Artist-in-Residence Programme 2023/24: Mr Alex Tam

Mr Alex Tam, an opera singer, choral conductor and composer who is currently chorus director of Opera Hong Kong, is PolyU's Artist-in-Residence 2023/24.
 
The Artist-in-Residence Programme consists of the following activities:

Meet-the-Artist Session: Unravel the Fascinating World of Vocal Music

6 March 2024 (Wednesday)
7.30 pm - 9 pm
Chiang Chen Studio Theatre, PolyU
Registration: https://polyu.hk/AchDA

Masterclass: Unlock Vocal Potential 

11 March 2024 (Monday)
7.30 pm - 9.30 pm
Chiang Chen Studio Theatre, PolyU
Registration: https://polyu.hk/uHfxL

Finale Concert: Mozart's Choral Classic

22 March 2024 (Friday)
8 pm
Jockey Club Auditorium, PolyU
Registration: https://polyu.hk/aKdpJ

Biography of Mr Alex Tam

Mr Alex Tam is an opera singer, choral conductor and composer who is currently chorus director of Opera Hong Kong, a voice teacher and choir conductor at the HKAPA, and conductor of the Hong Kong Children's Choir. He was appointed as conductor of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) Choir in 2021. With a career devoted to vocal music, Mr Tam has established himself as a pinnacle of musical excellence and an inspiration in the choral arts community.
 
Alex’s career has encompassed leading roles in operas, concerts and other productions worldwide. His operatic performances have spanned over 30 roles, and on the concert platform he has appeared as a soloist under the baton of Maestro Helmuth Rilling in JS Bach’s Mass in B minor, Haydn’s The Creation, and Mozart’s Mass in C. In 2000 Alex joined the renowned French soprano Elisabeth Videl in a duo concert as part of Le French May programme. He also took on leading roles at the Hong Kong Arts Festivals in Coffee Cantata in 2002, and in the chamber opera Heart of Coral by Dr Chan Hing Yan in 2013 and 2023. 

Among further achievements on the home front are when Alex led The Hong Kong Children’s Choir performance of Symphony with Christmas Angels with the Hong Kong Philharmonic in 2011, and Sinfonia Antarctica by Vaughan Williams in 2013. In 2015 he was appointed Chorus Master of a Guinness World Record-breaking event, ODE TO JOY - Concert of Ten Thousand, co-presented by RTHK, Opera Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG). The following year he was appointed Artistic Director of the HKFYG Jockey Club Hong Kong International A Cappella Festival. His honours include the Associate of the Royal Academy of Music award recently received for his significant contribution to the music profession, and an Outstanding Musician Award from the Hong Kong Music and Dance Association in 2018.

As a composer, Alex's compositions were included in the Alex Tam Choral Collections for Treble Voices published by The Hong Kong Children's Choir (HKCC) and Alex Tam Collection by the CU Chorus. In 2021, The HKCC presented two performances of HKCC sings Alex Tam, featuring all of Alex's choral works. Alex is also a radio presenter on RTHK Radio 4.
 
As the Artist-in-Residence for this year, Alex has meticulously planned a series of activities. Through a Meet-the-Artist Session talk, a masterclass and a finale concert, he will provide an enriching musical experience for the students, staff and alumni of PolyU, fostering a profound understanding of music and integrating it further into their lives.