My Story Official Bio
Hello, my name is Leona! My musical journey began when I was five years old, when my mum brought an upright piano and I started taking piano lessons since then. When I was seven, I joined a children’s choir in Hong Kong, which was recalled as my most enjoyable weekend activity in my childhood. The choir has given me profound musicianship training and appreciation of different cultures in music, in which I am so grateful for.
Collaborating with fellows is always a joy. Because of my skills on playing piano, I started accompanying choir when I was in middle school. I love spending time in choir because I found it is more fun than practicing piano on my own. And I am not sure if I want to pursue my career of being a solo pianist only! After I finished my undergraduate degree in piano performance in Hong Kong, I was very lucky to have my first professional choir accompanying work in the following summer. The experience to work with maestro Helmuth Rilling and fellow musicians in multiple choral-orchestral projects were very rewarding. Simultaneously, which hugely enhances my passion in playing vocal-piano repertoire and art song in particular.
I decided to go back to school and enrolled in a collaborative piano program in the United States, which provided me wonderful training as a collaborative pianist and vocal coach. During my studies, I was very fortunate to be selected in many international music festivals and met many acclaimed artists worldwide. Most importantly, traveling, meeting friends and discovering food in different countries are my favorable parts while I am on tour.
Connecting through music is my vision of being an artist. Graduating in the year of 2020 is the most unexpected event in my musical journey. This year, I started a series of community outreach events and virtual concerts with my musician friends. It is very meaningful to bring music especially for those who are isolated and away from family during this time, and connecting people all over the world with the help of technology.
Cultivating the next generation is such valuable work to sustain the art. I adore my work of being a teacher and vocal coach, and I am also a presenter of educational music events to the local schools. I found it is so fascinating to share and exchange ideas with different people. Also it is encouraging to stimulate the younger generation to explore more about the greatest in classical music.
Thank you for reading my story! Hope you enjoy my website! :)
Articles and News
VoyageRaleigh: Daily Inspiration: Meet Leona Cheung and Cara Bender (November 20, 2023)
The Buddy Post: Sharing by Alumna Leona Cheung: Thriving on Her Path as a Collaborative Pianist (November 1, 2023)
Interlude HK: The Unsung Hero of Music Making --- Collaborative Pianist: An Interview With Leona Cheung (August 10, 2022)
City of Boston Announcement: Meet some of this year's opportunity fund grantees (January 20, 2021)