樂樂國樂團
Yao Yueh Chinese Music Association
2024 China National Arts Fund Award-Winning Program
A Thousand Colours – Brazil Tour 2026
Concert Dates & Venues:
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March 25 – Sesc Consolação, Teatro Anchieta. 8:00 PM
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March 27 – Sesc Sorocaba Concert Hall. 8:00 PM
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March 28 – Sesc Franca Concert Hall. 8:00 PM
Featured Ensemble: The Hong Kong Legends Ensemble
The Hong Kong Legends Ensemble is a chamber orchestra under Yao Yueh Chinese Music Association, founded in 2020. The Hong Kong Legends Ensemble celebrates Hong Kong’s unique cultural fusion of East and West through bold, contemporary musical works. Under the artistic direction of Dr. Leung Chi-cheung, the ensemble unites distinguished Chinese and Western instrumentalists whose artistry shines on both local and international stages.
From its acclaimed inaugural concert—praised for its “bold and unconventional repertoire” (International Association of Theatre Critics, Hong Kong)—the ensemble has continued to captivate audiences with innovative productions such as Audio-Visual Imaginary, A Thousand Colours, Musique Sans Frontières, and Ebb and Flow of the Tide. These concerts integrate film, storytelling, and interactive media, showcasing Hong Kong’s cosmopolitan spirit.
Honored with the 2024 China National Arts Fund Award and hailed as “a source of pride for non-governmental orchestras” (Ta Kung Pao, 2025), the ensemble is now expanding into education, nurturing young musicians and media artists through its Interactive-Media Concerts and Education Programme funded by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.
With its commitment to innovation and cultural resonance, The Hong Kong Legends Ensemble continues to reimagine traditions and inspire audiences across Hong Kong and the world.
Programme
1. A Elegância do Porto Perfumado (裕澤香江)
Amor Sem Limites / Compositor: Joseph KOO
Um Novo Mundo / Compositor: Alan MENKEN
Arranjo: SO Chuen-on (蘇傳安改編)
Conductor: LEUNG Chi-cheung (指揮 梁志鏘)
2. A Lua Refletida na Segunda Primavera (二泉映月)
Compositor: HUA Yanjun (A Bing) (華彥鈞曲)
Arranjo: SO Chuen-on (蘇傳安改編)
Conductor: LEUNG Chi-cheung (指揮 梁志鏘)
3. Dança do Dragão de Fogo (舞火龍)
Compositor: LUK Wai-chun (陸尉俊曲)
4. O Coração Aprisionado (心之枷鎖)
Compositor: Andrew LIU (廖啟賢曲)
Cello: WONG Q-jing Juanita Quiteria (大提琴獨奏 王翹𦑊)
5. Noturno para o Porto Vitória (維港夜曲)
Compositor: WONG Hok-yeung Alfred (黃學揚曲)
Cello: WONG Q-jing Juanita Quiteria (大提琴獨奏 王翹𦑊)
6. Mil Cores – Movimentos II e V (花影長歌 第二及第五樂章)
Compositora: CHEUNG Pui-shan (張珮珊曲)
Letra: LAI Kam-yee (黎錦兒詩)
Soprano: FUNG Etta Healthy
Conductor: LEUNG Chi-cheung (指揮 梁志鏘)
7. Florecer da Ameixeira na Neve, Porém Não Flores (雪夢花影 )
Compositor: HUANG Zi (黃自曲)
Arranjo: LUN Wai-kit Edward (倫偉傑改編)
Soprano: FUNG Etta Healthy
Conductor: LEUNG Chi-cheung (指揮 梁志鏘)
8. Vislumbres de Tai Po (大埔剪影)
Compositor: LEUNG Chi-cheung (梁志鏘曲)
Pintura: Raymond TSE (謝志忠畫作)
Vídeo e Fotografia: Caleb CHAN (陳上言影片及攝影)
Arte de Mídia Interativa: FUNG Wing-lam (馮穎琳互動媒體設計)
Conductor: LEUNG Chi-cheung (指揮 梁志鏘)
9. Dança Festiva da Serpente Dourada (金蛇喜舞)
Compositor: LEUNG Chi-cheung (梁志鏘曲)
Conductor: LEUNG Chi-cheung (指揮 梁志鏘)
Meet The Team
Artistic Director & Conductor
Soprano
Cello Soloist
Erhu
Piano
Zheng
Percussion
Dizi
Pipa / Ruan
Sheng
Violin
Percussion
Clarinet
Leung Chi Cheung
Artistic Director & Conductor
Leung is a visionary composer, conductor, and music educator whose career spans creation, performance, and scholarship. He studied at the University of North Texas (BMus, MMus), The Chinese University of Hong Kong (PGDE), and earned his PhD from RMIT University in Melbourne.
