RTHK Chamber Ensemble at HKUST

Le Hoai-nam was born in Hanoi and began studying violin with his father at the age of five. He was accepted by the Hanoi National Conservatory of Music when he was seven and furthered his studies with Professor Michael Ma at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Le has performed extensively in Europe, the United States and Asia and made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2011 with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra. He was the first Vietnamese to be appointed by Maestro Sergiu Comissiona to lead the Asian Youth Orchestra during its tour to the United States, Canada, Japan and Hong Kong in 1999.

Currently Le Hoai-nam is the Second Violin Principal of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and teaches at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He is also a founding member of the RTHK Quartet.

Laurent Perrin – Cello

French / Luxembourg cellist Laurent Perrin studied with Georges Mallach in Luxembourg, Lluis Claret in Barcelona, Raphael Wallfisch in London – where he won the Dorothy Adams String Quartet Competition – and at the Banff Centre for Arts in Canada. He has worked closely with Daniil Shaffran, pianist György Sebők as well as the Takacs, Borodin and Amadeus Quartets.

Laurent Perrin is Assistant Principal Cello with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and teaches at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, The Chinese University of HK and Hong Kong Baptist University. He was a founder of the RTHK Quartet. He has performed in China, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Macau, Canada and around the USA and Europe. He has recorded several programmes for RTHK Radio 4.

John Schertle – Clarinet

Performing with the Hong Kong Philharmonic for over two decades, Co-principal Clarinettist John Schertle appears regularly as Guest Principal Clarinet with orchestras in the region. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School, the National Arts Club Competition prize winner gives masterclasses in Asia and serves on the faculties of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Baptist University.

Equally adept on auxiliary instruments, Schertle performs as E-flat clarinetist with orchestras such as the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in the United States and the London Philharmonic Orchestra in addition to being Solo E-flat Clarinet in the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He has performed as concerto soloist on bass clarinet and basset horn with groups in North America and Asia. A fan of the outdoors in his native California and Hong Kong, he enjoys extensive hiking and photography when not spending time with his family.

Colleen Lee – Piano

Hong Kong pianist Colleen Lee achieved international recognition after winning 6th Prize at the 15th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. She has performed extensively around the world in solo recitals, and with Orchestras such as the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the China Philharmonic Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. She was the Artist Associate of Hong Kong Sinfonietta 2010 – 2011. Colleen has appeared in major festivals including the 2018 Shanghai New Music Week.

As an enthusiastic chamber musician, she frequently appears in chamber music festivals such as the Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival, the Musicusfest and collaborates with renowned soloists and chamber groups including the Shanghai Quartet. Colleen Lee studied under Professor Eleanor Wong at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and with Arie Vardi at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien in Hannover. She is currently the Honorary Artist-in-Residence of the Education University of Hong Kong and a member of the piano faculty at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and at the Hong Kong Baptist University.