Ms. Florence Chan Sock Fun is a well-known pioneer in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry. She has been active in music and concert affairs for nearly 50 years, and has hosted more than 2,000 live performances. With her outstanding achievement, Ms. Chan is highly regarded within the industry. At present, Ms. Chan serves as the President of Fun Entertainment Limited, the Chairlady of Performing Industry Association, a Director at the Nanjing University of the Arts, a founder and co-chairman of Asia-Pacific Live Performance Industry Association, and a Consultant of Actor Agent Committee of China Association of Performing Arts.
In 1973, Ms. Chan worked in Capital Artists which was the first Chinese-led entertainment agency to recruit foreign talents to Hong Kong; and has since coordinated and organised numerous performances of internationally-renowned singers in Hong Kong. In 1976, Ms. Chan started solo concerts by Chinese singers.
In 1982, Ms. Chan founded the records and music publishing division within Capital Artists, and identified new talents such as Anita Mui, Sammi Cheng, Leon Lai, and Alex To etc.. Subsequently, Capital Artists became the first local Chinese-owned record company with the highest sales volume, and its stars soon gained immense popularity across the whole Southeast Asia.
In 1987, Artist World Enterprises Limited was founded. In addition to hosting large-scale concerts, Artist World Enterprises Limited also nurtured and represented its artists, including Leslie Cheung, Grasshopper, Lydia Shum, Roman Tam, Irene Wan, Elisa Chan, Yolinda Yan, Nina Li Chi, as well as Ann Bridgewater. Its other businesses included the production of records, audio tapes, laser discs, and music copyright management.
In 1993, Ms. Chan founded Fun Entertainment Limited. The company presented solo concerts of famous Greek composer and keyboard player Yanni, and popular singers such as Leslie Cheung, Jacky Cheung, Grasshopper, Emil Chau Wa Kin, Beyond, Sandy Lam. In particular, Ms. Chan organised the “1995 Jacky Cheung World Tour Concert” all by herself, and successfully completed 100 worldwide concerts within 11 months.
In December 1996, the “Leslie Cheung Live in Concert 97” was held. Itmarked his first solo concert after his departure from the industry for seven years. Ms. Chan led the team with 24 full-house concerts and a total of 60 world tour concerts.
In March 1997, Ms. Chan planned and produced Jacky Cheung’s creative musical “Snow•Wolf•Lake”. It was first performed in Hong Kong and received rave reviews with 43 consecutive shows sold out at the Hong Kong Coliseum. In November 1997, Jacky Cheung even performed the musical in Singapore. The Mandarin version of “Snow•Wolf•Lake” kicked off its global tour in December 2004 at the Beijing Capital Gymnasium, and returned for its 103rd closing show at the same venue in January 2006, which drew the attention of Chinese around the globe.
During the 1997 July 1st Handover, Ms. Chan was invited to serve as a consultant for the historic event’s programming by the “Association for Celebration of Reunification of Hong Kong with China”. She negotiated and invited world-renowned Chinese composer and conductor Tan Dun to write the symphony “Heaven•Earth•Mankind”; and distinguished cellist Yo-Yo Ma to perform along with famous singer Jacky Cheung. Ms. Chan was further commissioned to organise the globally broadcasted 96-hour satellite programme to celebrate the return of Hong Kong to China. In 1999, 2009, and 2019, on the occasion of the 50th, 60th, and 70th anniversary of the National Day of the People’s Republic of China, Ms. Chan was once again invited by the Organising Committee of Compatriots in Hong Kong in Celebration of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China to coordinate and produce a celebration in Hong Kong, which was partook by many Mainland and Hong Kong superstars.
In September 1997, Emil Chau Wa Kin was arranged to be the first Hong Kong artist to run a solo concert in Mainland China after the handover. Following that, many more outstanding artists and exciting concerts were introduced to Mainland audience. New Mainland stars were also often invited to perform on stage together with popular Hong Kong singers.
In 1999, 30 solo concerts were organised for Jacky Cheung at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The strongest laser effects and latest U.S-invented computerised lighting and sound system were used for the first time in Hong Kong. The world tour was afterwards launched – over 60 performances were completed in 5 months.
