Carmen Koon

Carmen Koon graduated from the Music Department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She obtained a scholarship to study conducting with Professor C. A. Bünte (Celibidache's student) at Hochschule der Künste Berlin. She was invited to take part in the Aspen Music Festival in 1997 and studied with Maestro Murry Sidlin and David Zinman. She was also invited to participate in the International Conducting Competition for Young Orchestra Directors in Portugal in 1997 and was awarded the honorary prize.

She has worked with various orchestras including Berliner Symphoniker, Neubrandenburg Philharmonie, West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra, Janacek Philharmonie, Martinu Philharmonie, Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, Hradec Kralove Philharmonic Orchestra, Zelina Chamber Orchestra, Kromeriz Chamber Orchestra, Szeged Philharmonie, Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra, Karelia Philharmonie, Sochi Symphony Orchestra, Beijing Ai Yue Women's Chamber Orchestra, Harbin Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Hong Kong Philharmonic Ensemble, Hong Kong Strings and Macau Orchestra. She was the Music Director of the Hong Kong Medical Association Orchestra, Hong Kong Baptist University Orchestra and the Principal Conductor of the Hong Kong Children's Choir. Her performance of Schumann's Requiem, Verdi's Four Sacred Pieces, Charpentier's Te Deum (H146), Gounod's Messe Solennelle, Salieri's Te Deum and Gloria and Mozart's Requiem with Hong Kong Oratorio Society received great acclaim.

She is currently the Music Director of the Chung Chi College Orchestra and Chung Chi Choir of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Music Director of St. Stephen's Girls' College Orchestra, the Principal Conductor of Hong Kong Strings, the Principal Guest Conductor of the Beijing Ai Yue Women's Chamber Orchestra, and a part-time lecturer in the Music Department of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

"Carmen Koon is a young conductor of exceptional talent.... She has many gifts: an excellent sense of rhythm, a clear and attractive beat..." Dr. Georg Tintner, Conductor Laureate of Symphony Nova Scotia.

"Carmen Koon is enormously talented; she has a very clean, clear and expressive technique with which to communicate her sensitive and interesting artistry. She is impressively intelligent, and creates an atmosphere while on the podium of joyous music making; I have observed that musicians love to play under her direction." Murry Sidlin, Music Director of Nevada Symphony; Resident Conductor of Oregon Symphony.

官美如畢業於香港中文大學音樂系，獲奬學金赴德國柏林藝術學院深造，專攻指揮專業，師從布特恩教授（Celibidache入門弟子）。1997年夏應邀參加阿斯本音樂節，曾受到Murry Sidlin和David Zinman等大師指導。同年9月在葡萄牙里斯本國際指揮比賽中獲榮譽大奬。

官美如曾經合作過的樂團包括：德國：柏林交响樂團、新勃蘭登堡愛樂樂團；捷克：西波希米亞交响樂團，雅納切克愛樂樂團、馬爾蒂努愛樂樂團、卡爾斯巴交响樂團、克迪化努域愛樂樂團；匈牙利：Zelina Chamber Orchestra, Kromeriz Chamber Orchestra,塞格德愛樂樂團；葡萄牙：里斯本大都會樂團；俄羅斯：卡尼亞愛樂樂團、孛茲交响樂團；中國：北京愛樂女室樂團、哈爾濱交响樂團；香港：香港管絃樂團小組、香港小交响樂團及香港絃樂團等；澳門：澳門樂團。

官氏對指揮合唱團也素有經驗，求學時期已擔任香港兒童合唱團指揮，並曾任香港兒童合唱團首席指揮。官氏也曾與香港聖樂團演出舒曼的「安魂曲」、威爾第的「聖詠四首」、夏龐蒂埃的「謝恩讚美頌」及古諾的「莊嚴彌撒曲」，極獲好評。

官氏曾任香港醫學會管絃樂團及香港浸會大學管絃樂團音樂總監，現任香港中文大學崇基學院管絃樂團及合唱團的音樂總監、聖士提反女子中學管絃樂團音樂總監、香港絃樂團首席指揮、北京愛樂女室樂團常任客席指揮，並兼任香港中文大學音樂系講師。

官美如被譽為“極具才華的女指揮”、“她善於在舞台上管造一種氣氛，令樂隊不知不覺地融入音樂世界裡”。