MUSIC:ED across Asia-Pacific – news, features, interviews, events, courses, opportunities, jobs and organisations from Hong Kong and Singapore to Australia, Japan and beyond.
At the opening sessions of the 2026 Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centres' conference in Hong Kong, performing arts leaders discussed funding new productions, attracting audiences and helping artists earn a living.
Hong Kong’s young singers will perform against the backdrop of Victoria Harbour on Thursday 8 October, as a free outdoor choral evening brings the city’s choirs into the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo (HKPAX) programme.
Paul Tam is the Executive Director of Performing Arts at the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA). In this role, he helps shape the WestK Performing Arts vision for WestK, a cultural district taking shape across 40 hectares of reclaimed land beside Victoria Harbour. He discusses WestK’s place in Hong Kong’s cultural ambitions, what artists need from its venues, and the audiences it hopes to reach.
Funding, technology and the changing role of performing arts centres will be among the themes when the Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centres (AAPPAC) holds its 2026 Annual Conference at Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District from 6 to 9 October.
Ten prospective students auditioned locally for places at the Royal Northern College of Music during a week-long programme in Seoul that also included a new international piano competition attracting more than 50 performers.
A fly tower may be ugly, automated systems eventually break and a missing loading bay can compromise a venue for decades. Frank Yeung and Kenny Wong draw on projects in Hong Kong and Singapore to explain how performing arts venues are planned in practice.
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' Conducting Fellows scheme offers emerging conductors the rare opportunity to work as part of the nation’s premier choral organisation, gaining deep practical experience, expert mentorship, and meaningful performance opportunities.
The Foundation offers grants to non-profit arts organisations actively engaged in the cultural sector, supporting artistic projects. Projects must: be hosted by established organisations with a track record of delivering artistic projects; promote the sharing of traditional or contemporary Asian culture; and include established or mid-career level artists from Asia or the diasporas.
Organised by the HK Phil and sponsored by The Tung Foundation, the Young Audience Scheme (YAS) is a music education and audience development programme targeting local full-time students aged from 6 to 25.
Scholarships awarded annually to emerging and established music practitioners to further their studies overseas for up to 12 months.
A community engagement programme that enables young people to express themselves in safe space, through the process of songwriting and learning how to make music.
The Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centres (AAPPAC) is a network of more than 80 members from over 20 countries, comprising prominent performing arts centres in the Asia-Pacific region as its full members, and internationally reputable arts venues and organisations as well as related businesses and arts industry associations as its Peak-Associate and Associate Members.
WestK is one of the world’s largest cultural districts, bringing together performing and visual arts, education and public space across 40 hectares overlooking Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour.
Founded in Hong Kong by internationally renowned choral expert Professor Leon Tong, the World Youth and Children Choral Artists’ Association (WYCCAA) connects young singers, conductors and choral leaders through major international festivals, competitions, workshops and cultural exchange programmes.
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts is a leading higher education institution for the performing arts, offering professional training across Chinese Opera, Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts.
Universal Studios Beijing brings some of the world’s best-known film, animation and entertainment worlds to China’s capital, combining large-scale attractions, live entertainment, themed environments, dining and retail within Universal Beijing Resort.
The Academy of Music is the music faculty of Hong Kong Baptist University. At the heart of the department's Creative Practice is a dedication to education through dynamic exchanges and innovative programmes led by an exceptional faculty.
Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd organises major trade fairs across Asia, including Music China, Asia’s largest musical instruments trade fair.
Muziksea is Southeast Asia’s first fully digital choral music publisher, dedicated to amplifying the voices of composers and arrangers from across the region. Based in Singapore, we connect Southeast Asian choral artistry with the global stage.
The University of Hong Kong’s Department of Music combines research, performance and composition. Its teaching spans Western and Chinese music, connecting students with international scholars, leading artists and Hong Kong’s musical life.
Universal Studios Japan is one of Asia’s leading theme parks, located in Osaka. Part of the global Universal Destinations & Experiences family, the park brings together blockbuster film, television, animation and gaming worlds through immersive rides, live entertainment, seasonal events and themed attractions.
