Biography:

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Kung Chi Shing studied classical music and composition in the United States with Allen Trubitt, Arman Russell and Neil McKay at the University of Hawaii and George Crumb, Richard Wernick and Chinary Ung at the University of Pennsylvania. From 1987-90 Kung headed the music program of the dance department at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and also in 1987 formed the Hong Kong-based music and performance group the box, with Peter Suart. Since 1993 Kung has worked internationally as an individual composer and performer. His works include film scores and three full-length music/theatre pieces, Destiny Travels Limited (commissioned by the Hong Kong Arts Festival, The Floating Bridge (commissioned by the Festival Now), City Inside a Broken Sky (Commissioned by Leisure and Cultural Services Department). Kung collaborates frequently with choreographers and theatre artists, and has composed music for original productions by Toronto Dance Theatre, Hong Kong Dance Company, City Contemporary Dance Company, Hong Kong Ballet, Taiwan's U Theatre and Taipei Dance Forum. He has performed in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Tashkent, New York, London, Berlin and Venice. Kung's recordings on CD include Destiny Travels Limited and the compilation BOX GO HOME. In 1994 he was awarded a research grant by the Asian Cultural Council.

Over the years Kung has worked with a cast of international musicians and some of them have become regular participants in Kung's music ensemble (among them are renowned Hong Kong classical pianist Nancy Loo, Los Angeles vocalist and cellist Bob Een (a long time partner of Meredith Monk) and New York percussionist Peter Javis (the artistic director of the New Jersey Percussion Ensemble, a group specialised in contemporary music).

As both a composer and performer, Kung focuses on experimentation with different formats that include pop, classical and improvisational music and theatre art, and through the exploration of the unconventional sound possibilities of different acoustic and electronic instruments.