Teachers

Christine Octaviani

Field(s) of study : Piano, Aural & Theory

Born : Indonesia

Degrees : Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, NUS (Singapore); Masters of Music Performance, Trinity College of Music (London); Fellow of the Royal Schools of Music (Distinction); Fellowship Diploma in Piano, Trinity College London; Fellowship Diploma in Piano, London College of Music; Licentiate in Music Theory (Distinction)

Biography : Ms Christine Octaviani graduated from National University of Singapore with a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering, and subsequently from Trinity College of Music (London) with a Master degree in Piano Performance.

During her undergraduate years, Ms Christine was a member of the NUS Piano Ensemble, frequently appearing in duo performances. Her passion for the piano led her to achieve the Licentiate (with distinction) and Fellowship diplomas from Trinity while pursuing the engineering degree.

In her postgraduate years, Ms Christine collaborated extensively with various singers and instrumentalists, performing in London and France. Upon returning to Singapore, Ms Christine joined Mandeville as a piano instructor; her students thus far has ranged between 3-60. An experienced and dedicated teacher, her students have done well in graded practical and theory examinations, mainly scoring merits and distinctions. She is also well-versed with diploma examinations, having prepared students for diplomas from Trinity, ABRSM and London College of Music, again with distinctions. Her students have gained success in international competitions such as the American Protege Competition and local festivals, as well as successful auditions to conservatories on scholarship.

Ms Christine’s teaching interests lie in advanced repertoire and theory; she pioneered the Advanced Music Theory Course (Grade 6) in 2016.
As the associate consultant of the piano department since 2016, Ms Christine has been involved in developing the syllabus for Creative Musicianship Classes. She is also in demand as a masterclass teacher and internal mock examination teacher for examination preparations.
Aside from teaching, Ms Christine is highly sought-after as an accompanist, frequently performing for concerts and examinations.

A firm believer of continuous learning, Ms Christine actively involves herself with academic research and repertoire study. She attained the LMusTCL (theory diploma) with distinction in 2014, and was awarded the Fellowship by London College of Music in 2018. In 2019, she was awarded the Fellow of the Royal Schools of Music with distinction.

Ms Christine believes that the journey of musical pursuit is a life-long one, and under the right guidance, it can be both enjoyable and rewarding. The process of learning teaches one about discipline, hard work and determination, elements which would strengthen one’s character in the long run. In her free time, Ms Christine enjoys reading, going to the gym, and spending time with her 3 young children.

Faculty : Faculty since September 2011.

Grace Sia

Born: Malaysia

Field(s) of study: Piano, Aural Training, Theory

Degrees: Bachelor of Music, University of Melbourne (Australia)

Biography: Has more than 15 years of teaching experience in Malaysia and Singapore. A popular and passionate teacher, highly effective as a masterclass clinician. Trainer of several high-scorer pianists in the ABRSM examinations.

Faculty: Faculty since 2000.

Charisma Ong

Field(s) of study : Piano, Aural

Born : Malaysia

Degrees : Diploma, ABRSM, Music Performance (Piano)

Biography : Ms Charisma started her music journey at the age of 9 and is currently pursuing her Trinity’s Licentiate (LTCL) music performance diploma in Malaysia. After completing her O levels, Ms Charisma decided to foray into teaching as a career and she has taught numerous students in music schools in Singapore. During her teaching career, she has prepared her students for the ABRSM exams and the results garnered by her students were mainly merits and distinctions. With a keen sense to upgrade her credentials, Ms Charisma decided to further her studies in music.

During her college and university days, Ms Charisma was engaged as a part time music educator in Forest of Stars Demiquaver based in Johor Bahru where her instruction was to nurture young children. The module that she specialized in at that music school was music and movement where they utilized the use of percussion instruments.

Upon graduating, she travelled across the border to teach in Singapore and continue her teaching career here. Ms Charisma truly enjoys working with young children and teenagers as most of her students are young students with the youngest being 3 years old. She deploys various teaching techniques to different age groups to facilitate swift understanding of music concepts.

Apart from her teaching commitments, Ms Charisma has been active in giving back to the community by engaging in community service where she and her team share the joy of music with the patients of Ren Ci Hospital and impart the delight of music with autistic children in an autistic school in Singapore.

Faculty : Faculty since May 2016

Mary Tran

Field(s) of study : Piano, Aural, Accompanist for Instrumentalists

Born : Vietnam

Degrees : Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, NUS – Full scholarship by Keppel Corporation

Biography : Besides piano performance and accompaniment, Ms. Mary teaches individual piano lesson and music foundation for children as young as aged 3. She incorporates fun & creativity in the lessons while focusing on the fundamentals of music.

Ms. Mary’s dedication and commitment in teaching led her to become a very popular teacher in Mandeville and was voted by her students in the program “Favourite Music Teacher” in Mediacorp Symphony 924 Contest 2022. Many of her students achieved high merits and distinctions in ABRSM Graded examinations and are prize winners in local and overseas competitions.

Faculty : Faculty since 2011

Stefan Popov

Field(s) of study : Piano, Aural

Born : Bulgaria

Degrees : Masters of Music, State Academy of Music, Pancho Vladigerov (Bulgaria)

Biography : Mr Stefan Popov has a Masters degree in Piano Performance from “Pancho Vladigerov Academy of Music” Sofia, Bulgaria and also graduated with a Bachelor of Sound Engineering. During his studies he was exposed to other instruments like flute and digital piano. As a soloist and accompanist he has performed at numerous recitals and competitions in Bulgaria, Germany and Norway and has recorded for the Bulgarian national radio and television.

Mr Stefan has more than 15 years of teaching experience, devoting his time in teaching piano, aural and theory. Apart from being sought after as our students’ accompanist, he is also active on the chamber stage having performed at various venues in Singapore. Through the years, his students have achieved high results taking graded and diploma exams. They are currently active in participating at schools concerts as soloists and accompanists as well. Having taught students of various age groups, Stefan believes that everyone has the potential to discover the joy of music. He teaching style stands on an individual approach to every student based on patience, motivation and pursuing the goals set. Apart from his job, Mr Stefan likes outdoor activities like swimming, cycling and trekking.

Faculty : Faculty since 2003

Tran Trung Thuan, Tim

Field(s) of study : Piano, Aural, Theory

Born : Vietnam

Degrees : Bachelor of Music Composition, Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory

Biography : An established music composer and arranger, working extensively in the entertainment industry in Vietnam. Affable and well-liked by students.

Faculty : Faculty since August 2011

Genesis Teh

Field(s) of study : Piano, Music Theory

Born : Malaysia

Degrees : BContempMus (Hons), UCSI University, Malaysia

Biography : Mr. Genesis started his musical pathways at the age of 7 and graduated with a Bachelor of Contemporary Music (Hons.) in UCSI University, Malaysia. While studying, he was under the tutelage of the head of contemporary music program, Mr. Justin Lim.

Given his great passion for music, Mr. Genesis has been active in the music performing scene both in Singapore and Malaysia. Currently the appointed keyboardist for local radio station 96.3 Hao FM, he has been performing in numerous events and occasions both in a band settings and as a solo pianist (pop and jazz music).

With his knowledge and interest in music arrangement, he has worked with the founder of Inner Voice Productions, Mr. Ken Hor for several short films. He has also worked with different jingle studios (2PM Studio, Canang Studio), writing and composing music for TV commercials.

Having his own YouTube channel, Mr. Genesis has worked alongside with singer Cecilia to produce music for thousands of audience. His music is mainly inclined towards jazz, pop, rock, EDM etc.

Mr. Genesis has been teaching since 2014 and has an extensive experience working with students of all ages from 4-50, in both classical and contemporary music. He has prepared students for music exams in ABRSM and Trinity board, and has consistently produced good results for his students scoring mostly distinctions and merits. He enjoys working with young children, to inspire and nurture their interest in music, and also working with teenagers and young adults, to introduce a different side of music to his students.

Mr. Genesis believes that each student has their own ways of learning. Thus, he personalizes his teaching method to suit his students’ learning capabilities to produce best results. He also believes that music has no age limit; it’s never too late for each person to start their musical journey as long as they have the interest.

Mr. Genesis teaches both classical and contemporary music, music theory, contemporary compositions and performances.

Faculty : Faculty since December 2015

Jessica Lu

Field(s) of study : Sanxian

Born : China

Degrees : Bachelor Degree in Performing Arts (Sanxian), China Conservatory of Music

Biography : Born in Xi An. Jessica was accepted into Shanghai Conservatory of Music, majored in Sanxian at the age of 12 under the tutelage of Professor Zhang Nian Bing and was successfully accepted by China Conservatory of Music to do her Bachelor Degree in Performing Arts (Sanxian) 1995 – 1999 under the tutelage of Professor Zhao Cheng Wei.

She had her premier performance at Shanghai Concert Hall in 1994 and was awarded the Best Performer Award in the International Chinese Music Competition in 1995.

