Hoi Tong Keung | 姜凱唐

I work primarily as a percussionist in contemporary music, with a focus on collaborative and research-driven performance. Much of my practice centres on working closely with composers and developing new repertoire through long-term projects.

I’m particularly interested in the interplay between different modes of expression — including Eastern and Western musical traditions, acoustic and electronic instruments, and the relationship between music and speech. My doctoral research explores the incorporation of spoken Cantonese into percussion music, and my performance work continues to grow out of this research-creation approach.

Alongside solo and ensemble work, I co-founded KöNG Duo with percussionist Bevis Ng. Our projects focus on commissioning new works, re-contextualising under-performed repertoire, and building programmes shaped by our shared musical background. We have developed work through residencies and have presented projects in settings such as Banff Centre, Music TORONTO’s Celebration of Small Ensembles series, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention.

I hold a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Percussion Performance from the University of Toronto, and have previously studied at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. I continue to balance performance, research, and collaborative project-based work as part of my broader musical practice.

Choral singing has been a constant part of my musical life since childhood. I was a member of the Hong Kong Children’s Choir from the age of four, and through the choir I toured internationally from 2008, performing across Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Singing in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 as part of the children’s choir — the first large-scale work I ever performed — was a formative experience that sparked my interest in classical music.

In 2015, I was a member of the Asia Pacific Youth Choir and performed at the World Expo in Milan. I am currently based in Toronto, where I sing with Chroma Vocal Ensemble and serve as Alto Lead at the Church of the Incarnation.

I also work with the sheng, which I first studied for a year during my undergraduate studies and have recently returned to. Being involved with the Toronto Chinese Orchestra has given me a regular context to practise and deepen my relationship with the instrument. I’m particularly interested in the sheng’s free-reed mechanism and its ability to produce sound through both inhalation and exhalation.

I work in concert and stage management, primarily with new music ensembles. This is a natural extension of my percussion training — as a percussionist, I’ve discovered that every performance comes with a hidden minor in logistics, from coordinating stage changes to managing gear for rehearsals.

I have served as production manager and stage manager for The Happenstancers, a modular ensemble that curates concert experiences through thoughtful programming, dramaturgy, and lighting. In the past, I was the studio manager for the percussion area at the University of Toronto, overseeing daily operations and producing studio recitals and percussion ensemble concerts. I also worked as the administrative and communications assistant for the France-Canada Cultural Exchange Program at U of T, which gave me opportunities to host international artists for masterclasses and concerts.