Concert Series Proposal:

Chamber Music of Franz Schubert

Prepared by
Cong Quartet

October 2022
Introduction
During Schubert’s life time, events held to celebrate the music of this musical genius were often held in Vienna
and around Europe. These events, included the participation of sometimes the composer himself and other
important figures such as Beethoven, are called “Schubertiads”.

Taking the spirit of the Schubertiade, we would like to present 3 distinctive programmes of Schubert’s
chamber music works, featuring the 3 instruments in a string quartet, violin, viola and cello each, together with
three of our close friends, violinist Shannon Lee, violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez (TBC according to the date),
and cellist Sterling Elliott.

Sharing the same devotion and commitment to chamber music with us, our guest performers are all well
received chamber musicians with insightful views and unique understanding of the genre. We believe that
performing the great works of Schubert with them will be a stimulating experience for us and the audience.

Schubertiade I: Cong Quartet X Sterling Elliott

Date & Time: 23rd December 2022, 7:30 PM
Venue: Y theatre, Youth Square
Presented by: New World Facilities Management Company Limited
Produced by: Andante Musica
Programme:
Schubert: Quartettsatz in C minor, D. 703
Schubert: String Quartet No.4 in C major, D.46
Schubert: String Quintet in C major, D.956
Guest cellist: Sterling Elliott
Proposed Concert
Concert II
Proposed Date: Mid April to early May 2023
Proposed Programme:
Schubert: Rondo in A major for violin and string quartet,
D. 438
Schubert: Fantasie in C major, D. 934
Guest violinist: Shannon Lee
Guest pianist: TBC
Schubert: Adagio e Rondo Concertate, D.487

Concert III
Proposed Date: September 2023
Proposed Programme:
Schubert: Overture in C minor for String Quintet, D.8 (TBC)
Schubert: Sonata for Arpeggione and Piano in A minor, D.821
(TBC)
Guest violist: Juan-Miguel Hernandez (TBC)
Guest Pianist: TBC
Schubert: String Quartet No.14 in D minor, D.810 “Death and the
maiden”
About the performers
Cong Quartet
Francis Yiu-ting Chik, Violin
Ayaka Ishiwatari, Violin
Caleb Wong, Viola
Yan-ho Cheng, Cello

A string quartet in demand around Asia, Europe, and the

United States, Cong Quartet is the top prize and Adolf
Betti Award winner of the Virtuoso & Belcanto’s Chamber
Music Competition in Italy in 2022. They were also the first
prize and Grand Prize winner at the 2019 Salzburg Mozart
International Chamber Competition in Tokyo and the 2nd
prize in the 2021 Kreutzer International Competition in
Belgium and was a finalist of several international chamber music competitions. The quartet was priorly the Artist in
Residence for the Master of Arts Programme and Ensemble-in-Residence of the Chinese University of Hong Kong
(CUHK) from 2019. The quartet is now under the network of Le Dimore del Quartetto from Italy.

Supported by the Emerging Artists Scheme of the Hong Kong Art Development Council (ADC) and the Stichting
Utopia (The Utopia Foundation), Cong Quartet is currently a quartet at the Nederlandse Strijkkwartet Academie
(NSKA) in Amsterdam, as well as being on the young artist roster of the Musethica in Europe. The quartet has
participated in the Juilliard String Quartet Seminar and the Robert Mann String Quartet Institute in New York, the
Ashkenasi/Kirshbaum Chamber Music Seminar at The Heifetz International Music Institute, the Intensive String
Quartet seminar at Music Academy Hörpu in Iceland, the Ozawa International Chamber Music Academy in Japan,
as well as the Chamber Music Residency in Great Mountain Music Festival in South Korea, sponsored by the
Artsylvia Foundation. They have also coached young & adult chamber music at CUHK, the Madeline Island
Chamber Music, HIMA USA and the Indiana University Summer String Academy. In 2022 summer, Cong Quartet
was performing in Cagliari & Lucca in Italy, Bourg-en-Bresse & Flaine in France, and Lakeside Chautauqua in Ohio,
United States.

