A HONG KONG musician who has been on a mission to fulfil her dreams of becoming a top conductor has taken post with the Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra.

Jane Ching-Ying Chan will be the musical director for the next 12 months while she studies for a masters degree in music and conducting at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

The 33-year-old makes her debut with the orchestra on Saturday, December 3 at the Christmas concert at Coleford Baptist Church.

She said: “I want to make the best use of this year in the UK and the more professional conducting experience I get, the more it will help me to achieve my ultimate goal,” said Jane.

The globetrotter began playing the piano as a child and gained Grade Eight at just 11 years-old. But it was science that she read at university, gaining a degree in physics and where she met her future husband.

Music, however, was ever-present. She performed in concerts at university where she also had master classes in piano. But just when all her college friends had finished their studies and were settling down, Jane switched her focus entirely to music, setting off to the US and later Switzerland to study piano and orchestral conducting for the next seven years.

For the past four years she has been back in Hong Kong combining her conducting, piano playing and teaching talents. But she still has a burning ambition to become a top conductor and set up a faculty for conducting back home.

She added the Forest’s serenity is what you need when making music and the area inspires her.

The concert starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are available on the door. To join the orchestra visit www.rfdo.org.uk