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Warren MOK

Warren MOK

2021 Honorary Doctorate

Warren MOK

Citation

A prestigious operatic tenor with a distinguished international career, Mr Warren Mok holds a Master of Music Degree from Manhattan School of Music and is dubbed one of China’s “Three Tenors”. Since Mr Mok’s European début in 1987 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, he has made guest appearances in leading opera houses throughout the world, including the Paris Opéra, the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Opera Australia at Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Royal Albert Hall in London, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Teatro Carlo Felice Genova, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Opéra de Nice, Opéra de Lyon, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Dutch National Opera, Leipzig Opera, Royal Danish Opera, Teatro di San Carlos Lisbon, Seattle Opera, Bolshoi Theatre, Warsaw Opera, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari in Italy, ABAO Bilbao, Opera Ireland, Teatro Principal de Palma de Mallorca, Nancy Opéra France, Bergen National Opera Norway, Latvian National Opera, Lithuanian National Opera, Opera Orlando in Florida, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Vienna Musikverein, Vienna Volksoper, Berliner Philharmonie, National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing and the Shanghai Opera House. The Guardian, a London newspaper, praised Mr Mok that “his technique is rock solid, with beautiful even timbre, and an engaging enthusiasm on stage; ringing top notes were attacked and held in rock-like Pavarotti vein.”

Mr Mok’s operatic repertoire has extended to more than 60 roles including Calaf in Turandot, Rodolfo in La Bohème, Radamès in Aïda, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Don José in Carmen, the Duke in Rigoletto, Alfredo in La Traviata, Don Carlo, Romeo, Faust, Werther and many others. He recently performed in Tannhäuser and Andrea Chénier in Beijing, at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. 

Outside his role as a renowned opera singer, Mr Mok is active in promoting opera and classical music in Hong Kong, Macau and the Mainland. He is the founder and artistic director of Opera Hong Kong. He has served as the artistic director of the Macao International Music Festival, Fujian Grand Theatre and Zhuhai Huafa Grand Theatre. To enhance artistic and cultural exchange between Hong Kong and the Mainland, Mr Mok introduced original productions to Hong Kong audiences such as The Chinese Orphan first performed at the National Centre for Performing Arts of China, Poet Li Bai that debuted at the Central City Opera House in Colorado and Dr. Sun Yat-sen conceived by Opera Hong Kong. He is also an advisor to the Shanghai Opera House, the Shanghai Symphony, the China National Opera House and the Beijing Music Festival.

Appointed to both the Beijing and Zhuhai committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Mr Mok helps foster the development of Hong Kong and these cities. He has also dedicated himself to the musical education of younger generations, serving as a visiting professor at Peking University’s Academy of Opera, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, South China Normal University, and Southwest University in Chongqing. Mr Mok has been a great supporter of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts over the years.

Mr Mok received the Bronze Bauhinia Star from the Hong Kong SAR government in 2021, as well as the Medal of Honour in 2011. He was awarded an honorary fellowship by Hong Kong Baptist University in 2019, was appointed Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy in 2018, won the World Outstanding Chinese Award in 2010, and is both a Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana and a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France. The awards recognise Mr Mok’s exceptional contributions to the cultural exchanges between Hong Kong, Italy, France and the Mainland. He was also the winner of the World Ten Outstanding Cantonese Award in 2015.