Born and raised in Hong Kong, LEE Kar Tai, Phoebus is an active composer, contemporary-music researcher and educator. His music and papers have been performed and presented at various significant occasions, international music festivals and university conferences: these include Arena Contemporary Music Festival, The Asian Composers League Conference and Festival, The Chinese Composers Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Hong Kong Contemporary Music Festival, Hong Kong Week of Taiwan, International Rostrum of Composers, Musicarama, Hong Kong New Generation, Singapore Asian Composers Festival, SOUND-IMAGination, soundSCAPE Festival in Italy, Swiss Contemporary Music Festival, WASBE Conference, Yogyakarta Contemporary Music Festival. Numerous works were commissioned or performed by musicians and groups from France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Korea, Netherlands, Swiss, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the USA.
He writes music for concerts, multimedia-staged performances, dances, galleries and exhibitions, short films and movies. His music has always been described as poetic and refined by listeners. His music often suggests inspirations from oriental aesthetics, philosophies, and classic literatures, and displays multicultural assimilations and contemporary visions through fine techniques and sophisticated musicality.
He attained the Doctor of Music degree (D. Mus.) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He passed the doctoral oral defense at the age of 25, and was awarded the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Scholarship during his postgraduate studies. Upon graduation, he once worked as a teaching assistant During this time, he established the New Music Ensemble for the department and served as the director and conductor. Recent years, he has been a part time lecturer at the CUHK and at the Baptist University of Hong Kong, a guest lecturer in the Education University of Hong Kong, as well as freelance presenter, editorial assistant and daily music programme director/researcher at RTHK Radio 4. He has been teaching music and conducting programmes at colleges and schools, and writing educational references. He has also been invited to teach at the Young Composers Workshop organised by Hong Kong Arts Festival and at the summer programme for gifted learners at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and for many times to be the speaker and adjudicator at seminars and music creativity programmes organised by the Hong Kong Education Bureau. Academic subjects he taught include contemporary music, music appreciation, harmony and counterpoint, orchestration, composition, 20th-century composition techniques, aural skills and musicianship, creative musicking, and, ensemble coach for traditional and modern repertoire. At various occasions, he also performs as a choral, orchestral or chamber-music conductor, harpsichordist, organist, or pianist on both traditional and contemporary works.
In recently years, part form music, he devotes himself to kyudo (the way of bow), chado (the way of tea), and kado (the way of flowers) in pursuit of understanding the meaning of life, values, and aesthetics.
李家泰是香港土生土長的作曲家。李氏亦熱衷於音樂創作、當代音樂研究、音樂教育與創意推廣。李氏的作品與論文多次於本地與國際平台發表,其中包括 Arena 當代音樂節、亞洲作曲家聯盟會議及音樂節、華人作曲家音樂節、香港藝術節、香港當代音樂節、台灣香港週、國際作曲家論壇、音樂新文化、音樂新一代、聲影集、新加坡亞洲作曲家音樂節、意大利 soundSCAPE 音樂節、瑞士當代音樂節、世界管樂協會論壇、日惹當代音樂節等等,不少作品被法國、德國、希臘、香港、韓國、荷蘭、瑞士、台灣、英國、美國等地的團體或演出者委約或演出。
他的作品除純音樂作品以外,亦有與多媒體演出、舞蹈、展覽、影片等合作的作品。他的音樂多時取材自東方美學、哲學與經典文學,不時融匯中西,並以當代手法細緻演繹。作品充滿詩意,素材處理細膩。
