2000 Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival

Date: 1 - 4 August 2000

Location: Olympia Hotel, Seoul, Korea

The third Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival was held in Seoul from 1 to 4 August 2000. Our treble harmonica player Ho Pak Cheong was invited to act as the adjudicator of the competition. We have performed in the gala concert (together with our resident pianist Miss Nerissa Yeung) and conducted a workshop on the art of harmonica quintet. We have also brought some of the talented harmonica players in King's College and Hotung Secondary School to enrich their experience.

In the gala concert in the evening of 3 August 2000, we, together with our resident pianist Miss Nerissa Yeung, premiered the first and third movements of Dvorak's Piano Quintet in A Major Op.81.

In the morning of 2 August 2000, we conducted a 90-minute harmonica ensemble workshop on the art of 5 harmonicas. Following an introduction of the form of harmonica quintet and a brief description of the specific techniques in playing treble, tenor and bass chromatic harmonicas in the context of a harmonica ensemble, we focused on the demonstration of ensemble effects. We used Gershwin's "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" to demonstrate various points that should be noted in harmonica ensemble playing: the beginning and ending of a section, the change in tempo, volume and tone colour, maintaining balance in various situations, and connection between phrases.

29 students of King's College and Hotung Secondary School have entered 25 entries in 7 of the 13 categories of the competition, namely, orchestra (15 or more persons), group (7-14 persons), ensemble (4-6 persons) (youth), duo (youth and adult), chromatic solo (youth and adult). A total of 8 prizes were awarded: