XN000022-1978-05-12 — Page 6

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FRIDAY, MAY 12, 1978

TWO HK MUSICIANS ENTER FINALS IN MUSIC FESTIVAL IN LONDON *****

TWO YOUNG HONG KONG MUSICIANS ARE AMONG SEVEN FINALISTS IN THE PRESTIGEOUS ROYAL OVERSEAS LEAGUE MUSIC FESTIVAL TO BE HELD AT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL IN THE SOUTH BANK COMPLEX IN LONDON ON JUNE 6.

THEY ARE THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD MARY WU, A PIANIST WHO COMES FROM A FAMILY OF TALENTED MUSICIANS, AND EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD LUNG HEUNG-WING, A XYLOPHONIST, WHO IS ON A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP.

THEY WERE SELECTED BY A PANEL OF JUDGES COMPRISING FAMOUS EXPERTS IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC, FOLLOWING THEIR PERFORMANCE AT THE SEMI-FINALS HELD AT THE ROYAL OVERSEAS LEAGUE LAST WEDNESDAY (MAY 10).

ANOTHER YOUNG HONG KONG MUSICIAN, SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD TO YAN, A VIOLINIST WAS ALSO IN THE SEMI-FINALS.

SHE, ALONG WITH MARY WU AND LUNG HEUNG-WING SHARED THE DAVID STONE PRIZE.

THERE WERE 29 MUSICIANS IN THE SEMI-FINALS INCLUDING THREE FROM HONG KONG.

AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS INTERNATIONALLY FAMOUS FESTIVAL WHICH IS OPEN TO MUSICIANS FROM BRITAIN AND THE COMMONWEALTH, THERE WERE 493 PARTICIPANTS.

COMMENTING ON THE SUCCESS OF THE TWO HONG KONG MUSICIANS WHO ARE IN THE FINALS, MR. GORDON SIU, THE MUSIC ADMINISTRATOR SAID. + THE NUMBER OF COMPETITORS IN THE FINAL ROUND IS SEVEN AND TWO ARE FROM HONG KONG. THIS IS A HIGH PROPORTION COMPARED WITH OTHER COUNTRIES+.

LUNG HEUNG-WING AND TO YAN ARE ON A SPECIAL COURSE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM ARRANGED EY THE MUSIC ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE.

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