Arts Impact Fellowship 2022 – Awarded Fellows

West Kowloon is pleased to announce the two awardees of the Arts Impact Fellowship 2022: composer Hippocrates Cheng Ching-nam and harmonica player Gordon Lee Chun-lok.

Individual sharing sessions with the fellows will take place after the completion of their respective projects. Details to be announced in early 2023.

Hippocrates Cheng Ching-nam

Photo: Eilly Li

Composer, overtone singer and multi-instrumentalist Hippocrates Cheng Ching-nam graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (Master of Music). He is currently a doctoral candidate at Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University (majoring in composition and minoring in ethnomusicology and music theory) and an associate instructor in music theory.

During his studies, Cheng has been the recipient of a number of scholarships, including the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund, the Won-Joon Yoon Scholarship (2020/21), and the Irving and Lena Lo Scholarship (2021/22). Cheng has recently participated in several cross-disciplinary productions, including the virtual pandemic opera In the midst of..., the multimedia exhibition Cave Whispers, and When Puppets Meet Music.

Project Outline
Braille Music Reimagined: A Research Initiative on the Application of Braille Codes in Hong Kong’s Music Education

Aware of the importance of barrier-free access to music education, and the lack of participatory initiatives addressing the practical difficulties encountered by visually impaired individuals, composer and multi-instrumentalist Hippocrates Cheng Ching-nam outlines a new research project developed from a sophisticated library of Braille music codes.

Designed as an eight-month research-oriented project, “Braille Music Reimagined” opens with the production of a Braille Music Code Handbook. Edited with specific reference to the semantic and cultural context of Hong Kong, the handbook covers a range of Braille notation fundamentals through a small, diverse collection of songs presented in Braille codes.

The handbook will be trialled in a series of real-life practice workshops to collect feedback from various stakeholders within the music education chain. The qualitative data from these workshops is expected to be pivotal for subsequent pedagogical studies of this medium.

A digitised version of the handbook will also be created using arts technology elements. This will form part of an interactive online programme that will be open to the public, paving the way for wider discussion and application of the handbook in the future.

Gordon Lee Chun-lok

Hong Kong professional harmonica player Gordon Lee Chun-lok garnered international attention when he won the champion prize at the 8th World Harmonica Festival in Germany in 2017. Lee has performed at Carnegie Hall and Merkin Hall in New York, Kessel Concert Hall in Berlin, MuTh Concert Hall in Vienna, Esplanade in Singapore, and the World Harmonica Festival and International Harmonica Festival in Seoul. He has appeared as a soloist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and the Asian Youth Orchestra.

Lee’s mentors include two-time Grammy Award Winner Howard Levy, Classical Chromatic Harmonica Master Franz Chmel, world-class performer Sigmund Groven, and master sheng player Cheng Tak-wai.

Project Outline
Breathe Musically

As a professional harmonica player, Gordon Lee Chun-lok has benefitted from the respiratory health perks of musical breathing techniques for many years.

During the pandemic, having heard and seen that many people recovering from COVID-19 experience weaker cardiopulmonary function, Lee decided to promote the benefits of healthy musical breathing techniques. Taking reference from practices in countries like Germany, the US and France that use the harmonica as a tool for cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, Lee initiated the project “Breathe Musically”, to help enhance the health of the elderly and people recovering from COVID-19 through the process of making and appreciating music.

As a beginner-friendly instrument that produces sounds through inhalation and exhalation, the harmonica is a useful tool to help achieve effective breathing. Small, lightweight and affordable, the harmonica is also a handy instrument for the elderly or for those whose physical condition prevents them from doing strenuous exercise. Its convenience also enables powerful and convenient cardiopulmonary training exercise to take place almost anywhere, anytime. In addition, the instrument is suitable for a range of music styles, including classical, jazz, pop and folk.

The project is designed for elderly participants and people recovering from COVID-19, and includes 14-20 harmonica lessons conducted with the assistance of a team of professional consultants, including doctors, art therapists, music therapists and consultants/experts from rehabilitation institutions. Medical tracking and testing will also be conducted throughout the course to assess and evaluate the effects of the harmonica training on participants’ cardiorespiratory health, mental health, and change of attitude towards music.

The Programme is part of “Creative Tomorrow” exclusively sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Exclusive Sponsor: