Actively participates in music education and community outreach as a broadcaster, speaker, tutor, and writer for over twenty years, Calvin Lai has gained a wealth of experience in organising and presenting fine music and educational programmes to a wide audience.
A versatile broadcaster in fine music since 1997, Lai served as a presenter and producer for sixteen years at RTHK Radio 4, where he produced numerous fine music programmes and contributed to cultural events. As a freelance broadcaster since 2013, he is still involved in radio and TV productions; recent engagements include acting as the host of Presenters’ Choice for RTHK Radio 4 on Tuesday evening and as a score advisor on several productions for RTHK TV section, including the live broadcast of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Hong Kong concerts in 2017.
During his time as a producer at RTHK, Lai also honed his skills as a music journalist and author in both English and Chinese, and edited Fine Music magazine for RTHK Radio 4 twice. Co-authored with Dennis Wu and Kathy Lam,《筆愛音樂》is a collection of articles about classical music and related stories published in 2007. Lai wrote the educational materials for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s music education programme Blossom with Music, 2003 and 2007, and has served as a columnist and freelance music critic at Hong Kong Economic Times and Tai Kung Pao.
Music education is a key aspect of Lai’s career – especially the promotion of music appreciation in the community. From 2013 to 2015, Lai was one of the pioneer teammates in the Haw Par Mansion conservation project, which aims to revitalise the 1930s-era Mansion as a heritage landmark open to the public for music study. In 2016, he joined the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra as Senior Programme Manager and worked on numerous educational projects to promote Chinese music. In 2017, he involved as the project manager in the outreach activities of MusiKitchen. He is a regular lecturer on music appreciation courses organised by HKU SPACE, frequent speaker at pre-concert talks and outreach workshops organized by the HK Philharmonic Orchestra, HK Arts Festival, and the Musicus Society. He is also a coach for I am a Fine DJ, a music outreach project for local students, co-presented by the Music Office and RTHK Radio 4.
A native of Hong Kong, Calvin Lai completed his undergraduate studies in music at the Hong Kong Baptist University and obtained a Master’s degree at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He studied piano with Ms. Michelle Leung, Dr. Allison So, Ms. Nancy Loo, and recorder with Mr. Michael Campbell. Lai is grateful for this inspiration and aims to share his passion for classical music with a wider audience.
Last update in June 2023
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