Hong Kong Jazz Virtuoso Justin Siu to Premiere Murakami-Inspired Sequel at Cultural Centre

Justin Siu, a Hong Kong double‑bass player and composer, will open the second part of his Haruki Murakami‑themed trilogy, Hear Not: The Jazz Winds of Haruki Murakami, on 19–20 June 2026 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre’s Studio Theatre. The show follows the 2023 premiere of Let’s Hear: The Jazz Winds of Haruki Murakami and the 2024 revival, and will feature the same cast and band that performed the earlier productions.

Siu’s work is rooted in a personal crisis that occurred in 2023. While on a skiing trip in Switzerland, his eldest son suffered a severe allergic reaction that left him unable to breathe. An ambulance was called, but the 45‑minute drive to the nearest hospital was a reminder of mortality. Siu later said the event inspired him to write a theatrical piece that combined Murakami’s recurring themes of darkness and jazz.

The first show, Let’s Hear, was described by Siu as a “story about jazz and then about death.” He built the narrative by extracting specific jazz references from Murakami’s novels and short stories, then arranging them into a cohesive script. The production was performed in Cantonese and Japanese, with English and Chinese surtitles, and was presented as a live musical rather than a conventional concert.

Siu’s background in jazz began in his late twenties after attending a jazz club in the United Kingdom and later performing Gershwin at the BBC Proms. He studied computer science at the University of Cambridge and worked in Silicon Valley before returning to Hong Kong, where he founded the Blue Study Live series. The series streams live jazz performances from his studio and, since late 2025, offers ticketed shows in the Blue Study venue.

The new sequel is the middle part of a planned trilogy. The first show addressed the suicide of a male character from Murakami’s fiction, portrayed by Japanese saxophonist Yu Hagiwara. The second, Hear Not, focuses on a female character invented by Siu and played by Hong Kong actress Zoe Lau. The final chapter, slated for 2028, will center on Siu’s own character. Siu explained that each part explores a different timeline, allowing the audience to interpret the connections between the fictional characters, the band, and the jazz motifs.

The production is authorized by the Haruki Murakami Library at Waseda University, and the script incorporates imagery from novels such as Kafka on the Shore and A Wild Sheep Chase. The show will also offer a vinyl‑shaped token that can be redeemed for a physical copy of Siu’s upcoming debut album, Trade War.

Siu’s career has spanned classical cello training in Hong Kong, jazz performances in the United States, and a decade of work in technology. He has performed with well‑known jazz musicians such as Ahmad Jamal and Brad Mehldau, and has been a frequent collaborator with local venues like Yoshi’s in Oakland.

The Hong Kong Cultural Centre’s Studio Theatre is a 200‑seat venue that hosts a variety of performing‑arts productions. The upcoming run of Hear Not will be billed as a “live musical” that blends narrative, jazz improvisation, and visual storytelling.

As of the date of this article, the show has been scheduled for two nights in June 2026, and tickets are available through the Cultural Centre’s box office. The production is part of Siu’s broader effort to promote jazz in Hong Kong and to bring Murakami’s literary world to a live‑performance context.

The event is expected to attract both fans of Murakami’s literature and jazz enthusiasts, offering a unique cross‑disciplinary experience that highlights the intersection of narrative and improvisational music.