Pak-yu Alex Kwok

Hong Kong young pianist Pak-yu Kwok received professional training at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts under the tutelage of Prof. Gabriel Kwok, obtaining Master of Music with distinction in 2024 and Bachelor of Music with first-class honors in 2022. He is the awardee of several scholarships, including the HSBC Hong Kong Scholarship, Grantham Scholarship, Cecil Leong Scholarship and the Concerto Prize Scholarship of the academy.

Started piano training from 5 years old, Pak-yu earned Licentiate Diploma from Trinity College London in 2017. He has participated at masterclasses given by Leslie Howard, Eliso Virsaladze, Leonel Morales and Ronan O’Hora. A frequent winner of regional competitions, Alex claimed championship in Professional Group-L as well as Best Interpretation of a Chopin Piece prize in the 2021 autumn edition of Chopin Avenue International Piano Competition. In the very same year, he also achieved second prize in the Young Artists Group in HKGNA International Music Competition.

A performer of dare, intensity and a unique stage flair, Pak-yu has garnered good reception at live and online performances. Among his concerts by public presenters are “The City”, an immersive concert held by local art organization Yorozuya in 2022, and《2022看不到的樂韻 - 丁怡杰x楊恩華中西樂交流音樂會》, a concert featuring both Chinese and Western music performed with two visually impaired musicians, held by HKALPS. Alex has appeared twice in Musica del Cuore, with a solo piano recital “The Unearthly Love” in 2023 and duet recital with Dr. Helen Cha at season opening 2024. In the same seasons, he was also performing in at HKAPA’s annual Piano Festivals, the “Rachmaninoff Piano Festival” (2023), and “Prokofiev Meets the Great Romantics” Piano Festival (2024). His performances from these festivals were broadcasted by RTHK’s “Live On Four”, while his brief interviews and TV performance were respectively streamed through “Arts News” (2023) and “The Works” (2024). In summer 2024, he participated in Prof Ewa Pobłocka’s masterclasses in Vienna.

Besides piano, Pak-yu is qualified from the Central Conservatory of Music’s Grade 10 exam in Erhu at age 15. He is now a guest erhu player in Yao Yueh Chinese Music Association.