How autistic Hong Kong violinist twins found joy and confidence in music
Music has helped Hugo and Jayden Pang improve their communication skills and regulate emotional outbursts. Their mother shares their story
In the fifth of a series on challenges facing Hong Kong’s growing autistic population, Charmaine Yu meets autistic twin violinists and their mother to learn how they found their voice through music.
While twin brothers Hugo and Jayden Pang often struggle to navigate a world of words, the violin provides a language in which they are always understood.
Turning 26 this month, the brothers have traded early struggles in communication for international stages, proving that in Hong Kong’s high-pressure environment, harmony can be found in unexpected places.
The twins were diagnosed with autism at the age of two. Their mother, Elaine Tang, then grappled with the challenge of how best to accommodate their different learning needs. Music proved to be an answer.
The talented duo have studied violin in Hong Kong and several other major cities, including the Austrian capital of Vienna, Seoul, London and New York.