Lio Kuokman, Resident Conductor of 
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra 
Awarded HKADC Artist of the Year (Music)

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[23 May 2022, Hong Kong] The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is proud to congratulate Mr Lio Kuokman, the orchestra’s Resident Conductor, on being awarded Artist of the Year (Music) of the 16th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC).

Lio Kuokman has worked with many leading orchestras around the world. He is currently Programme Director of the Macao International Music Festival, a role he started in January 2020. He has received the Certificate of Commendation and the Medal of Cultural Merit from the governments of Hong Kong and Macao, respectively, and he was named one of Hong Kong’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons by Junior Chamber International in 2021. 

Lio Kuokman is delighted to have received the award: “I am honoured to be named as the Artist of the Year by the HKADC. Since the age of four, I have been dreaming of being a conductor. I am truly grateful for all the mentors who gave me guidance and opportunities throughout my musical journey. I wish to continue to make fine music for the audience in Hong Kong as well as around the world, together with the HK Phil and any other brilliant musician. I also want to bring music to the community and use music to connect people.”

Mr Benedikt Fohr, Chief Executive of the HK Phil, extends his heartfelt congratulations to Lio Kuokman: “Lio Kuokman has been collaborating with the HK Phil for many years and he became a family member of the HK Phil as a Resident Conductor since 2020. He is a home-grown conductor who has earned remarkable recognition internationally. He is talented with great passion, enthusiasm and commitment in musicmaking. His achievement is well-recognised. We are very proud that Lio was awarded the Artist of the Year and look forward to continuing our exciting musical journey with Lio in the coming seasons.” Fohr also thanks the HKADC for presenting the awards.

Organised by the HKADC, the Awards is an annual flagship event which aims to give formal recognition to distinguished arts practitioners who have achieved excellence and made significant contributions to the development of the arts in Hong Kong. The awards presentation ceremony is available for viewing on YouTube.

Lio Kuokman will conduct the HK Phil’s Roman Holiday concerts on 18 June and 2 July 2022 (Saturdays) in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Among the most spectacular orchestral music in the entire repertory, Respighi’s Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome conjure up spell-binding images of the great city. In between, HK Phil’s Linda Stuckey presents the world premiere of OZNO’s Piccolo Concerto showcasing the small but mighty personality of this tiny instrument. The concert on 2 July is also the orchestra’s 2021/22 Season Finale. Tickets are limited; act now to snap up the tickets!

Resident Conductor's Podium Sponsor: The Tung Foundation

About Lio Kuokman

Currently serving as Resident Conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Programme Director of the Macao International Music Festival, Lio is praised by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “a startling conducting talent”. He was the second prize winner of the third Svetlanov International Conducting Competition in Paris with audience prize and orchestra prize, and he has served as the first Chinese Assistant Conductor with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Lio has successfully collaborated with many leading orchestras across the globe. This season he was invited as the first Chinese conductor to conduct subscription concert with the Vienna Symphony, and he also received an invitation by the French government to lead the first Saudi Arabia performance tour with Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse. He completed ten performances in Taiwan with NTSO, appeared at Music in PyeongChang Festival, and conducted the Season Finale concert with the HK Phil. Other collaborated orchestras including Detroit Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Marseille, Seoul Philharmonic, NHK, Hiroshima, Tokyo Metropolitan, Kyoto Symphony, Russian National Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic, Latvian National Symphony, etc.

Lio has also participated in opera productions. Lio recently collaborated with National Taichung Theater on Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Other opera performances include collaborations with Musica Viva Hong Kong on La bohème, L’elisir d’amore, Turandot, Madama Butterfly, Carmen; and was invited by Valery Gergiev as guest conductor at the Mariinsky Theatre. As a concert pianist, Lio has collaborated with Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg and Fort Worth Symphony.

Educated at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the New England Conservatory, Lio is a founding member and President of the Macao Chamber Music Association. For his contributions to the development of arts and culture, he has received Certificate of Commendation and Medal of Cultural Merit from both governments of Hong Kong and Macao. In 2021, Lio is the recipient of the Hong Kong Ten Outstanding Young Persons award.