The Hong Kong Guitar Trio was nurtured from 1987 and founded in 1998 by John Kam, one of the leading guitar performers and teachers in Hong Kong. John formed the Guitar Trio with his students and the Guitar Trio’s current members are Kenneth Kam , Winnie Kam and John Kam. The experienced Trio has given a multitude of concerts in Hong Kong and in Macau. The Guitar Trio has mastered a huge repertoire ranging from Renaissance and Baroque masters to contemporary composers; from jazz to traditional folk and even popular music.
Kenneth Kam grows up with the Hong Kong Guitar Ensemble from his childhood. He owned the Grade 8 certificate of the ABRSM in Guitar. He is the Champion in the Open Class Guitar Ensemble of the Hong Kong School Music Festival (HKSMF) in both 1998 and 2001. He is also the 1st runner-up in the Open Class Guitar Ensemble of the HKSMF in both 2002 and 2007. In the Years of 2001 and 2002, he is the 1st runner-up in the Guitar Duet of the HKSMF. He is the Champion in the Junior Guitar Solo of the HKSMF in both 1998 and 2001; while he is also the 1st runner-up in the Senior Guitar Solo of the HKSMF in 2004.
Winnie Kam grows up with the Hong Kong Guitar Ensemble from her childhood. She owned the Grade 8 certificate of the ABRSM in Guitar. She is the Champion of the Open Class Guitar Ensemble of the Hong Kong School Music Festival (HKSMF) in both 1998 and 2001. She is also the 1st runner-up of the Open Class Guitar Ensemble of the HKSMF in both 2002 and 2007. In the Years of 2001 and 2002, she is the 1st runner-up in the Guitar Duet of the HKSMF. She is also the 2nd runner-up in the Senior Guitar Solo of the HKSMF in 2000.
John Kam started playing guitar after his secondary education. He graduated from the Music Department of The Hong Kong Baptist University (major in Theory and Composition; Instruments: major in Cello and minor in Piano) and The Chinese University of Hong Kong respectively. He also obtained the LTCL qualification in guitar performance in Trinity College of Music, United Kingdom.
John always gives performance in Hong Kong and Macau relatively. He has appeared as soloist and played several guitar concertos with Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra. In order to bring up the young musicians, he formed The Hong Kong Guitar Ensemble in 1987; The Hong Kong Youth Guitar Ensemble in 1996; The Hong Kong Guitar Trio and The Hong Kong Guitar Quartet in 1998. In 2002, he also formed The Hong Kong Guitar Quintet. Since 1993, after his first guitar recital in The Hong Kong Cultural Centre, John dedicated most of his time to music, a labour of love and hopes to promote classic music to the general public and comes to ‘Music is for sharing?’; ‘Interest long life and long life interest’.
John’s students have won numerous awards in The Hong Kong Schools Music Festival competitions; The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music examinations and The Trinity College’s examinations. He gives masterclass and appears as jury in various competitions and graduated examinations held by The Hong Kong Red Cross; The Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited; The Hong Kong Music Institute and The Hong Kong Institute of Education respectively.
John is often devoted himself to benefiting charities and people in need of help such as the ‘Lifeline Express’; offers ‘Industry Attachment places’ for the students and give help to the children for more than twenty families in Shamshuipo.
Recently John is fully engaged in The Hong Kong Guitar and Gem Centre’s Music and Gemmology courses, he also appears as the Guest Guitar Tutor (first instrument) in the Department of Creative Arts and Physical Education of Hong Kong Institute of Education and is arranging pieces for guitar ensembles and guitar chamber music contributing to the Hong Kong community actively.
