Hong Kong cellist Chui-Yee Lee becomes the first Chinese to win 1st Prize at the International Antonio Janigro Competition

Febuary 11th, 2004

Hong Kong-born cellist Chui-Yee Lee last night swept first prize and a host of special awards at the prestigious International Antonio Janigro Cello Competition held between 21 January and 1 February 2004 in Zagreb, Croatia. The competition attracted 98 applicants from over 43 countries worldwide, who took part in three intensive rounds at the premiere concert venue Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb. Chui-Yee Lee, representing Hong Kong SAR, won the hearts of the jury and the audience with a stunning performance of cello concertos of Dvo ak and Haydn in the final round, and became the first Chinese and first Hong Kong musician to win the much coveted first prize.

Chui-Yee Lee's cello recital with the Hong Kong Arts Festival will be held on 14 February 2004 at 8:00 pm, at HK City Hall Concert Hall. Only limited tickets are available.

Since 2000, Chui-Yee has firmly established himself as a world-class musician by winning major awards in three prestigious international competitions - New York's Naumburg International, Helsinki's International Paulo Cello, and the 55th Geneva International Music Competitions - being the first Hong Kong-born cellist to win any of these prizes. As the first prize-winner of Antonio Janigro, Chui-Yee will receive a cash award and a series of orchestral and recital engagements in Europe in the near future. Chui-Yee Lee is also one of eight selected artists to be featured in the Outstanding Young Chinese Musicians series, produced by Radio Television Hong Kong, to be aired on Saturday, 21 February 2004 7:00 - 8:00 pm on TVB Jade.

For photos of Chui-Yee Lee at the International Antonio Janigro Competition, please contact Hong Kong Arts Festival Assistant Marketing Manager Mr Andy Yau at 2824 3555.

About the Competition - The International Antonio Janigro Cello Competition was founded in memory of the legendary 20th Century cellist Antonio Janigro who dedicated a significant of his lifetime to music development in Croatia. The competition is opened to cellists born in 1969 and after, and is held every four years. It offers one of the biggest awards in terms of performance engagements of all cello competitions, but also requires a difficult repertoires (contestants are required to perform solo cello works, a half recital program, two concertos with orchestras of works by composers from different period.) Past winners included Russian cellist Boris Andrianov and French cellist Matthieu Rogue. Members of Jury this year include representatives from France, Croatia, Russia, U.K., U.S.A., Brazil, Norway, and Spain. World renowned cellists and pedagogues such as Valter Despalj, David Geringas, Bernard Greenhouse, Philippe Muller, and Natalia Shakovskaya have all served on the jury. (2004 competition website: www.antoniojanigro.com.hr)                                  Press Meeting

You are cordially invited to attend a press meeting where Chui-Yee Lee will share his experience of winning the first prize at the International Antonio Janigro Competition:

Date: 9 February 2004, MondayTime: 2pmVenue: Board Room, Business Centre, The Marco Polo Hong Kong HotelAddress: 3 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.

RSVP before 6 February 2004 (Fri)Mr Andy Yau, Assistant Marketing Manager, Tel: 2824 3555.

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