Their important mentors include Marc Danel, Artistic Director of the NSKA, Pacifica Quartet at Indiana University,
Shmuel Ashkenasi & Nicholas Kitchen at the Heifetz Institute, Ivan Chan at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing
Arts, the Borromeo Quartet, and have received coaching with Borodin, Cavani, Dover, Guarneri, Juilliard, Shanghai,
Tokyo, Ying & Ysaye Quartets. Members of the Cong Quartet have collaborated and performed with world-
renowned artists such as the Ying Quartet, Yuri Bashmet, Joshua Bell, Jorja Fleezanis, Adrien La Marca, Antonio
Lysy, Mai Motobuchi, Enrico Pace, Rachell Wong and members of Quatuor Danel among others.

Cong Quartet believes that the humanistic experience of chamber music is a treasure to the community. They share
the philosophy of promoting chamber repertoire from their generation and in Hong Kong, as well as integrating
chamber music into the daily lives of audiences. The name of the quartet, “CONG” is a combination of the quartet
founding members’ last names that allude to Hong “Kong”, where the members grew up and played together since
their teenage years before the Quartet was officially formed at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in the
US.

Highlights of their recent seasons included concert series in New York, Tokyo, Netherlands, France and Germany,
performed as guest artists in recitals at various universities across the United States and a residency at the
Composers Forum of the University of North Texas. They have also performed and were guest judges of the New
Generation 2019 call-for-score competition of Hong Kong Composers' Guild, as well as regular collaborations with
local venues, universities & organizations in Hong Kong such as Hong Kong Arts Festival, Tai Kwun, West Kowloon
Cultural District, Jockey Club, World Culture Festival, City University, Asia Society and St. John‘s Cathedral.

Sterling Elliott

Acclaimed for his stellar stage presence and joyous musicianship,

cellist Sterling Elliott is a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and
the winner of the Senior Division of the 2019 National Sphinx
Competition. Already in his young career, he has appeared with such
major orchestras as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York
Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los
Angeles Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony, and the Dallas
Symphony, with noted conductors Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Thomas
Wilkins, Jeffrey Kahane, Bramwell Tovey, Mei Ann Chen and others.
This summer, he made his Aspen Festival debut, performing the
Brahms Double Concerto with Gil Shaham, and he made his German
debut in Munich in May 2022, performing chamber music with Daniel
Hope.
The 2022-2023 season will see his debuts with the Colorado
Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, and Ft.
Worth Symphony, among others, with return appearances including
the Buffalo Philharmonic. He will appear in recital under the auspices of
the San Francisco Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, Shriver Hall
in Baltimore, the Tippett Rise Festival and Capitol Region Classical in Albany, NY. In October he participates in
the Caramoor Music Festival’s prestigious Evnin Rising Stars series, a weeklong program of coaching and
chamber music culminating in a performance in Katonah, NY. Fast becoming a favorite on the summer festival
circuit, Sterling has appeared at Music@Menlo, Chamberfest in Cleveland and Chamberfest Northwest in
Calgary, Music at Angel Fire and the La Jolla Music Society.

As the youngest of three siblings, Sterling did not want to play the cello but the violin like his older brother and
sister. After a bit of encouragement, he completed The Elliott Family String Quartet by learning to play the cello
at the age of three under the direction of Suzuki Cello teacher Susan Hines. He went on to make his concerto
debut at the age of 7 by winning the Junior Division of the PYO Concerto Competition, and later the 2014
Richmond Symphony Concerto Competition and the Bay Youth Orchestra of Virginia Concerto Competition.

Sterling has a long history with the Sphinx Organization where he first received 2nd place in the 2013 National
Sphinx Competition Junior Division, then won the 2014 Junior Division. In 2016 he received the Organization’s
Isaac Stern Award and toured with the Sphinx Virtuosi in 2018 before winning in 2019.
Sterling is a two-time alum of NPR’s From the Top where he was a recipient of a scholarship from The Jack
Kent Cooke Foundation and performed several concerts in Switzerland at the 2019 World Economic Forum.
He is a Young Strings of America ambassador for SHAR Strings.

In 2019, he was the first recipient of The National Arts Club’s Herman and Mary Neuman Music Scholarship
Award. In Spring 2022, Sterling participated in Performance Today’s Young Artist Residency, which featured
educational events, interviews and a feature on the nationally syndicated radio program. Sterling Elliott was a
Kovner Fellow and a graduate of the Juilliard School where he finished his Master of Music and Bachelor of
Music degree studying with Joel Krosnick and Clara Kim.

