Thomas Bloch (glass harmonica) comes from France and is one of the major pioneers in the revival of glass harmonica playing today. He appears on over 100 recordings, among them a recording of Mozart's Adagio and rondo for the long version (director's cut) of Milo Forman's film Amadeus. His performances range from classical and contemporary music to songs, rock, theatre music, opera, improvisation, film music, world music and ballet music. He is also a composer and a producer and has been featured on over 200 TV and radio programmes.
Thomas Bloch received first prize for his studies in Ondes Martenot at the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique and a masters degree in musicology at the University of Strasbourg . He currently teaches at the Strasbourg Conservatoire. In addition, he serves as music director for the Evian Music Festival in France and is responsible for presentations of his instruments at Paris Musée de la Musique. He has performed the original version of the mad scene with glass harmonica in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at the opera house La Scala Milan. He has also played in all the major concert halls in Paris, at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Tonhalle in Zurich and at numerous festivals around the world. His awards and distinctions include the Classical Music Award 2002 at Midem (Cannes), Editor's Choice in Gramophone Magazine, Best of the Year 2001 in Audiophile, the Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros, and Choc du Monde de la Musique for his work on a Naxos recording of Messiaen's Turangalîla-Symphonie. Thomas Bloch has made recordings for numerous labels including EMI, Deutsche Grammophon, Harmonia Mundi and Sony Classical.
Matthew Wu (flute) was born in Jiangxi, China. He graduated with honours from the Guangzhou Xinhai Conservatory of Music and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he completed his Post-Graduate Diploma and a Licentiate in flute performance. Matthew currently teaches at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Hong Kong Chinese University and the Hong Kong Institute of Education. He gives regular recitals and has made recordings for RTHK Radio 4. As Principal Flautist of the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong as well as Founder and Chairman of the Hong Kong Flute Association and Hong Kong Flute Academy, Matthew is devoted to promoting the flute.
Leanne Nicholls (oboe) studied oboe in her native Australia with Jiri Tancibudek, and in Germany with Hans Elhorst. She graduated from the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide with first class honours in performance and won first prize in the 1988 Adelaide Eisteddfod Non-Keyboard Concerto Competition. From 1983 to 1989 she performed with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, the Adelaide Chamber Orchestra and the State Opera Orchestra of South Australia. Since moving to Hong Kong in 1990, Leanne has been an active part of Hong Kong's music scene giving recitals and concerts, teaching oboe, presenting programmes on RTHK Radio 4, freelancing with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and performing as a member of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. In 1999 Leanne founded the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong and currently leads a demanding schedule as the orchestra's Executive & Artistic Director and principal oboist.
Mike Chau (viola) began violin lessons at the age of five and started the viola at the age of seven. He began his formal music training at the Music Office. In 1994 he entered the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and toured Japan, Taiwan, China and the USA performing with the Asian Youth Orchestra in 1995. He was subsequently awarded a full scholarship to study at the Boston Conservatory of Music in the USA. While in Boston he served as principal viola of the Boston Conservatory Orchestra and the Great Marlboro Orchestra and also performed with the National Orchestra of Boston and the Berkshire Symphony Orchestra. In 2007 he gained his FTCL. He is a founding member of the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong and has been the principal violist since 2006.
Artem Konstantinov (cello) was born in Russia and studied cello at the Glinka School in Novosibirsk and at the Moscow Conservatory of Music. He also holds a Doctorate of Music degree from the Guildhall School of Music in London. He has won numerous prizes including first prize in the 1983 Competition of Young Cellists (Russia), first prize in the 1988 International Competition of Young Ensemble of Art (Moscow), prize winner in the 1995 Competition of Chamber Duets in Palma D'Ora (Italy) and the silver medal and first prize in the 1997 Russian National Cello Competition. From 1999 to 2005 Artem served as principal cellist of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. He joined the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong as principal cellist in 2006 and enjoys a busy schedule of chamber recitals and solo performances both in Europe and Asia.
