Australian National Academy of Music, Melbourne; Head of strings Australian Institute of Music, Sydney; Head of strings & classical ensemble, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong; Head of strings and orchestral studies Sydney Conservatorium of Music; Artist teacher-in-residence. Chetham’s Specialist Music School, Manchester, UK; Head of strings.

Canadian pianist Annie Wong’s performances have been described as “imaginative and evocative” while audiences are thrilled by her “powerhouse” exuberance. She is equally at home as soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative pianist. Having performed across Canada and the United States, notable venues include Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Koerner Hall, Mazzoleni Hall, the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, and Vancouver Playhouse. Annie was the winner of the Virginia Music Teachers Association Concerto Competition, Shenandoah Conservatory Concerto Competition, Bjorn and Lori Hareid Competition, as well as the Vancouver Women’s Musical Society Scholarship Competition.

Aside from performing, she is an active pedagogue, currently holding the position of Academic Lecturer at the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney as well as Piano Faculty at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada. In the past, she served as Instructor of Piano and Music Theory at Shenandoah University, and Piano Faculty at the Shenandoah Conservatory Arts Academy in the United States. Annie has taught master classes, presented workshops, coached chamber ensembles, and adjudicated competitions, festivals, and auditions. She is a member of the College of Examiners for RCM Examinations across North America.

Annie received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Shenandoah University in Virginia, USA on a full scholarship, studying with esteemed pianist Dr. John O’Conor, and graduating with The Outstanding Performance in Piano Award. She was twice the recipient of the prestigious Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges Award in recognition of her exceptional academic achievements. Prior to that, she received her Master of Music degree along with the Dean’s Award from the Mannes School of Music in New York City as a student of Professor Irina Morozova. Her musical and academic accomplishments were lauded as she was awarded her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada as a student of Professor Jane Coop and Dr. Terence Dawson, graduating at the top of her class. In addition to working with her principal teachers, Annie has performed in master classes for internationally renowned artists such as Alfred Brendel, Richard Goode, Jon Kimura Parker, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Craig Sheppard, Robin McCabe, Hiromi Okada, Prisca Benoit, Eve Egoyan, and Ieva Jokubaviciute.

Having had the privilege to gain precious musical experiences through such a multifaceted array of settings and roles, Annie instills in her students a lifelong passion for music-making. She is deeply dedicated to the development of artistry in today’s pianists.

Charmian Gadd is an internationally acclaimed violinist and violist who has appeared as soloist with the Halle, Vienna Radio, Hong Kong and BBC orchestras. She played with the Bath Festival Orchestra under Yehudi Menuhin and the Academy of St Martin in the Field under Sir Neville Marriner.

Born in Ourimbah, Charmian Gadd has returned to the Central Coast after an extensive career in Australia and abroad. Central Coast Conservatorium is fortunate to have her serve on its Board of Management and recognises the valuable wealth of experience Charmian Gadd can uniquely offer. Whilst her involvement with music is global, her roots are local, and she is devoted to enriching the life of the Central Coast community. 

Charmian Gadd has held music professorships at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh (10 years) and Western Washington University. She was Head of Strings at both Sydney Conservatorium and Canberra School of Music and Head of the Selective Performance Program at the Australian Institute of Music. She was a founding member of Trio Concertante and Macquarie Trio and Australian Artistic Director of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music. Through her previous directorship of the Violinery in Sydney she maintains contact with instrument dealers, makers and repairers.  

Charmian Gadd foresees the many friendships and connections she has made during her career will continue to benefit music on the Central Coast. She has an ongoing association with music education programs in China, Japan and Europe. As a member of Central Coast Conservatorium Board, she is keen to create new and exciting musical opportunities for students, staff and audiences.

“Chen Xi is a very bright musician with strong individuality” (Strad, October 2002)

In June 2002, seventeen-year-old Chinese Violinist Chen Xi won the top prize of the 12th International Tchaikovsky Violin Competition. Become the youngest top prize winner in the history of Tchaikovsky competition.

As a talented violinist and child protégé, Chen Xi has won many competitions since his young age, both nationally and internationally. They are including the Eighth Lipinski-Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Poland in 2000 and the Ninth National Youth Violin Competition of China in 2001.

His international exposure continued courtesy of the NHK Broadcasting Corporation in Japan, in a series of four interviews. In 2003, Mr Chen touring Taiwan with pianist Lang Lang and Chinese Youth Symphony Orchestra. In May 2007, Mr Chen was chosen as the representative of the People’s Republic of China Government to perform at the welcome concert for the United Nation Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. 

