E P H R A I M C H E U N G
E P H R A I M C H E U N G
Violinist ~ Violist ~ Orchestra Conductor
Ephraim Cheung, Music Director and Conductor of Markham Symphony Orchestra, holds a Master of Music Degree in Performance from the prestigious Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. (1986). He was a recipient of the Anton Rubinstein General Scholarship and Institute Scholarship, and was additionally awarded the Grand Teton Music Festival Scholarship.
As a conductor, Cheung has studied orchestral conducting with Carl Topilow and Louis Lane (former resident conductor, Cleveland Orchestra). His early violin teachers were disciple of Yuri Yankelevich, and Leonid Korgan, from Beijing and Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Cheung obtained his Diploma in Violin Performance in 1978, he also graduated with a teaching Diploma from Hong Kong Conservatory of Music (now name: Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts) in 1983. Being a virtuoso violinist, violist, chamber and orchestral musician, he has studied and worked in master classes as well as collaborated with world-renowned artists including Carl Pini (disciple of Galamian and Heifetz, First Violin of London String Quartet, Concertmaster of London’s Philharmonia Orchestra and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra), Edward Ormond, Robert Vernon, David Cerone (Teacher for main teaching mentor) , Eugene Gratovich, Bernhard Goldschmidt, Atar Arad, Wayne Crouse, Andrew Cooperstock, and chamber groups such as the Tononi Quartet, London Quartet, Emerson Quartet, and Cleveland Quartet.
Ephraim Cheung’s dedication as a full-time performer, pedagogue and conductor has brought him to many countries including Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia (Sydney and Melbourne), Korea (Seoul and Busan), United States and Canada. He has given solo recitals, chamber music and orchestral performances in many universities and major concert halls such as Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong City Hall, FLATO Markham Theatre and Richmond Hill Centre for Performing Arts. His performances have frequently been broadcast on radio and television including Radio Television Hong Kong. He has played in numerous professional orchestras as member or principal chair, among them include Hong Kong Philharmonic (one of Asia's top orchestra), Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong Government Music Instructors’ Orchestra, Hong Kong Jinging Chamber Orchestra (as Leader, touring many countries; “Jinging” in Chinese means "the Selective Best"), Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Norman Chamber Orchestra, Lima Symphony and Lima Chamber Orchestra. As the principal violist of the Lima Symphony Orchestra, Cheung was invited by the Music Director, Joseph Firszt, to perform his friend's Polish work, Penderecki's Viola Concerto, with the Orchestra in 1993.
As a highly demanded pedagogue, Ephraim Cheung has taught students ranging from preparatory to university levels. Having served violin faculty as well as chamber music coach and continuing education at the New England Conservatory of Music since 2015. He has served as Head and Coordinator of the College Instrumental Program as well as Music Director and Conductor of the College Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Preparatory Orchestra at St. Stephen’s College in Hong Kong (1988-92) and Strings faculty member in the Creative Arts Program at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio (1992). His students have also successfully been awarded full scholarships from Yale University School of Music, Juilliard School, Colburn School, USC Thornton School of Music, The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, Cleveland Institute of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, Royal Conservatory of Music, and University of Toronto, etc. Upon recommendation by Donald Weilerstein, he partner teaches his own daughter, Mercedes Cheung, with Weilerstein (Faculty, Juilliard School and NEC-Dorothy Starling Richard Chair, who also partner teaches with Itzhak Perlman & Miriam Fried). In 2008, he served as President and was on the violin and viola faculty at Bravo Music Academy and Instrumental Inc., Thornhill. Cheung’s students have frequently won honors and awards and have been invited to perform as soloists with orchestras as well as hold full time music teaching jobs and orchestral positions in Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada and the U.S.A. His students have been winners of National and Provincial Competitions, Kiwanis, Arts Richmond Hill (overall division winner for 7 consecutive years), Pickering Metro East and Pickering Rotary Music Festivals. In one of the Pickering Rotary Music Festival, his students have coveted the awards for junior, intermediate and senior strings divisions within the same festival that year. Ephraim Cheung plays on a Giovanni Paolo Maggini 1623.