He currently performs on a 1741 Gennaro Gagliano cello on loan through the Robert F. Smith Fine String
Patron Program, in partnership with the Sphinx Organization.

Shannon Lee

Violinist Shannon Lee has been praised for her “remarkable fire,
impeccable intonation, and big, vibrant tone” (Gramophone). She is
a recent prizewinner in several international competitions, including
top prize and audience award at the Sendai Competition in Japan,
4th prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium, 2nd place
at the Naumburg Competition in New York City, and Laureate at
the Indianapolis Competition, where she was also recognized for
Best Performance of an Ysaÿe Sonata. Her festival appearances as
a soloist and chamber musician include Heifetz International Music
Institute as Artist-in-Residence, Krzyżowa-Music, Music@Menlo,
and Music From Angel Fire. In 2016-17 she was a founding
member of Bicycle String Trio, performing at the Norfolk Chamber
Music Festival and Avaloch Farm Music Institute. Shannon also
received generous support from the Sylva Gelber Foundation in
Canada through their Award for career development.

Born in Canada, Shannon began studying violin at age four in

Plano, Texas. She made her solo debut at the age of twelve with
the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and two years later performed in
Europe with Maestro Christof Perick and the Nuremberg
Philharmonic. Other notable appearances include with the Tokyo
Symphony, Antwerp Symphony, Belgian National Orchestra, and New York String Orchestra in Carnegie Hall.
Her debut recording, Introducing Shannon Lee, features 19th and 20th century violin-piano works, which
Gramophone Magazine praised for Shannon’s “technical command and fearless virtuosity.”

Shannon studies with Jaime Laredo and Jan Mark Sloman at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she has
been the recipient of the inaugural Mary Hamlin Memorial Presidential Scholarship as well as the Starling
Foundation Scholarship. She received a diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia as a student
of Ida Kavafian and Arnold Steinhardt. In Philadelphia, she also served as a Curtis ArtistYear Fellow under the
mentorship of Mary Javian, developing the music program at Cramp Elementary Pre-K and working with All
City Orchestra chamber music programs for high school students. Previously she completed her Bachelor’s
degree in computer science from Columbia University while taking violin lessons with David Nadien. In Texas,
Shannon studied with Jan Sloman, and has played privately or in master classes for Guillaume Pirard, Boris
Kushnir, and Rainer Schmidt.

Juan-Miguel Hernandez (TBC)

An artist defined by the critics as "…tender, lyrical,

loaded with personality" (Atlanta Journal Constitution),
violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez is also recognised for
drawing "...the sweetest, most sonorous
tone..." (Washington Post). In September 2009, Juan-
Miguel won the first Prize at the 16th International
Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria, adding to
other top prizes won at the National Canadian Music
Competition, and the 9th National Sphinx Competition in
2006. As a featured guest soloist, Juan-Miguel has
appeared with the Atlanta, Seattle, Colorado
Symphonies, the Rochester Philharmonic and the
Chicago Sinfonietta. In 2010, he was recognised with
the medal of honour from the National Assembly of
Quebec for his significant International
accomplishments. 

A dedicated chamber musician, Juan-Miguel was a

member of the legendary Fine Arts Quartet (2013-2018)
and original member of the Harlem Quartet (2006-2012),
as well as a founder of the "Boreal Trio” (2012-2018) and
current member of "Trio Virado" (Flute, Viola, Guitar),
both specialised in the creation of new repertoire. His musicianship has led to a wide array of collaborations
with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Lynn Harrell, Kim Kashkashian and Gerard Caussé as well as Chick Corea,
Gary Burton and Stanley Clark.

Born in Montreal (Canada) in 1985, Juan-Miguel began studying the violin at age seven, then switched to viola
at age twelve and graduated from the Colburn Conservatory and New England Conservatory. Education being
a prominent part of his career, Juan-Miguel joined the faculty of the Royal Academy of Music in London as
Professor of Viola from 2016 to 2020, where he now remains as visiting Professor since his move back to his
native Montreal. In September 2021, he joined the faculty of music at Université de Montréal as invited
Professor of viola.

He plays on a beautiful 2008 Miralles viola from Altadena CA.