His works have been performed internationally in the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with solo concerts presented at the Asian Arts Festival (2009) and the Aomori Museum of Art (2010). Critics have described his music as “daring, unconventional and highly creative,” “fresh, colorful and captivating,” “blending Eastern and Western musical elements with deep humanistic concerns,” and “embodies traditional Chinese values and wisdom while embracing a positive global vision.” His recent composition Tai Po Snapshots was selected for the 2024 National Arts Fund’s Stage Art Creation Project.
Leung founded the Yao Yueh Chinese Music Association (YYCMA) in 1974 and has served as its Music Director since 2007. Under his leadership, the orchestra has flourished into four more ensembles—including the YY PopUp Ensemble, Hong Kong Legends Chamber Ensemble, Yao Yueh Community Orchestra, and Yao Yueh Youth Chinese Orchestra—creating artistic platforms for musicians of all generations, and audiences from all walks of life. His commitment to community engagement also extends to social welfare, notably through the Yao Yueh Music for Carer, which has made a lasting social impact.
Beyond the stage, Leung has contributed to academia as Associate Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Professor of Cultural and Creative Arts at The Education University of Hong Kong. His research and publications explore cultural entrepreneurship, music education, and Chinese music, with notable works including Creativity and Culture in Contemporary Greater China, Music Education Policy and Implementation: International Perspective, and A Study on the Music of the Book of Songs and Chu Ci.
Fung Etta Healthy
Soprano
Fung not only showcases impressive vocals but does so while suspended in midair- often upside down- in a billowing web of aerial silks.”
--Broadway World
“Then there’s Etta Fung, who nearly steals the show despite short bookend appearances as Cupid, climbing the hanging silks and twirling in the air, singing impeccably as she does.”
--Edmonton Journal
"Die Solisten, aus Amerika mit angereist, überraschten mit starker Bühnenprsenz, allen voran die aus (Hong Kong) stammende, sehr mädchenhafte und sehr spielfreudige Etta Fung mit einem kräftigen Sopran, der die Wagner-Anklänge noch weiter verdeutlichte.”
-- Hamburger Abendblatt
Coloratura soprano-aerialist Etta Fung is known for her "charm and verve" (Opera Today) and powerful stage presence. Etta made her European debut as Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel) in Eutin, Germany and received critical acclaim: "(Fung) acted with great enthusiasm, her powerful soprano voice underscoring the Wagnerian sounds of the score". (Hamburger Abendblatt).
Etta is one of the very few soprano-aerialists in the world and the only one in Asia. She was invited to perform the role of L'Amour on aerial silks in Gluck's Orphée+ in 2018 at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Alberta, Canada and was hailed by the press as "brilliant", "Show-Stealer" and "Cirque-du-Soleil meets opera". She reprised the role at Edmonton Opera in 2023 with critical acclaim, and was consequently nominated for the 2022/23 Elisabeth Sterling Haynes Awards for Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role. She recently made her debut aerial-act at the Hong Kong Clockenflap Music Festival 2025 in <MINIMAX- The Planets>, a unique theatrical experience at the Central Harbourfront.
Performing new repertoire and exploring new roles is one of Etta’s main pursuits as an artist. She created the role of Keiko in British-Russian composer Elena Langer's new opera Beauty and Sadness, working with award-winning directors Carolyn Choa and Tim Yip.
