Piano
Ivan Yeung
Instruments: Piano, Advanced Rudiments, Harmony, History
Education: Bachelor of Music: Piano Performance (University of Toronto), Master of Music: Piano Pedagogy (University of Toronto)
Style: Classical Piano, Contemporary Piano, RCM examination program
Language: English, Cantonese
Ivan was introduced to the piano at the age of 4 but did not find his passion for music until 11 years old. Since then, Ivan has advanced through the RCM Grades at a fast pace, competed and won numerous competitions. He has placed first in music competitions and festivals such as the Scarborough Music Festival, Kiwanis Music Festival, Toronto Music Competition, Richmond Hill Music Festival, and Yip’s Music Festival. He has also placed 3rd in the 2007 Canadian Music Competition for the category of 14 years and under, and also placed 4th in the 2009 Canadian Music Competition for the category of 18 years and under. During the year of 2008, he was fortunate enough to be invited to the Vienna School of the Performing Arts where he performed a solo recital. In 2009 and 2010, Ivan was invited to the Officials Gathering at the Heintzman House as a solo pianist, performing in front of many important officials of the town such as the Mayor of Markham, Frank Scarpitti. Ivan currently holds a Bachelor of Piano Performance degree and Master of Music degree in Piano Pedagogy both from the University of Toronto. In his spare time, Ivan enjoys reading books and playing sports such as table tennis and badminton.
“Our child had a bad experience coming over from our previous teacher who was very strict and discipline. We came to Hanway under Mr. Yeung after stopping our piano lessons for 1 year, hoping my daughter can pick up where she left off. Mr. Yeung was helpful in updating us on how she is doing right now and what are the next steps towards our RCM examinations. Our daughter is very pleased with his teaching style which balances the fun and the discipline in learning music.” – Kevin L
Tim Chiu
Instruments: Acoustic Guitar, Classical Guitar, Electric Guitar,
Education: York University
Style: Jazz, Folk, Rock, Pop
Language: English, Mandarin
Tim Chiu holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree studying classical piano from York University with entrance scholarship, as well as Bachelor of Education from Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, illegible to teach Music and Drama from Grade 7 to Grade 12 in Ontario Public Schools. Began his musical journey since six years old, and passionate for both music performance and education, Tim has almost a decade of teaching experience at the age of twenty-five already.
Although he came from a Classical background, Tim has extensive experience in Pop, Rock, Blues, Electronic, and other genres of music as well. He started playing in bands since high school and performed songs in many genres. Being the keyboardist of his band, Moonfall, he is also attuned for sound design, recording, and composition. He has performed in several local events, including Night It Up, Waterfront Night Market, Taiwan Fest, and many others.
“Tim’s lessons are very educational and his step by step approach allows me to take my time to begin the instrument! – Bobby W
Kay Lu
Instruments: Piano
Education: York University (Bachelor)
Style: Classical, Contemporary, RCM examination program
Language: English, Mandarin
Wei Yin Lu, going by the English name Kay, began learning piano at the age of three. Kay originates from Taiwan, immigrating to Canada when she was 14. An experienced teacher, Kay has taught music since 2009, much of it with young children in both 1 on 1 settings and music camps. Her training and education has culminated in a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Music from York University, after briefly attending Wilfred Laurier and the University of Prince Edward Island. As a pianist, Kay has performed on stage at Taiwan, Prince Edward Island, Halifax and Hong Kong. In addition to piano, Kay is a talented composer and flautist. She wishes to bring the joy of music to anyone she can with her outgoing teaching style
“Kay is very outgoing and is very good at bringing out the interest of learning piano to kids! My daughter is 4 years old and a beginner and for the past year she is always super excited to attend her classes to show her progress to Kay! – Lauren L(Parent)
Ava Liu
Instruments: Piano, Vocal
Education: Bachelor of Arts (Ryerson University)
Style: Classical Piano, Contemporary Piano, R&B Vocal, Pop Vocal, RCM examination program
Language: English, Mandarin, Cantonese
Ava has been studying the piano since the age of 7 and has been active in the Greater Toronto Chinese community as a performer and singer since the age of 16. During these years, she sang, and guest performed over hundreds shows, including Chinese new year countdown events, piano competitions and singing contests. She was featured as the lead vocalist in the Toronto based film “Promise” soundtrack. As a teacher, Ava has over 6 years in teaching experience to students aged 4 and above. Her lessons implement both the piano and voice techniques to educate her students and how both instruments can be used with one another. Her experience also allows her to train students to develop performance skills and on stage techniques.
