CSKMA

Ming Kwong, Pianist/Coach, is very active in the world of opera and musical theater. In February 2016, he was invited by Opera Society Hong Kong to accompany 4 young talents in their “rising stars” concert series. For that, he was also invited for an interview on Radio 4 RTHK with the famous piano pedagogue Ms. Nancy Loo. Future engagements include being the official accompanist for Le French May “Opera Fever 4ever” concert which will take place on May 19th, 2016.

Across the globe, in fall 2014, he played the New York City auditions for Washington National Opera Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, Glimmerglass Opera Young Artist Program, Portland Opera Young Artist Program and Aspen Opera Theater. In spring 2014, he joined the music staff at Portland Opera for their production of “Postcard from Morocco” by Dominic Argento. He has been the staff accompanist at NYU Tisch School of Drama since September 2013. He has also worked with YoungArts (National Endowment of the Arts) since January 2009. He is well-known for his ability to adjust tempo, give singers time to breathe and help them through a phrase in a totally unrehearsed situation. Ming is regularly engaged by the Metropolitan Opera Guild as well to accompany their master class series.

His past credits include an assistant coach position at Glimmerglass Opera, Tanglewood Music Center (assisting Maestro James Levine, the music director of Metropolitan Opera, on Don Giovanni), and an apprenticeship with Florida Grand Opera for their 2008-2009 season. He has been invited frequently to join summer programs as a faculty coach. They include the CoOPERAtive program in New Jersey, Opera on the Avalon in Newfoundland, Canada. He held a fellowship coach position at the Aspen Summer Music Festival and was a vocal pianist at the prestigious Music Academy of the West, where Marilyn Horne chairs the program. Mr. Kwong was the Music Director of the Undergraduate Opera Theater at Manhattan School of Music and has also worked with Maestro George Manahan (music director of the former New York City Opera) on Cosi fan tutte.

As a solo pianist, Mr. Kwong has been a prizewinner of numerous competitions, including First Prize in the Advanced Improvisation and Second Prize in the Advanced Bach Session in the 12th Hong Kong (Asia) Piano Open Competition. Prestigious halls he has appeared in include Carnegie Hall, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. He performed during Joey Reynolds’s show – WOR news talk radio 710HD in October 2009. He holds a Fellowship of Trinity College London (FTCL) as well as a Fellowship of Royal School of Music (FRSM) in solo piano with distinction.

Ming Kwong holds a Master’s degree in Piano Accompanying from Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Warren Jones, and a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory