKAPA.
Rachel Cheung (piano)
Hong Kong-born pianist Rachel Cheung is recognized as one of the most sought-after artists in Asia. She has been hailed as “a poet, but also a dramatist,” displaying “the most sophisticated and compelling music-making” (The Dallas Morning News). She won over audiences and critics alike as a finalist at the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition with “stunningly imaginative” (Musical America) interpretations marked by “flights of both beauty and virtuosity” (Theater Jones) and was awarded the Audience Prize by online vote. Also a Steinway Artist, she continues to build a reputation for her elegant stage presence, giving sensitive and refined performances across three continents.
Rachel has appeared with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Jerusalem Symphony, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Sydney Symphony, London Chamber, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras, collaborating with conductors including Edo de Waart, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Jaap van Zweden, Leonard Slatkin, Sir Mark Elder, Christopher Warren-Green, and Nicholas McGegan.
She has performed in recital at the Auditorium du Louvre in Paris, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Steinway Hall in London, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Richmond Hill Centre for Performing Arts in Toronto, Philharmonie de Paris, and in other cities across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
As an active chamber musician, Rachel has collaborated with world-renowned artists including soprano Anna Netrebko, tenor Yusif Eyvazov, mezzo-soprano Virpi Räisänen, violinists Joshua Bell and Ning Feng, violist Vladimir Mendelssohn, cellists Camille Thomas, Zlatomir Fung, and Narek Hakhnazaryan, as well as the Brentano String Quartet and Quatuor Hanson.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Rachel graduated with first-class honors from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts under the tutelage of Eleanor Wong and later studied with Peter Frankl at the Yale School of Music, where she was awarded the Elizabeth Parisot Prize for outstanding pianists. Her additional competition honors include prizes at the Leeds, Chopin, Vladimir Horowitz, Gina Bachauer, and Geneva International Piano Competitions.
In 2019, Rachel was awarded Artist of the Year (Music) by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. In 2025, she founded the Rachel Cheung Music Academy in Hong Kong, aiming to create a vibrant musical community and inspire the next generation of musicians. Her first concert DVD was released by VAI in 2007, and her debut international album, Reflections, featuring the Chopin Preludes, was released by Universal Music.