The Music Office is recruiting intermediate year-one and advanced year-one trainees for 2010-11 under the instrumental music training scheme. The application deadline is May 17.

With an annual enrolment of nearly 4,500 trainees from elementary to advanced level, the scheme provides a comprehensive training course which not only helps young people develop their musical talent, but also stimulates their creativity and enhances their interest in art.

It offers training in string, wind and Chinese musical instruments, such as the violin, viola, double bass, harp, flute, oboe, saxophone, French horn, euphonium, suona (Chinese oboe), zhongruan (Chinese moon guitar), sanxian (Chinese lute), sheng (Chinese mouth-blown reed instrument) and liuqin (Chinese mandolin), with supplementary courses in musicianship and music theory.

Weekly one-hour group lessons are conducted in Cantonese at the office's five music centres in Wan Chai, Kwun Tong, Mong Kok, Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan. Annual tuition fees of $2,420 for intermediate level and $3,190 for advanced level are payable in four instalments.

Young players aged 7 to 19 are welcome to apply. Qualified applicants will be invited to attend an audition in June and notified of audition results by mid-August, with training beginning in September.

Click here for details and application forms. For enquiries, call 2802 0657 (Hong Kong), 2796 2893 (Kwun Tong), 2399 2200 (Mong Kok), 2158 6462 (Sha Tin) and 2417 6429 (Tsuen Wan).