Grew up in Canada, collaborative pianist Ronald Cheung enjoys a versatile career as répétiteur, vocal coach, chamber musician, and conductor. In March 2016, he was the répétiteur for Anna Netrebko Asian Tour in collaboration with Hong Kong Arts Festival. He is a scholarship recipient for Songfest 2012 in Los Angeles, where he attended masterclasses and coachings by distinguished artists including Margo Garrett, Martin Katz, and Graham Johnson. He spent two consecutive years working with diction legendary Nico Castel at Opera NUOVA at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, along with other coaches and singers from the Metropolitan Opera and Canadian Opera Company. He had also worked with French specialists François LeRoux and Rosemary Langry at Vancouver International Song Institute at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
In November 2014, with his passion in vocal repertory, poetry and languages, Ronald founded the DictionLab, where he promotes and shares his knowledge in lyric diction and poetry to the community. He also founded the trio DREI along with flutist Izumi Nikaido and cellist Eric Yip with its premiere performance in February 2014. DREI have be collaborating with various non-profit organizations in concerts as well as multimedia performances.
Ronald is currently the artistic director of the Vocal and Handbells Ensembles at the Shantou University. He is a part-time faculty at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, a regular freelance keyboard player at the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and has been working as répétiteur for Opera Hong Kong and Musica Viva.
Beethoven - Appassionata Sonata
Ronald collaborates with Yip’s Children’s Choir as an accompanist, instructor, and coach. Traveling with the company he has appeared in concerts throughout Europe, Slavic countries, North and South America, Baltic States, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In 2014, he was the leader and choir director to bring a group of students to participate in the International Boys and Mens Choral Festival in Tuscon, Arizona.
Ronald received a solo performance degree at the University of Manitoba. While continuing his post-graduate collaborative studies in chamber music and vocal coaching, in 2004, he attended one year of Opera Apprenticeship (Young Artist) Program with affiliation with Manitoba Opera under the direction of Katherine Twaddle. Ronald studied with Dr. Laura Loewen for language diction, accompanying and vocal coaching, and Claudia Chen for solo performance. He has collaborated with conductors including Lorin Maazel, David Stern, and Paula Holcomb. Other important mentors include Dr. Judy Kehler-Siebert and Michael McMahon, He has attended masterclasses by Jeaneane Dowis, Jon Kimura Parker, David Moroz, John Greer, and John Hess.