Francis Yiu-Ting Chik

Francis Yiu-Ting Chik is the founding violinist of the Cong Quartet. Currently, the quartet is the Ensemble-in-Residence of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), a role that they also held in 2019–2022. Together with the quartet, Francis was a prize winner of serval competitions including the 15th Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Salzburg Mozart International Chamber Competition 2019 in Tokyo.

Francis has taken part in the Aspen Music Festival & School, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Heifetz International Music Institute’s Ashkenasi/Kirshbaum Chamber Music Seminar, Hu Kun & Friends International Masterclass, Juilliard String Quartet Seminar, Madeline Island Chamber Music, Music Academy Hörpu in Iceland, Nyack Academy of Music Summer Festival, and Robert Mann String Quartet Institute, and has worked closely with the Pacifica Quartet, Dover Quartet, Shanghai Quartet, and members of the American, Borodin, Borromeo, Danel, Ébène, Jerusalem, Juilliard, Tokyo, Vermeer, and Ysaÿe Quartet, among others.

Francis obtained his Master of Arts degree from the Royal Academy of Music in London and was awarded the Roth Prize for Violin Finalists for his exceptional performance in the final recital. Before that, he obtained his Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, where he was awarded the Performer's Certificate. Francis also studied at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and the Netherlands String Quartet Academy (NSKA). His principal teachers include Ivan Chan, Marc Danel, Simin Ganatra, Hong-Ying Ho, Hu Kun, Mikhail Kopelman, and Joseph Swensen. He has also played in masterclasses for world-renowned violinists Federico Agostini, Renee Jolles, Tasmin Little, Issac Malkin, Paivyt Meller, Movses Pogossian, and Pinchas Zukerman.