In 2000, “Leslie Cheung Passion Tour” was organised in Hong Kong and around the world, during which it broke the record for the most concerts performed by a Chinese singer in Japan. It also won the Ming Pao Weekly Tribute Award and the first Chinese Pop Music Best Concert Award.
In 2007, Jacky Cheung’s “The Year of Jacky Cheung World Tour 07” set another impressive record of completing 105 shows in 53 cities around the world within 12 months.
In 2008, in commemoration of the 5th anniversary of Leslie Cheung’s death, Ms. Chan held two “Miss You Much Leslie” concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum on 31 March and 1 April. A dozen of Leslie Cheung’s fellow singers and friends were invited to participate and remember this irreplaceable superstar.
In April 2009, “Grasshopper Right Now in Concert” was arranged in Hong Kong and other regions. In 2010, the “Grasshopper 25th Anniversary Concert” was performed in memory of its 25th anniversary in Hong Kong.
In 2010, the “Jacky Cheung 1/2 Century World Tour” was kicked off in Shanghai. Within 17 months until 2012, 146 shows were run in 77 cities worldwide, attracting more than 2.8 million audiences and attaining many brilliant achievements. In addition to breaking his own previous record of the most performed single concert tour, Jacky Cheung also set the Guinness World Record for “The largest combined audience for a live act in 12 months”. The tour was also awarded “Annual Best Performance Management Award” by the “23rd Golden Melody Awards”.
In 2013, the 10th anniversary memorial “Miss You Much, Leslie” was held. The series of commemorative activities included a concert on 31 March that was broadcasted worldwide; a Memorial Night on 1 April, where fans could gather together to pay tribute to their idol Leslie Cheung; an exhibition from the end of March to beginning of May, where Leslie Cheung’s fans from all over the world worked together to fold 1,956,912 paper cranes to break another Guinness World Record for “the largest display of origami cranes”.
On 1 June 2013, “Always Love Lydia” concert was held on Lydia Shum’s 5th anniversary of death to commemorate this dear friend.
In 2015, Ms. Chan adapted the masterpiece “Fung Wan”/ “Feng Yun” by the famous Hong Kong illustrator Ma Wing-shing, creating the brand-new “Storm Show 5D Creative Musical” with a team of local producers in Hong Kong. From April to July 2017, it premiered at the Hong Kong Coliseum and in major cities in China. This musical eventually won AEG Music Channel’s “Best Stage Creativity and Special Effects Award” during AEG Music Channel Touring and Music Awards Ceremony.
In December 2017, Ms. Chan cooperated with the Nanjing University of the Arts to start the first musical theatre academy – Nanjing University of the Arts•Fun Musical Academy – in Mainland China. She was also invited to be a Director of the Board of the Nanjing University of the Arts. Fun Entertainment Limited has particularly set up Fun Musical Talent Development Foundation and Chan Sock Fun Musical Scholarship to promote the development of China’s musical industry for its turn to the global stage.
In 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic, Ms. Chan joined the Hieggo Youtube Channel established by fellow media moguls to disseminate health information to members of the public. On 12 April, Hieggo hosted the “2020 Sam Hui Online Concert”; and on 9 May the “Aaron Kwok Cheer Up & Dance Online Charity Concert 2020”. Not only did these concerts successfully cheer up Hong Kong citizens and those around the world, they also raised funds for and provided workers in the performance industry with opportunities to resume work after a long suspension.
On 1 April 2021, the 18th anniversary of Leslie Cheung’s death, Hieggo organised the “In Loving Memory of Leslie Cheung Online Concert 2021”, which was live streamed through Hong Kong’s 7 major media outlets and 94 platforms around the world. It further attracted about 20 million viewers and raised more than HK$1.8 million funds for charity.
Ms. Chan was also awarded the 2017 AEG Music Channel “Performance Industry Honourary Contribution Award” and the China Association of Performing Arts “China Outstanding Contribution Award” while also being appointed as the consultant for China Association of Performing Arts; and the 2019 Guangdong Trade Association For Performances “Lifetime Achievement Award”. With over 50 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Ms. Chan has earned herself a formidable reputation. Be it Hong Kong celebrities or international superstars, every artist she has worked with have unshakeable confidence in her. With Ms. Chan’s unique accomplishments, the cultural exchange between Mainland China and Hong Kong have been more frequent and new achievements have been attained.
