Biography

Born in Hong Kong, Ching-Nam Cheung began studying bassoon at the age of fourteen. After graduating from the Hong Kong Baptist University with a bachelor degree, she studied at Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts with Mr. Joseph Chin, Principal Bassoonist of Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Then she studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” Leipzig with Professor Jörg Michael Thomé, former Principal Bassoonist of Staatstheater Darmstadt and Deutschen Staatsphilharmonie Rhienland-Pfalz, for a master degree. She also had Contrabassoon lessons with Mr. Eckhard Kupke, Solo-Contrabassoonist of Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig. Then she studied in Hochschule für Musik und Theater Rostock with Mr. Stephan von Hoff, Bassoonist of Norddeutschen Philharmonie Rsotock. Now she is studying in Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Trossingen with Professor Fredrik Ekdahl, Principal Bassoonist of Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. She also takes lessons with Mr. Gernot Friedrich, Contrabassoonist of Bayreuther Festspielorchester.

As a soloist, she performed frequently in various places including, Hong Kong, Leipzig, Rostock, Trossingen and Brescia. She participated in a lot of masterclasses and studied with Prof. Malte Refardt, Prof. Ulrich Hermann, Prof. Tobias Pelkner , Prof. Christian Kunert, Prof. Sergio Azzolini, Prof. Carlo Columbo and Prof. Simon van Holen. She is a competitor of the Aeolus International Competition for Wind Instruments 2021, Spisak International Music Competition 2021 and Rossini Competition 2023. She got first prize in Medici International Music Cmopetition 2021 and International Moscow Music Competition 2021, Second Prize in Concours de Jeunes Musiciens de Talent “Nouvelles Étoiles” 2021 and King’s Peak International Music Competition 2021, Third Prize in International Music Competition Opus 2021.

Cheung is also fond of playing chamber music. She has coordinally formed Hong Kong Modern Winds with Carol Chan, Hugo Lau, Phoebe Kam and Wilson Chau in 2015. The woodwind quintet joined the Modern Academy Program and has performed Hindemith’s Kleine Kammermusik, Ligeti’s Six Bagatelles and Stravinsky’s Octet in the summer of 2015. In 2019, a chamber recital was held with the members of Hong Kong Modern Winds together with Max Chan. In 2021, She played a chamber music concert with academy members of the Janáček Philharmonie Ostrava. The academy members play a challenging program which included Gabaye’s Sonatine for Flute and Bassoon, Ibert’s Trois Pieces brèves, Zelimsky’s Humoresque and Hindemith’s Kammermusik nr. 1.

As an orchestral player, she was the Principal Bassoonist of Collegium Musicum Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University Symphony Orchestra and Hong Kong Wind Symphony. In 2015, Cheung has participated in the Share the Stage program by the Jockey Club keys to Music Education program, and has performed Ravel’s La Valse with Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. In October 2018, she was the Principal Bassoon of Hochschule-sinfonieorchesters Leipzig. In 2019, she was the Principal Bassoon of Junges Philharonisches Orchester Niedersachsen. She is a freelance player of several orchestras including Neue Philharmonie Berlin and Collegium Musicum Werdau. In 2020, she has won a position at the Asian Youth Orchestra. In June 2021, She performed as Principal Bassonist with Deutsch Skandinavische Jugend-Philharmonie in Berlin Philharmonie, the program included Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite. From August 2021, She joins the Janáček Philharmonie Ostrava as an academy member. She has played many challenging repertoire with Janacek Philharmonie Ostrava including Berlioz’s Sinfonie Fantastique. With these orchestras, Cheung performed in different places including Leipzig, Hannover, Berlin, Werdau, Rostock, Villingen-Schwenningen, Trossingen, Ostrava, Hradec Králové, New York, Beijing, Tianjin, Zhuhai, Taiwan and Hong Kong.