Professor Gabriel Kwok Ka Tak MH
郭嘉特敎授
Class of 1972 - Phenomenal Pianist
1972屆畢業 — 鋼琴大師
Gabriel Kwok entered St. Paul’s College in 1961 and graduated in 1972. A pianist, Kwok won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music and studied under Guy Jonson and Louis Kentner. He joined the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 1984 and has been its head of Keyboard Studies since 1989. He has also been a visiting professor at numerous conservatories, including those in Xi’an, Wuhan, and the China Conservatory.
Kwok has given masterclasses at over twenty-five institutions across the globe and adjudicated local, national, and international music competitions. He has taught at numerous musical festivals and summer schools, as well as collaborated with numerous artists. He was conferred Fellow status by the Royal Academy of Music (FRAM) in 2003. In 2014, the Hong Kong government awarded Kwok the Medal of Honour for services to piano education.
Kwok attributes such high achievement in music to talent and hard work. Growing up in Hong Kong in the 1960s, young pianists were scarce; in addition to his own daily practice, he frequently provided accompaniment for the college choirs. Between Moses Wu’s sternness and the shared laughs during rehearsal, Kwok and his peers found joy and fulfilment in their musical pursuits, leaving an unforgettable impression to this day.