Q: Which member of your very musical family really encouraged you?

A: My mother was definitely the motivating force in the family, not just for my musical development, but for that of my two sisters as well. Chui-Tan is a very active violinist in Hong Kong now, while Chui-Inn, also a pianist, has gone on to tackle the real world as a venture capitalist.

Q: No one else in your family plays the cello. What made you decide to take it up?

A: I was given the cello because at the time we already had a violinist and a pianist in the family - so you can say I was recruited to fill a vacancy in the family trio.

Q: You have a degree in economics from Harvard and you worked as a management consultant. Are you just as comfortable in the business world as you are in the music world?

A: I would say that if I had to go back to the business world right now, it would probably be quite a shock for me. It is not very often that one is even allowed to express one's true emotions and convictions in the business world, whereas the opposite is very much the case in music - it is your uniqueness in how you communicate your message that sets you apart from the rest.

Q: As a student you were all set to develop a rewarding musical career and even attended the Julliard Pre-College Cello Division for seven years. So why did you take a detour to Harvard?

A: I was not really motivated by Julliard, especially the Pre-College division where I was studying, because there was such a focus on finding the next prodigy who could play faster and cleaner than the last one that the music became secondary in most cases with the students there. I suppose I got disillusioned with that attitude and completely missed the point of why one plays music at all. Meanwhile, growing up in the decadent 80s, I thought the greatest thing in the world was to make lots of money.

Q: What was your family's reaction when you wanted to be a consultant, then a cellist?

A: The consultant was a no-brainer: he'll be able to support himself - great. The cellist was... supportive but worried. Definitely supportive because my parents are enlightened enough to realise that life is too short to waste doing something you don't want to do, especially when there is something else that you are passionate about.

Q: The GIMC is one of the toughest competitions for young musicians. How do you feel about winning it?

A: As my host mother in Geneva told me afterwards, "It is very stressful hosting someone who gets to the finals of the Geneva competition." She told me that she could not sleep or eat very much - so you can imagine what I was going through. And when I got the prize, I thought, "Terrific! I have two days in Milan before my flight leaves from there - pasta!"

Q: Who is your idol?

A: Tough one. I suppose Pablo Casals. Of course he was a great musician, but I admire him also because he gave up his career for a greater cause (in protest against the fascist regime in Spain). This is something that puts what I do in a much better perspective because at the end of the day, as much as I love to play the cello, I realise there are more important things in life.