My Story
Official Bio
A native of Hong Kong and based in Boston, Leona Cheung is a collaborative pianist whose international performances across the United States, Canada, Europe, China, and Hong Kong have been praised as “artistically mature, well thought-out presentations” (Definitely the Opera).
An expert in vocal repertoire ranging from art song to opera, she is celebrated for her musical responsiveness and leadership at the keyboard. She has collaborated with more than 100 conductors—including GRAMMY® Award winners—across concert stages, recording sessions, and conducting masterclasses. Her choral pianist career launched through Hong Kong SingFest in major choral-orchestral projects under maestro Helmuth Rilling. As a founding member and pianist of Cantoría Hong Kong, she toured the UK, Taiwan, and China, and is featured on Edition Peters' Chinese choral recording Half Moon Rising.
Her collaborations span prominent organizations including Handel and Haydn Society, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Seraphic Fire, Boston Children’s Chorus, Emmanuel Music, MIT Women's Chorale, Boston Cecilia, and Heritage Chorale. She serves as staff pianist at both New England Conservatory and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Since 2023, she has also been the pianist for the Massachusetts All-State Choir at Boston Symphony Hall.
A dedicated advocate for art song, Leona curates innovative recital experiences. In 2024, she received the Graham Johnson Art Song Prize, presenting Archetypes & Stereotypes, narrated by Johnson himself. Her competition honors include an Honorable Mention in the American Prize in Chamber Music Performance (2024) alongside soprano Cara Bender, and semi-finalist recognition in the Federation of Art Song Fellowship Award (2023).
Committed to living composers, she premiered new works at Sparks & Wiry Cries SongSLAM in New York City in both 2024 and 2025. Recent highlights include a duo recital with soprano Viola Cheung for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's “Hong Kong Artists” Series at Hong Kong City Hall.
In 2026, she curated When Poetry Sings — Voices from the Far East at Pao Arts Center, supported by the Boston Opportunity Fund and selected by The Boston Globe as one of three highlighted classical events of the week, earning official recognition from the City of Boston Mayor’s Office.
Her festival appearances include the Oxford International Song Festival, Leeds Lieder Festival, Toronto Summer Music, the Franz Schubert Institut, and SongFest. Through masterclasses, she has worked closely with artists including Thomas Hampson, Roger Vignoles, Julius Drake, Helmuth Deutsch, Wolfram Rieger, Christoph Prégardien, and Véronique Gens. In 2024, she led masterclasses on German Lieder and French mélodie for the NATS Hong Kong Chapter at The Education University of Hong Kong.
Dedicated to music as community engagement, she served as a fellow with the NEC Community Performances and Partnerships program and received an Opportunity Fund Award from the City of Boston in 2020.
Leona holds a Master of Music and a Graduate Diploma in Collaborative Piano from New England Conservatory, and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Hong Kong Baptist University.
An expert in vocal repertoire ranging from art song to opera, she is celebrated for her musical responsiveness and leadership at the keyboard. She has collaborated with more than 100 conductors—including GRAMMY® Award winners—across concert stages, recording sessions, and conducting masterclasses. Her choral pianist career launched through Hong Kong SingFest in major choral-orchestral projects under maestro Helmuth Rilling. As a founding member and pianist of Cantoría Hong Kong, she toured the UK, Taiwan, and China, and is featured on Edition Peters' Chinese choral recording Half Moon Rising.
Her collaborations span prominent organizations including Handel and Haydn Society, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Seraphic Fire, Boston Children’s Chorus, Emmanuel Music, MIT Women's Chorale, Boston Cecilia, and Heritage Chorale. She serves as staff pianist at both New England Conservatory and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Since 2023, she has also been the pianist for the Massachusetts All-State Choir at Boston Symphony Hall.
A dedicated advocate for art song, Leona curates innovative recital experiences. In 2024, she received the Graham Johnson Art Song Prize, presenting Archetypes & Stereotypes, narrated by Johnson himself. Her competition honors include an Honorable Mention in the American Prize in Chamber Music Performance (2024) alongside soprano Cara Bender, and semi-finalist recognition in the Federation of Art Song Fellowship Award (2023).
Committed to living composers, she premiered new works at Sparks & Wiry Cries SongSLAM in New York City in both 2024 and 2025. Recent highlights include a duo recital with soprano Viola Cheung for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's “Hong Kong Artists” Series at Hong Kong City Hall.
In 2026, she curated When Poetry Sings — Voices from the Far East at Pao Arts Center, supported by the Boston Opportunity Fund and selected by The Boston Globe as one of three highlighted classical events of the week, earning official recognition from the City of Boston Mayor’s Office.
Her festival appearances include the Oxford International Song Festival, Leeds Lieder Festival, Toronto Summer Music, the Franz Schubert Institut, and SongFest. Through masterclasses, she has worked closely with artists including Thomas Hampson, Roger Vignoles, Julius Drake, Helmuth Deutsch, Wolfram Rieger, Christoph Prégardien, and Véronique Gens. In 2024, she led masterclasses on German Lieder and French mélodie for the NATS Hong Kong Chapter at The Education University of Hong Kong.
Dedicated to music as community engagement, she served as a fellow with the NEC Community Performances and Partnerships program and received an Opportunity Fund Award from the City of Boston in 2020.
Leona holds a Master of Music and a Graduate Diploma in Collaborative Piano from New England Conservatory, and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Hong Kong Baptist University.
中文介紹 (Bio in Chinese)
Updated September 2026