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is one of Singapore’s leading performing arts centres, presenting music, theatre, dance, festivals and community programmes for audiences of all ages.
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is deeply rooted in Hong Kong's cultural identity which unites musicians from all over the world and acts as a leading orchestral powerhouse in Asia Pacific.
Bandung Choral Society is a choral organisation that develops singers and conductors of all ages by organising concerts, workshops, competitions, and collaborative projects that connect schools, churches, and choral communities in Indonesia and beyond.
Established in 1995, Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) is a statutory body set up by the Government to support the broad development of the arts in Hong Kong. Its major roles include grant allocation, policy and planning, advocacy, promotion and development, and special projects.
The Hong Kong Palace Museum aspires to become one of the world’s leading cultural institutions committed to the study and appreciation of Chinese art and culture, while advancing dialogue among world civilisations through international partnerships.
The Hong Kong inter-school choral festival promotes equal access to choral education, international exchange and collaboration, supporting student choirs and the professional development of music educators.
Singapore International Choral Festival has been a staple of the local and regional choral calendar since 2014.
Driven by curiosity, Adelaide University delivers world-class education, research and innovations to transform our world – and yours. It’s a place where people and communities unite to create a better tomorrow. Where bold ideas are nurtured and developed. Where ambition drives progress, and where everyone is welcome.
Since 1983, ANZCA Music Examinations has been renowned for its innovative, flexible and exciting music examination system. Throughout Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia, ANZCA offers creative exam syllabuses to appeal to all contemporary musicians.
Established in Hong Kong in 1972, Swire Properties is a leading developer, owner and operator of mixed-use, principally commercial properties in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, with a well-established record of creating long-term value by transforming urban areas. Our business comprises three main areas: property investment, property trading and hotel investment.
Singapore’s national conservatory, situated within the National University of Singapore. Centred in one of the world's most dynamic countries, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music is uniquely placed to offer a distinct and powerful contemporary Asian voice.
AMEB is a major Australian examinations provider offering graded assessments in music, alongside speech and drama. It remains one of the most established music exam systems in Australia, with a mix of practical and theory assessment routes.
CAEG is China’s central state-owned cultural enterprise, managing global performing arts, exhibitions, and theater operations with branches across China, Europe, and the Americas.
Under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) (formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK)) is a dedicated office, aiming to spearhead the development of cultural and creative industries in Hong Kong.
HKEAA is Hong Kong’s public examinations and assessment authority and oversees HKDSE Music within the senior secondary system.
The RNCM is acknowledged worldwide for its exciting and innovative approach to teaching and research. Rated Gold in all areas of the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework and ranked No 5 for music in the 2025 QS World University Subject Rankings, recognition for the conservatoire includes multiple Times Higher Education and Greater China Awards, and a Global Teaching Excellence Award.
culture360.asef.org, active since 2008, is the Asia-Europe Foundation's arts and culture digital platform. It serves as a hub for relevant and up-to-date information on arts, heritage and the creative industries and collaborations amongst member countries of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).
Established in 1938, the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) is Singapore’s pioneer and largest arts institution. The academy is known for its rigorous and high-quality curriculum, innovative and practitioners-led teaching approach, diverse artistic creations and community outreach. NAFA has nurtured the most number of alumni conferred the nation’s highest accolades, with 16 Cultural Medallion and 15 Young Artist Award recipients. NAFA graduates are creative changemakers, highly skilled, and well-rounded in interdisciplinary approaches who impact diverse arts and creative fields in Singapore and abroad.
Since its founding in 1979, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has been Singapore’s flagship orchestra, touching lives through classical music and providing the heartbeat of the cultural scene with its 44-week calendar of events.
Founded in 2003 Opera Hong Kong (OHK) is Hong Kong’s first professional opera company. Over the years, the company has gone from strength to strength under the Artistic Director Warren Mok, the internationally acclaimed Hong Kong tenor. OHK has elevated opera in the Asia’s world city, with many world-class productions covering all major works in the operatic canon and has collaborated with opera houses and festivals including Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Taormina Opera Festival, Theater Erfurt, Opéra de Nice, National Centre for the Performing Arts and Shanghai Opera House.