Shum mainly writes musicals, stage plays, and translates plays and lyrics. His lyrics can be found in movies, TV shows and pop songs, and he is one of the few professional lyricists involved in orthodox, pop, film, television, and stage circles at the same time. Awards include Best Original Film Song at the 43rd Taiwan Golden Horse Film Awards, Best Original Film Song at the 32nd Hong Kong Film Awards, CASH Golden Sail Music Awards in 2006 and 2011. He won the Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Original Lyrics four times, and in 2023, the Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Lyrics with the musical “The Impossible Trial”.
His works (book and lyrics) include the a cappella musical “Pica Pica Choose” by Yat Po Singers and Taipei Mr. Wing Theatre Company, Yat Po Singers’ “Our Immortal Cantata” and “This Victoria Has No Secrets", and the Chung Ying Theatre Company’s “The Woman in Kenzo”.
Chu started studying music with the Centralised Scheme of Music Training for Senior Secondary Students, and percussion studies with Choy Lap-tak. Upon his admission to the Modern Languages and Intercultural Studies in The Chinese University of Hong Kong, he participated in several choruses and orchestras, and studied vocal under Albert Lim. He later studied choral conducting under renowned European masters including Kåre Hanken, Theodora Pavlovitch and Gábor Hollerung. In 2014, he attained the master's degree of Choral Conducting from the University of Saint Joseph, Macau, under the tutelage of Colin Mawby, Nancy Telfer and Pedro Monteiro. Recently he furthered his vocal studies under Myra Chih.
Since 2006, Chu has been the Music Director of The Chinese University of Hong Kong Chorus. He also conducts various choirs in Hong Kong, collaborated with Yan Huichang and Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra on their symphonic choral concerts, and was invited by Siam Philharmonic as the guest chorus master in their performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection”.
Chu is an active writer for magazines, newspapers and online platforms, including album reviews and critique writings. He also annotated and translated the house programmes for various arts organizations.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong Chorus was founded in 1972 by a group of CUHK students. With Leon Chu as the current Music Director & Conductor, the Chorus presents a range of diversely-themed performances, making an influence in repertoire expansion on the local music scene. The Chorus has constantly engaged in exchange activities with choirs in the mainland China and Southeast Asia, and in recent years been also invited to various large-scale performances in local and overseas music festivals.
CU Chorus has been actively commissioning new works by Hong Kong composers, so as to develop a unique and local voice in Hong Kong choral music. In 2014, the Chorus released its first commercial album “Spring Breeze Kisses My Face — The Choral Music of Jan Tien-hao” on The Modern Audio label, to such popular acclaim that it is awarded as one of the Best Sales Releases (Classical and Operatic Works Recording) in the IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Award 2014. The Chorus released their second album “Sing Our Own Song” in 2019, promoting Hong Kong Cantonese choral music.
