Early Education and Upbringing
Jason Kahei Wong was born on 1994 in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Growing up in a middle-class family, he was exposed to classical music in his early childhood. At the age of ten, he already attained the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) Level 8 Certification for classical piano, but the oppressive learning environment deprived him of the interest to continue developing this instrument. Two years later, he entered the Hong Kong Pui Ching Middle School (equivalent of grade 7), which is renowned for its creative music curriculum. During his middle school studies away from his parents, Wong was introduced to classical guitar by his mentor, James Lau. It soon became his passion and a key turning point of his career in music. Founded by missionaries of the Baptism Church, Pui Ching Middle School carries the mission to develop the virtues and ethics of its students. Wong accepted the Christian faith in 2007 in a school assembly. He remained active in a home church and strongly embraced biblical principles about love and care for communities.
Classical Guitar Career
Wong's years of classical piano training accelerated the progress of his newfound interest in classical guitar. In less than 2 years, he received near full scores in the ABRSM Level 8 Certification for classical guitar and competed for third place in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. In 2010, he was referred to Universe Wang, a local independent musician, by the school's program. Universe Wang's avant-garde approach to classical music liberated Jason Wong from the confinement of classical theory. He began composing fusion music with classical guitar techniques, mashing up genres that include Flamenco, R&B, gospel, traditional Chinese music, and 80s ballad. Wong's increasingly secular approach to guitar eventually led to the break-up between James Lau and himself. But Wong was determined about the modernization of classical guitar, especially advocating for a bigger role of un-plugged acoustic guitar in band and symphony. In 2012, he entered the Chinese University of Hong Kong to pursue a Bachelor of Art (Music) degree in contemporary fingerstyles and conducting theories. College education transformed his vision about audience and meaning of artistic interactions. He decided to fade out from traditional classical guitar competition, turning his efforts to street performances and chapel worships.
Religious Life
Since become a Christian in 2007, Wong began attending the Mei Foo Home Church in his neighbourhood. But the worldview of Christianity inevitably collided with the morals and norms of the Chinese tradition. To navigate through these issues, Wong started a bible study group with his peers to parse the meaning of the scripture and its implications to teenagers in a Chinese society. To better grasp the semantics and etymology of Books from the New Testament, Wong started another group in 2018 that studied the Hellenistic Greek language, which is the original script of the bible. Through their studies, Wong and his peers were determined about a mission to care for other young students and minorities in the neighbourhood. They formed a youth fellowship program that would gather students from multiple universities for community service and outreaching.
Situation during and after the 2019 social turmoil
Since June 2019, a large-scale movement for democratization broke out in Hong Kong. Driven by Christian belief of love and care for the disadvantaged, Wong visited multiple petition sites in the city and wrote a series of political essays that raised awareness about human rights infringement and societal harmony. When the movement eventually died down, Wong, along others who did not feel safe living in Hong Kong anymore, moved to Canada for a new life, continuing his pursuit for a Master of Musical studies at the University of Toronto. Unfortunately, he suffered from an acute heart attack at the Rogers Centre as the Toronto Blue Jays lost to the New York Yankees by 5-16 on June 28, 2024. He passed away peacefully in the embrace of his family.