Student News and Photos

2018

Christmas Recital, December 2nd, St. Francis-in-the-Wood

Students played a mix of repertoire music and wonderful Christmas duets and solos at a benefit concert hosted by St. Francis-in-the-Wood Anglican Church in West Vancouver.  The concert raised $800 in donations, for the benefit of the St. James Music Academy, which offers music lessons and loan of  instruments to children in  Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.  https://sjma.ca/

North Shore RMTA Examination Awards

Ryan Hong – Trophy (highest mark on North Shore, RCM Level 6)
-student of Susan Evans
Benjamin Tippett – Trophy (highest mark on North Shore, RCM Level 3)
– student of Brennan Chan
Edison Liu – Medal (92% , RCM Prep B piano)
– student of Susan Evans

Chetham’s International Summer School and Festival for Pianists
Four students flew to Manchester in August, to spend a week at the International Summer School for Pianists at Chetham’s, a world-renowned boarding school for specially gifted young musicians in the North of England.  Matthew Lian, Ryan Hong and his brother Joshua, and Wenyi Liu enjoyed daily private piano lessons from their teachers, selected from an an international faculty of piano performers and pedagogues.  The four boys also attended Kodaly, sight reading and euryhthmy classes, and participated in daily piano workshops and master classes.  Every evening, they attended some or all of three nightly concerts given as part of Chetham’s International Piano Festival.  For more information about Chetham’s International Summer School and Festival for Pianists, please go to  https://www.pianoschool.com

Gala Recital at the Vancouver Playhouse
Edison, Mikayla, Ryan and Leon were selected to play at the Festival on the Lake Gala Recital at the Vancouver Playhouse in June.  This was a special event in addition to the festival’s Awards Recital, where all four students also performed.

Festival on the Lake Music Festival Awards Recital
These students performed at the recital and received the following awards:
– Edison Liu– Introductory Piano Age 6 Trophy
– Mikayla Morris – Introductory Piano Age 8 Trophy & James Lent Trophy fthe Most Promising Beginner Pianist
– Matthew Lian – Intermediate Piano Trophy &Outstanding  Intermediate Performer Trophy
– Ryan Hong –  Intermediate Piano Trophy & Outstanding Intermediate    Performer Trophy
– Leon Li -Intermediate Piano Trophy & Outstanding Intermediate Performer Trophy  

Lions Gate Sinfonia / North Shore RMTA collaboration
– Joshua Hong selected by audition to perform as piano soloist with the  orchestra in concert at North Vancouver’s Centennial Theatre
– Ryan Hong selected as piano soloist, and performed with the Lions Gate     Sinfonia strings ensembleVancouver Kiwanis Music Festival
Congratulations to ALL students who worked very hard to be well-prepared for this year’s Kiwanis Music Festival.  Everyone should be proud of the fine performances they produced.  Special mention to those who received 1st and 2nd place rankings in this nationally recognized festival, where classes usually average more than 12 to 15 participants:
– Alysha Mah – 1st place, Level 10 Impressionists; 2nd place, Level 10 Chopin
– Ryan Hong – 2nd place, Level 6 Romantic
– Yupeng Zhang – 2nd place, Level 5  Classical

North Shore Music Festival
– Ryan Hong, Romantic Junior Trophy
– Joshua Hong, Twentieth Century Elementary Trophy

2017 

  • Pacific International Youth Music Festival
    Joshua Hong selected to perform in the competition finals at Richmond’s Gateway Theatre, and was awarded 2nd Place Medal and Scholarship, Novice Division
  • 2017 Kelly Kirby Scholarship Award
    Ryan Hong achieved the highest mark in RCM Level 4 piano exams.
  • North Shore RMTA Examination Medals
    Leon Li and Ryan Hong – Level 4 RCM Piano Examinations (90% and above)
  • Festival on the Lake, Burnaby
    – Matthew Liang – Most Outstanding Student Award;   Most Artistic        Performance Award;  Tokunoh Family Scholarship;   Junior Piano Trophy
    – Max McDonald – Junior Piano Trophy
    – Tommy Meng – Junior Piano Trophy
  • Vancouver Student Performers’ Guild Festival
    Ryan Hong -Twentieth Century and Beyond Junior Trophy;   Pam Ascroft Trophy for Most Promising Performer;  Student Performers’ Guild Scholarship
  • North Shore Music Festival
    Leon Li – Repertoire Elementary Trophy
    Mariane Bergeron-Vitez – Post-Romantic Intermediate Trophy

