Professor Yiu Song-lam, Head of Woodwind, Brass and Percussion of the School of Music served as one of the judges of the Concours international d’exécution musicale de Genève – CIEM in Geneva in late October. It is exceptionally meaningful for Professor Yiu as he is the first Chinese judge invited for this renowned international music competition.
Born in Hong Kong, Professor Yiu is a distinguished oboist who has worked in the music industry as performer, educator and entrepreneur. He has been a faculty member at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts since 1996. A graduate of the HKAPA of 1989, Professor Yiu was awarded the Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship to study at the Queensland Conservatorium in Australia, the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Rotterdam Conservatorium in Holland and also at the Köln Musikhochschule in Germany, where he received the Diplom der Künstlerischen Abschlußprüfung with distinction in 1994.
After his return from Europe, Professor Yiu founded and remains Artistic Director of Hong Kong Wind Kamerata, a group renowned for their high-quality performances and innovative programmes under his leadership. In addition, Professor Yiu has been artist-in-residence at the Education University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Radio Television Hong Kong. He is a founding board member of the Asian Double Reed Association and is highly regarded for his contributions in developing the double reed network regionally and internationally. Professor Yiu has served as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Academy’s School of Music from 2011 to 2018. He is professionally engaged as advisor, assessor, committee and panel member, and external examiner for a number of advisories and institutions.
Professor Yiu has worked extensively as soloist with numerous orchestras worldwide, including Goldberg Ensemble (UK), Conjunto Hemiola (Spain), Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Macau Orchestra, Korea Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra, Euro-Asian Philharmonic Orchestra, Ulsan University Wind Ensemble, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, Vietnam Saigon Philharmonic Orchestra, and has been invited to perform with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under the baton of Sir Neville Marriner and with the London Virtuosi on their Spain tour.
A highly active chamber musician, Professor Yiu is frequently invited to perform at prestigious music festivals around the world, and has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Benjamin Schmid, Christopher Warren-Green, Peter Damm, Pierre Yves Artaud, André Cazalet, Carlo Colombo, Christian Schmitt, Guy Touvron, Philippe Cuper, Michel Arrignon and Florent Héau. Professor Yiu is also an avid promoter of contemporary music and has premiered numerous works by local and overseas composers for the International Society for Contemporary Music and other occasions.
Professor Yiu receives regular invitations to give masterclasses at numerous institutions worldwide and adjudicate at international competitions. He has also served as an adjudicator for the Muri International Oboe Competition in Switzerland, the IDRS Fernard Gillet-Hugo Fox International Oboe Competition, IDRS International Young Artist Oboe Competition and the Concours International Musique de Chambre in Lyon, France.
His students have won major prizes in many international competitions and have been appointed major positions at renowned orchestras across Europe and Asia. Professor Yiu has been Visiting Professor of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music since 2016 and was elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) by the Royal Academy of Music for his significant contributions to the music profession.