“Over the past year Angelina (Daughter, 7 years old) has been taking both Vocal and Piano lessons with Ms.Liu. Her enthusiasm and positive energy is really making an impact on Angie that was never present from her previous teachers. Her weekly communication with me and her father gives us a constant update on how she is doing and how we as parents can help her improve in her musical studies. We are really grateful for her services and feel really confident handing our daughter’s music education to her” – Monica S
Katharine Chiu
Instruments: Piano, Advanced Rudiments
Education: Bachelor of Music (University of Toronto)
Style: Classical Piano, Contemporary Piano, RCM examination program
Language: English, Cantonese
Katharine started studying the piano at the age of 5, working through the RCM grades until she completed her ARCT in Piano Performance. Since the age of 15, she has been a volunteer accompanist at her church, accompanying for her fellowship, Children’s Choir, and various other services. Both her love for music and her positive experiences accompanying at church led her to pursue a Bachelor of Music in Composition at the University of Toronto, where she is currently studying composition with Alexander Rapoport and piano with Alma Petchersky.
With a willingness to volunteer in her church’s children’s ministries since the age of 14, Katharine has several years of experience working with children. As a piano teacher, Katharine aims to help her students enjoy the process of learning and develop a lasting passion for the piano. She always seeks to provide the right encouragement and knowledge for each individual student, leading them to acquire both proper skill and technique in piano and a deeper understanding of music.
“Ms Chiu is very friendly and easy to communicate with as a teacher. We received weekly status updates on how our child is doing with his practising and she not only provides a set of simple and clear instructions, but also suggests how we as parents can help our child with his piano studies” – Peter W
Violin
Erick Wawrzkiewicz
Instruments: Violin, Advanced Rudiments
Eucation: ARCT Violin Performance, Bachelor of Music: Jazz Violin, Violin Performance (University of Toronto)
Style: Classical, Pop, Jazz, RCM Examination Program
Language: English
Erick is a professional violinist active in the GTA area. He performs regularly with orchestras and ensembles around the city. Always pursuing greater horizons Erick also occasionally appears as a violist and baroque violinist.
Born in England to Polish and Brazilian parents he started studying the violin in Poland at age 4. He studied with Israeli violinist, Eyal Kless, at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and with TSO associate concertmaster Mark Skazinetsky at the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Taylor Academy and the University of Toronto Faculty of Music where he also took viola lessons with Eric Nowlin and worked on Historically Informed Performance Practice with Jeanne Lamon and Ivars Taurins from Tafelmusik.
As a teacher Erick seeks to help his students find their own voices and explore how to express themselves clearly through music.
“As a beginner, Erick was very patient with my daughter (Cathy, 15 years old). He understood what she needs and how to help her overcome difficulties during her lessons and practising. The thing that I like most about Erick is that he tries to go beyond music education and shares his own experiences.” – Helen B
Drum
Randolf Jimenez
Instruments: Drum
Eucation: Bachelor of Arts: Jazz Performance (York University)
Style: Rock, Pop, Metal, Funk, RCM Accredited
Language: English
Randolf Jimenez born in Caracas, Venezuela. At a young age shows great interest in percussion instruments and at 12 he begins practicing drums, to later enroll in the School of Music Jose Reyna. At the same time, he starts drum lessons with renowned teachers such as Andres Briceño (Director of Conservatory Big Band Jazz of Simon Bolivar) and Tomas Luis Garcia (DC New York). Additionally, as part of his training, he also attends important seminars with world-class drummers such as Horacio Hernandez, Robbie Ameen, Russ Miller, Julio Barreto, Alvaro Lopez and Richie Garcia.
This young and talented musician has performed in many concerts in major art centres in Caracas-Venezuela and in different venues around the world, earning himself and his jazz trio, the recognition of one the musicians with more shows in the music scene in Caracas.His work has been reviewed in major print media such as El Diario de Caracas, weekly Sexto Poder, Ultimas Noticias, also magazines like CARAS, A UNO and more recently in the international journal ACID CONGA as well as in numerous TV shows. Also, he has been mentioned in several important websites such as SinFlash.com, muheve.com, acn.com, quenotarevista.com among many others. Most of these websites have named him The Groove of Venezuela for his outstanding work as a teacher and performing/studio musician.
Performance Videos Please Click Here
“Randolf has been very engaging and fun to be around during lessons. His instructions were clear and I found it very helpful he always do a demo example for me before it was my turn to play. He also made sure I knew what to practise at home and how to practise each part before each lesson ended. This gave me confidence that I was not able to receive from my previous teacher.” – Michael C (Student, 17)
Guitar
Lorne MacDonald
Instruments: Acoustic Guitar, Classical Guitar, Electric Guitar,
Education: York University
Style:Classical, Jazz, Folk, Rock, Pop
Language: English
Lorne began studying guitar when he was 12 years old and I have been teaching since 2015. When he was a kid my favorite thing to do was to go to my guitar lessons and in my free time, playing rock and pop music on electric guitar. As he became older, he developed a passion for classical guitar. He began to study privately with renowned guitar virtuoso, RCM faculty member and examiner James Brown. With James, he became classically trained through the RCM examination system as well as in performance and Jazz improve. He learned that achieving the best grade possible in an RCM exam requires a very refined technique, strong articulation, attention to detail and knowledge of the history behind each piece. It is not about the quantity of the pieces you can play but the quality of how you can play them.
Although Lorne really enjoy performing, his true passion is teaching. My first step when meeting a new student is to acknowledge what they like and dislike and any goals they may have. Always trying to keep things as intriguing as possible, introducing new things that will hopefully spark the students interest.
“Lorne was very patient with my 8 year old son who just began learning the instrument. He always tries new activities to keep him engaged during class!” – Esther W
Vocal
Joy Zhou
Instruments: Pop Vocal, Classical Vocal, Piano
Education: University of New Mexico (USA, Bachelor of Voice performance), University of Western Ontario (Bachelor of Music Education)
Style: Jazz, Folk, Rock, Pop, Classical
Language: English, Mandarin
Joy is a Chinese born vocalist. She began her vocal studies at the age of six and has participated in numerous music festivals in China and Canada such as Kiwanis music festival and Canadian music competition.
In 2008, she completed her ARCT with a high mark of 90 and subsequently won the ARCT trophy for vocal for highest mark in the Markham branch. Following this achievement, she was invited by the chairperson of Trophy to perform at the honours recital for ORMTA.
Joy continued her musical education by completing her Bachelor of Voice Performance degree at the University of New Mexico (USA), and her music education degree at the University of Western Ontario (Canada).
As a teacher, Joy has been keeping an active teaching career for the past 8 years and have taught kids from age 4 to 80. Her students who enrol in RCM examinations in voice and piano has all achieved remarkable results in her teaching tenure.
Joy is currently residing in Toronto and wishes to continue her musical career through teaching and sharing her love for classical music.
“My daughter is 14 years old and we have gone through 5 voice teachers in the past 2 years before meeting Ms. Zhou. Her teaching style and knowledge of music singing far exceeds my expectation” – Jenny Z (Parent)
Eileen Shan
Instruments: Piano, Vocal
Education: Bachelor of Fine Arts – Music/Psychology
Style: Classical, Modern, Pop, Jazz
Language: English, Mandarin, Cantonese
Born in Foshan, China, Eileen started to learn piano and singing since age of 6. She started singing in a local children Choir and the choir was entitled the first place in 2004 in an international choir competition named World Choir Game. She studied Jazz Theory and vocal in York University and entered several local singing competitions and achieved great success and fame in the GTA. Since 2011, she has been freelance performer as an keyboardist, vocalist, and chorus for over hundreds of shows in and around the GTA.
“Great teacher with great patience and really understands what she is teaching. She took the time to explain everything to me and made sure I understood everything before I leave class every week” – Lisa L (Student)
Clarinet & Saxophone
Ivan Yeung
Instruments: Clarinet, Saxophone, Piano
Education: Bachelor of Music: Education (University of Toronto)
Style: Classical Piano, Contemporary Piano, RCM examination program
Language: English, Mandarin
Kevin started playing the piano when he was 4 years old and the saxophone when he was 10 where a deep passion for music making was sparked. A graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, Kevin has received classical training under the guidance of Dr. Wallace Halladay.
Kevin has performed as a member of the University of Toronto Wind Symphony, Wind Ensemble and various saxophone quartets and ensembles. He is an active Toronto-based musician who performs with a variety of bands and will be joining the Metropolitan Winds of Toronto in July 2018.
Kevin has been working with music students for over 5 years. His experiences range from working one-on-one as a private tutor to teaching music class as a teacher candidate. An aspiring music teacher, he has developed an adaptable and versatile teaching style that is constantly evolving and tailored to his student’s needs.
[/su_animate“My son is currently in high school and beginning the saxophone with Kevin. He was patient and ensures each lesson my son is able to take in all the materials being taught. Will not hesitate to recommend any friends to learn under him!” – Sophie L
Brian Lee
Instruments: Piano, Clarinet
Education: Bachelor of Arts – University of Toronto
Style: Contemporary, RCM examination program Level 1 – 5, Jazz Vocal
Language: English, Mandarin, Cantonese
Available Time: Saturday AM/PM, Sunday AM, Weekdays after 6 PM
Brought up in Hong Kong in a music family, Brian came to Toronto in 2012. He has won numerous prizes in various open competitions including Hong Kong Asia Piano Open Competition as well as Hong Kong Schools Music and Speech Festival. As a pianist, Brian has performed in Hacken Lee’s Concert as a piano accompanist at Hong Kong Coliseum with over 10,000 audiences. As a clarinetist, Brian has actively participated in school woodwind orchestra, scout band, brass band, cadet corps, etc., and he is now a guest clarinetist at University of Toronto Concert Band.
Brian is patient and enjoys working with kids and teens to inspire and deepen their interest in music as a “universal language”. He believes every human being has unlimited potential to be explored. Brian has great passion in music. He enjoys composing, singing and busking during his leisure time. He also enjoys playing basketball and is a super Raptors fan.
“Brian’s lesson are fun and enjoyable, he takes time making sure I understand the materials taught in lesson and made sure I was able to sufficiently practise at home.” – Andy H (Student)