Wong Wai-yuen, Valerie

Born in Hong Kong, Valerie Wai Yuen Wong is an undergraduate of music at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts study under Professor Eleanor Wong. At young age she was a junior music student under Miss Julie Kuok.

Wai Yuen has performed in various events: in addition to holding recitals in Hamburg, Beijing and Xiamen, she has collaborated twice with the Hong Kong Children’s Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra as a soloist. She performed at the 42nd Hong Kong Arts Festival - “Magic Piano & The Chopin Shorts” and at the 46th Hong Kong Arts Festival -“Beyond Impressionism”. She also performed a solo and trio in the ‘Grow up with Music Concert’ and performed constantly at the ‘Musica del Cuore’.

She has won numerous prizes in Hong Kong and overseas, including the 2nd prize in the Solo Piano Competition of the Beijing International Music Festival . The 1st prize at the HKGNA Music Competition. The 2nd prize at the International Piano Competition for Yong Musicians, Enschede of the Netherlands with Press Award and Audience Award. The 3rd Prize in the Korea International Competition for Young Pianists.

She also won the First Prize and Professional Grand Prize at the 75th Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition in Beijing and was invited to perform at “The International Steinway Art Festival” held in Hamburg, Germany, representing China.

She was also awarded the First Prize at the 65th Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales, UK; the Asia Hong Kong Open Piano Competition and The Asian Youth Music Competition; 2nd Prize in Beijing Zhou Guang Ren Young Pianist Award.

She has also performed in the piano master classes with Gary Graffman, Jerome Lowenthal, Graham Scott, Fanny Waterman, Joyce Yang, Sequeira Costa, Francois Chaplin, Alexander Braginsky, Fernando Garcia Torres, Ilya Itin , Mikhail Ruby, Saleem Ashkar, Lee Kum Sing, Jean-Claude Pennetier, Alan and Alvin Chow, Alexander Korsantia and Lang Lang.

Wai Yuen is the awardee of serval scholarships including the Cecil Leong Scholarship, the HKAPA Piano Alumni Scholarship, the Great Eagle Scholarship and Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Fung Scholarship to attend the Boston International Music Festival .

In 2013, she was awarded the Certificate of Commendation by the Hong Kong Government for her outstanding achievements in the promotion of international arts and culture activities.