Trey Lee explains to James Bash how the idea for founding Musicus Society came to him and Chui-Inn Lee:
“I found myself often explaining Hong Kong’s classical music scene, because no one knew of this aspect of Hong Kong. So I thought that music would be a great way to communicate and foster more cross-cultural collaboration and understanding.”
“I always saw many young people studying music (...) But I didn’t see these young people continuing to make music as a profession. (...) I thought that there needed to be a platform to show that you can pursue music – to show the parents also. It is all about music and us – as a community together; hence, Musicus.”
Trey also introduces the concepts behind organizing Musicus’s heritage concerts, School Visits and Ensemble Training, now more in demand than ever:
“Hong Kong’s history is totally unique in the world because of the East-West fusion. Placing concerts in historical sites has become our most popular program. Audiences want to access sites that had been off-limits. Because of the concerts, they get to go to these places, and through music, we tell the story or complement the site. It is kind of a rediscovery for everyone.”
“We go to under-resourced schools, where families don’t have the money to study music. We bring in artists to perform. That has given many students the opportunity to hear classical music live for the first time.”
“We also have ensemble training where students sit side by side and perform together with professionals from overseas. This has never been done before (…). I had that experience in the US (…) So, I know that this kind of experience would inspire the young musicians and parents too.”
