Patrick Chiu, Artistic Director, Yat Po Singers; Artistic Director, Hong Kong Melody Makers

Patrick Chiu is a choral artist born in Hong Kong. During his period of residence in Vienna, he has participated in various local professional performances and received tuition from professors at the Vienna Conservatory. In 2003, he earned a scholarship to study at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he received his Master’s degree in choral conducting. During his stay in Europe and the United States, he has worked with and studied under world-renowned maestros including Helmuth Rilling, James Levine and Harry Christophers.

Patrick is currently the artistic director of Hong Kong’s first professional a cappella theatre company, the Yat Po Singers, and the award-winning Hong Kong Melody Makers. He also serves as the founding festival director of Hong Kong SingFest, music director of the newly-established Hong Kong Oratorio Society Cantata Singers and a member of the renowned a cappella group, the Gay Singers. He teaches the Master’s programme in his alma mater, the music department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Patrick is also a council member of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and an examiner of the Arts Development Council.

Being appointed as the Youth Committee member of the International Federation of Choral Music (IFCM), Patrick frequently attends world choral conferences as a representative of the Asian region. In 2008, he has been appointed as an organizing committee member of the World Youth Choir.

Patrick is dedicated to the promotion of choral music. Recent highlights include a cappella theatre Rock Hard (2008, as concept creator and choral director, and its 2010 and 2012 reruns) commissioned by the New Vision Arts Festival; a cappella theatre The Lark (2009, as music director and composer) produced by the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre; Japan a cappella Movement in Tokyo (2009, as adjudicator); a cappella theatre The Adventure of Tom Sawyer (2010, as music director and composer) produced by Shu Ning Presentation Unit; Hong Kong International a cappella Festival (2010-13, as festival artistic director); Taipei Bach Festival (2010 and 2012, as conductor); Helmuth Rilling’s Discovery Series (2010-2012, as conductor) organized by the Oregon Bach Festival, USA; World Contemporary a cappella Competition (2012, as adjudicator); West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre a cappella Zhong Yue Feng (2013, as artistic director). In the local pop scene, Patrick has worked with Eason Chan, Hins Cheung, Khalil Fong, Chet Lam, Mag Lam, Kay Tse, Ivana Wong and Jonathan Wong.

In 2009, Patrick led the Hong Kong Melody Makers Vocal Band to win 3 awards in the 3rd Asian Youth a cappella Competition in South Korea: Champion, Best Vocal and Best Arrangement. A year later, he and the Hong Kong Melody Makers Chorus won two Gold Awards in the World Choir Games. As the artistic director of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups a cappella Centre, Patrick and the Federation received the Gold Award for Arts Education of the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2010. In 2012, Patrick was a scholarship recipient of Helmuth Rilling’s Herbert von Karajan Music Prize to attend and perform in the Oregon Bach Festival.

With his pen name “herrchiu”, Patrick has composed a number of award-winning choral works in various styles. These works have been presented in Austria, Russia, Portugal, USA and many other countries in Asia. His publisher is Apple Tree Music.