Kathy FOK 
Music Director & Principal Conductor

Born in Hong Kong, Fok developed a passion for music at a very young age. She obtained her BM degree in Composition and MM degree in Choral Conducting from Moores School of Music, University of Houston, USA in 1990 and 1992. Fok received piano training from Prof Ma Tsang Tse and Nancy Weems as well as vocal training from Anna Ching and Dr Byron McGilvray. She also studied choral conducting with Dr Charles Hausmann, orchestral conducting with Nicholas Wyss, and composition with Dr David A White. As a student conductor, Fok conducted three university choruses. She also conducted the choir of the Houston Cultural Centre, the Kipling Choir, Ritz Singers as well as a number of school and church choirs in Texas, USA and Ontario, Canada. Under her baton, the choirs had given numbers of performances, and the choir of the Houston Cultural Centre was the first Chinese group being invited to perform in the “Houston-Alief Arts Festival” in 1993.

Fok joined The Hong Kong Children's Choir in 1995 and conducted one of the senior choirs. She was appointed Music Director in October 1997. In May 1997, she was selected as one of the four conductors to perform with the Toronto Children's Chorus at “The Fourth International Symposium for Conductors of Treble Voice Choirs” in Canada. On 30 June 1997, she led our choristers to sing at the Farewell Ceremony of the British Hong Kong Government, which was broadcasted worldwide. Under her leadership, HKCC is currently the biggest choir in the world with over 5000 members. With the continuous strive in widening its repertoire as well as performance genre, HKCC was named as one of the “China’s Top Ten Children Chorus” and “IFCM Ambassadors 2013 to 2015”.

Fok enjoys an international reputation for her dedication to children’s choral music. She has conducted workshops and masterclasses in Mainland China, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Moreover, Fok is frequently invited as the adjudicator of choral competitions and has performed as guest conductor with significant organizations including Vancouver Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Hong Kong Youth Choir, Good Hope School Choir, St. Paul’s Co-educational College Choir, Panyu Xinhai Children’s Choir and Shanghai Youth Choir. Fok has also given the Hong Kong première of distinguished works including Mass of the Children by John Rutter and African Sanctus by David Fanshawe. Fok also plays an important role in promoting local choral compositions, featuring Hong Kong works in overseas concerts every year. On the other hand, Fok is actively involved in charitable events. She was one of the Hong Kong “Ten Outstanding Young Persons” awardees in 2001. In 2007, Fok was recognized as “Persons with Outstanding Contributions to the Development of Arts and Culture” under the Secretary for Home Affairs Commendation Scheme. She was also named among the “Top 100 Musicians of the Year” by the International Biographical Centre. Fok was appointed as the 2016-2024 Honorary Artist-in-Residence at The Education University of Hong Kong. She is also appointed as the representative of Hong Kong in the Asia Pacific Choral Council, Expert Adviser of the Music Office under LCSD and a Board member of “The World Alliance of Children’s Choir (WACC)”.

“It is such a pleasure to hear and see The Hong Kong Children's Choir again under the expert and highly distinguished conductor, Kathy FOK. ”

Jean Ashworth BARTLE (Founder / Music Director of the International Symposium for Conductors of Treble Voice Choirs, Founder / Music Director, Toronto Children's Choir)

“Kathy, I have no hesitation whatsoever in saying this, I feel IS unique. Her very special rapport with her young charges – there is very special blend of the firm hand and the light touch mixed with subtlety, sound musicianship and skill, together with a genuine concern for each and every member of her team and her deep commitment to the musical cause, is what makes the difference between a good choral director and a great one.”

Neil PAGE (Examiner of the Royal School of Music)