    2017 RCM EXAMINATION RESULTS
  • Xiaochuan He –  First Class Honours Level 7 piano
  • Wenyi Liu –  First Class Honours Level 7 piano
  • Claire He –  First Class Honours Level 6 piano
  • Ryan Hong – First Class Honours with Distinction Level 4 piano
  • Leon Li – First Class Honours with Distinction Level 4 piano
  • Matthew Lian – First Class Honours  Level 4 piano
  • Joshua Hong –  First Class Honours Level 2 piano
  • Tommy Meng –  First Class Honours Level 2 piano
  • Gabriel Prisacariu – First Class Honours Level 1 piano

2016

  • Blue Ridge International Chamber Music Festival 
    Sebastian Hyland selected as youngest participant in two-week workshop, performing on both piano and violin in ensemble recitals at St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Vancouver
  • Kelly Kirby Scholarship
    Ryan Hong, for highest mark in RCM Grade 2 Piano examinations
  • North Shore RMTA Piano Examination Awards 
    Owen Li -Trophy for highest mark on the North Shore, Grade 3 piano
    Ryan Hong – Trophy for highest mark on the North Shore Grade 2 piano
    Wenyi Liu – Medal for excellent results in Grade 5 piano (over 90%).
    Matthew Lian – Medal for excellent results in Grade 2 piano (over 90%)
  • Festival on the Lake
    Ryan Hong –  Outstanding Piano Performance Trophy;  Junior Piano Trophy
    Matthew Liang – Junior Piano Trophy
    Gabriel Prisecariu – Junior Piano Trophy (7-year-old Introductory)
    Joshua Hong, – Junior Piano Trophy (5-year-old Introductory).
  • North Shore Music Festival
    Xiaochuan He – Baroque Junior Trophy
    Leon Li – Own Choice Junior Trophy
    Yupeng Zhang – Gold Seal First Place Award

    2016 RCM EXAMINATION RESULTS:
  • Alysha Mah – First Class Honours Grade 9 piano
  • Ellen Domm – First Class Honours Grade 8 piano
  • Wenyi Liu – First Class Honours with Distinction Grade 5 piano
  • Owen Li – First Class Honours with Distinction Grade 3 piano
  • Ryan Hong –  First Class Honours with Distinction Grade 2 piano
  • Matthew Lian – First Class Honours with Distinction Grade 2 piano

2015

  • Pacific International Youth Music Festival
    Ryan Hong – finalist at Richmond’s Gateway Theatre, awarded Second Place and scholarship in the Novice Division.
  • North Shore RMTA Examination Awards
    Sebastian Hyland – Trophy for highest mark on the North Shore, Grade 5 piano
    Ryan Hong – Medal for high marks in RCM Prep A exams (90% or higher)
    Matthew Lian – Medal for high marks in RCM Prep A exams (90% or higher)
  • Lions Gate Sinfonia / North Shore RMTA collaboration
    Leon Li – selected by audition to perform as piano soloist with the orchestra at the Centennial Theatre, North Vancouver
    Ryan Hong, Sebastian Hyland, Mariane Bergeron-Vitez, Xiaochuan He, Yitian Luo and Alysha Mah – selected to perform in the LGSO-sponsored piano solo recitals at Kay Meek Theatre. West Vancouver.

    2015 RCM EXAMINATION RESULTS:
  • Alysha Mah – Grade 8 piano First Class Honours
  • Sebastian Hyland – Grade 5 piano First Class Honours
  • Ryan Hong – Prep A Piano First Class Honours with Distinction
  • Matthew Lian – Prep A Piano First Class Honours with Distinction

    2014 RCM EXAMINATION RESULTS
  • Danny Choi – First Class Honours Grade 10 piano
  • Selina Han – First Class Honours Grade 10 piano
  • Helen Zhang –  First Class Honours Grade 9 piano
  • Adelyn Lee –  First Class Honours Grade 8 piano
  • Mariane Bergeron-Vitez – First Class Honours Grade 5 piano
  • Bruce Qin – Grade 5 piano First Class Honours  Grade 5 piano
  • Natalie Mah – First Class Honours Grade 1 piano

    2013
  • North Shore RMTA Examination Awards 
    Selina Han – Trophy for highest mark on the North Shore, Grade 9 piano  Adelyn Lee – Medal for excellent result in Grade 7 piano (over 90%)
    Alysha Mah – Medal for excellent result in Grade 6 piano (over 90%)
    Natalie Mah – Medal for excellent result in Prep A piano (over 90%)

    2013 RCM EXAMINATION RESULTS
  • Selina Han –  First Class Honours with Distinction Grade 9 piano
  • Catherine Maguire – First Class Honours Grade 9 piano
  • Himalie Bergeron-Vitez –  First Class Honours Grade 7 piano
  • Adelyn Lee – First Class Honours with Distinction Grade 7 piano
  • Alysha Mah – First Class Honours with Distinction Grade 6 piano
  • Mariane Bergeron-Vitez – First Class Honours Grade 3 piano
  • Natalie Mah – First Class Honours with Distinction Prep A piano