Etta sang the roles of Queen of the Night (die Zauberflöte) with Opera Hong Kong, a reprisal of the role with Hong Kong Grand Opera, and Musetta (La Bohème) with Musica Viva. She became a resident singer of Opera Lab Asia, and performed the title role of Rita in Rita-- an Opera Movie (Donizetti) (IMDB/Spotify), filmed at the historical site of the Haw Par Mansion in Hong Kong. She also played Serpina in Waitress on Top (IMDB), another new opera movie loosely based on La Serve Padrona by Pergolesi, which was filmed at the Hong Kong Peninsula. Other notable roles include Catherine in Jacques Offenbach's Pomme d'api, Susanna in Il Segreto di Susanna, Laurette in Offenbach’s Le docteur Miracle, Mimì in La Bohème and Micaëla in Carmen.
Etta was selected as a featured artist in one of the episodes of the artist documentary “Art Like There is a Way" by RTHK 31, Hong Kong. She also made a guest appearance on Hong Kong ViuTV's Popcorn Show with talk show host Vincent Kwok. She is regularly interviewed by local and international media on her aerial-opera endeavours and OSA Academy (HK), where she trains young talents to perform singing and aerial silks.
Etta was a winner of the Metropolitan Opera District Auditions (Kansas City) as well as the winner of the Vocal Division of the Naftzger Competition (Wichita, Kansas). She is the receiver of the Anton Rubinstein International Vocal Competition Award for best interpretation of chamber music in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Etta holds a Doctoral Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Kansas.
Wong Q-jing Juanita Quiteria
Cello Soloist
Juanita Wong graduated with distinction from the Royal Academy of Music in London, earning a Master’s degree in Performance under the tutelage of Prof. David Strange, former Head of Strings. She was awarded the Academy’s highest performance honor, the Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music (DipRAM). Earlier, she completed her Bachelor of Music degree at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, studying with Prof. Wang Lei, and was a recipient of the full scholarship from the Lau Yuen-Shan Charitable Foundation.
During her studies in London and Hong Kong, Wong frequently served as principal cellist in academy orchestras and performed alongside renowned conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle and Sir Colin Davis. She participated in numerous music festivals and, in 2004 and 2006, was among the youngest members of the Asian Youth Orchestra, where she toured extensively across Asia as assistant principal cellist.
Wong has performed in the United Kingdom, Austria, France, the Netherlands, and various Asian countries. An active chamber musician, she is a founding member and cellist of the Tung Ling Quartet, dedicated to promoting piano quartet repertoire through performances at major venues in Hong Kong since 2014. She has been invited by the Hong Kong Composers’ Guild to perform in concerts such as Music of the Next Generation and Soundscape: Hong Kong・Culture, and has appeared in interviews and live broadcasts on RTHK Radio 4. In addition to chamber music, Wong is a sought-after orchestral musician, regularly performing with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, and Cellistra Hong Kong.
Currently, Wong serves on the faculty of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where she is committed to nurturing the next generation of young musicians. She is also the co-founder, conductor, and coach of the Pacific Cello Orchestra, a youth-focused ensemble dedicated to cello ensemble and chamber music training.
Elegance of the Fragrant Harbour
Boundless Love Composer: Koo Joseph
A Whole New World Composer:Menken Alan
Arrangement: So Chuen-on
This piece combines two iconic melodies: “Boundless Love” from the Hong Kong TV drama “The Legend of the Condor Heroes” (composer: Joseph Koo) and Disney’s “A Whole New World” from “Aladdin” (composer: Alan Menken, lyrics: Tim Rice).
By blending the heroic spirit of Chinese martial arts with the romantic charm of Western musical storytelling, the work reflects Hong Kong’s unique role as a cultural crossroads—where East and West meet in perfect harmony.
Moon Reflection on the Second Spring
Composer: Hua Yanjun (A Bing)
Arrangement: So Chuen-on
“Moon Reflection on the Second Spring” is a classic erhu masterpiece by Hua Yanjun (A Bing), conveys the profound emotions of a blind artist through its distinctive folk style and artistry. Honored as one of the ‘20th Century Chinese Music Classics,’ it has been specially rearranged for this tour, blending Chinese and Western timbres for a unique listening experience.
Fire Dragon Dance (Dança do Dragão de Fogo)
Composer: Luk Wai-chun
Inspired by the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, a Mid-Autumn Festival tradition dating back to the 19th century, this work captures the spectacle of a dragon adorned with incense, carried through the streets to the sound of gongs and drums. The composer’s firsthand experience of the event in 2015 sparked the vision for this piece.