Mr Chen performed with China Philharmonic Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, South Bend Symphony Orchestra, Sejong Soloists, KBS Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgart Kammerorchester, Iceland Chamber Orchestra, Bangor Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Orchestra. He Played many concerts in Vancouver, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Washington D.C. As well as in Walt Disney Concert Hall Los Angles, Zankel Hall of Carnegie Hall New York, Auditorium du Louvre Paris, etc.

In 2016. Mr Chen toured with Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra in Europe and played in many festivals such as Merano Festival,  Emilia Romagna Festival and Ljubljana festival.

Chen received Diploma from The Curtis Institute of Music and Master’s Degree from Yale University. Currently, join the faculty member of China Central Conservatory of Music. Chen plays 1690 Pietro Guarneri of Mantua.

Duan Yike was born on September 5 1983, in Wuhan, Hubei. Famous pianist and conductor. He used to be the permanent conductor of the Hubei Symphony Orchestra and the Artistic Director of the Haikou Philharmonic Orchestra. He is currently an associate professor and Master degree lecturer of Jianghan University School of Music. Duan Yike has won many international and national awards in the fields of conducting, piano, composition, and education, and his performance has spread all over the world.

In 2006, he won the “National Commanding Championship”. In 2009, he won the first prize of the “3rd Golden Bell Award” and “9th Chu Tianwen Hua” music performance in Hubei Province. In 2010, he went to Italy to participate in the “20th International Young Pianist Grand Prix” and won a gold medal. In 2011, he won the first prize in the “National Invitational Piano Teachers Competition”. In 2014, he went to San Francisco to participate in the “22nd American International Piano Open” and won the championship. In the same year, he was awarded the “Little Golden Bell Award” Excellent Instructor Award by the Chinese Musicians Association and the “Outstanding Bachelor Degree Thesis” Guidance Award of Hubei Province. In 2014, he performed Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 3” with the Spanish Queen’s Opera Symphony Orchestra led by the world-famous conductor Zubin Mehta in the New Year’s concert, which caused a stir in the industry. In 2015,  his first piano album published by the China Recording Corporation and Hong Kong Baili Records released worldwide. In the same year, he was awarded the title of “Excellent Young Teacher” in Wuhan City, and the eighth “Motion to Jiang Jiang” title of Jianghan University, and was selected as the “100 Excellent Stage Talents” project of the Department of Culture of Hubei Province. From 2011 to 2015, he was invited to cooperate with the Cultural Work Corps of the Political Department of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force to conduct dozens of national tours of the opera “Sister Jiang”. After that, he was invited to Beijing many times to perform for a major event and state leaders in the Great Hall of the People, Air Force Command, and Central Party School, and was cordially received, known as “the fifth generation of” Jiang Jiang “command.” In 2016, his works and papers were published by China Music Core Journal “Music Creation” and Chinese Core Journal “Contemporary Television”. Guangming Daily Publishing House publishes its academic works. In 2019, he was invited to perform at the Carnegie Hall in New York, USA. In the conductor field, Duan Yike has been invited to perform in concert with many famous National symphony orchestras, including Hubei Symphony Orchestra, Sichuan Symphony Orchestra, Hunan Symphony Orchestra, Haikou Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Beijing Military Region Comrades and Artists Orchestra, Air Force Politics Orchestra of the Ministry of Culture and Arts. From 2011 to 2015, he was invited to perform with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force Political Department Cultural Corps to conduct dozens of national tours of the opera “Sister Jiang”. Beijing performed for party and state leaders in the Great Hall of the People, Air Force Command, Central Party School, National Defense University, and Tsinghua University, and was cordially received.

In the field of piano performance, Duan Yike has extensive experience in concerto performances and recitals, and has performed Grieg’s “Piano Concerto in A minor”, Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 1”, and Chopin in collaboration with many well-known domestic orchestras. Piano Concerto No.1, Liszt Piano Concerto No.1, Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2, Piano Concerto No.3, Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.3, Beethoven “The Third Piano Concerto”, Mozart’s “Twenty Piano Concerto”, Geshi “Blue Rhapsody”, “Yellow River Piano Concerto” and other works. He has been invited to hold solo piano concerts all over the country. In 2014, Duan Yike was invited to perform the Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 3” at the New Year’s Concert with the Spanish Queen Symphony Orchestra led by the world-famous conductor Zubin Mehta, which made the industry sensational.

