Prof. Raymond Young
楊習禮教授

「楊氏極富吸引力的悠揚樂感、澄明的音色與透徹的句法廣受讚譽。無容置疑，他是一位擁有非凡實力的鋼琴家，憑著無懈可擊的技巧與演繹風格即已說明一切。其演奏流露出他的品味、動人的抒情感與及五光十色的觸鍵變化，並同時展現熱情而深廣細膩的藝術境界。」 - 義大利省報

 

旅居維也納十一年的鋼琴家楊習禮，是備受國際輿論評為才華出眾的香港傑出音樂家之一。作為香港首位 Bösendorfer《貝森朵夫》藝術家，他的演奏足跡遍及歐、亞，北美多國，包括奧地利、德國、義大利、英國，加拿大、俄羅斯、韓國、馬來西亞、臺灣、中國等地，多年來舉行的音樂會不計其數，贏得各地樂評及觀眾極高讚賞。他的演奏曾被傳媒盛讚為「具想像力，富浪漫詩情」、「把技術與音樂融為一體，擅於傳達美的訊息」、「真摯情感表露無遺，演繹的深度，音色的精緻脫俗，令人深受感動」。楊氏於義大利羅馬國際鋼琴大賽，獲雙鋼琴組一等金獎和二重奏組銀獎，亦在德國博倫舒威的國際音樂節中演出，由於表現突出而獲頒發樂壇新秀獎，且獲邀再度演出。

 

除了忙於演出外，對培育後輩亦不遺餘力, 現為維也納 Wiener MusikSeminar教授,海南大學藝術學院、四川文化藝術學院客座教授,亦任教於香港演藝學院鍵盤系、香港浸會大學、香港中文大學、香港大學和香港教育大學之音樂系,桃李滿門。作為香港備受推崇之教育家，他多名學生均在亞洲及國際比賽奪魁，獲歐、美、澳等頂尖大學及音樂學院錄取，完成碩士或博士學位。

 

楊習禮是香港最多才多藝和最著名的鋼琴家之一，除活躍於獨奏和室樂演出外，又與歌唱家和樂器演奏家合作、替電臺節目錄音廣播，在本港和外地主持大師班和講座。楊氏亦是一位炙手可熱的評委，為區內多個國際鋼琴比賽擔任評審，包括施坦威國際青少年鋼琴比賽、Kawai 亞洲鋼琴大賽、亞洲青少年音樂比賽、傑出青少年音樂家大獎、香港–國際鋼琴公開賽、香港鋼琴公開比賽、廣州鋼琴公開賽、澳門青年音樂比賽、澳門鋼琴公開比賽及香港校際音樂節等。他又獲邀為香港–國際鋼琴公開賽中國區選拔賽評委主席、全港學生公開音樂比賽首席評判及Yamaha音樂基金會的考官，亦是鋼琴四重奏組合「Piano Extravaganza」的創辦人。此外，他亦出任全球國際音樂家協會名譽顧問，中國國際鋼琴教育協會、香港國際音樂家協會、香港音樂導師同盟及香港鋼琴音樂協會理事。

 

楊習禮出生於香港，因對音樂藝術之熱誠及理想，他遠赴享譽盛譽之奧地利國立維也納音樂及表演藝術大學深造。楊氏期間不斷力求突破，鑽研多門不同學科，包括鋼琴演奏及教學法、聲樂伴奏、歌劇指導及音樂理論。於大學畢業時，分別取得鋼琴演奏及伴奏雙碩士學位、演奏家文憑及鋼琴教學文憑。在求學期間屢獲殊榮，是首位榮獲奧地利政府頒發最高級別獎學金的香港鋼琴家，更連續多次奪得奧地利大學協會獎學金。他更因個人的卓越成就及多方推薦，和對音樂藝術所作出的貢獻，獲得奧地利政府頒授國籍。他曾獲多位名家悉心指導，包括維也納古典派演繹權威巴道拉．史歌達、克拉拉．舒曼的再傳弟子約瑟夫．班諾維茨、 貝多芬第五代暨李斯特第三代傳人弗萊雪曼、盧茲及薛德雷。 此外，他是倫敦聖三一音樂學的院士和皇家音樂學院的副院士。

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“The transparency of the phrasing, tone clarity, and the seductive cantabile in Young's performance were appreciable. The impeccable technique and interpretative style demonstrated by this soloist, is proof of how truly valuable this pianist is. He played with such taste, much lyricism, and the palette of timbres was highlighted with passion, along with wide and rich nuances.”  

 
La Provincia, Italy

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Hailed by the press as a pianist with ‘imagination and romance in his poetry’, ‘exquisite tone, interpretative insights and deep communicative powers’, Raymond Young won the First-prize Medal (Two Piano section) and the Silver Medal (Piano Duet section) at The International Piano Competition in Rome, Italy; and was honoured at the Braunschweig Classix Festival in Germany with the ‘Förderpreis’. 

The first Bösendorfer artist from Hong Kong, his numerous circuit concerts and performances spread throughout Austria, England, Germany, Italy, Russia, Canada, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and throughout China over the years have won him great acclaim from critics and audiences for his refined musicianship and artistry.

Apart from his busy schedule as a performer, he is also highly in demand as a piano pedagogue. He has been appointed as a Professor of Wiener MusikSeminar in Vienna, Guest Professor of The Hainan University and Sichuan University of Culture and Arts, and on the piano faculty of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and The University of Hong Kong. Recognized as one of the most respected educators, many of his students have furthered their musical studies at leading music schools in Europe, United States and Australia, and have won awards in numerous competitions.

As the first pianist from Hong Kong to be awarded the highest scholarship by the Austrian Government, Mr. Young graduated with Double Master of Arts degrees in performance and vocal accompaniment, and a Diploma in piano pedagogy from the prestigious University for Music and Performing Arts (MDW) in Vienna, his true home of the heart where he lived for over a decade under the refining influence of that greatest of musical cities. Besides piano studies, he also majored in music theory and opera coaching. On account of his achievements and numerous recommendations, he was also granted the Austrian citizenship. He has benefited from such masters as Joseph Banowetz (a student of Clara Schumann’s disciple); Paul Badura-Skoda (an authority of the Classical Viennese style); Walter Fleischmann (a fifth generation student of Beethoven and third generation student of Franz Liszt); David Lutz and Norman Shetler. He is a Fellow of the Trinity College, and an Associate of the Royal College of Music, in London.  

As one of Hong Kong’s most versatile and renowned pianists, Young performs concerts extensively as a recitalist, soloist with orchestra, and chamber musician, collaborates with singers and instrumentalists, records for radio broadcasts, conducts master classes and lectures around the world. Being a sought-after adjudicator, he has been invited to serve as the Chairman of Trial Jury in China for the Hong Kong – International Piano Open Competition, and Head Juror for The Hong Kong Students Open Music Competition, and has been on the judge panel at many major competitions in the region, including the Singapore International Piano Competition, Korea-China International Piano Festival and Competition, The Steinway and Sons International Youth Piano Competition, Guangzhou Piano Open Competition, Macao-Asia Open Piano Competition, Macao Young Musicians Competition, Hong Kong–Asia Open Piano Competition, Hong Kong’s Young Musician of the Year and Hong Kong Schools Music Festival amongst others. Mr. Young is appointed as an examiner for the Yamaha Music Foundation, and is the founding member of the piano quartet ‘Piano Extravaganza’, consisting of four pianists. He is the Artistic Advisor of Hong Kong International Musician Association, Honorary Consultant of Global Musician Association and a committee member of Hong Kong Music Tutors Union and Hong Kong Piano Music Association.