Blending Chinese and Western instruments, the music highlights rhythm as its driving force, echoing the dynamic energy of the festival and the powerful resonance of the luogu percussion ensemble. A final pipa solo offers a moment of calm reflection, inviting listeners to contemplate the cultural significance of the fire dragon dance for Hong Kong.
Heart Prison (O Coração Aprisionado)
Composer: Liu Kai-yin Andrew
Composed in early 2020, this piece was originally written as a song for soprano and piano, based on an English poem titled Heart Prison. The poem tells the story of a young girl who feels her “true self” buried under countless shackles: “your true self sleeping in the graveyard.”
When she dares to pursue her dreams, the response she receives is chilling: “Venturing into the unknown is fatal, they say […] Dreamers are foolish, they say.” Even when she wishes to express simple emotions—“dance to the music, cry to children’s movies, yell out your anger”—she is commanded to “keep your emotions in […] for peculiar that is, they say.”
Deeply moved by the poem’s raw honesty and emotional power, the composer decided to set Heart Prison to music, amplifying its impact and giving voice to its poignant message.
Nocturne to the Victoria Harbour
(Noturno para o Porto Vitória)
Composer: Wong Hok-yeung Alfred
Nocturne to the Victoria Harbour evokes the romantic charm of Hong Kong’s waterfront through shimmering harmonies and layered modulations. The opening unfolds like waves gently rolling ashore, while the main theme—shaped by subtle shifts in tempo and dynamics—guides listeners through tranquility, tenderness, and passionate intensity. Premiered in 2000 by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, this work has since been widely performed across Asia, the U.S., and New Zealand. In 2014, it received the Bronze Prize at the “Xinyi Cup” for young composers.
A Thousand Colours(Excerpts from Movement II and V)
(Mil Cores – Movimentos II e V)
Composer: Cheung Pui-shan Poetry: Lai Kam-yee
The lyricist of “A Thousand Colours” uses five different flowers (sakura, rose,camellia, jasmine, black peony). With poetic feelings, it is projected into the five most popular Italian operas (Madame Butterfly, Carmen, La Traviata, Turandot & Lakme). Using flower metaphors to describe the character and destiny of the heroine, at the artistic level, gives the audience a richer and deeper imagination space. The whole piece is divided into five parts, each with five different musical styles and featuring alternating Eastern and Western music.
I. Cherry Blossom II. Spintdrift Dress III. Fragrance of Camellia IV. Balletic Jasmine V. Fragrance of Black Peony
Snow Plum Blossoms, Yet Not Flower
(Florecer da Ameixeira na Neve, Porém Não Flores)
Composer: Huang Zi
Arrangement: Lun Wai-kit Edward
Inspired by Huang Zi’s “Seeking Plum Blossoms in the Snow” and “Flower Not Flower”, this piece blends lively winter scenes with the poem’s dreamlike beauty. Using Chinese pentatonic colors and modern harmonies, it creates a soundscape where movement meets stillness, and reality merges with illusion.
Tai Po Snapshots (Vislumbres de Tai Po)
Composer: Leung Chi-cheung Painting: Tse Raymond
Video and Photography: Chan Caleb Interactive-media art: Fung Wing-Lam
Tai Po Snapshots presents the elegance and heritage of Tai Po from multiple perspectives, drawing inspiration from Hakka mountain songs, bridal laments, and traditional gong-and-drum music to portray both its past and present. Situated in the New Territories of Hong Kong, Tai Po has been recorded a thousand years ago since the Tang Dynasty. Once a thriving hub of pearl harvesting, it became home to numerous clans and families whose legacies fostered a deep cultural foundation.
Joyful Dance of Golden Snake
(Dança Festiva da Serpente Dourada)
Composer: Leung Chi-cheung
The year 2025 marks the Year of the Snake. Specially composed for the Community Cultural Ambassador Tour, this work ingeniously blends two beloved melodies—“Dance of the Golden Snake” and “Happy Together”—creating a vibrant interplay that symbolizes the auspicious presence of the snake and a festive spirit of joy. It is a lively and exuberant new piece filled with celebratory energy.