StoriesJessica Lo
My dream is one day to become an orchestral conductor, one who has many regular performances and has own orchestra. I know this dream is so very far away but everyone has to start somewhere.
Jessica Lo is into her second year as a music major in piano under Dr Vivian Cheng Wai at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, she admits sometimes she sits back and think about how far her musical journey has taken her already.
“I am the first one in my family who has turned to music but my family really encourages me,” she says. “I started learning the piano when I was about five years old. I started because my cousin played in front of me once and I just thought that this instrument was amazing.
“I found a leaflet about Musicus Inspires! and its programs, and I was interested because I could learn about front stage and back stage,” says Lo. “I could learn more about how festivals are run, more than just about playing music. I think performers should know more about what goes on backstage as well. It was a wonderful experience and showed me more about the world of music. I attended a Master Class in 2014 and performed a Mozart sonata. It was exciting and it made me want to try harder.”
When asked about inspiration, Lo immediately turns her focus back to her family members and the support they have always shown her – and then she turns her attention to the possibilities that the future might hold. The future is something she has been thinking about a lot since she started some extra curriculum work learning orchestral conducting with Choi Ho-Man.
“My mum is a cleaner and my father works in construction. They come to see me play when they can,” says Lo. “They are proud of what I am doing and that makes me happy. They have never complained about my practicing, they only complain when I don’t play enough. My dream is one day to become an orchestral conductor, one who has many regular performances and has own orchestra. I know this dream is so very far away but everyone has to start somewhere.”
“I am the first one in my family who has turned to music but my family really encourages me,” she says. “I started learning the piano when I was about five years old. I started because my cousin played in front of me once and I just thought that this instrument was amazing.
“I found a leaflet about Musicus Inspires! and its programs, and I was interested because I could learn about front stage and back stage,” says Lo. “I could learn more about how festivals are run, more than just about playing music. I think performers should know more about what goes on backstage as well. It was a wonderful experience and showed me more about the world of music. I attended a Master Class in 2014 and performed a Mozart sonata. It was exciting and it made me want to try harder.”
When asked about inspiration, Lo immediately turns her focus back to her family members and the support they have always shown her – and then she turns her attention to the possibilities that the future might hold. The future is something she has been thinking about a lot since she started some extra curriculum work learning orchestral conducting with Choi Ho-Man.
“My mum is a cleaner and my father works in construction. They come to see me play when they can,” says Lo. “They are proud of what I am doing and that makes me happy. They have never complained about my practicing, they only complain when I don’t play enough. My dream is one day to become an orchestral conductor, one who has many regular performances and has own orchestra. I know this dream is so very far away but everyone has to start somewhere.”