Judy, Ho Ching Man, Harp

Born in Hong Kong, Judy is one of the most sought-after harpists of her generation. She studied for her master’s degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Under the tutelage of Imogen Barford, she graduated with distinction, and was later awarded an Artist Fellowship. Her early harp training began with Ann Huang at the Music Office and later gained her Bachelor in Arts (Music with honors) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong with Amy Tam. She also held a visiting position at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts under the tutelage of Dan Yu. 

Judy currently enjoys a diverse career and performed across Europe and Asia as soloist, chamber, orchestral player and cross-arts collaborator. She has worked with orchestras such as the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Macao Orchestra and the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. She has recently completed the 4-year Wagner Ring Cycle Project with the HKPhil, which their live performance was recorded and released on CD by Naxos Label. Other renowned festivals and Orchestral Academy Judy has played include the Salzburg Festival (Austria), Schleswig Holstein Festival (Germany), Asian Youth Orchestra, Oslo Chamber Music Festival (Norway), Young Euro Classica (Berlin), City of London Festival, Singapore Harp Festival, Taiwan International Harp Festival and Asia Harp Festival in Korea etc.

In Hong Kong, Judy has held solo recitals at the St John’s Cathedral, LeeHysan Concert Hall, Chinese Methodist Church and All Saints Church. She has performed the Mozart K.299 Flute and Harp concerto with the Chung Chi Orchestra; Ravel Introduction and Allegro in London and Debussy’s Danses sacree et Danse profane at the Sheung Wan Civic Centre. For chamber music, she is regularly invited to perform at the Hong Kong Museum of Arts as part of the Sound of Arts Series and Musica del cuore Concert Series. 

In 2015, she formed Duo Reine with Soprano Jessica Ng. They explored and performed music ranged from French Baroque to contemporary. In 2017 they were invited to perform the works of award-winning young composers Pieter Bezuidenhout and Franco Prinsloo at the Aardklop festival, South Africa and the 13th World Harp Congress in Hong Kong. Her Flute, Harp and Viola Trio (Trois Voix) performed at the Wigmore Hall and led workshops for young children there. They have given a concert at the Kunst Gallery in Norway and recently a recital in Hong Kong.

 Jointed with her sister Jennifer, she formed the Symmetry Harp Duo in 2013. They have given performances in many countries. Their appearances with new duo arrangements have won high acclaims at the Taiwan International Harp Festival in 2015 and Korea’s First Asia Harp Festival in 2016. They have continued to be invited to the 2nd Taiwan International Harp Festival in 2019. With the generous support of Tanza Trust, Symmetry Duo has commissioned and premier renowned composer Paul Patterson’s new duo piece at the World Harp Congress 2017 in Hong Kong. In the same year, they gave a double harp concerto performance with the Chung Chi Wind Orchestra at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In 2019, the duo launched the “Harp Triptych”, a series of harp and chamber music concerts in Tai Kwun; in the same year they were invited to perform at the “The Journey of Greater Bay” concert in Guangzhou, which was their first appearance in mainland China. 

​Apart from performing, Judy is also passionate in teaching. She has taught in the Macau Conservatory (Junior) and now in Hong Kong Music Office and private music institutions. Her students are prize-winners of local and international harp competitions. Recently she was awarded as An Outstanding Teacher by the China Artist Association HKSAR Secretariat and the Hong Kong Arts and Cultural Foundation.