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"intoxicating and refined musicality"
— Chopin Magazine, Japan
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"attractively transparent and uncluttered tone"
— Gramophone, UK
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"sublime interpretation... Cheong answered exquisitely to the wonderful bassoon solo with great care over dynamics and phrasing... expressive legato playing"
— The Macau Post Daily
Hoi Leong (Zach) Cheong is a Steinway Young Artist whose performances have taken him to leading concert halls and festivals across Asia, North America, and Europe. Recognized for his “intoxicating and refined musicality” (Chopin Magazine, Japan) and “attractively transparent and uncluttered” tone (Gramophone, UK), he has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Macao Orchestra, Trondheim Soloists, Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra, Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, Musicus Soloists, and the OJEUM Orchestra. Recent highlights include appearances at the Alice Tully Hall, Kaufman Music Center, Warsaw Philharmonic, Hong Kong City Hall, Delaware Valley Young Musician Musicales, Core Memory Music, and S’way Recital Series.
This summer, Zach has participated in the Verbier Festival Solo Academy and The Perlman Music Program, in which he collaborated with Itzhak Perlman. He has also received instruction from distinguished artists including András Schiff, Nikolai Lugansky, Gary Graffman, Emanuel Ax, Richard Goode, Kirill Gerstein, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Kim Kashkashian, Joel Krosnick, Imogen Cooper, Aquiles Delle Vigne, and Jane Coop.
His achievements include reaching the finals in the 2024 Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York and the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, winner of the Musicus Young Artists Audition in Hong Kong, First Prize and the Special Excellence Prize at the 19th International Chopin Piano Competition in Asia, and First Prize at the 81st Steinway & Sons International Piano Competition.
As an active chamber musician, Cheong has participated in Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival twice and Juilliard Chamberfest. His chamber music repertoire ranges from Mozart to Leon Kirchner.
Beyond the concert stage, Zach is a recording artist for the Steinway Spirio catalogue and has served as a Teaching Assistant at The Juilliard School. His performances have been featured on South Carolina Public Radio's On the Keys and has recorded for Radio Television Hong Kong's complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas project. As a multi-faceted musician, his compositions have won First and Second Prizes in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. During his teenage years, he has also led the St. Paul’s Co-educational College Senior Mixed Voice Choir and Orchestra as a conductor in several performances.
Zach is a graduate of both the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School, and currently studies at the Yale School of Music with Boris Berman. Former teachers include Robert McDonald and Gabriel Kwok. His greatest passions outside of music are football, poker, and giraffes.
repertoire
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Beethoven
Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97 (“Archduke”)
Piano Trio in D major, Op. 70, No. 1 (“Ghost”)
Piano Trio in E-flat major, Op. 70, No. 2
Variations on “Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu” for Piano Trio, Op. 121a
Violin Sonata No. 1 in D major, Op. 12, No. 1
Violin Sonata No. 5 in F major, Op. 24 (“Spring”)
Violin Sonata No. 6 in A major, Op. 30, No. 1
Violin Sonata No. 8 in G major, Op. 30, No. 3
Violin Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 96
Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 16
Bernstein
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano
Brahms
Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8
Piano Trio No. 2 in C major, Op. 87
Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101
Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60
Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78
Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100
Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108
Cahuzac
Cantilène for Clarinet and Piano
Debussy
Piano Trio in G major
Dohnányi
Piano Quintet No. 1 in C minor
Dvořák
Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major, Op. 81
Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 87
Franck
Violin Sonata in A major
Grieg
Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45
Kirchner
Piano Trio No. 1
Mendelssohn
Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49
Messiaen
Quatuor pour la fin du temps
Mozart
Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, K. 478
Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, K. 493
Piano Trio in B-flat major, K. 502
Sonata for Two Pianos in D major, K. 448
Trio in E-flat major for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano, K. 498 (“Kegelstatt”)
Violin Sonata No. 18 in G major, K. 301
Violin Sonata No. 21 in E minor, K. 304
Violin Sonata No. 26 in B-flat major, K. 378
Violin Sonata No. 32 in B-flat major, K. 454
Poulenc
Sonata for Flute and Piano, FP 164
Violin Sonata, FP 119
Rachmaninoff
Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor
Schubert
Allegro in A minor for Piano Four Hands, D. 947 (“Lebensstürme”)
Grand Duo for Violin and Piano in A major, D. 574
Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat major, D. 898
Rondo in A minor for Piano Four Hands, D. 951
Sonata in A minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821
Schumann
Drei Romanzen for Violin and Piano, Op. 22
Drei Romanzen, Op. 94
Fantasiestücke, Op. 73
Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 47
Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44
Smetana
Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15
Szymanowski
Violin Sonata in D minor, Op. 9
Turina
Scène Andalouse, Op. 7, for viola, piano and string quartet
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Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 (“Emperor”)
Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin, and Cello in C major, Op. 56
Chopin
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
Gershwin
Rhapsody in Blue
Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat major, K. 271 (“Jeunehomme”)
Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K. 414
Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major, K. 459
Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488
Rachmaninoff
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
Saint-Saëns
Wedding Cake (Gâteau de noces), Op. 76, for Piano and Strings
Tchaikovsky
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
Yin Chengzong
Yellow River Piano Concerto (arr. from the Yellow River Cantata)
concerts
June 5, 2027
Macao
Macao Orchestra
Beethoven Concerto No. 1, with Jiajing Lai
March 14, 2027
Reading, PA
Friends of Chamber Music Reading
Mozart and Brahms Trios, with Christina Nam, Nagyeom Jang
March 13, 2027
Reading, PA
Beethoven Triple Concerto, with Andrew Constantine, Christina Nam, Nagyeom Jang
January 30, 2027
Naples, FL
Naples Community Orchestra
Chopin Concerto No. 1, with Alvin Ho
November 20, 2026
Hong Kong
Cong Quartet - Recital
Dvorak Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81, Adrian Wong Childhood Sweets
August 2, 2026
Verbier, Switzerland - Église de Verbier
Dohnányi Piano Quintet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 1
July 27, 2026
Verbier, Switzerland - Cinema de Verbier
Schumann Fantasie Op. 17, Shostakovich Viola Sonata
June 20, 2026
Shelter Island, NY
Perlman Music Program
Brahms Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 60
June 14, 2026
Shelter Island, NY
Perlman Music Program
Schumann Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 47 with Itzhak Perlman
June 6, 2026
Shelter Island, NY
Perlman Music Program
Mozart Piano Quartet in E-flat major, K. 493
April 11, 2026
New Haven, CT
Schubert, Bartok, Schumann
November 7, 2025
Grand Auditorium, Macao Cultural Centre
Macao Orchestra, with Adrien Perruchon
Piano Concerto The Yellow River
August 9, 2025
Blue Hill, Maine
Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival
Brahms Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101
August 7, 2025
Blue Hill, Maine
Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival
Dvorak Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81
July 14, 2025
Blue Hill, Maine
Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival
Beethoven Piano Trio No. 6 in E-flat Major, Op. 70 No. 2
July 12, 2025
Blue Hill, Maine
Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival
Mozart Piano Quartet in G major, K. 478
June 1, 2025
New York, NY
Merkin Hall, Kaufman Music Center
Chopin
May 8, 2025
New York, NY
Studio79, Upper West Side
Duo Recital: Schubert, Elgar, Winkler with Daniel Rafimayeri
May 7, 2025
Juilliard School, NY
Chamber/Solo Recital
Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin with Tianyou Ma, Nagyeom Jang
April 26, 2025
Steinway & Sons Gallery, Hong Kong
Recital
All Chopin
April 8, 2025
Hong Kong City Hall, Concert Hall
Etched on Stage Production Limited
Solo works by Chopin, selections from Chopin Concerto No. 1, duo with Risa Hokamura
January 19, 2025
Juilliard School, NY
Recital
Chopin, Beethoven, Ravel
January 13, 2025
Juilliard School, NY
Rachmaninoff Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor
November 30, 2024
Hong Kong City Hall, Theatre
Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn, Schubert / Liszt, Ravel, Mozart
September 8, 2024
New York, NY
Salon Concerts at Klavierhaus
Duo Recital: Beethoven, Sibelius, Poulenc, Waxman with Haram Kim
December 23, 2023
S’way Music Studio, Hong Kong
Recital
Bach/Hess, Bach, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Chopin
October 29, 2023
Mexico City, Sala Nazahualcóyotl
Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2, with Gustavo Rivero Weber
September 9, 2023
Wakefield, RI
Recital: Bach, Beethoven, Takemitsu, Chopin, Liszt
August 15, 2023
Guangzhou Xinghai Concert Hall
Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra
Beethoven Triple Concerto, with Sharon Choa, Jinzhu Li, Thomas Hung
August 14, 2023
Shenzhen Grand Theater
Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra
Beethoven Triple Concerto, with Sharon Choa, Jinzhu Li, Thomas Hung
August 12, 2023
Macao Tower Auditorium
Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra
Beethoven Triple Concerto, with Sharon Choa, Jinzhu Li, Thomas Hung
August 11, 2023
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Greater Bay Area Youth Orchestra
Beethoven Triple Concerto, with Sharon Choa, Jinzhu Li, Thomas Hung
January 26, 2023
Lansdale, PA
Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra
Chopin Concerto No. 1 with Jeri Lynne Johnson
November 26, 2022
Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Musicus Soloists
Mozart Concerto in A major, K. 488
November 12, 2022
Tai Kwun, Hong Kong
Jockey Club Musicus Heritage Stories Concert
Chamber Concert: Schubert, Messiaen, Schumann, Dohnányi
October 23, 2022
Mexico City, Sala Nazahualcóyotl
Chopin Concerto No. 1, with Gustavo Rivero Weber
June 11, 2022
Grand Auditorium, Macao Cultural Centre
Macao Orchestra, with Hu Yongyan
Chopin Concerto No. 1
August 1, 2021
Grand Auditorium, Macao Cultural Centre
Macao Youth Symphony Orchestra, with Leung Kin-fung
Beethoven Concerto No.5 “Emperor”
August 16, 2020
Grand Auditorium, Macao Cultural Centre
Macao Youth Symphony Orchestra, with Veiga Jardim
Beethoven Triple Concerto, with Hoi Yan Lok, Zhou Cheng Lam
June 30, 2018
Grand Auditorium, Macao Cultural Centre
Macao Youth Symphony Orchestra, with Lio Kuokman
Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2