The Lin Yao Ji Music Foundation of China (LYJMFC) is pleased to announce the establishment of the Jessica Hung Scholarship (JHS), which is generously sponsored by Mrs. Jessica Hung in support of local and mainland music talents to pursuing postgraduate and undergraduate studies in music.

The JHS forms a part of the concurrent LYJMFC Scholarship Programs alongside the “New World Scholarship for Summer Studies in Music” which provides full scholarships for awardees to participate in prestigious classical music festival academies such as Verbier Festival and Heifetz International Music Institute. Past scholarship awardees include young music talents such violinist Yue Qian, violists Ziyu Shen and Zhanbo Zheng and pianist Niu Niu (Shengliang Zhang). They are outstanding conservatory students and winners of major instrumental competitions, with promises of bright careers on the international stage.

With a vision shared with LYJMFC to support outstanding talents in their pursuit of the arts, Mrs. Hung is pleased to have been introduced to the Foundation through Ms Winnie Tam, Co-chairman of the executive committee. With Mrs Hung’s generous support, the Foundation will be able to assist deserving students from Hong Kong and the mainland China to attend their choice conservatory for further studies with a view to launching a career in music.

The generous donation would be a fitting tribute to the late Professor Lin Yao Ji, who was known for his selfless and tireless efforts in assisting outstanding talents, handpicked by him often from impoverished backgrounds, to build a strong technical foundation in the violin and in the understanding of music, before helping them spread their wings elsewhere.

The first of the recipient of the JHS is Ms. Chener (Cherry) Yuan, a Guangzhou-born violinist and a private student of the late Professor Lin Yao Ji. She started taking the violin lessons at the age of 5, her outstanding performances in violin competitions and passionate in music have won her provincial and national competitions awards and several scholarships including a full scholarship to participate in the 2010 Moritzburg Festival Academy and two full scholarship awards of The San Domenico Upper High School in California and the Preparatory division of San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2012. The JHS will enable her to carry on with her study as a second year student at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City under Mr Lin Li, and will help repay loans that she had borrowed to enable her to begin her studies there last year.

Cherry also heals broken souls through her performance and actions. In 2013, she became the President of Children In Need Club and dedicated to helping desperate children from around the world by raising money through performing in more than 20 concerts. Besides, she

donated to the charity the award of US$1,000 she received as winner of the Pacific Violin Competitions. In a trip to China’s Henan province, she assisted a U.S. music therapist to treat autistic children there.

Each JHS scholarship will go towards defraying tuition and accommodation costs, taking into consideration applicants’ individual financial circumstances. More information about future applications for the JHS will be made available in November on our website.