The Hong Kong Jockey Club Atrium at HKUST was filled with the sweet sound of strings on March 23 as a group of 15 specially-trained students presented the ‘Music Dreams Come True’ concert with the support of the HKUSTSU Philharmonic Orchestra and renowned violin virtuoso Yao Jue. This delightful event was a highlight of the HKUST Arts Festival 2017 organised by The HKUST Center for the Arts, drawing an audience of close to 1,000. For many, the high spot of the evening came when HKUST President Tony F Chan, a keen guitarist, joined the orchestra to play a popular Beyond song.
Although HKUST is best known as a research-focused university, it also places a high value on encouraging students to appreciate art and music and participate in cultural activities, seeing this a key part of the holistic education it provides students as a means of stimulating their creativity, which is vital to their future success. By promoting music education alongside its degree courses, HKUST seeks to help students discover their full range of talents and live their dreams.
This particular concert formed part of the Music Dreams Come True Mentorship Program and Concert Series organised by the Hong Kong String Orchestra (HKSO) in conjunction with all eight local universities during the past 18 months. Students recruited to the mentorship program attended a series of training sessions under HKSO musicians.
Few weeks earlier on March 11, a ‘21st Century Joint University Orchestra’ brought together the most talented students from the eight universities and gave a gala concert under the guidance of Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun. The chosen musicians included seven from HKUST – two undergraduates, three postgraduates and two alumni.
