His role resembles that of an army commander, except that he leads with his baton, communicating with the members of the orchestra through artistic rapport and technical brilliance to present insightful interpretations of each piece of music. A conductor must also have a broad vision, intellectual accomplishments, and resourceful creativity to be an impetus to the orchestra for continual growth and development. The development of any musical genre requires a growing repertoire of works; and the performance of each work rests upon intelligent interpretation. The first International Conducting Competition for Chinese Music was initiated and organized by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. It enjoyed the keen support of experts, music conservatories and institutes in China and other parts of the world. A total of 55 entries from all over the world was received. The final competition concert was held in Hong Kong in July, 2011, with success and to wide acclaim. Such a competition is considered not only a rewarding initiative to groom young talents in conducting, but also a milestone in the development of Chinese orchestral music.
指揮是樂團的靈魂，他以個人獨特的魅力與風采，吸引著台上、台下的每一位藝術家及觀眾。角色就好像一支軍隊的領軍人物一樣，透過指揮棒帶領樂團，以高度的默契與精湛的技藝，精彩演繹每首作品。指揮家更需要以廣闊的視野與深厚的文化修為及不斷的創意，為樂團的不斷發展與進步，提供動力。音樂的發展靠作品積累來延伸，而作品的演繹則建立於智慧的詮釋！
由香港中樂團首創的全球第一屆「國際中樂指揮大賽」，在海內外的專家和音樂院校/機構的支援下，比賽共有55名來自世界各地人士報名參加。於2011年7月在香港成功舉辦了決賽音樂會，活動獲得各界一致贊賞。「國際中樂指揮大賽」不但是培育青年優秀指揮人才的創舉，更是推動大型民族管弦樂發展的裡程碑。
中國音樂家協會主席趙季平：「這次國際比賽是近百年來現代大型中樂表演藝術領域前無古人的一次創舉，比賽孕育出一批優秀的青年指揮人才，也將從整體上推動中國大型民族管弦樂事業的發展，我相信這次中樂指揮大賽將為中樂事業增添異采，成為中樂發展史上的一個裡程碑。」
香港中樂團藝術總監兼首席指揮閻惠昌：「這次中樂指揮大賽對所有參賽者而言都是一個相當難得的學習訓練機會，整個比賽過程不論在指揮、與樂團溝通以致在指揮台上的一舉一動都是寶貴的經驗，我們希望繼續舉辦這個比賽，發掘更多年青的中樂指揮家。」