Jessica was signed as an Artist under Andrew Lum & New Asia (Singapore) 2000 – 2004 and released an album “Matter of Time”. New Asia & Flowing in the Seasons of the album recorded by Jessica was awarded Top 10 in USA International Songwriting Competition and Best World Music Award in Composers’ Association of Singapore (COMPASS). She was also actively involved in recordings internationally from Japan “This Way to Nike Beautiful” (Nike Asia) by NOKKO & GO, “Man Ray” by Milan Music (France) and “Liquid Sounds Vol.1” by Free Form Records (Germany). They were all awarded for “Best World Music Award”.

With her talents, she is known in the music industry for versatility in performing different genres of music; from classical, world music to pop music. In 2008, Warners Music released her first album “Beauty of Sanxian” with an overwhelming response.

Jessica is not only active in the local performing scene, over the years she often represents Singapore performing at international festivals all around the world to France, Japan, Scotland and USA in festivals including WOMAD, VOLVO World Music Festival, MIDEM, Chicago Jazz Music Festival, Japan Asia Music Market, Edinburgh International Music Festival.

She has also collaborated and performed with renowned musicians around the world like Phillippe Siasse (NYC), NOKKO & GO (Japan), Goh Hotoda (NYC/Japan), Guo Yazhi (Hong Kong), Mark Chan (Singapore), Nokko Rebecca (Japan) and V Selvaganesh of Remembering Shakti (India).

In 2020, Jessica was the first Singaporean to hold a 2-night Sanxian concert at the Esplanade as part of Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts.

Jessica quotes “I’ll not stop sharing the beautiful sound of Sanxian to the world and hope everyone who listens to my music will be in love with the sound of Sanxian”.

Faculty : Faculty since July 2020

Ken Tan

Field(s) of study: Double Bass, Guitar

Born: Singapore

Degrees: Diploma, Trinity College of Music, London (UK)

Biography: Awarded the first Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) scholarship to pursue music studies in London from 1979-1982. Upon return to Singapore, was member of the SSO till 2005. Taught in National University of Singapore for more than 10 years.

Faculty: Founder & Director since inception

Amir Khalid

Field(s) of study: Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Drums

Born: Singapore

Degree: Grade 8 Guitar – Trinity College London

Biography: Despite picking up the guitar at a late age of 12 years old, Mr Amir diligently self taught himself the acoustic guitar playing mainly pop and rock songs. Given his deep rooted interest in the instrument, he eventually upgraded to playing the electric guitar at the age of 15.

Mr Amir graduated to learning the guitar at Yamaha music during his NS years under the tutelage of his teacher, Mr Rosli Mansoor who is now touted as one of the best guitarist in Singapore.

In his formative working career, Mr Amir gained experience with music  in working in a major musical instruments franchise – SWEE LEE for a couple of years where he interacted with professional musicians in Asia.

Mr Amir’s calling to teach came later in life when he encountered interested parties who requested to take up guitar lessons with him. As a result of this, he changed his line of work from sales to teaching. His initial job as a music teacher started off with him becoming a private teacher for a few years where he was also part of a music school Music Ensemble. He was later employed in an international school as an enrichment guitar teacher.

To back up his teaching venture, Mr Amir decided to sit for the ABRSM Grade 5 classic guitar exam in which he passed. With this obtained credential, Mr Amir was promoted to work on a different post in the international school as an Instrumental teacher in the High School department where he taught for 15 years.

Throughout the years, Mr Amir had immeasurable experience teaching students ranging from 4 years old to 65 years old, both in a group setting of 15 students and also individually where the students had different goals setting. Mr Amir also actively organized concerts for his students outside school premises in YMS every year.

To experience a different set of challenges, starting from 2015, Mr Amir moved from the international school to private institutions which cater to more exam oriented students. In these institutions, Mr Amir sent his students for the ABRSM exams where they achieved merit and distinction for their results. He also has students who learn the guitar for leisure.

Being someone who constantly upgrades his skills, he has self taught himself to learn the drums. In his free time, Mr Amir actively composes his own original instrumental tracks. His original compositions can he purchased online and he has presently amassed a gathering of 55 fans worldwide who loves his music.

“I can’t separate music in my life. It has always been a constant facet in my life. Music is a universal language without words which the whole world understands” – Amir Khalid

Faculty: Faculty since March 2018

Samuel Chee

Field(s) of study : Electric Guitar, Acoustic fingerstyle and pop guitar, Jazz guitar, Classical guitar, Bass guitar, Ukulele

Born : Singapore

Degrees : Bachelor (with honors) of Performing Arts (Music), Lasalle College of the Arts

Biography : Beginning as a regular multi-instrumentalist performer in the Singapore gigging scene, teacher Sam has been teaching and coaching music learners since 2006. A former sessionist, he specializes in speed learning and performance training, and is passionate about nurturing students to freely and meaningfully express themselves through their choice of instruments.

A fun, lively, and responsive teacher, Sam appreciates every student and takes time to know them. An alumni of the Singapore Gifted Education Programme, he combines both intellectual and emotional approaches, and has repertoires of teaching styles and syllabuses adaptable to every student’s unique needs, character and temperament.

Zac Du

Field(s) of study : Folk & Classical Guitar / Ukulele

Born : China

Degrees : Bachelor degree from Nanjing Arts Institute. Trinity LTCL guitar diploma(UK).

Biography : Taught extensively as a guitar teacher in China and Singapore.

Faculty : Faculty since August 2012

Amir Khalid

Field(s) of study: Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Drums

Born: Singapore

Degree: Grade 8 Guitar – Trinity College London

Biography: Despite picking up the guitar at a late age of 12 years old, Mr Amir diligently self taught himself the acoustic guitar playing mainly pop and rock songs. Given his deep rooted interest in the instrument, he eventually upgraded to playing the electric guitar at the age of 15.

Mr Amir graduated to learning the guitar at Yamaha music during his NS years under the tutelage of his teacher, Mr Rosli Mansoor who is now touted as one of the best guitarist in Singapore.

In his formative working career, Mr Amir gained experience with music  in working in a major musical instruments franchise – SWEE LEE for a couple of years where he interacted with professional musicians in Asia.

Mr Amir’s calling to teach came later in life when he encountered interested parties who requested to take up guitar lessons with him. As a result of this, he changed his line of work from sales to teaching. His initial job as a music teacher started off with him becoming a private teacher for a few years where he was also part of a music school Music Ensemble. He was later employed in an international school as an enrichment guitar teacher.

To back up his teaching venture, Mr Amir decided to sit for the ABRSM Grade 5 classic guitar exam in which he passed. With this obtained credential, Mr Amir was promoted to work on a different post in the international school as an Instrumental teacher in the High School department where he taught for 15 years.

Throughout the years, Mr Amir had immeasurable experience teaching students ranging from 4 years old to 65 years old, both in a group setting of 15 students and also individually where the students had different goals setting. Mr Amir also actively organized concerts for his students outside school premises in YMS every year.

To experience a different set of challenges, starting from 2015, Mr Amir moved from the international school to private institutions which cater to more exam oriented students. In these institutions, Mr Amir sent his students for the ABRSM exams where they achieved merit and distinction for their results. He also has students who learn the guitar for leisure.

Being someone who constantly upgrades his skills, he has self taught himself to learn the drums. In his free time, Mr Amir actively composes his own original instrumental tracks. His original compositions can he purchased online and he has presently amassed a gathering of 55 fans worldwide who loves his music.

“I can’t separate music in my life. It has always been a constant facet in my life. Music is a universal language without words which the whole world understands” – Amir Khalid

Faculty: Faculty since March 2018

Niq Osman

Field(s) of study : Drums

Born : Singapore

Degrees : –

Biography : Has been performing since 1970, recording for major music labels such as EMI and the former Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Performed in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Pakistan and Macau

Faculty : Faculty since May 2004

Lim Zhi Ru

Field(s) of study : Piano and Theory

Born : Malaysia

Degrees : Master’s in Piano Performance and Literature, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA), Licentiate Trinity College of London (LTCL with Distinction)

Biography : Ms Lim was a receiver of University Trust Scholarship and completed her Bachelor in Classical Music at University College Sedaya International (UCSI). Upon graduating, she became the valedictorian of Institute of Music. Later on, she received teaching assistantship from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to pursue her Master in Piano Performance and Literature, under the tutelage of Prof. Timothy Ehlen. She received distinction results in both ATCL and LTCL diploma exams.

Ms Lim has performed extensively. She was part of Illinois Modern ensemble and has premiered new compositions under the baton of Stephen Taylor and Carlos Carrillo. She was also the selected pianist of KLPAC Orchestra. She has performed for countless venues, including MPO, KLPAC, SOTA, Roosevelt University. Her most interesting experience was to perform in a prison in Illinois. She has participated in numerous masterclasses, including with Dr. Julie Bees, Dr. Peter Amstutz, Dr. James Miltenberger, Graham Caskie and many more. She also joined Oversea Malaysian Winter Piano Academy which was held in the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School.

As a music theory teaching assistant, she taught university students music theory and aural skills, receiving a teaching evaluation of 4.8/5. She has 3 years of piano teaching experience with students ranging from beginner to diploma. Her teaching emphasizes on good musicality and right technique. She believes that music is not just about playing the right notes.

Faculty : Faculty since September 2018. Team Lead of Department for Piano Studies.

Christine Octaviani

Field(s) of study : Piano, Aural & Theory

Born : Indonesia

Degrees : Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, NUS (Singapore); Masters of Music Performance, Trinity College of Music (London); Fellow of the Royal Schools of Music (Distinction); Fellowship Diploma in Piano, Trinity College London; Fellowship Diploma in Piano, London College of Music; Licentiate in Music Theory (Distinction)

Biography : Ms Christine Octaviani graduated from National University of Singapore with a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering, and subsequently from Trinity College of Music (London) with a Master degree in Piano Performance.

During her undergraduate years, Ms Christine was a member of the NUS Piano Ensemble, frequently appearing in duo performances. Her passion for the piano led her to achieve the Licentiate (with distinction) and Fellowship diplomas from Trinity while pursuing the engineering degree.

In her postgraduate years, Ms Christine collaborated extensively with various singers and instrumentalists, performing in London and France. Upon returning to Singapore, Ms Christine joined Mandeville as a piano instructor; her students thus far has ranged between 3-60. An experienced and dedicated teacher, her students have done well in graded practical and theory examinations, mainly scoring merits and distinctions. She is also well-versed with diploma examinations, having prepared students for diplomas from Trinity, ABRSM and London College of Music, again with distinctions. Her students have gained success in international competitions such as the American Protege Competition and local festivals, as well as successful auditions to conservatories on scholarship.

Ms Christine’s teaching interests lie in advanced repertoire and theory; she pioneered the Advanced Music Theory Course (Grade 6) in 2016.
As the associate consultant of the piano department since 2016, Ms Christine has been involved in developing the syllabus for Creative Musicianship Classes. She is also in demand as a masterclass teacher and internal mock examination teacher for examination preparations.
Aside from teaching, Ms Christine is highly sought-after as an accompanist, frequently performing for concerts and examinations.

A firm believer of continuous learning, Ms Christine actively involves herself with academic research and repertoire study. She attained the LMusTCL (theory diploma) with distinction in 2014, and was awarded the Fellowship by London College of Music in 2018. In 2019, she was awarded the Fellow of the Royal Schools of Music with distinction.

Ms Christine believes that the journey of musical pursuit is a life-long one, and under the right guidance, it can be both enjoyable and rewarding. The process of learning teaches one about discipline, hard work and determination, elements which would strengthen one’s character in the long run. In her free time, Ms Christine enjoys reading, going to the gym, and spending time with her 3 young children.

Faculty : Faculty since September 2011.

Grace Sia

Born: Malaysia

Field(s) of study: Piano, Aural Training, Theory

Degrees: Bachelor of Music, University of Melbourne (Australia)

Biography: Has more than 15 years of teaching experience in Malaysia and Singapore. A popular and passionate teacher, highly effective as a masterclass clinician. Trainer of several high-scorer pianists in the ABRSM examinations.

Faculty: Faculty since 2000.

Charisma Ong

Field(s) of study : Piano, Aural

Born : Malaysia

Degrees : Diploma, ABRSM, Music Performance (Piano)

Biography : Ms Charisma started her music journey at the age of 9 and is currently pursuing her Trinity’s Licentiate (LTCL) music performance diploma in Malaysia. After completing her O levels, Ms Charisma decided to foray into teaching as a career and she has taught numerous students in music schools in Singapore. During her teaching career, she has prepared her students for the ABRSM exams and the results garnered by her students were mainly merits and distinctions. With a keen sense to upgrade her credentials, Ms Charisma decided to further her studies in music.

During her college and university days, Ms Charisma was engaged as a part time music educator in Forest of Stars Demiquaver based in Johor Bahru where her instruction was to nurture young children. The module that she specialized in at that music school was music and movement where they utilized the use of percussion instruments.

Upon graduating, she travelled across the border to teach in Singapore and continue her teaching career here. Ms Charisma truly enjoys working with young children and teenagers as most of her students are young students with the youngest being 3 years old. She deploys various teaching techniques to different age groups to facilitate swift understanding of music concepts.

Apart from her teaching commitments, Ms Charisma has been active in giving back to the community by engaging in community service where she and her team share the joy of music with the patients of Ren Ci Hospital and impart the delight of music with autistic children in an autistic school in Singapore.

Faculty : Faculty since May 2016

Chiang Wei En

2Field(s) of study : Contemporary Piano

Born : Malaysia

Degrees : Bachelor Of Music (Hons.) Contemporary

Biography : Ms Chiang holds a Bachelor of Music (Hons) Contemporary from UCSI University, majoring in Piano. She has also received an award in Diploma of Associate from London College of Music. Her teaching journey kicked off by her teaching in Cempaka Performing Arts Company in Malaysia and subsequently migrating and relocating in Singapore.

The age range of her student varies from children to adults, however she is more in tune with coaching and working with kids, especially those in the Beginner levels. Ms Chiang emphasizes that a strong inlay of foundation for young beginners will reap beneficial rewards to their music journey in the future, thus her aim is to help strengthen the foundation of her students. She has also previously headed junior group classes in music appreciation.

Ms Chiang affirms that with the proper guidance and encouragement, any child can achieve greatness. Parental involvement is in line with this philosophy as it is essential in ensuring the child’s progress.

Given her care and support towards her students, Ms Chiang’s students have achieved 100% passing rate in their ABRSM examinations with a number of them attaining Distinction. These students had the opportunity to perform in the Conservatory’s prestigious High Scorers Concert. Ms Chiang also believes that performance exposure is advantageous, thus she has sent her students to perform in the Conservatory’s piano departmental recitals and the Biennial concert as well.

With the many events that music schools organize, Ms Chiang was nominated as the concert master in her previous employment where she had to plan and facilitate the school’s concerts. She currently uses this experience to help out in the various concerts held in Mandeville, where she is part of the concert committee.

On top of her teaching profession, Ms Chiang had a memorable experience performing in front of royalties in a Royal Banquet of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. When she is not teaching, Ms Chiang spends her time reading novels, creating arts & crafts and café hopping.

Faculty : Faculty since January 2017

Dianne Rivas

Field(s) of study : Piano

Born : The Philippines

Degrees : Bachelor in Music Education, University of the Philippines-Diliman

Biography : Ms Dianne is a licensed teacher specializing in early childhood development who uses renowned methodologies such as Kodaly, Dalcroze, Carabocone, Music Mind Games and various ecclectic methods. Ms. Dianne has a reputation for raising students who pass their ABRSM exams with flying colors. Not only is she passionate about teaching children, she instills good values and disciplines and stirs up love for music in her students.

Her group classes and masterclasses are thoroughly enjoyed by her students as she delivers a holistic approach in their overall learning experience. She embodies versatility and creativity being able to teach classical, jazz and pop music. With this, her improvisation techniques enrich song pieces that are palatable to the soul.

Alongside Ms. Dianne’s teaching excellence is her practical knowledge in music technology. Having composed songs, performed in concerts and co-produced music albums in Singapore and abroad, her expertise and insights are sought after by both secular and religious organizations. The use of technological applications also aids her in designing curriculum for digital learning.

Prior to joining Mandeville, Ms. Dianne was a musical directress in a network of Christian churches in Manila, a consultant and curriculum developer in music to international schools in Philippines. She also collaborated with different organizations in conducting music trainings, masterclasses and even musical plays.  She is also an established composer and music arranger, and an author of contemporary music improvisation books circulated nationwide in Philippines. She has bagged awards in music performances, music composition, choral competition.

While she specializes in teaching young children, her students’ age ranges from 3 years old to mid 50s.

Faculty : Faculty since May 2011

Ivy Low

Field(s) of study : Piano and Theory

Born : Malaysia

Degrees : Bachelor of music, University Science Malaysia, Penang

Biography : An interest in playing the piano at a young age blossomed into a full-fledged tertiary education in music – Ms. Ivy obtained her Bachelor Degree (Hons) in Music Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Science Malaysia, Penang under the tutelage of Dr. Yumi Yoshioka in 2009. She also attained her Associateship diploma from Trinity College of London (ATCL) with distinction while studying in high school.

During the course of her studies, she has participated in the Jazz Band as a violinist. She was part of the strings members of Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Penang State (PESSOC). She has performed extensively for various types of instrumental and vocal performance, recital, charity, and examination.

In the year 2015, she has attained Suzuki Piano Teacher Training Certification with Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) in Memphis and Columbus under the tutelage of Caroline Fraser and Mary Craig Powell.

As a music lover, she creates elaborate music arrangements for kids, bands, and choirs for ensemble performances.

Ms. Ivy has been a music instructor of piano, aural and theory since 2008 and has extensive experience working with students of all ages from 3-55, in both Malaysia and in Singapore. She has prepared students for music exams in ABRSM and has consistently produced good results for her students scoring mainly distinctions and merits. She enjoys working with all age groups. She has also worked as a volunteer in MINDS Organisations with special needs children in music enrichment programmes.

Ms. Ivy’s teaching approach encapsulates the Suzuki Philosophy in its entirety that every child can learn. She also firmly believes that music is a form of language that everyone can be taught to be fluent in. Therefore, by utilizing different methods and effective teaching, she is committed in bringing out the best from every student, inspire them and to help them blossom into well-rounded individuals.

She cultivates students’ curiosity and interest in learning by showing commitment to student learning as she believes that it can be an important factor in motivating students.

With such great dedication and love for music teaching, her biggest motivation and goal as a teacher is to enable students to realize a level of proficiency that will allow them to learn music independently, leading to lifelong appreciation and enjoyment in music-making.

Faculty : Faculty since August 2012

Lynn Kang

Field(s) of study : Piano

Born : Malaysia

Degrees : Masters of Music, Royal College of Music (UK)

Biography : Born in Malaysia, Ms Lynn started playing the piano at the age of 5, and the flute when she was 8. She was a regular performer in local concerts and festivals, culminating in the Sarawak Young Musician of the Year Award 1999. In 2002, she furthered her musical education abroad by entering Wells Cathedral School as a special exhibitionist musician.  Following that, Ms Lynn entered the Royal College of Music where she completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies under John Byrne, Leon McCawley, Gordon Fergus-Thompson, and Simon Lepper. Competition successes include prizes in Sevenoaks Young Musician of the Year, Brant International Piano Competition, HSBC Classics Piano Competition (Malaysia), and the RCM English Song Prize (Accompanist Prize).

Ms Lynn has performed in many internationally renowned performance venues such as Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, St Martins-in-the-Fields, Steinway Hall (London), the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Pump Rooms in Bath.  She has also participated in many masterclasses, notably with the likes of Menahem Pressler, Leif Ove Andsnes, Bernard d’Ascoli, and Sergei Dorensky.

Ms Lynn has been teaching at Mandeville Conservatory of Music in Singapore since 2012. As a teacher, Ms Lynn supports her students by catering to their individual personalities and needs. With over 10 years experience teaching piano and theory to students of all levels, she has successfully prepared students for conservatoire entrance auditions, graded and diploma exams, as well as numerous local and international music festivals and competitions. Passionate about chamber music, Ms Lynn enjoys collaborating with other musicians, and encourages her students to play in duos and other larger ensembles. She is also an experienced accompanist, having played for young musicians in Singapore International String Conference, Singapore Flute Festival, diploma exams, masterclasses and music festivals.

Faculty : Faculty since January 2012

Mary Tran

Field(s) of study : Piano, Aural, Accompanist for Instrumentalists

Born : Vietnam

Degrees : Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, NUS – Full scholarship by Keppel Corporation

Biography : Besides piano performance and accompaniment, Ms. Mary teaches individual piano lesson and music foundation for children as young as aged 3. She incorporates fun & creativity in the lessons while focusing on the fundamentals of music.

Ms. Mary’s dedication and commitment in teaching led her to become a very popular teacher in Mandeville and was voted by her students in the program “Favourite Music Teacher” in Mediacorp Symphony 924 Contest 2022. Many of her students achieved high merits and distinctions in ABRSM Graded examinations and are prize winners in local and overseas competitions.

Faculty : Faculty since 2011

Stefan Popov

Field(s) of study : Piano, Aural

Born : Bulgaria

Degrees : Masters of Music, State Academy of Music, Pancho Vladigerov (Bulgaria)

Biography : Mr Stefan Popov has a Masters degree in Piano Performance from “Pancho Vladigerov Academy of Music” Sofia, Bulgaria and also graduated with a Bachelor of Sound Engineering. During his studies he was exposed to other instruments like flute and digital piano. As a soloist and accompanist he has performed at numerous recitals and competitions in Bulgaria, Germany and Norway and has recorded for the Bulgarian national radio and television.

Mr Stefan has more than 15 years of teaching experience, devoting his time in teaching piano, aural and theory. Apart from being sought after as our students’ accompanist, he is also active on the chamber stage having performed at various venues in Singapore. Through the years, his students have achieved high results taking graded and diploma exams. They are currently active in participating at schools concerts as soloists and accompanists as well. Having taught students of various age groups, Stefan believes that everyone has the potential to discover the joy of music. He teaching style stands on an individual approach to every student based on patience, motivation and pursuing the goals set. Apart from his job, Mr Stefan likes outdoor activities like swimming, cycling and trekking.

Faculty : Faculty since 2003

Tran Trung Thuan, Tim

Field(s) of study : Piano, Aural, Theory

Born : Vietnam

Degrees : Bachelor of Music Composition, Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory

Biography : An established music composer and arranger, working extensively in the entertainment industry in Vietnam. Affable and well-liked by students.

Faculty : Faculty since August 2011

Chng Xin Bei

Field(s) of study : Piano

Born : Malaysia

Degrees : Bachelor of Classical Music, UCSI University Institute of Music

Biography : Ms Chng Xin Bei received her Foundation degree at LASALLE College of Music and her Bachelor of Classical Music (Hons.) in Classical Piano at UCSI University (Malaysia) where she studied under the tutelage of Ms. Jaz Tan Siaw Pei who was formerly the Head of Classical Music Degree Program.

Ms. Chng has been working with children and young adults for 8 years since she started her career working as a part-time piano teacher during her years at university. Since then, she had worked as a primary music teacher at Tenby International School in Malaysia where she devised a new Primary music syllabus for the school. She then travelled to Toronto, Canada, where she taught after-school keyboard classes to young children in schools under the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and also accompanied musical performances at a summer camp. She is also an avid performer, both as a soloist and in an ensemble. Her past performances had brought her to countries such as China, Korea, Canada and Malaysia. Ms. Chng believes that music is to be enjoyed in all forms as she is an active member in award-winning choirs for over a decade where she has had a chance to participate in choral festivals and competitions all over the world. It was also then that she had a chance to perform at major events such as TEDx and various other music festivals. She was also privileged to perform with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) under the baton of Maestro Benjamin Zander, who is currently the musical director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ms. Chng has proved to be a passionate and motivated teacher as her students have mostly excelled in their ABRSM theory and practical exams under her guidance, achieving merits and distinctions. Her methods of teaching not only solely focus on the technicality of playing, but also provides insightful information that is relevant to their pieces in regards to the composer’s historical background. That way, students would not only be able to play the pieces accurately but would also have the ability to bring the pieces to life.

Faculty : Faculty since Aug 2021

Eliza Kwok

Field(s) of study: Piano, Theory, Aural

Born: Singapore

Degrees: LTCL in Piano Performance, Royal College of Music, London, LLCM in Piano Performance, Royal College of Music, London

Biography: Ms Eliza studied piano with Mr. Angus Morrison at the Royal College of Music in London. She holds an LTCL and LLCM in Piano Performance.

Since her return to Singapore, Ms Eliza has been actively teaching and performing. She has accompanied vocalists, violinists and flutists in concerts here and the near region. Throughout her tenure, Ms Eliza has taught at Yamaha Music School and Methodist School of Music. Apart from teaching, she was the pianist for Wesley Methodist Church for 20 years.

Ms Eliza, who has been conducting piano, aural and theory classes for the past 40 years, is also a patient and sympathetic teacher who instills in her students that music is a life long pursuit and this journey must be enjoyed!

Faculty: Faculty since January 2020

Genesis Teh

Field(s) of study : Piano, Music Theory

Born : Malaysia

Degrees : BContempMus (Hons), UCSI University, Malaysia

Biography : Mr. Genesis started his musical pathways at the age of 7 and graduated with a Bachelor of Contemporary Music (Hons.) in UCSI University, Malaysia. While studying, he was under the tutelage of the head of contemporary music program, Mr. Justin Lim.

Given his great passion for music, Mr. Genesis has been active in the music performing scene both in Singapore and Malaysia. Currently the appointed keyboardist for local radio station 96.3 Hao FM, he has been performing in numerous events and occasions both in a band settings and as a solo pianist (pop and jazz music).

With his knowledge and interest in music arrangement, he has worked with the founder of Inner Voice Productions, Mr. Ken Hor for several short films. He has also worked with different jingle studios (2PM Studio, Canang Studio), writing and composing music for TV commercials.

Having his own YouTube channel, Mr. Genesis has worked alongside with singer Cecilia to produce music for thousands of audience. His music is mainly inclined towards jazz, pop, rock, EDM etc.

Mr. Genesis has been teaching since 2014 and has an extensive experience working with students of all ages from 4-50, in both classical and contemporary music. He has prepared students for music exams in ABRSM and Trinity board, and has consistently produced good results for his students scoring mostly distinctions and merits. He enjoys working with young children, to inspire and nurture their interest in music, and also working with teenagers and young adults, to introduce a different side of music to his students.

Mr. Genesis believes that each student has their own ways of learning. Thus, he personalizes his teaching method to suit his students’ learning capabilities to produce best results. He also believes that music has no age limit; it’s never too late for each person to start their musical journey as long as they have the interest.

Mr. Genesis teaches both classical and contemporary music, music theory, contemporary compositions and performances.

Faculty : Faculty since December 2015

Sandy Li

Field(s) of study : Piano, Flute

Born : Taiwan

Degrees : Master’s Degree in Instrumental Performance at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (UK)

Biography : Taiwanese flautist and pianist Ms. Sandy Li completed her Master’s Degree in Instrumental Performance at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (UK) and Bachelor’s Degree in Music at University of Taipei (Taiwan). Ms. Sandy has taken part in a variety of famous flute masterclasses, such as William Bennett, Lorna McGhee, Denis Bouriakov, James Galway, Emily Beynon and Amy Porter.

In 2014, Ms. Sandy participated in the 5th Singapore Flute Festival, winning the 1st Prize of the Open Category and Audience Award. In 2017, she won the 3rd Prize in Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra Concerto Prize and played André Jolivet’s Flute Concerto with Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2018, she was the principal flute in Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra for the Royal Gala Opening Concert under conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and recorded by BBC Radio 3.

Ms. Sandy has experienced in the music industry both flute and piano for almost 20 years. She played a number of orchestral concerts, various performances and also had an experienced teaching background in Taiwan, UK and Singapore.

Faculty : Faculty since August 2022

Su Chia-Hui

Field(s) of study : Piano

Born : Taiwan

Degrees : Doctorate degree of Music in Piano performance, Conservatorio di Musica Luca Marenzio di Brescia, Italy

Biography : Chia-Hui Su is a Taiwanese pianist who has many teaching and performing experiences all over Asia and Europe. She has a bachelor’s degree in science and music. She won the first prize in the Japan Classical Music Competition in 2011, the third prize in the Taiwan music competition in 2012, and the last round qualifier of the Tainan government music competition in 2014. During 2013 – 2015, she continued studying for her Master degree in Music at National Chiayi University, and was a Teaching Assistant of the musical solfeggio course during her study; she was also a Teaching Assistant and piano accompanist in the course “Voice of Music Training” at the National Chiayi University.

She received her Diploma Accademia di Musica di Secondo Livello (equivalent to Doctorate degree) in Piano Performance from Conservatorio di Musica “Luca Marenzio” di Brescia in Italy, under many great pianists’ guidance: Ruggero Ruocco, Daniela Piovani, Umberto Benedetti Michelangeli and Giampaolo Stuani. At the same time, she studied the accompaniment practice and choral conducting with Prof. Marco Ghiglione.

During her study in Italy, she had participated in numerous concerts: Concert review of the students of the Conservatory, 2016 Milano Piano City, 2017 “Mille Miglia” in Brescia at the Auditorium San Barnaba, “2017 Marenzio Plays” in the Musical Academy-Mind Literary Café, 2017 and 2018 Brescia Music Festival at Piazza Benedetti Michelangeli, both as a solo pianist and accompanist.

She completed her doctoral thesis in November 2018, “Debussy between Impressionism and Symbolism: Suite Bergamasque in Formal, Thematic and Harmonic Analysis”, conducted by the Italian pianist and composer, Prof. Alessandro Lucchetti, and graduated with a high score to receive the Highest Piano Performance Diploma.

She was invited by NTUE to open an online lecture, “Science x Music: Open your International Date Line / Multidisciplinary learning experience sharing”, to share and exchange ideas with college students in May 2020. In the same year, she also participated in the edx Course, “Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and the 19th Century Orchestra”, held by Harvard University, under Prof. Thomas Forrest Kelly. And she was honored to be invited to participate in the 2020 Taiwan National Day activities hosted by the Taipei Representative Office in Singapore and Taipei Business Association In Singapore. Lately she finished the edX Course, “Artistic Research in Music”, held by KU LEUVEN University & Orpheus Institute in October 2021.

Her performance and teaching experience is all over Asia and Europe: Taipei, Tainan, Chiayi, Singapore, Milan, Brescia, Paris, etc.

Faculty : August 2022

Teresa Gervasio

3Field(s) of study : Piano

Born : Philippines

Degrees : Diploma for Creative and Performing Arts, University of the Philippines

Biography : A teacher of smiles and boundless joy, Ms Teresa began her foray into music at the age of 7 years old and graduated with a Diploma for Creative & Performing Arts in the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music in 1988. In 2014, she achieved a Grade 8 Piano ABRSM with Distinction in Singapore.

After her graduation, she continued to study Music Education and proceeded to teaching young children in her alma mater as part of the conservatory’s extension programme. The teaching stint set the tone as a music educator for the rest of her career, having understood the importance of the different emotional developmental stages of children in order to fit the right approach.

Apart from having taught students of a wide age range, Ms Teresa has extensive experience teaching children with special needs, particularly down syndrome and autism. In fact, she had an opportunity to coach a child with autism to take a grade 3 piano exam. She firmly believes that every child, regardless of any physical or mental disabilities, has the right to learn any musical instrument. This belief translates to teaching full of compassion and love for her students.

This tenderness has also translated in her students’ piano exam results, where many of them scored merits and distinctions under her tutelage. Some of these students have also achieved Gold in the Singapore Youth Festival. Furthermore, she has experience as a piano accompanist in numerous events: the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) Festival of Winners (choral category), and the Trinity Exam for pupils playing other instruments.

In 2009, Ms Teresa was featured in the Singapore Parent magazine, Young Parents, where she shared her experience of raising three boys and its positive impact in molding her as an educator for other children.

Outside of music education, she has also been regularly volunteering as a pianist for numerous church choirs in the last 30 years, first in the Philippines then in Singapore.

A highly enthusiastic and cheerful individual, Ms Teresa also enjoys taking morning walks and cooking healthy meals for her family at home when she is not at the piano inspiring children.

Faculty : Faculty since November 2013

Ken Tan

Field(s) of study: Double Bass, Guitar

Born: Singapore

Degrees: Diploma, Trinity College of Music, London (UK)

Biography: Awarded the first Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) scholarship to pursue music studies in London from 1979-1982. Upon return to Singapore, was member of the SSO till 2005. Taught in National University of Singapore for more than 10 years.

Faculty: Founder & Director since inception

Yap Shu Mei

Field(s) of study: Violin, Violin Group

Born: Malaysia

Degrees: Bachelor of Music, New England Conservatory (Boston, USA); Post-Graduate Diploma, Trinity College of Music (London)

Biography: As an advocate of early childhood education, Ms Yap has nurtured students as young as 6 months old in a group class setting. Over her vast 30 years teaching experience, she has taught students of all levels varying from toddlers to adults with her target group being the 6 months – 15 years spectrum.

98% of students under her tutelage achieved Distinction in the ABRSM examinations and were winners in American Prodige, Zhongsin International Music Competition, Golden Classical Awards International Competition, Singapore Performers’ Festival, and Mandeville Music Festival Competition. Some of her students have even become professional musicians and concert artists in the field.

Ms Yap recounts that the success stories of her students is due to her teaching philosophy by believing that “Nurturing the love of music is the ultimate goal of music education”.

In addition to her teaching commitments, Ms Yap is a member of Resound Chamber Orchestra, performing as a soloist and in small ensembles in differing genres for corporate, charity and private events. She is also the Program Director of Singapore International String Conference and was a Speaker at Raffles Music Festival.

She has since produced two CD albums of original compositions and is coming up with a series of three books for young beginner violinists with arrangements and original compositions of music accompaniment tracks.

In her free time, Ms Yap keeps an active lifestyle by taking nature walks, going on cycling excursions and also relaxing whilst being one with nature in her diving trips.

Faculty: Founder & Director since inception12

Placida Ho

Field(s) of study : Violin

Born : Singapore

Degrees : Master of Music with Specialization in Music Education, Violin; Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag, Netherlands

Biography : Ms Placida Ho has just finished her second Bachelor of Early Music on Baroque violin at the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague, the Netherlands. She studied with Ryo Terakado and modern violin with Liesbeth Ackermans. She studied with Alexander Souptel and Igor Yuzefovich for her Bachelor of Music with Honors (Violin Performance) in Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Singapore. She also did a minor study on the violone with Maggie Uruqhart in the Hague for 2 years. For her modern chamber music training in the Hague, her quartet auditioned and was chosen to take part in lessons with the Casals Quartet for a year.

Throughout her studies she has been deeply interested in training herself as a teacher. She studied violin didactics with Liesbeth Ackermans for 2 years,  attended numerous Kodaly workshops conducted by teachers from the Liszt Academy Kodaly Institute and taught in and observed the Pi music program for young children in the Conservatoire.

During her studies abroad, Ms Placida has participated and facilitated some classes of the Pi program for young children in the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague. She has also taught a wide range of students from 3 years old to adult beginners in a local private music school.

Faculty : Faculty since September 2020. Team Lead of Department for Violin Studies.

Sylvia Khoo

Field(s) of study: Violin Group

Born: Malaysia

Degrees: Masters of Music, Southern Illinois University (USA)

Biography: Studied with John Kendall. Ex-member of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. A regular clinician at Suzuki institutes in Tennessee, Utah, North Carolina, Australia and Singapore. Trainer of many top-scorers of music examinations and prize-winning young violinists in local and international violin competitions.

Faculty: Faculty since 2000

Le Hoang Hai Van

Field(s) of study: Violin, Violin Group

Born: Vietnam

Degrees: Bachelor of Music, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music

Biography: A member of the Ho Chi Minh Symphony Orchestra and Yong Siew Toh Symphony Orchestra. Active member of the Singapore Festival Orchestra and Philharmonic Orchestra. Specialized in teaching young children.

Faculty: Faculty since September 2007

Natalia Kurganova

Field(s) of study: Violin, Violin Group

Born: Russia

Degrees: Master Degree in Violin Teaching, Violin Performance and Chamber Music.

Biography: Studied in Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow Conservatories (Russia), Berlin Hochschule (Germany). Twice awarded 1st prize in the International Jeunesses Musicales Competition in Vladivostok (Russia). Actively performed as a soloist, chamber violinist and orchestra member in Russia, Germany, Poland, Italy, France and Singapore. Highly sought-after teacher with more than 12 years of experience, specializing in teaching young children. In 2011, awarded for dedication in teaching by American Protege International Competition committee.

Faculty: Faculty since 2008

Annette Lee

Field(s) of study : Violin & Viola

Born : Singapore

Degrees : MMus (Performance Teaching), University of Melbourne, Australia; Licentiate Trinity College of London (LTCL in Violin)

Biography : Born in Singapore, Ms Annette’s musical journey commenced when she was 4 ½ years old. This interest in the Performing Arts, fuelled by her mother’s instructional background formed the basis for her talent in music.  At a tender age, Ms Annette played at charity fundraising events such as at the St. Luke’s Hospital, the Church of St. Ignatius and Caritas Humanitarian Aid & Relief Initiatives, Singapore (CHARIS). While studying at the Singapore Chinese Girls’ Primary and Secondary Schools, she was part of the choir which attained Gold awards at the Singapore Youth Festivals. To further her musical passion, she joined the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) when she was 11 years old and represented Singapore at the 34^th International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna, winning the First Prize in the Symphony Orchestra category.

Ms Annette pursued a musical degree at an undergraduate level and obtained a Bachelor of Music Degree (Viola Performance) from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music – National University of Singapore.  She furthered her studies and completed a Masters of Music Degree (Performance Teaching) from the University of Melbourne. During her academic years, she had the opportunity to study under renowned musicians such as Zhang Manchin, Principal Violist of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Fiona Sargeant, Associate Principal Violist of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Lionel Tan, Violist of the T’ang Quartet.  These artistes not only continued to inspire her to excel in her field, but also to teach and give back to the next generation of musicians.

In order to attain professional accreditation in her field of interest, Ms Annette completed her Licentiate Diploma in Piano Performance.  She also obtained an Associate Diploma in Viola Performance and a Licentiate Diploma in Violin Performance. She continues to play with a fully-independent professional orchestra, namely the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra ‘Re:Sound’, so that she remains active in the Performing Arts scene.

Although Ms Annette has been teaching music in Singapore and Australia since she was 15 years old, she now extend her instructional role on a full-time basis.  Her experience extends to both pedagogy and andragogy, with students ranging from 3 ½ to 45 years. Her institutions of instructions includes both local and overseas schools such as St. Margaret’s Secondary School, Shuqun Primary School, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School, International Schools and at Melbourne’s Grammar School –  Grimwade House and St. Catherine’s School. During these stints, she conducts string orchestra, sectionals and teaches music in a classroom setting.

Ms Annette has a passion to teach children as young as 3 ½ years old and she has undergone training for Suzuki Book 1-4 and SAVE (Systematic Approach Violin Education) conducted by Prof. Lan Ku Chen, a certified violin teacher trainer of Asia Region Suzuki Association. She believes in making learning fun for young children by teaching them small steps and details, hence they can get the bigger picture and play with good technique and tone in years to come. Her aim is to spread her love of music to them so that they will continue making music till later years in life.

Most of her students have achieved ‘Distinctions’ and ‘Merits’ awards in the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and Trinity Diploma Examinations. As a testimony of her effort and instruction, several of her outstanding students have clichéd award-winning medals at the Mandeville Medallion Festival in 2017.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking, singing in with her choir, swimming and running in marathons.

Faculty : Faculty since 2014

Chen Chia-Min

Field(s) of study : Cello & Piano

Born : Taiwan

Degrees : MMus (Performance), University of Hartford, Hartford, CT, USA

Biography : Chen Chia-Min is a professional cellist and educator. She has provided music instruction to students of all ages for nearly twenty years, with an emphasis on technique and expression development. Although her training is based primarily on the Suzuki Method, she customizes her instruction for each student to insure student safety through proper position and motion.

She also strives to inspire and encourage students with a goal of engaging them in a life-long learning process. As a result, many of her students have gone on to continue their studies at such prestigious institutions as UCLA, the Longy School of Music, Mannes Colleges of Music, Hartt School of Music, the Birmingham Conservatory, Leopold-Mozart-Zentrum der Universität,Hoschschule fur Künste Bremen, and others.

Ms Chen stresses the importance of performing and has performed extensively in the United States and Taiwan, including a recent performance of Beethoven’s Trio Concerto with the National University of Tainan Symphony Orchestra. She is also an accomplished pianist and continues to perform informally as accompanist.

Ms Chen attained a Master of Music (performance) from the University of Hartford (Hartford, CT, USA) in 1995 after graduating with a Bachelor of Music (Performance) from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (San Francisco, CA, USA).

Faculty : August 2016

Dang Thanh Trung

Field(s) of study: Violin

Born: Vietnam

Degrees: Bachelor of Music, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music

Biography: South Vietnam born, Mr Dang Thanh Trung began his violin studies at the age of five and was granted annual scholarships at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Professor Nguyen Hoang Cuong and Ha Dinh Tuong Vi. Graduating with the highest award for excellence in violin performance offered him the perfect opportunity to participate in Ho Chi Minh City Ballet and Symphony Orchestra. Since then, he has been frequently invited to perform and record with the orchestra for the national broadcaster.

In 2000, he formed his own string quartet and had performed for literally hundreds of performances throughout the country and recorded radio recitals for most of the major radio stations in Vietnam. He has received master classes with acclaimed artists such as French violinist Maryvonne le Dizes and T’ang Quartet.

In 2003, he was granted a full scholarship to further his violin studies at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music – National University of Singapore. There, he studied under Professor Alexander Souptel and received the Bachelor Degree with honours. In 2007, he was granted a full scholarship to take part in the Asian Youth Orchestra with which, a number of concert tours have been given in Hong Kong, China and Japan under well-known conductors such as Okko Kamu, Richard Pontzious, Federico Cortese. Within the same year he was accepted under a full scholarship, into the Australian International Symphony Orchestra Institute in The State of Tasmania, a two-week intensive program regarded nationally for its innovative structure and professional delivery.

Since 2008, being an active chamber musician and orchestra player, he is a member of The Metropolitan Festival Orchestra and Singapore Lyric Opera Orchestra which has performed and collaborated with well-known conductors such as Arnie Roth, Justin Freer, Joshua Kangming Tan, to name a few. In 2017, he joined the Beautiful Mind Charity, a philanthropic organization that serves the community by caring for the underprivileged, especially nurturing musical talents in children with disabilities.

In 2016, Mr Trung spearheaded the chamber group in Mandeville Conservatory of Music, gathering high caliber student performers under his tutelage. They have since participated and performed in various concerts and recitals both in house and also in performance venues such as the Esplanade.

Faculty: Faculty since January 2010

Huong Ly

Field(s) of study : Cello

Born : Vietnam

Degrees : Bachelor of Music, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory; Bachelor of Music, Hanoi National Conservatory of Music (Vietnam)

Biography : Has taught for more than 10 years in Vietnam and Singapore. A highly sought after cellist for many chamber concerts and orchestra events, such as Cellissimo at the Esplanade Recital Studio, a member of Singapore Festival Orchestra.

Faculty : Faculty since 2009

Joy Feng Yue

Field(s) of study : Violin

Born : China

Degrees : Bachelor of Music, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music

Biography : Studied with Professor Sui Keqiang & Wang Shaoyu at the middle school attached to the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing). Winner of violin competitions in Shenyang. Member of China Youth Orchestra performing with Lang Lang & Chenxi. Freelance member of Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

Marinela Balagtas

Field(s) of study: Violin, Violin Group

Born: The Philippines

Degrees: Associate Diploma in Violin from Trinity College London

Biography: Ms Marinela started learning the violin at the age of 11 and attained her Diploma in Violin from Trinity College of London. Her performance repertoire includes overseas stints in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines accompanying internationally acclaimed artistes such as Kit Chan and Anita Abishiganaden. Ms Marinela has also performed for the late President Ong Teng Cheong for charity and former President Tony Tan at the Singapore Parliament. She also had the opportunity to perform for the late Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew on two separate occasions and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Ms Marinela has been actively teaching in Mandeville Conservatory of Music from 2003 till present. With her experience, she is able to teach students as young as 3 years old onwards. Ms Marinela enjoys working with different age groups as it is always an enriching learning experience with the different demographics. She will tweak and adjust her teaching style to adjust to the learning capabilities of her student as she understands that every student is different. Under her guidance, her students achieved mostly merits and distinctions for their music exams.

Ms Marinela’s love for performing translates to her encouraging and engaging her students to performing, and not just playing for exams. Ms Marinela is part of the teaching faculty who trains the Violin Stars, a performance violin group. In Violin Stars, students are focused in training for performances which helps them build their confidence and in turn, they enjoy the music that they play. The Violin Stars have performed extensively in various countries like Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam and playing for the diplomats in Jakarta, Indonesia during the Bulgarian National Day. They have also performed in Vienna, Austria in December 2016 together with the Vienna Boys Choir and also in Taiwan in December 2017 for the BoAi Music Festival.

Ms Marinela is also a member of the Suzuki Association under Suzuki Violin Teacher Training and has participated in Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE).

Faculty: Faculty since 2002

Pham Thi Minh Anh

Field(s) of study : Violin, Viola

Born : Vietnam

Degrees : Bachelor of Music (Viola), Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore; Bachelor of Music (Violin), Hanoi Conservatory of Music

Biography : A member of the Yong Siew Toh Symphony Orchestra. Active member of the Singapore Festival Orchestra and Philharmonic Orchestra. Invited numerous occasions to Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Russia and Australia as an orchestra member.

Faculty : Faculty since July 2007

Stela Karnolska

Field(s) of study : Violin

Born : Bulgaria

Degrees : Master in Musicology, State Academy of Music Pancho Vladigerov – Sofia

Biography : Ms Stela Karnolska graduated with Master of Music Degree in Musicology, and Bachelor in Music Pedagogy from the National Academy of Music in her native country, Bulgaria. Ms Stela has been teaching children as well as adults for over 26 years, including 4.5 years in Singapore. She teaches violin, aural skills and music theory. From 2004 to 2012 she was the only teacher in Bulgaria preparing violin students for the ABRSM exams, with all her students passing with Distinction.

As a member of different chamber and symphonic orchestras, Ms Stela has performed in Italy, Spain, France, Brazil, Greece, Bulgaria and various other countries. Given her deep understanding of children’s behaviour and needs, Ms Stela’s strict teaching approach is a highly professional one with her developing excellent instrumental skills in her wards and instilling solid fundamental knowledge of music to them.

Faculty : Faculty since 2015

Tan Jwu Jiun

Field(s) of study: Violin

Born: Singapore

Degrees: Bachelor of Music, Peabody Institute of John Hopkins (USA)

Biography: Performed extensively with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra before deciding to pursue teaching as a career. Awarded a Singapore Public Service Commission scholarship.

Faculty: Faculty since 2001.

Teodor Izmirev

Field(s) of study : Violin

Born : Bulgaria

Degrees : Masters of Arts, State Academy of Music, Pancho Vladigerov (Bulgaria)

Biography : Mr Teodor has been teaching violin since 1988, starting his career in Bulgaria and later moving to Singapore to teach in 2006. His Masters degree in Violin in the State Academy of Music (Bulgaria) and his 30 years of experience have equipped him with all the relevant skills of being an excellent teacher.

Mr Teodor takes on students of all ages from as young as 3 years old, as well as adults of an older age. His students’ levels range from Grade 1 till Diploma and many of them have participated in and won awards in various contests in Singapore. Some of his students have even decided to further their interest in the instrument and now have careers as professional musicians.

Mr Teodor understands and appreciates the uniqueness of every student and has adapted his teaching style to fit his students’ needs and preferences. His individualized style has been a great tool in maintaining his students’ long-term interest in the instrument and creating a genuine appreciation for music in general. He consistently encourages his students to take part in concerts and ensembles as he believes this develops their music abilities. He also has experience working with students with autism.

Faculty : Faculty since 2006

Veronika Sakhno

Field(s) of study : Violin, Viola

Born : Ukraine

Degrees : Master & Bachelor Degree in Music Arts – S.S Prokofiev Donetsk State Academy of Music (Ukraine), First-class honours of Junior Specialist Degree in Music Arts – Donetsk College

Biography : A trained instructor in the violin and viola, Ms Veronika has helmed 8 years under her belt in teaching at various local music schools and also in the Ukraine. Her professional experience includes performing in regional recitals, orchestras and chamber music with the most recent being part of a string quintet in the Singapore International Festival of Music. She was also one of the international jury members of the 4^th International String Competition in Thailand. In addition, Ms Veronika has also volunteered in conducting masterclasses and recitals in Harrow International School, Bangkok. Being a competitive player, she has also won top prizes in music competitions in the Ukraine.

Ms Veronika, who is a committed and passionate individual, is adept in identifying the needs of her students and is able to adapt her delivery style to meet the diverse needs of learners. She is currently in the midst of researching on ‘Flow Theory’ and is eager to integrate this concept into her lessons.

Faculty : Faculty since October 2017

Zhang Yanjun

Field(s) of study : Violin

Born : China

Degrees : 2012 Bachelor degree (second class honours) in Violin performance at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, National University of Singapore

Biography : Has been teaching since 2011

Faculty : Ms Zhang started playing the violin at the age of 6. She enrolled in the Middle School attached to the Xinghai Conservatory of Music (Guangzhou, China) at 12 years old. As a chamber violinist, she won the 1st prize in the 14th Asia-Hong Kong piano competition Quintet Group in 2007. A year later, she received the full scholarship from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of music for her bachelor’s degree.

Ms Zhang joined Mandeville in 2012. Since then, all her students passed the violin exams obtaining excellent results. She believes that all students should enjoy the fun of playing music and to start their musical journey with joy.

Faculty: Faculty since 2012

Nicholas Lam

Field(s) of study : Violin

Born : Singapore

Degrees : Bachelor of Music, Temple University (USA)

Biography : Mr. Nicholas was born and raised in Singapore, and started playing the violin at the age of 4, going through the Suzuki Method and taking Exams with the Associate Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM), while performing several times a year with different ensembles, both Jazz and Classical. At age 13, he completed his Grade 8 Performance exam in violin, and moved to San Antonio, Texas, where he joined the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio (YOSA)’s Philharmonic Orchestra where he performed 3 times a year for several years in the city’s famous Majestic Theatre.

After graduating from High School, he attended Arcadia University for a year, where he helped found the Arcadia String Ensemble, and acted as the Professor’s assistant, tutoring fellow students, before returning to Singapore. He returned to the US to study in Temple University, graduating with a double degree in Music Performance and Music Education.

Mr. Nicholas has been teaching for 8 years, including during his time in the military. Throughout this time, he focuses on encouraging students to understand and embody music, exploring the unknown without fear, with the firm belief that failure is indeed the mother of success.

Faculty : Faculty since April 2022

Jeremy Chiew

Field(s) of study : Viola, Violin

Born : Singapore

Degrees : Master of Music in Viola Performance, Longy School of Music of Bard College, Boston

Biography : A classical violist by training, Mr Jeremy is an adjunct lecturer with the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) where he engages students frequently and encourages partnership-building between them and the communities at large.

Mr Jeremy also maintains his educational ties by coaching school string ensembles and students at the secondary and tertiary levels such as Raffles Institution, St. Margaret’s Secondary and the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, volunteering also as a viola coach at Beautiful Minds Charity, where he applies Alexander and Dalcroze techniques in his classes while serving children with special needs.

His recent years saw Mr Jeremy take on leadership, creative programming and administrative positions with different performing arts groups and non-profit organizations, and is familiar with the various grants available. He is the current Assistant Artistic Director and General Manager of New Opera Singapore.

Faculty : Faculty since March 2023

Kim Kyu Ri

Field(s) of study : Violin

Born : Korea

Degrees : Bachelor of Music with Honours (Merit) in Violin Performance, NUS

Biography : Kim Kyu Ri is currently a violinist in the newly formed Concordia Quartet, a professional string quartet based in Singapore. As an active chamber musician, she has previously performed with various chamber groups in and out of conservatories and has collaborated with members of the T’ang Quartet in Singapore.

Ms. Kyu Ri has freelanced regularly with professional orchestras in Singapore such as the Re:Sound Chamber Orchestra and the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, and was concertmaster and associate concertmaster with the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra and Musicians’ Initiative, as well as the Singapore National Youth Orchestra.

In 2017, she was selected from over a thousand musicians across Asia to participate in the Asian Youth Orchestra’s Global Tour under full scholarship, where she performed in highly esteemed festivals such as the Lucerne Festival and the Young Euro Classics, while collaborating with renowned artists and conductors such as Matthias Bamert, Sarah Chang and Vadim Repin. She has also taken masterclasses from various artists and pedagogues – Nam Yun Kim, Midori Goto, Itzhak Rashkovsky, Dennis Kim and Richard Roberts among others.

Ms. Kyu Ri has received her Bachelor of Music (Honours) from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music where she studied with Igor Yuzefovich, and went on to pursue her Master of Music degree at Mannes School of Music with renowned pedagogue Lucie Robert.

Faculty : Faculty since July 2020

Chang Jeh, Jakin

Field(s) of study: Viola, Violin

Born: Singapore

Degrees: BMUS (Hons) in Viola Performance, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music; Diploma in Music Performance, Viola, Licentiate of Trinity College London; Diploma in Music Performance, Viola with Distinction, Associate of Trinity College London

Biography:

Jakin Chang is a violist from Singapore. He obtained a full scholarship to study Viola Performance at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM), National University of Singapore (NUS), to study under Ms. Zhang Manchin, principal violist of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and graduated in 2021. He has since played in masterclasses with Huang Hsin-Yun, Charles Castleman, Csaba Erdelyi, Roger Tapping, Mazumi Tanamura, Shlomo Mintz and Basil Vendryes among others.

Jakin is also well versed in chamber music, and has studied under members from the T’ang Quartet, London Haydn Quartet, Sitkovetsky Trio and Kronos Quartet.

Playing in numerous orchestras around Singapore even before entering music conservatory, Jakin has a rich Orchestra experience, serving as Principal Viola and Section Viola in orchestras such as Musicians Initiative, Orchestra of the Music Makers, International Festival Chorus, and Metropolitan Festival Orchestra among others.

