Inspire Kids Orchestra — About Us
Inspire Kids Orchestra – IKO, is established in Hong Kong by Tse Karana Karen, a music Educator specializing in music education programs for young children. Specifically involving members in the age group of between 5 to 12 years of age, Junior IKO endeavors to provide under-privileged children an opportunity for exposure to classical music in a formal environment supported by internationally renowned musicians and conductors. We also have a Seniors IKO age group of between 13 to 18 years of age.This is a regular orchestra.
Junior IKO members past participation in the String & Keyboard Musik Program will further embody their young developing talents through membership in IKO while at the same time learning to develop their team spirit and gaining on-stage performance experience. Through the orchestra’s endeavor, IKO strives to epitomize and offer exposure of Hong Kong’s young classical music talent to the general public and community.
Each year we will have two major-scale events will be held in April and August !!
Our Director • William Tang
Our Founder • Tse Karana Karen
Our Principle Conductor •Scott Price
Scott Price | Principle Conductor
Scott Price studied music at the University of Oxford, between 1990-4, later publishing a book on the composer William Walton. He joined the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in 1995 and was appointed the School’s Director of Music in 2001. During the more than twenty years he has taught at the Vaughan, the School has developed an enviable reputation for outstanding musical achievement and is widely recognised as a beacon for school music education in the UK.
Alongside musicians from the Vaughan, Scott has given performances at all of London’s major churches and concert halls as well in the USA, South Africa, Hong Kong, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, France, Italy, Holland and Spain, alongside many international artists in both the classical and jazz fields and with many of the UK’s leading orchestras and choirs. He has prepared children’s choruses for countlessprofessional operatic productions at London’s opera houses including at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and English National Opera.A hugely experienced music educator, equally happy in both choral and orchestral settings, he has extensive experience of working with young people of all ages and at all levels. Scott has been an Examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music for more than ten years and has spent considerable amount of time examining in Hong Kong. He is a former President of the MMA, the UK’s oldest and largest association for music educators.
Karen Karana Tse | Founder
Karen Karana Tse, she is a Canadian, United Kingdom and Asia Music Educator, but she lived in Hong Kong. She has been renowned as an international educator. At an early age Karen to pursue and develop her music in Piano education at a young age. She received her ARCT performance in first-class honor in The Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada. This guided her towards a Masters in Music Therapy offering her an extensive career in Children Music Education and later expanded her music background onto other instruments. She also received Violin LTCL performance in Trinity College of London. In 2018, She study a Cognitive behavioral therapy certificate program in Hong Kong, And this year 2021, she completed a (Ph.D.) Doctoral of Philosophy in Music Education in New York City. Returning to Hong Kong in 2004, she became a music teacher in Hong Kong for the next decade and began various Student Concerts at the Hong Kong Arts Centre and Hong Kong City Hall venues with her students. In 2015 Karen established String & Keyboard Musik Program where she developed her signature . This program, created for educational learning environments, is operated globally in 100 education institutions in 52 Cities throughout 11 Countries including France, Germany, Italy, Canada, U.S.A., Greater China, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and as well as two U.K. venues in Liverpool and Manchester. In 2018, the Program won awards in the UK. and in the U.S.A. in 2019. In addition to being personally involved with her program that’s currently being taught in 43 educational institutionsin Hong Kong, Karen also involves herself in philanthropic duties by offering her education program and teaching music without costs to under-privileged children as well as other non-profit cultural and charitable organizations. In 2015 she organized various music competitions and events while also being invited to judge other International music competitions, such as China’s Top 3 Competition, and Glamour China Series Competition. In 2018, she was involved as Art Director in the 50th Anniversary of The Yellow River and 60th Anniversary of Butterfly Lovers celebratory music event in Hong Kong announced in an on-air interview on Hong Kong’s TVB channel. Karen also became a Director to both China Administration Youth Culture and Art Committee and China National Palace Association in 2018 and 2019. At the same time she became the representative and organizer in Hong Kong and Macau, for the National Star and Torch Art Talent Competition of China and China National Campus Health Action Event. In 2020 Karen established a Children’s Music Fund Foundation in China. This foundation offered an early music education opportunity for underprivileged children in China, providing them with enjoyable experiences in building the children’s confidence, strengthening their character, and enabling them to express themselves through music. She also published her new music story book Music Dynamics Story Book to help young children discover the power of music in their young lives. 2021 Launched her first classical album Music in life itself “Schumann”.
National Music 