Lecture Series: Hong Kong Music Stories Series – All to start from the Libraries

The story behind building music archives has no end. It has been a quarter of a century since the Hong Kong Central Library launched the Hong Kong Music Collection Campaign in 2001. This race against time to preserve Hong Kong's musical heritage may seem to be simply for the city's cultural legacy, but more importantly, it has been a journey of heartwarming human connections. Working with musicians of earlier generations and their families has been as much a lesson in life as in music. Along the way have some moments of joy and sorrow, meetings and farewells, and the realities of both separation and loss. Above all, the work has taught us patience, respect and gratitude, as well as the wisdom of letting things take their natural course. We have learned to devote ourselves wholeheartedly to what we do, without clinging onto things that are slipping away. When the time comes to let go, gain and loss alike cease to weigh upon us. Such is the way of life: what comes, what goes; we say goodbye, we say hello, all in good time. Looking back over the past twenty-five years, we can recall how the work of collecting Hong Kong's musical archives has brought its share of challenges and rewards. Yet the encounters and friendships forged with generations of musicians have woven together a wealth of touching stories that form part of Hong Kong's musical heritage. Through this lecture series, we pay tribute to the musicians who go before us, with fondness and respect. 27 Oct 2026 (Tue) Lecture 1: The Serious and the Witty Woo Man-sum Guest Speaker: Wong Chi-wah 3 Nov 2026 (Tue) Lecture 2: The Music Dreams of Chen Ning-chi 10 Nov 2026 (Tue) Lecture 3: The Maestro of Cantonese Music, Loo Kah-chi Guest Speaker: Ip Sai-hung 17 Nov 2026 (Tue) Lecture 4: Tong Leung-tak and the Legacy of Jiangnan Music Guest Speaker: Koo Sing-fai 24 Nov 2026 (Tue) Lecture 5: Chen Dieyi the Poetic Lyricist Guest Speaker: Chan Nicholas Louis 1 Dec 2026 (Tue) Lecture 6: “Love is Like a Dream”, all about Pong Chow-wah