李氏畢業於香港中文大學並取得音樂博士銜。他於二十五歲時通過博士辯論而隨後獲得學位,研究生期間獲得香港作曲家及作詞家協會獎學金。畢業後於母校出任全職教學助理,期間為學系創立新音樂合奏團並擔任總監及指揮。近年來,李氏曾出任香港中文大學兼職講師、香港浸會大學兼職講師、香港教育學院客席講師、及香港電台第四台音樂曲目編輯、兼職主持及編輯助理。他曾於不同學院、中學、小學授課及主導作曲培訓班,編註教材,為藝術節青年作曲家計劃及香港科技大學優材暑期課程擔任作曲導師,並屢次於教育局舉的工作坊及演藝活動中擔任講者或評審。教授過的音樂學科包括當代音樂、音樂賞析、和聲、對位、配器法、作曲、二十世紀寫作技巧、練耳與音樂感訓練、創意樂動,以及指導室樂小組演奏傳統古典曲目與現代曲目。其次,他亦以不同形式參與傳統古典音樂與當代音樂的演出,例如指揮、演奏古鍵琴、管風琴、鋼琴等。
近年,音樂以外,他亦修習弓道、茶道、花道。
Ensembles and Artistic Groups with Collaborations and Commissions
Bang On A Can All-Stars, USA
Chinese Music Virtuosi, Hong Kong
Chung Chi College Wind Orchestra, CUHK
City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong
Dawning Quartet, Hong Kong
dissonArt ensemble, Switzerland
Eclat Ensemble, Korea
Ensemble Télémaque, France
Hong Kong Band Directors Association
HKEdU (HKIEd) Chorus
Hong Kong New Music Ensemble
Hong Kong New Music Ensemble Academy
Hong Kong Wind Kamerata
InTuition Creative Learning
InTuition Musiking
New Music Ensemble, CUHK
The Learners Chorus
RhapsoArts
Romer String Quartet
Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra
UMS n’ JIP, Switzerland
Yip's Children's Choir, Hong Kong
Participated Conferences, Festivals, and Music Event Series
Arena Contemporary Music Festival, Latvia
Asian Composers League Conference and Festival / Taiwan, Israel, Singapore, Tokyo
Chinese Composers Festival
CUHK and University of Toronto Exchange
CUHK and National University of Taiwan Exchange
Ensemble-in-Residence, the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Art Festival
Hong Kong Contemporary Music Festival
Hong Kong Week, Taiwan
International Rostrum of Composers
Mongolia International Festival for Contemporary and Traditional Music
Musicarama, Hong Kong
New Generation, Hong Kong
Singapore Asian Composers Festival
SOUND-IMAGination
soundSCAPE Festival, Italy
Swiss Contemporary Music Festival
Yogyakarta Contemporary Music Festival
Representing Delegate
International Rostrum of Composers, for Hong Kong Section, in Italy 2017
International Society for Contemporary Music, for Hong Kong Section, in South Africa 2023
Officials with collaborated/working experience
Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong
Education Bureau
Hong Kong Arts Festival
Hong Kong Composers' Guild
Hong Kong Palace Museum
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Radio and Television of Hong Kong
Universities
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Baptist University of Hong Kong
The Education University of Hong Kong
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Experienced Teaching Disciplines
University Level, Undergraduate to Postgraduate :
Advanced Harmonic Practice
Appreciation of Western Music
Aural Training
Composition
Composition Techniques
Counterpoint
Creative Musicking
Elastic Scoring
Fundamentals of Tonal Music
Music Analysis
Musicianship
Orchestration
Phenomenon of Music in Classical and Romantic Era
Phenomenon of Music in Renaissance and Baroque
Techniques and Styles of Contemporary Music
Tonal Music Analysis
Twentieth-Century Music Material and Structure
Ensemble Coach (Early music / Classical / Modern)
New Music Ensemble
Pre-university/College :
Composition Training
Classical Music of the Western Tradition
Listening Skills
Music in the Twentieth Century and Contemporary Era
Primary and Secondary School Extra-curriculum :
Composition Training Programme
Collaborative Projects
Composition Training, Enrich Programme for Gifted Learners, HKUST
Hong Kong Arts Festival
InTuition/Creative Musicking
Landmark Compositions in Hong Kong
Music Composition Training Programme with Cultural Exploration, Quality Education Fund and HKCG
School Arts Animateur Scheme, LCSD and HKCG
Young Composers Showcase, HKAF
Affiliations
Member, Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong (CASH)
Council Committee, Hong KongComposers' Guild (HKCG)
Board of Director, Hong Kong Kyudo Association