CHOY LAP TAK, Zildjian Cymbal Endorser in Hong Kong

Choy Lap Tak started his Western Percussion studies in 1980 in the Hong Kong Music Office. In 1990, he began a Diploma course in Percussion at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He majored in Western Percussion under the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Principal Percussionist, Mr. Lung Heung Wing and Mr. Bruce Berg, and minor in Chinese Percussion under the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra Principal Percussionist, Mr. Yim Hok Man. In 1995, Choy Lap Tak received the Hong Kong Jockey Scholarship to study in Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He studied timpani with Mr. Ian Wright (Royal Liverpool Orchestra Principal Timpanist), percussion with Mr. Paul Patrick (BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Principal Percussion), Latin Percussion and Drumset with Mr. Dave Hassell, Marimba with Ms. Liz Gillives.

Choy Lap Tak has played in several amateur and semi-professional orchestras and wind bands in Hong Kong in the past year. These include the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Band, the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra and the Tom Lee Wind Orchestra. From 1992 to 1995, he has been the Percussionist with the Asian Youth Orchestra and touring many different countries in Asia, Europe and the United Stated.

He has also played in professional orchestras and for professional productions. He has been under contract with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta since 1992, and has been a freelance percussionist and timpanist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra since 1990. In addition, he joined the concert tour with Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra touring United Stated and Canada in 1995. In addition, Tak play also is an active percussion and timpani player around the outside of Hong Kong. He is a freelance timpanist in Orquestra Camara Macau and freelance percussionist in Gangzhou Symphony Orchestra. In 1997, he played with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under conductor Sir Neville Marriner. Besides that, Choy Lap Tak played in a lot of musical production, such as West Side Story, Dame Yankee, The Wizard of OZ, My Fair Lady, Pirate's of Penzance. In 1994, he played in the famous musical "CATS", and traveling to Korea with the production in the same year.

In 1993, Choy Lay Tak played the Multiple Percussion Concerto by the French composer Milhaud with the Academy Symphonic Wind Ensemble. In June of last year, he performed Gordon Jacob's Timpani Concerto accompanied by The Academy Concert Band. In 1998, Tak played the Concerto "Olympian" for Eight Timpani and Orchestra by James Oliverio at the Sydney Opera House with Academy Symphonic Wind Ensemble. In 2000, he performed the Anthony J. Cirone's Double Concerto for Two Percussion with Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra.

On the other hand, he is a member of Hong Kong Percussion Ensemble and had a concert tour in Germany in 1999. Besides this, Tak is a former member of "JENGA Percussion Ensemble", and the group became the "Artist-in-Residence" in Hong Kong Radio 4 in 2000. Except the classical percussion, he is the member of Island Sun Drum (African Drum Circle) and member of a Jazz Group.

Choy Lap Tak is an active educator in Hong Kong. He teaches in several primary and secondary school in Hong Kong. He also presented several Percussion Classes and Workshops in Hong Kong.