Band, Choir and Orchestra Training

Ensemble training is an integral part of music learning. The Music Office currently runs 19 youth orchestras/bands/choirs for around 1,300 young musicians - 1 youth symphony orchestra, 4 youth string orchestras, 1 junior chamber ensemble, 4 youth Chinese orchestras, 1 junior Chinese orchestra, 1 children's Chinese orchestra, 4 youth bands, 1 children's band, 1 youth choir and 1 children's choir. Training is free of charge, but members will have to bring their own instruments (except bulky ones) to rehearsals and purchase uniforms and necessary music scores at their own expense.

The training year commences in September and concludes at the end of the following May. Regular rehearsals are held once a week with intensive training sometimes held during holidays to meet varying needs. The bands/choirs/orchestras will also have opportunities to perform in cultural activities exchange and/or participate with visiting young musicians from the Mainland and overseas.

The 19 ensembles conduct an open recruitment every April, with qualified applicants invited to attend an audition beginning in May. The audition will include the playing of sight-reading/sight-singing, as well as the performance of an own-choice work at the stipulated level.

Listed below are relevant bands, orchestra and choirs’ information for the 2018/19 training year:

Symphony Orchestra

Group	Rehearsal Time	Rehearsal Venue	Enquiry/Email
Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra	Sunday 2:30-5:30 pm	Mong Kok Music Centre	2399 2200 hkyso@lcsd.gov.hk

String Orchestra

Group	Rehearsal Time	Rehearsal Venue	Enquiry/Email
Hong Kong Youth Strings	Sunday 9:30 am-12:30 pm	Mong Kok Music Centre	2399 2200 hkys@lcsd.gov.hk
Hong Kong Junior Chamber Ensemble	Sunday 9:30 am-12:00 noon	Shatin Music Centre	2158 6462 hkjce@lcsd.gov.hk
Island Youth Strings	Sunday 2:30-5:00 pm	Hong Kong Music Centre	2802 0657 iys@lcsd.gov.hk
Kowloon Youth Strings	Sunday 2:30-5:00 pm	Kwun Tong Music Centre	2796 2893 kys@lcsd.gov.hk
New Territories Youth Strings	Sunday 2:30-5:00 pm	Tsuen Wan Music Centre	2417 6429 ntys@lcsd.gov.hk

Symphonic Band

Group	Rehearsal Time	Rehearsal Venue	Enquiry/Email
Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band	Saturday 2:00 pm-5:30 pm	Tsuen Wan Music Centre	2417 6429 hkysb@lcsd.gov.hk
Music Office Youth Brass Band	Saturday 9:30am-12:00 noon	Hong Kong Music Centre	2802 0657 moybb@lcsd.gov.hk
Kowloon Youth Symphonic Band	Saturday 2:30 pm-5:00 pm	Kwun Tong Music Centre	2796 2893 kysb@lcsd.gov.hk
New Territories Youth Symphonic Band	Saturday 9:30 am-12:00 noon	Tsuen Wan Music Centre	2417 6429 ntysb@lcsd.gov.hk
Hong Kong Children's Symphonic Band	Saturday 2:30-5:30 pm	Mong Kok Music Centre	2399 2200 hkcsb@lcsd.gov.hk

Chinese Orchestra

Group	Rehearsal Time	Rehearsal Venue	Enquiry/Email
Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra	Friday 6:30-9:30 pm	Kwun Tong Music Centre	2796 2893 hkyco@lcsd.gov.hk
Island Youth Chinese Orchestra	Friday 6:00-8:30 pm	Hong Kong Music Centre	2802 0657 iyco@lcsd.gov.hk
Kowloon Youth Chinese Orchestra	Friday 6:00 pm-8:30 pm	Mong Kok Music Centre	2399 2200 kyco@lcsd.gov.hk
New Territories Youth Chinese Orchestra	Friday 6:00-8:30 pm	Tsuen Wan Music Centre	2417 6429 ntyco@lcsd.gov.hk
Music Office Junior Chinese Orchestra	Sunday 9:45 am-12:15 pm	Kwun Tong Music Centre	2796 2893 mojco@lcsd.gov.hk
Music Office Children's Chinese Orchestra	Sunday 3:00 pm-5:30 pm	Shatin Music Centre	2158 6462 mocco@lcsd.gov.hk

Choir

Group	Rehearsal Time	Rehearsal Venue	Enquiry/Email
Music Office Youth Choir	Saturday 5:00-7:00 pm	Sha Tin Music Centre	2158 6462 moyc@lcsd.gov.hk
Music Office Children's Choir	Saturday 2:30-4:30 pm	Sha Tin Music Centre	2158 6462 mocc@lcsd.gov.hk