In musical pedagogy, Jakin is a believer in patient guidance to encourage steady progress. His approach to teaching is a mixture of imbuing a true passion and love for music, and creating a firm technical foundation for his students to grow. He regularly draws from life experiences to inspire his students as he believes that there should be real experiences behind every musical lesson.

Faculty: Faculty since May 2023

Alvin Chan Keng Huat

Field(s) of study : Flute, Piccolo

Born : Singapore

Degrees : Masters in Flute, Conservatoire Royal de Mons, Belgique

Biography : Mr Alvin Chan started playing the flute at the age of 13 under the tutelage of Wang Tong. Since then, he has pursued his passion for music and graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) with a Diploma in Flute Performance. During his time in NAFA, he was awarded the Ngee Ann Kong Si Award. He was under the tutelage of Evgueni Brokmiller; associate principal of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

As a Military Expert with the Singapore Armed Forces Band, Mr Alvin continuously aims to enrich himself with numerous overseas Military Tattoos as well as local performances and recitals. He was also given the opportunity to master the Ryuteki and Dizi for various solo performances such as the WMC-WBAS Intercontinental conducting course conducted by Maestro Douglas Bostock and for the Amur Waves International Military Tattoo in Khabarovsk, Russia. Besides performing, he has also achieved a Distinction in the Enhanced Basic Military Musician Course.

As an orchestra and chamber performer, Mr Alvin involves himself with various musical genres and styles. He is the Principal Piccolo of the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra and Associate Principal of the Young Musician’s Foundation Orchestra. He also frequently plays in groups such as The Orchestra of Music Makers, The Philharmonic Orchestra, the Anglo Chinese Wind Orchestra, VeritaSG as well as Tomodachi Winds.

In 2013, he participated in the 7th Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Austria, Vienna held at the Musikverein with the SMU Symphonia and was awarded the Outstanding Award. He has also attained the Gold award with the Anglo-Chinese Wind Orchestra in the 2012 and 2014 Singapore international Band Festival. In 2017, he was invited to represent Singapore at the Daegu Flute Festival, Korea, promoting Singapore’s young musicians at an international level.

Mr Alvin believes in spreading the joy of music to a wider audience. In 2018, he was invited to Ho Chin Minh city to give a series of piccolo recitals as well as premiering local works by Vietnamese composers. In the same year, he was also selected to attend the International Flute Seminar in Bruges. He had the privilege of learning under master flute and piccolo player Peter Verhoyen (Principal piccolo for the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra).

He has attained his Masters in Flute Performance at the Royal Conservatory of Mons, Belgium under the tutelage of acclaimed Belgian Flute Professor, Marc Grauwels and his associate Jean Prevot.

Faculty : Faculty since June 2021

Don Kow Kang Yue

Field(s) of study : Trombone, Trumpet, Euphonium

Born : Singapore

Degrees : Artist’s Certificate in Music, Royal Conservatory of The Hague; Master of Music, Codarts University of the Arts, Rotterdam; Bachelor of Music (Honours with Merit), Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music

Biography : Mr Don Kow holds an Artist’s Certificate in Trombone Performance from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, a Master of Music from the Codarts University of the Arts and a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.

His principal teachers include Alexander Verbeek, Brandt Attema, Fredi Sonderegger, Sebastiaan Kemner, Shannon Pittaway, Timothy Dowling and Zachary Bond. In addition, he has also performed in masterclasses with Jorgen van Rijen, Ian Bousfield and Joseph Alessi.

With vast experience in chamber and orchestral playing, Mr Don is versatile in diverse styles. He has performed on period instruments alongside the Orchestra of the 18th Century. Mr Don has also performed in the Dutch National Opera’s production of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s opera cycle ‘Aus Licht’ for the Holland Festival, where he performed a trombone solo role that was combined with elements of theatre and movement.

Mr Don has received scholarships to attend the Animato Foundation Orchestra Academy and the Domaine Forget Music and Dance Academy. Additionally, he has also been invited to be the Principal Trombone with the South Asian Symphony Orchestra and the Bandung Philharmonic Orchestra.

Back in Singapore, Mr Don plays regularly with the Orchestra of the Music Makers and Orchestra Collective.

Faculty : Faculty since December 2019

Mohamad Rasull Bin Md Khelid

Field(s) of study : Flute. Clarinet, Saxophone

Born : Singapore

Degrees : Bachelor of Arts with Diploma in Education (Music & Mathematics), NIE

Biography : Mr Rasull pursued a Bachelor of Arts with Diploma in Education at the National Institute of Education (Nanyang Technological University). Majoring in both Music and Mathematics, he graduated in 2003 and garnered the Mrs. Paul-Feng Pei Djen Gold Medal for outstanding achievement in his Music studies. It was there that he studied Conducting with Assoc. Prof Ho Hwee Long, Composition and Orchestration with Dr Kelly Tang, and flute with Dr Goh Tiong Eng. He maintains an active performing schedule with the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra (BHSO, Principal Flutist since 1997), the Singapore Wind Symphony (SWS) and the AudioImage Wind Ensemble AIWE), and also on the oboe with the Orkestra Melayu Singapura.

Mr Rasull obtained the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM) in Flute Performance in 2005 and has been invited to perform for the ABRSM High Scores concert on two occasions. He also achieved a Merit in the ABRSM Grade 8 Performance examination in 2006. He has also been a featured soloist with BHSO, SWS, AIWE and The Chamber Players. He has also been a performing participant in flute masterclasses by Nancy Clew, Ayako Maeda, James Galway, Nestor Torres and Trevor Wye.

Mr Rasull served with the Ministry of Education, Singapore as a General Education Officer, teaching Music and Mathematics at Jurongville Secondary School from 2003 to 2007. He subsequently left the Education Service to become a full-time school band conductor and woodwind instrumental tutor, working with school band members at various primary, secondary and junior college schools. He is currently the Band Conductor at Assumption English School, Orchid Park Secondary School, Yishun Innova Junior College and the Institute of Education (Central). He is also currently the Associate Conductor of the AudioImage Wind Ensemble, a community-level concert band based at Siglap South Community Centre, Singapore. His commitment to the musical development of his students is evident by his continual hands-on involvement in the teaching of his young charges and leading them to successful public performances at concerts and festivals such as the Singapore Youth Festival and the Singapore International Band Festival.

Mr Rasull is also an active arranger of symphonic band music and is currently the Resident Arranger with BHSO, SWS and AIWE. His arrangements range from transcriptions of orchestral music (Borodin – Polovtsian Dances, Tchaikovsky – Waltz from Swan Lake, Eugene Onegin) to the latest pop hits by Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga. He has had his arrangements performed by local acapella group Vocaluptous, Benjamin Kheng, Wicked Aura Batucada, Sezairi Sazali, Nathan Hartono, Joanna Dong, and internationally-renowned euphonium artist Steven Mead. His most recent commissions range from arranging the music for the Anglican High School’s 60^th Anniversary school musical “Chrysalis”, to original symphonic band compositions for the Singapore Wind Symphony, Bedok Green Secondary School and Angsana Primary School.

However, being an avid gamer since young, his first love still remains with the music of video games and anime, and he has endeavoured to bring performances of his arrangements of music from Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Legend of Zelda, Pokemon, Macross Frontier and Neon Genesis Evangelion among others to local audiences for the past 16 years. With the AudioImage Wind Ensemble he has arranged and conducted music from Attack on Titan, Naruto, the Touhou Project, the Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros, Overwatch, Nier: Automata and the Final Fantasy series in three separate “Symphonic G-On” concerts put up since 2015. He strives to bring to his audiences, especially the fans of music from video games and anime, the experience of being able to hear the music being performed live in a grand symphonic setting in a concert hall.

Mr Rasull’s continued active involvement in the Singaporean music community shapes his philosophy of music education, with strong emphasis on the fundamentals of music and in performing for the public. He strives with his students, the eventual goal of enabling the student to make a meaningful connection with his audience through performance.

Faculty : Faculty since October 2017

Sandy Li

Field(s) of study : Piano, Flute

Born : Taiwan

Degrees : Master’s Degree in Instrumental Performance at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (UK)

Biography : Taiwanese flautist and pianist Ms. Sandy Li completed her Master’s Degree in Instrumental Performance at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (UK) and Bachelor’s Degree in Music at University of Taipei (Taiwan). Ms. Sandy has taken part in a variety of famous flute masterclasses, such as William Bennett, Lorna McGhee, Denis Bouriakov, James Galway, Emily Beynon and Amy Porter.

In 2014, Ms. Sandy participated in the 5th Singapore Flute Festival, winning the 1st Prize of the Open Category and Audience Award. In 2017, she won the 3rd Prize in Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra Concerto Prize and played André Jolivet’s Flute Concerto with Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2018, she was the principal flute in Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra for the Royal Gala Opening Concert under conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and recorded by BBC Radio 3.

Ms. Sandy has experienced in the music industry both flute and piano for almost 20 years. She played a number of orchestral concerts, various performances and also had an experienced teaching background in Taiwan, UK and Singapore.

Faculty : Faculty since August 2022