Toshiki Usui
The chairman of the 1st Japan-Hong Kong International Music Competition
 
 
　As the representative of the Japan-Hong Kong International Music Competition, I would like to express our sincere gratitude toward your continuous assistance and understanding to our activities.
 
　We established the "Japan Hong Kong Musicians Alliance", (JHMA) and as our first and the most important activity, we are hosting the "Japan-Hong Kong International Music Competition". Japan Hong Kong Musicians Alliance was established in order to conduct the promotion of classical music in Hong Kong, through Japanese expertise in this field. This shall also encourage close communication with cultural exchange opportunities between Hong Kong and Japan. Hong Kong has been, and will be, a unique and important partner to Japan, while we are good rival to lead the development of Asian region. At the same time, experiences and expertise of Japan in the field of classical music has not been well conveyed and introduced to Hong Kong, because in reality, some peculiar and restrained information of Japan--particularly through subculture trend--tends to dominate the image and understanding of Japanese culture. In this regard, JHMA intends to provide various opportunities for Hong Kong's drastically increasing young music performers in classical music field, to experience the judgement and lessons from world-class jury members, and participates in competitions / concerts in Japan, allowing the understanding of the context of Japanese culture. The competition is essentially for younger generations, while JHMA accepts any participants regardless of age nor nationalities; residents from Hong Kong, China, Japan and other countries can apply and participates in the competition and related events.
 
For establishing and conducting the Japan-Hong Kong International Music Competition, JHMA has been receiving various assistance and kind understanding from the musicians throughout the world. Jury, honorable jury, and executive committee members include Prof. Thomas Kreuzberger, the dean of University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Mr. Joshua Tan, the Resident Conductor, the National Centre of Performing Arts Orchestra, Beijing, and other distinguished musicians from the world.
The partnership with Japanese international music competition allowed us to give invitation to the prize winners of our competition to participate in the final stage of the Osaka International Music Competition, in order for the young musicians in Hong Kong to directly experience the real environment of the classical music field of Japan, and grasp the whole image of Japanese culture. The partnership with professional Japanese orchestra or management agents also enables exceptional performers in the competition to perform in concerts with Japanese orchestra.
Furthermore, JHMA has been in discussion with some international music competitions from Europe and the US; there are various possibilities for JHMA to become the foundation of the future of classical music and cultural exchange stemming out from Japan, Hong Kong and Asia.
JHMA also provides the place for those Japanese young musicians residing in Hong Kong, who feel the lack of opportunity outside of Japan. We believe our relationship and communication in Asian region in terms of political, economic, and cultural fields will be further strengthened within the dialogue of globalization. It will be a great chance to expand the activities of JHMA to the entire Asian regions with increasing number of Japanese resident.
Members of JHMA are looking forward to meeting with many young musicians in Hong Kong, which is once called as the "Pearl of the Orient."
 

Best Regards,
Toshiki Usui