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The Shaw Foundation Proudly Sponsors

School Choir Advancement Programme

Objective

The School Choir Advancement Programme aims to empower school choirs to further enhance their choral programmes and provide choristers with an inspiring choral education experience by working closely with overseas renowned conductors. The Programme also aims to provide the music teachers of participating schools with high-level professional development opportunities.

We are excited to announce our collaboration with the World Choral Conducting Network (WCCN), through which we will integrate WCCN’s established Mentorship Programme into our School Choir Advancement Programme. In this initiative, experienced conductors from the WCCN will provide personalised guidance and support to participants, ensuring that their mentorship experience extends and deepens well beyond the festival.

Title Sponsor

Supporting Organisation

COMPONENTS

A commencement workshop will be held in September 2025, bringing together participating school choirs to meet, collaborate, and learn collectively under the guidance of an esteemed overseas mentor.

In the same week as the commencement workshop, the overseas mentor will conduct an initial visit to each participating school. They will work closely with the choir, coach the conductor, and work with the conductor to establish the goals for the upcoming year.

An overseas mentor will engage with the choirs’ conductors on a regular basis, ideally conferring online once every two weekly rehearsals. These sessions will delve into detailed planning for upcoming rehearsals, score analysis, and rehearsal techniques. The mentor will assess rehearsal effectiveness by reviewing video recordings provided by the conductor.

The programme will culminate in a closing concert where participating school choirs will showcase what they have learned in this programme. The overseas mentor will return to Hong Kong to work with the choirs in preparation for the concert, providing invaluable guidance and conducting the choir at the concert.

Overseas Mentors

Thomas Caplin

Prof. Thomas Caplin

Conductor of the Defrost Youth Choir

Ai-Hooi Lim

Artistic Director of Singapore International Choral Festival
Susanna Saw

Susanna Saw

Vice President of International Kodály Society

Participating schools

Bishop Hall Jubilee School 香港聖公會何明華會督中學 (Senior mix)

Events highlights

Other programmes

Choral Repertoire Reading Session

Choral Repertoire Reading Session

We provide music teachers and conductors with professional development sessions that aim to connect theory and practice in music education.

Teachers’ Choir (DUPLICATE)

Teachers’ Choir (DUPLICATE)

The Teachers’ Choir was established in 2023 with the aim of providing music teachers from different schools with a platform for musical and idea exchange.

Virtual Choir Project

Virtual Choir Project

HKICF is committed to promoting choral music as a means of social engagement and empowerment.