As an emerging organist, Zoe Kai Wai Lei advocates new organ music and frequently plays twentieth and twenty-first-century repertories. She is named 20 under 30 at the Diapason Magazine (Class of 2021) for her achievements and contributions in the organ, carillon, and harpsichord.

 

As a Hong Kong organist, she is currently based in the United States and has performed in various venues in Hong Kong, Toronto, and Michigan. In July 2018, she performed in the renowned festival, Oregon Bach Festival. In April 2017, she gave her debut as an organ soloist in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and was interviewed by Radio Television Hong Kong to promote the organ and was regarded as the “New Music Star”.

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This February, she has formed IZR Organ Trio with two Hong Kong organists, Ivan Leung and Ryan Chan. She is very much looking forward to the virtual concert series and recitals in Asia cities. She also recently performed at Burton Memorial Tower (Michigan) and performed as a continuo player at the Baroque Ensemble at the University of Michigan. Apart from appearing as an organ soloist, she will be premiering Jennifer Higdon’s music in 2021 with the saxophone ensemble at the University of Michigan. From 2017 to 2020, she worked as an organ scholar at Toronto Bloor Street United Church and an organist at Toronto Chinese Baptist Church.

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She is working on her Doctor of Musical Arts in sacred music (Organ) at the University of Michigan. She studies the organ with Prof. James Kibbie, the harpsichord and continuo with Prof. Joseph Gascho, and the carillon with Dr. Tiffany Ng. She completed her master’s studies in organ performance at the University of Toronto, under the tutelage of Professor Kevin Komisaruk, after having studied with the renowned Hong Kong organist, Kin Yu Wong. She completed her undergraduate studies in organ and music education at Hong Kong Baptist University in June 2017. She has also received coaching from Dr. Paul Jacobs, Head of Organ Department, The Juilliard School. She has received scholarships from the Macau Government and the University of Toronto. She was awarded a full scholarship at the University of Michigan.

 

In addition to organ playing, her favorite pastime activities are writing calligraphy and playing badminton.

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Jan 2021