
biography
Jeremy Lap Hei Hao
Known for his versatility and sensitivity, Jeremy actively performs as a soloist and chamber musician on both violin and viola with a wide range of respected artists and orchestras. His solo debut with the Camerata Salzburg was described as “a rare, gracefully balletic account of Mozart’s Concertone” by the Strad.
An avid chamber musician, Jeremy has performed in music festivals around the world such as the BigLake Festival and Toronto Summer Music in Canada; Thy Chamber Music Festival in Denmark; Kuhmo Chamber Music in Finland; MusicusFest in Hong Kong; Taos School of Music and Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival in the United States, where he worked with members of esteemed ensembles including the Borromeo, Brentano and Shanghai String Quartets. Jeremy has also collaborated with respected artists such as Florian Donderer, Alexander Gebert, Paavali Jumppanen, Trey Lee, Maria Włoszczowska.
As an orchestral musician, Jeremy has worked under acclaimed conductors such as Sir Mark Elder, Barbara Hannigan, Alasdair Neale, Peter Oundjian, Itzhak Perlman, David Robertson, Leonard Slatkin and Jaap van Zweden. Jeremy has also served as concertmaster of the Mannes Orchestra and principal second violin at the Yale Philharmonia and Manhattan Symphony Orchestra. He plays with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra regularly, and is currently a member of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.
Jeremy was a winner of the 2023 Premio Amici della Musica di Verona with his duo partner León Bernsdorf, as well as the 2022 Yale Chamber Music Competition. As a 2020 Musicus Young Artists Audition winner, Jeremy frequently performs in chamber music and string chamber orchestra concerts in Hong Kong. He has also toured in Germany and Toronto as a member of the Musicus Soloists Hong Kong.
Born in Hong Kong, Jeremy began his musical training with the study of piano at the age of 5 and violin at 6. Several years later, he was offered a spot at the Yip's Children's Choral and Performing Arts Centre for more extensive training on the violin as well as choral music. By the time he was 14, Jeremy had won numerous prizes at local competitions as a pianist and violinist.
In 2008, Jeremy began pursuing academic and musical studies in the UK’s Wells Cathedral School as a music specialist under the guidance of violinist Catherine Lord. In 2013, Jeremy continued his musical studies in the United States, under the tutelage of Sally Thomas and Ann Setzer at the Mannes School of Music where he received his Bachelor of Music degree. He completed his Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School with Laurie Smukler in 2020, and graduated from his Master of Musical Arts degree at the Yale School of Music with Syoko Aki and Ani Kavafian in 2022. Jeremy recently completed his Professional Performance Diploma with Mark Steinberg at the Manhattan School of Music. In his free time, Jeremy enjoys hiking, biking, cooking and boardgames.
5/1/2024