The world-famous conductor Zubin Mehta said: “Duan Yike’s performance makes every note full of emotions and deep into people’s hearts!” Professor Randall, a famous American pianist, said: “Duan, the Scriabin played is full of tension, and the perseverance in the music can always provoke tears. He played Prokofiev’s” Seventh Piano Sonata “at the end Movement, destroy everything unstoppably. ” Italian famous piano master Moropoli said: “Duan, almost crazy, never played the difficult” Mephisto Waltz “in front of the judges. He is a devil from the East.”

The famous Spanish music critic and pianist Leirosa said: “Duan, playing Wagner’s opera” Death of Love “is moving and suffocating. The tension he created seems to be the entire Cursi Theatre. Collapsed, when he was over, everything seemed to freeze. He was an extremely sensitive and sensual oriental pianist. ” Sheng China, a famous Chinese violinist, said: “Duan Yike is born for art and exists for music …”  Liu Shikun, a famous Chinese pianist, said: “Duan Yike has an extraordinary ability to control the symphony orchestra.”  Mr. Yan Su, a famous Chinese artist, said: “Duan Yike is talented and represents a new generation of outstanding musicians in China.”

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Clarinetist, educator and professor of Central Conservatory of Music
President of the Clarinet Society of China Musician Association.

He was born in a musical family and started to learn Piano and Clarinet since childhood. He graduated from Central Conservatory of Music and studied with Prof. Tao Chunxiao. Then he continued his musical studies with Prof. Jankovskis and Lyudmirskiy in Michail Ivanovich Glinka conservatory in Russia. He has recorded and published some recordings of Clarinet performance and education. And he also premiered the most influenced Chinese clarinet concerto “The Voice of Pamir” and was awarded in the first National Orchestra Competition. Over the years, many of his students have been awarded in some International and domestic competitions.

Jury experiences:

The first three National Youth Clarinet Competitions (vice chairman of jury, jury).
The Beijing International Clarinet Festival
The second National Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble competition
The second Beijing International Music Competition-Clarinet
The 5th Carl Nielsen international Clarinet Competition Denmark
The first Buffet Crampon Clarinet Competition

The multi-talented Igor Budinstein counts among his professional accomplishments conducting, viola and violin performance, both as soloist and within orchestras and chamber groups, as well as lecturing and music pedagogy.  He is the chief conductor of the chamber orchestra “Berliner Cappella” and the principle violist of the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester (German Symphony Orchestra) in Berlin. 

At the young age of 24 he took on the role of principle violist of the German Symphony Orchestra, but felt that his musical horizons were not yet fully realized and so continued his studies on the viola with world renowned violist Bruno Giuranna at the University of Fine Arts in Berlin, on the violin with Young Uck Kim at the College of Music in Detmold and with Christiane Edinger at the Hochschule fuer Musik in Lubeck, and in conducting with Christian Ehwald, at the Hanns Eisler Music College in Berlin.   At the same time he became very active as a conductor, soloist and chamber musician.  He was in high demand with leading orchestras as a solo violist.  As such he led the viola sections of the Deutsche Oper Berlin (German Opera Berlin) the Bayrische Staatsoper (Bavarian State Opera), the Orchester des Hessischen Rundfunks (Radio-Orchestra of Hessen), the Bamberger Symphoniker (Symphonic Orchestra of Bamberg), the Dresdner and Berliner Staatskapellen (State Orchestras of Dresden and Berlin), and the Hamburger Staatsoper (Hamburg State Opera).

For more than 10 years he has been conducting the Chamber Orchestra “Berliner Cappella”.  He has also been engaged as guest conductor with some of Germany’s most renowned orchestras, including Konzerthausorchester Berlin (the Concert House Orchestra of Berlin) the Düsseldorfer and Hamburger Symphoniker (the Symphonic Orchestras of Düsseldorf and Hamburg), the Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock (North German Philharmonia Rostock), and others.  In addition he has also conducted a wide range of orchestras outside of Germany, including as associate conductor (with Kent Nagano) at the Los Angeles Opera, and as conductor with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra in China, the Suwon Symphony Orchestra in Korea, the Victoria Symphony Orchestra in Canada, the Orquesta de Cámara de Bellas Artes in Mexico, and the National Orchestra of Belgium.

As solo violist he has concertized with a variety of chamber music groups and orchestras, playing at the world’s most renowned music centers and at leading festivals in Europe, Asia, North America and South America.

For the past 5 years Igor Budinstein has regularly lectured on music appreciation in Germany, as well as in Norway, the USA, Singapore and on Mediterranean cruises.

For many years now Igor Budinstein has been in great demand as a mentor in the Academy Program of the German Symphony Orchestra of Berlin, and has also given international master classes in Russia, Ukraine, Germany and Singapore.

Guo Yongsheng, a Chinese-American, is currently a foreign cello professor at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music. Graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in 1988 and received a full scholarship to the United States with honours, continued his studies at Michigan State University and University of Southern California, USA, and received a PhD degree in cello. In China, the renowned cellist Professor Chen Jiuhe, Professor Wang Xiang, the American master of the American world who came to China to lecture, Aldo Parisot and the French master of the world, Maurice Gendron, received their careful guidance. Foreign teachers from the world-renowned Professor Owen Carmen, Professor Eleonore Schoenfeld and Professor Ronald Leonard. He was sent to the Grand Lansing Symphony Orchestra in the United States as The Cello Associate Chief, as well as the Flint Symphony Orchestra, the Midland Symphony Orchestra, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles United Symphony Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra as the Cello Chief.

Dr Guo has been engaged in music education and playing in the United States for many years and is a member of the American Association of Music Teachers and the Musicians Association. Conservatory of Music, Royal College of Music, Birmingham Conservatory. Most of them won prizes in different music competitions, and now they are more likely to work in symphony orchestras and music education. In recent years, Dr Guo Yongsheng has performed in many cities in China and given masterclasses to professional students, such as Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Northwest National University, Sichuan Normal University and so on. Participate in many international music festivals and music summer camps. Invited to the 8th Aegean Cup and 3rd China International Cello Competition in August 2019, he has worked successfully with the Riverside Symphony Orchestra, the Redland Symphony Orchestra, the Santa Barbra Symphony Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, often with the world’s top musicians.

Dr Guo Yongsheng’s performance is enthusiastic, skilful, from his performance of the melody flowing full of passion and desire, wonderful sound and dramatic playing style, more full of his song-like beautiful tone so that the audience’s spiritual enjoyment to a high point. In Los Angeles, the World Daily, and radio interviews were praised as a cellist who had done well in education and playing.

Jazz Pianist, composer, producer vocalist & educator. Jeremy has been a professional musician since 1976 with more than 40 solo albums to his name. He received Singapore’s highest honour in the arts, The Cultural Medallion in 2002. Jeremy has performed with James Moody, Ernie Watts, Simon & Garfunkel in great venues all over the world. He has performed at Ronnie Scott’s in London, the Mainstage of the Montreux, EFG London and many other jazz festivals. He is a Fellow of the London College of Music and a Visiting Professor of the University of West London. He is Executive Director of the Jazz Association (Singapore) and Managing Director of his company, Showtime Productions Pte. Ltd. which is 30 years old this year, 2018.

Jin Ta began studies on the flute at the Central Music Conservatory, Beijing. Thereafter he represented the conservatory at many performances and concerts. In 1991 he received full scholarship from University of Michigan U.S.A. and became a student of Prof. Keith Bryan and later Prof. Leone Buyse. In 1997 Jin Ta won First Prize in both the Boston Pappoutsakies Memorial Foundation Competition and Memphis Young Artist Competition. In 1997 he was selected as an artist diploma candidate to study with renowned flautist Paula Robison. In Dec 2000 he won First Prize in the Haifa International Flute Competition 2000 (Israel). Jin Ta joined the Singapore Symphony Orchestra as Principal Flautist in 1998. Besides music, his other interests include cooking and travelling. Did you know? He can make fantastic shrimp dumplings!

Keiichi Kurokawa was born in Saitama, Japan in 1980. He graduated from Saitama University majoring in East Asian Cultures. He participated in wind band club while in school, playing the trumpet in junior high and high school, and bass and alto clarinet at university. He began arranging during high school and since then has made many arrangements and compositions for wind band and chamber ensembles.

His arrangement, American Riverside Medley (Wind Band / Brass Band) was selected as one of the test pieces of Singapore Youth Festival 2014. Almost his works are published from Brain / Bravo Music.

Kurokawa is now a music engraver and editor and a band director. He is a member of Japan Band Directors Association (JBA) and teaches computer music (notation software) at Yamaha Music Avenue Shibuya in Tokyo.

Hori Kura participates in live performances and recordings of various artists regardless of genre by piano, keyboard. Until 2013, regular appearances also at certain big theme park (sea) shows. In 2014, I mainly participate in the nationwide tour of Chris Hart, and as a music supervisor aid at a dance musical “ifi“. Recently, he has provided music to numerous artists as composers, and has expanded the range of his activities.

Lu is Associate professor of violin and Master Degree lecture of Xinghai Conservatory of Music. She gained her doctor of violin performance at Urals Mussorgsky State Conservatoire. She is one of the outstanding young teacher training project of Guangdong, executive director of Guangdong Violin Society.

At the age of 14, Lu went to Russia to study. Urals Mussorgsky State Conservatoire graduated with a doctor in violin performance. She won the special prize in Ukraine “International Youth Violin Competition”. And she performed many times at home country and abroad. She has taught at Xinghai Conservatory of Music since 2007. Represented the Conservatory in participating in performances hosted by China national leaders.

While studying abroad, she has signed with the Russian Yekaterinburg Philharmonic Orchestra as a violin soloist and has performed with the orchestra to tour many times. Lu was commended as an outstanding student in the Chinese consulate in Russia. She was on the Russian version of the magazine  “People’s Pictorial” and exclusively interviewed by Novosibirsk TV station.

During the teaching, Lu still kept practicing and performing, and conducted solo concerts in Xinghai Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Shenzhen Concert Hall, Guangzhou Opera House, Poly Wenzhou Theatre, etc. At the same time, she performed as soloist with Shanghai Opera House Symphony Orchestra, Shenzhen Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra, Xinjiang Philharmonic, Starry Orchestra, Xinghai Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra. At the same time, she has conducted many masterclasses and lectures in many places across the country. The University of Shannon-Dore invited her to conduct masterclasses, which has been widely praised. Lu has published papers such as “How to Solve the Tension During Stage Performance” and “The Sound and Tone of Violin”.

In recent years, Lu as Professor Zakhar Bron ’s assistant in China, followed the master to further study the essence of the Russian violin teaching method and was sent by the school to Switzerland continue following Prof. Bron for further study.

As a school student Michael Bardon studied cello, oboe and clarinet performing as a member of the Pacific School Games Symphony, NSW Public Schools Symphony and the Sydney Olympic Marching Band.

Accelerated into university at age 17 he holds degrees from the Musikhochschule Luebeck (Germany), Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz (Germany), University of Newcastle (Australia) and professional orchestral training as an academy graduate of the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra (Germany). His principal teachers include Professors Diethelm Jonas, Nick Deutsch and Anthea Scott-Mitchell, and he has received master class and chamber music instruction from international artists including Professors Sabine Meyer, Christiane Edinger, Stefan Schilli, Angela Firkins, Jaques Tys, Jochen Muller-Brinken, Markus Möllenbek and Thomas Brandis.

After basing himself in Germany for almost 7 years he returned to Australia in 2011 having performed as soloist, chamber and orchestral musician in countries including Germany, France, Italy, Denmark, Poland, Israel, Korea and Sweden.

Michael was a member of the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra Academy, Neues Kammerorchester Bamberg (now Orchester M18), the wind quintet ‘Pentaphonie’, Sydney Symphony Sinfonia and has performed with orchestras including Oper Frankfurt, Sinfonietta Baltica, Neue Philharmonie Hamburg, Mainzer Kammerorchester and the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra. He is a recipient of many awards including a prestigious German DAAD prize, a scholarship from the north German Possehl Foundation and a Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now scholarship. Additionally he held the University of Newcastle William Bowmore Prize for Postgraduate Studies in Cello and was the 2012-14 Young Ambassador for the Manning Winter Festival.

An initial teaching position in Hamburg has led to further appointments at Newington College, the University of Newcastle Conservatorium and the Australian Institute of Music. Michael is an enthusiastic pedagogue, with student success including the Music Captaincy of Newington College, scholarship holders at both the Newcastle Conservatorium and Grammar School, frequent high distinction candidates in AMEB examinations and tertiary graduates of the University of Newcastle and Australian Institute of Music. Michael is also employed as an orchestral mentor by the NSW Department of Education and Training for their productions of Star Struck.

Holding performance master’s degrees in both cello (Newcastle) and oboe (Luebeck), Michael maintains a busy career performing, teaching, researching and administrating. He has performed frequently as guest principal cello in the Darwin Symphony, is a regular collaborator with the Australian National College of Dance, has broadcast for ABC Classic FM Sunday Live and in 2016 became a permanent member of the Sydney Metropolitan Orchestra.

Violinist, Chamber Musician
Tutor at the Central Conservatory of Music

Amber Quartet Founder, First Violin

Ning Fangliang is an outstanding violinist and chamber musician in China today, active in the international stage, currently teaching in the Central Conservatory of Music.

Ning Fangliang, as the founder and first violin of the Amber Quartet, has achieved a historic breakthrough in Chinese classical music: in 2013, the Amber Quartet won the highest prize and two individual prizes in the Melbourne Asia Pacific International Chamber Music Competition, becoming the first Chinese quartet to win the highest prize in the International Chamber Music Competition, achieving a breakthrough of zero in the international professional competition of Chinese chamber music. Conductor Lorin Maazle praised the Amber Quartet as “they’re a great quartet!” And the chamber music master, G?nter Pichler, said, “They will be the leaders of the world quartet.” “

In addition, Ning Fangliang also won a series of honours, including the Chinese music “Golden Bell Award”, CCTV Violin Competition Gold Award. She has also served as the chief of the “Chinese Youth Symphony Orchestra”, the “China Youth Symphony Orchestra” chief and the guest chief of the Japanese “Ozawa Zhenger Music Festival”, which Ozawa has called “excellent chief of musical talent”. Ning Fangliang has also received a number of honours, including the China National Scholarship, the Central Conservatory of Music Scholarship, the Wanderer Musicians Fund, the Hong Kong “Wu Fengzhou” Scholarship, the Albenniz Scholarship in Spain, etc. In 2010, Ning Fangliang was awarded the title of “Beijing Four Middle School” resident artist, and in 2015 was awarded the highest honour certificate by the Central Conservatory of Music in recognition of her international honour for the Academy and the country.

Ning Fangliang received interviews with a series of domestic and foreign authoritative media including “The Strad”, Abc Radio Australia, China Daily, Xinhua News Agency, CCTV and other authoritative media, and maintained close cooperation with the world’s leading musicians, such as Ozawa, Charles Neidich, David Shifrin, Paul Meyer, Phlippe Berrod, Hu Kun and others.

Ning Fangliang graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music and the Madrid International Chamber Music Academy, and Professor Lin Yaoji, Professor Xue Wei, and the world-renowned Abanberger quartet Professor G?nter Pichler. Ning Fangliang uses the violin for the China Foundation, and the box is sponsored by the French company Bam.

Phillip Shovk is considered to be one of Australia’s foremost concert pianists, chamber musicians, accompanists and pedagogues. After initial lessons with Anatole Mirosznyk, he continued his studies with George Humphrey at the Sydney Conservatorium High School from where he graduated with the Frank Hutchens Prize for being the most promising performer of his year. He then furthered his studies at the Moscow State Conservatory, studying with Professor Valery Kastelsky (himself a student of the legendary Heinrich Neuhaus) and graduating as a Master of Fine Arts with highest marks in all musical subjects. In 1987 he became a Laureate at the Vianni di Motta competition in Lisbon and in 1988 at the Sydney International Competition, where he was awarded the Hephzibah Menuhin Prize and the Best Australian Pianist Prize. He was awarded a Best Accompanist prize at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1994.

He has performed to great acclaim in Russia, Georgia, Portugal, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Singapore, New Zealand, China, USA, Spain, Norway and the UK.

Phillip Shovk has also adjudicated at many of Australia’s leading competitions including the Sydney International Piano Competition, Sydney Eisteddfod, Yamaha Youth Competition, Hephzibah Menuhin Competition and others. He has also been a jury member of Concours Animato in Paris, the New Zealand National Concerto Competition and the Singapore National Piano Competition and has taught at the Conservatoire Rachmaninoff in Paris, the Australian Institute of Music and Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, and is presently Lecturer in Piano and Accompaniment at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

He has released 2 CD’s – Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky on the Master Performer’s label and Mozart Violin Sonatas arranged for 2 pianos with colleague Daniel Herscovitch for Toccata Classics.

Qi Wang, a viola teacher of chamber music in Orchestral Instruments Department of Central Conservatory of Music, a member of Amber Quartet, a viola doctor in Berlin University of Arts, an intern in Berlin Philharmonic and an external violist employed by Kuala Lumpur Philharmonic, Malaysia.

Qi Wang graduated from Central Conservatory of Music in 2007, was admitted in Berlin University of Arts and obtained DAAD full scholarship in the same year, studying under a professor in Berlin University of Arts named Mr. Ulrich Knoerzer, who playing as Viola Principal in Berlin Philharmonic now. He obtained the doctorate in September 2011.

In 2009, Qi Wang was enrolled in Berlin Philharmonic and acted as an intern. In 2011, he was employed by Kuala Lumpur Philharmonic, Malaysia.

In 2012, Qi Wang came back home and taught in Central Conservatory of Music, as well as joined Amber Quartet in the same year

Shui Bing graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in violin performance. Prior to joining the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in 1998, Shui Bing taught at the Secondary Music School attached to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He was the violist of the Shanghai Youth String Quartet and performed at the First International Chamber Music Competition in Melbourne in 1991. He was also invited to perform as a soloist with the Shanghai Radio Philharmonic in 1996.

Chongwu WANG: teaching at of the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM for short), the “Excellent Teacher Award” winner of the 12th International Competition for Youth String Musician of Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music 2015, the “Teaching Excellence Award” winner of the 2016 CCOM Middle School, the “Outstanding Advisor Award” winner of the 2017 CCOM Scholarship Competition,the 2017 “Beijing Municipal Excellent Teacher Award” winner. After released his first solo cello album “Striking a Chord with Chongwu WANG” in 2017, he then published in 2018 “Squirrel Cellist”(two volumes), new concept course for the CCOM amateur cello graded examination.

Mr. Chongwu WANG studied cello with his uncle, Zhang Tianming, from 4 years old and was admitted to the CCOM Middle School and then the CCOM Orchestral Instruments Department both at the first place. With recommended admission free from the entrance examination for postgraduates, he continued his study with Ms. Namula, CCOM cello professor and supervisor of postgraduate. During his art studies, Mr. Chongwu WANG won the 3rd place and “Final Award” in the 6th Carlos Prieto International Cello Competition, the 2nd place of the youth group in the 6th VC Cup national cello competition, 9 national and collegiate scholarships. His recorded repertoires won 4 awards at the level of national and international competitions for cello and composition.

As a member of the delegation of Chinese musicians and the representatives of the CCOM teaching staff, Mr. Chongwu WANG engaged in a series of major performances for the party and state leaders and other heads of states. He has performed at the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People, Party School of the Central Communist of the C.P.C., the National Center for the Performance Arts(NCPA), the Macedonian Opera and Ballet Theater, the Grand Theater of Mexico and the Varna Central Theater etc. And those performances were broadcast on the CCTV Music channel. Especially, his performance at the National Day party was reported on the XINWEN LIANBO(CCTV News Broadcast), People’s Daily, Beijing Daily and other TV stations, newspapers and magazines.

Mr. Chongwu WANG attended master classes of renowned cellists, including Song Tao, Wang Jian, David Greengas, Clirer Rodin, Lynn Harrell, Roman, Carlos Prieto, Jesus Castro-Balbi, William Molina, Philippe Muller, Aldo Parisot, Asier Polo,and Jo Cole FHEA, ARAM etc. As invited cello solo actor, Mr. Chongwu WANG played at hundreds of concerts under the programs of the “Elegant Art into Campus” and “Display of Outstanding Plays of National Art Troupes & Theaters”, jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance.

Wang Peng is Associate Professor of Violin, in the School of Music, Yunnan University of Art. He is the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences, Yunnan University of Science and Technology, and the Chairman of the String Music Society of the Yunnan Youth Music and Art Association, and the Judge of Yunnan Provincial Department of Education’s “Three-in-one Competition for Primary and Secondary School Students”. He is also has been hired by Yunnan University, Specialized experts of Normal University and Yunnan Wenhua College; violin specialist of Yunnan Higher Vocational Education. He is a member of Chinese Musicians Association, senior judge of Yunnan Provincial Examination Committee; honoured violinist of Yunnan Symphony Orchestra.

Educated at prestigious Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music (Warsaw, Poland), he was awarded Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney in 2015 (studying with Natalia Sheludiakova). In 2010, Wojciech was awarded a diploma from the Ministry of Culture of the Polish Government for ‘exemplary achievements in the field of popularising music of Fryderyk Chopin.’

Giving his first performance with an orchestra at the age of 11, throughout his career Wojciech was awarded numerous prizes on various national and international piano competitions, including participation in Sydney International Piano Competition in 2008. His competition performances were released by ABC Classic on 2008 SIPCA Highlights CD (https://itunes.apple.com/np/album/2008-sydney-international-piano-competition-australia/295560983).

Wojciech’s students often obtain highest marks on AMEB and Trinity examinations, compete at national and international competitions, and successfully audition for graduate and post-graduate performance courses in Australia (e. g. Sydney Conservatorium of Music) and abroad.

Nearly twenty years of teaching experience, currently holding position of an Academic Lecturer in Piano at the Australian Institute of Music (since 2010). Given public piano masterclasses in China (Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai), Serbia, as well as Australia.

Wojciech’s book entitled ‘Defining National Piano Schools – Perceptions and challenges’ was published in 2016, and is currently available worldwide (https://nationalpianoschools.com/).

My philosophy of Teaching and Learning excellence is providing equal opportunities to all. This is demonstrated in my teaching and supervising roles by focusing on providing all students with the chance to achieve their maximum potential, and prepare them for careers as professional musicians. I focus on each student’s ability to deliver artistic expression in a professional public setting. I am innovative in my approach to teaching and learning, implementing the most recent academic findings into areas such as memorisation (using various types of memory, memory techniques, with particular attention to suit those techniques to individual students’ capabilities and talents), sight-reading (employing modern technology such as sight-reading with the audio of pre-recorded pieces, video recordings of performances), and using the most up-to-date approach to teaching technique, with particular attention to students’ physical wellbeing (combining some of the research in physiology of a human body in the context of performance, some of the techniques leading to recovery of students who already experience issues with their technique).

Yang Dazhi graduated from the Orchestral Department of Sichuan Conservatory of Music in 1982. He was assigned to the Guizhou Art School to serve as a flute lecturer. In 1984, he was appointed as the head of the Guizhou Provincial Radio Orchestra. In 1998, he joined the Music College of Guizhou University as a flute lecturer. He is also the President of the Guizhou Flute Society, in 2007 and 2008. Yang was awarded the title of Excellent Pipe Music Teacher of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture. He served as Vice Chairman of the Guizhou Provincial Wind Music Society in 2012 and a member of the China Wind Music Association in 2013 and in 2014, he served as the Chinese Flute Union in China.

Cellist, Chamber Musician

Yang Yichen, a teacher at the Central Conservatory of Music, was born in Beijing and is from Taiwan, where his grandfather was also a famous composer. Yang Yichen has achieved remarkable achievements in the field of classical music in China as a cellist and chamber musician. In 2005 he launched amber quartet Amber Quartet.

In 2011, the Amber Quartet won the Gold Award in the Chamber Music Competition of the Central Conservatory of Music and the Silver Award of the Golden Bell Award for Chinese Music (Chamber Music). In 2013, the Amber Quartet won the “Highest Prize in the Competition” and two individual awards in the Melbourne Asia Pacific International Chamber Music Competition, achieving the Chinese Quartet’s “Zero Breakthrough” in the International Chamber Music Competition.

Yang Yichen and the Amber Quartet performed in concert halls in dozens of countries around the world, receiving interviews with dozens of domestic and foreign media, including the world’s leading music magazine ” The Strad”, China Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Music Weekly, Beijing News and other domestic and foreign media. Today, the Amber Quartet, as a representative group in the field of Chinese chamber music, has been invited to hold special concerts at several world-renowned music festivals, such as the “Bonn Beethoven Festival” and the Canadian “MISQA” String Quartet Festival, which has gained high recognition from the world music scene and is known as “one of the leading international chamber music players” (Alban Berg Quartet, G?nter Pichler)

Yang Has won several honours: He has won gold and silver awards in the 6th Chinese Cello Competition, the Central Conservatory of Music Cello Competition and the Central Conservatory of Music Concerto Open; Yang Yichen served as the chief cello of the Chinese Youth Symphony Orchestra and the chief cello of the famous chamber orchestra of the Central Conservatory of Music. In 2010, Yang Yichen was awarded the title of “Beijing Four Middle School” resident artist was selected as having “talent” program in 2014, and received the highest honour certificate from the Central Conservatory of Music in 2015. In 2019, he was selected as a young talent project of the National Endowment for the Arts.

As a teacher, Yang Yichen’s students have won the highest prize in the Singapore International Chamber Music Competition, the Hong Kong International String Competition and the Morning Side Cup cello competition. At the same time, Yang Yichen served as the headteacher of the Central Conservatory of Music. He has won the Central Conservatory of Music outstanding class director medal, led the class won the “Advanced Class Body in Beijing” honorary title. Since 2016, Yang Yichen has served as a judge of the Central Conservatory of Music and a number of domestic music competitions.

Yang Yichen is committed to the promotion and popularization of classical music in China. As the concert presenter, he innovatively combines the stage with the podium and presents the spiritual core of classical music to the public. The live video of the 2019 concert series “Listening string quartet and the history of classical music”, delivered by Yang Yichen, was included in the National Library of China and was selected as the “Learning Power” platform of the Ministry of Central Propaganda.