Established in 1985, the Music Office String Orchestra was formally renamed the Hong Kong Youth Strings (HKYS) in 1989. It provides advanced string ensemble training for local young musicians who have progressed through the Music Office’s district string orchestras.

 

The HKYS performs actively for the community, participating in major events such as the Hong Kong Youth Music Interflows, the Music Office Annual Gala, and various community concerts. As a prestigious youth orchestra, the HKYS has collaborated with renowned professional artists, including Yip Wing-sie, Wong Sze-hang, and Kumi Sugiyama.

 

The HKYS has engaged in music exchanges with several visiting overseas groups, including the Cincinnati Junior Strings (1992), the Shenzhen Music Lovers’ Chamber Orchestra (1996), the Lincoln Youth Orchestra (1998), the Beijing 101 Middle School Orchestra (2000), and the Youth Orchestra of the Chinese Youth Corps of New York (2007).

 

Serving as a youth music ambassador for Hong Kong, the HKYS has toured extensively, performing in the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Macao, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The HKYS is internationally recognized for its high musical standards. In 2017, it was awarded the Gold Band (Category Winner) for string orchestras under 21 and the Grand Prix for Orchestras (Best Orchestra) at the 8th International Youth Music Festival in Bratislava. Most recently, in 2024, the HKYS participated in the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna, winning 2nd place with “Outstanding Success.”

 

With members under the age of 25, recruitment for the HKYS is conducted via open auditions every year.

 

Conductor(s)/ Instructor(s)：	Dr. KAM Ho-pang Joseph, CHEUNG Ching-ting and CHEUNG Man-sin Maxine
Manager：	CHEUNG Man-sin Maxine