Hong Kong music educator and conductor Lydia Wong is expanding the international activity of Strings Camerata, the music studio and ensemble she founded, with a new series of opportunities connecting its young musicians with international training, competitions and performances. Following a 2025 educational program in Italy and recent performances by her students in New York, Wong is now preparing the Strings Camerata Italy Masterclass and Concert 2027 in Dongo, in the Lake Como region, while also accepting an invitation to serve as a juror for the International Chamber Music Prize of New York, a new international chamber music competition based in New York City.
“I want my students to explore more, challenge themselves, and discover how international experiences can expand their musical horizons.”
— Lydia Wong
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At the center of Wong’s work is Strings Camerata, through which she combines instrumental training with ensemble performance, masterclasses and opportunities for students to experience music beyond Hong Kong. Wong conducts the Strings Camerata orchestra and has developed collaborations with international musicians as part of an educational approach designed to expose young performers to different musical traditions, teachers and professional environments.
That international focus led Wong to organize a masterclass and concert program in Italy in 2025. The project developed from a connection established in 2023, when her students participated in a competition in Lugano, Switzerland, and Wong met harpist and educator Jasmine Gitti. Impressed by Gitti’s approach to teaching young musicians, Wong invited her to Hong Kong for a masterclass in 2024 before expanding the collaboration into an educational experience in Italy.
The Italian project was developed with Gitti and with the support of the Istituto Civico Musicale di Dongo and the City of Dongo. The 2025 program culminated in a concert at Palazzo Manzi, where the audience filled the performance space and some listeners gathered outside the hall to hear the concert. The experience strengthened the collaboration among Wong, Gitti and their Italian partners and laid the groundwork for an expanded edition in 2027. Pasted text
Wong observed that studying and performing abroad had a significant effect on her students, both musically and personally. Beyond instrumental training, she sees international programs as an opportunity for students to experience different cultures, historical environments and performance spaces directly, allowing them to connect their musical studies with the places, people and traditions surrounding them. Pasted text
Among those opportunities was the NY Classical Debut Awards, an international music competition in New York. Students from Wong’s studio were selected as winners and traveled to New York to participate in the competition’s Winners’ Concert at Carnegie Hall. The experience marked another step in Strings Camerata’s growing international activity and introduced Wong and her students to the New York classical music community.
Following that connection with New York, Wong was invited to serve as a juror for the International Chamber Music Prize of New York, a new international competition dedicated to chamber music and based in New York City. The appointment represents an expansion of Wong’s international activity from preparing and accompanying young musicians abroad to participating directly in the evaluation of emerging musicians in an international competition.
“It opens a door for me to connect with the world,” Wong said. “I want my students to explore more, challenge themselves and experience different musicians, cultures and approaches to music. These opportunities are not only about one performance—they are part of their musical growth.”
Wong is now building on these experiences with the Strings Camerata Italy Masterclass and Concert 2027, scheduled for July 2027 in Dongo, on Lake Como. The program will once again combine musical training, international exchange and performance, with the goal of giving students an immersive experience outside their regular learning environment.
The project will involve musicians and educators from Italy and Hong Kong, including harp tutor Jasmine Gitti, harp tutor Cherry Fung, pianist Andy Chung and violinist Woo Chi Wing, alongside the Istituto Civico Musicale di Dongo and other local partners. Wong hopes future editions can expand further by involving additional masterclass tutors and developing sustained training opportunities rather than limiting international experiences to individual concerts. Pasted text
For Wong, the broader objective is to create a pathway through which young musicians can move naturally from lessons and ensemble training in Hong Kong to masterclasses, competitions, collaborations and performances internationally.
Wong holds a Master of Education from The Education University of Hong Kong and works as a music educator, conductor and instrumentalist. She currently serves as a Part-time Assistant Lecturer in Music Education at the Vocational Training Council. Her musical training includes piano, violin, French horn and harp.
Through Strings Camerata, Wong organizes orchestra performances and masterclasses and prepares students for local and international musical opportunities. Her students have participated in competitions and activities across Asia, Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States.
About Strings Camerata:
Founded by Hong Kong music educator and conductor Lydia Wong, Strings Camerata provides instrumental training, ensemble performance, masterclasses and international musical experiences for young musicians. Its activities are designed to connect students’ regular musical education with opportunities to study, collaborate and perform in international settings.