HK Phil Quintet

Megan Sterling, flute

Since taking up the position of Principal Flute of the HK Phil in 2002, Megan Sterling has enjoyed working with some of the world's top conductors and soloists. She has appeared several times as soloist with the HK Phil, as well as in recitals, radio broadcasts, Canto-pop recordings and chamber ensembles in Hong Kong and the region.

As a student in Australia, Megan was awarded a number of prestigious prizes and awards: the Symphony Young Australia Award; First Prize and Audience Prize at the 1999 National Flute Competition; the inaugural Canberra School of Music/Ansett Concerto Prize; the University of Melbourne Mozart Competition 1st prize; a Premier’s Award for Distinction in Music; four-time winner of the Leslie Barklamb Flute Scholarship. Megan also received the prestigious Queen’s Trust Award, which facilitated a study period in London with Michael Cox and Paul Edmund-Davies.

In 2003 Megan was awarded 1st Prize in the Hungarofest International Flute Competition in Budapest. At the same competition she was awarded a special prize for Best Performance of the Petrovics Flute Concerto, broadcast live with the Hungarian National Radio Symphony on Hungarian National Radio. This led to recitals in the Budapest Spring Festival, Boston and Shanghai.

Megan has appeared live on national television and radio in Australia, Hungary, Hong Kong, and on WGBH, Boston. She performed at Parliament House for Australian Prime Minister, John Howard.

In addition to solo performances, Megan has appeared as Guest Principal Flute with all the leading orchestras in Australia and New Zealand. She is a founding member of the Australian World Orchestra - a project which brings Australian musicians from elite orchestras around the world to play together under conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Sir Simon Rattle and Riccardo Muti.

In addition to her full-time role with the HK Phil, Megan enjoys teaching at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the HK Chinese University. She has recently recorded a CD which will be available soon.

Michael Wilson, oboe

Michael Wilson was appointed Principal Oboe of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 2009. Prior to this he was Co-Principal Oboe from 2005. Before moving to Hong Kong, he was working regularly with London-based orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra with which he toured extensively in Germany under the direction of then Chief Conductor, Kurt Masur. He also worked with other UK orchestras, which gave rise to the opportunity to play Vivaldi’s Concerto for Oboe and Violin, with Nigel Kennedy.

Michael studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where he graduated with First Class Honours and received the Philip Jones prize for woodwind. He was then awarded a place in the newly founded orchestra, the Southbank Sinfonia, based in London.

Michael’s introduction to music started at eight years old when he began singing as a chorister in a cathedral choir. Requiring rehearsals and services every day until the age of 14, he developed a keen musical understanding and acquired a broad knowledge of choral repertoire.　

Since moving to Hong Kong he has been invited to play Guest Principal Oboe with orchestras such as the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Any free time Michael has, he spends having fun with his two sons, Oliver and Charlie.

John Schertle, clarinet

Performing with the Hong Kong Philharmonic for over two decades, Co Principal Clarinetist John Schertle appears regularly as Guest Principal Clarinet with orchestras in the region. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School, the National Arts Club Competition prize winner gives masterclasses in Asia and serves on the faculties of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Baptist University.

Equally adept on auxiliary instruments, Schertle performs as E-flat clarinetist with orchestras such as the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in the United States and the London Philharmonic Orchestra in addition to being Solo E-flat Clarinet in the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He has performed as concerto soloist on bass clarinet and basset horn, with groups in North America and Asia.

A fan of the outdoors in his native California and Hong Kong, he enjoys extensive hiking and photography when not spending time with his family. 

Benjamin Moermond, bassoon

Benjamin Moermond has been Principal Bassoon with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) since joining in 2010 and is active teaching and performing in Hong Kong and throughout the region. As a soloist with the HK Phil he has performed Haydn's Sinfonia Concertante, Telemann's Double Concerto for Bassoon and Recorder, and Mozart's Bassoon Concerto. As an educator he has been on faculty for the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts.

Prior to moving to Hong Kong Benjamin completed his studies at The Juilliard School of New York under the tutelage of Judith LeClair. He was an active chamber musician with PUFF! woodwind quintet and toured extensively in the summers with festivals including Pacific Music Festival, Lucerne Festival Academy, Youth Orchestra of the Americas, and Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy. Ben is originally from Cincinnati, US.

Lin Jiang, horn

Principal Horn of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Lin Jiang is considered an extraordinarily gifted horn player of his generation. Born in Shanghai in 1986, he moved with his family to Australia at the age of five and began playing the horn at the age of ten. He continued his studies at Scotch College Melbourne, the Victorian College of the Arts and graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Music degree with honours.

Being one of Australia's most sought after horn soloists, he has performed solos with the Melbourne and Sydney Symphony orchestras, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Australian Youth Orchestra.

Lin has won prizes in international horn competitions and was a finalist in the prestigious Freedman Fellowship Program and a semi-finalist in the ARD music competition Munich.

In 2008, at the age of twenty-one, he won the Principal Horn position of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, making him the youngest person to have ever won a principal position in the history of the orchestra. Since then he has accepted the Principal Horn position of the HK Phil, and has performed around the world with top orchestras that include the Australian Chamber, Sydney Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, Seoul Symphony, Australian World, Asia Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony and the Dallas Symphony orchestraas. He has worked with world renowned conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta and Jaap Van Zweden.

As a pedagogue, Lin has taught and given masterclasses extensively throughout the region and has held guest faculty positions in the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music Singapore, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Hong Kong Baptist and Chinese universities. 

As a recording artist, Lin has released a CD of the Mozart Horn Concertos with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra conducted by Barry Tuckwell and a CD of solo works under the Melba Recordings label both to critical acclaim.