Joyce Ng- Piano
Joyce earned her Master Degree in piano performance at Hunter College, the City University of New York. She was a student of Peter Basquin, an American pianist and the winner of Montreal International Competition. As a pianist, Joyce was welly trained in music teaching. She began her teaching career in 2000. During the past twenty years, she has devoted her time to researching piano pedagogy and music education by reading books, articles and attending various workshops. She focuses on keeping her teaching resources updated. She believes that the process of learning is just as important as the outcome –the performance.
Throughout her teaching years, many of her students won 1st Prize and Gold Medal Awards in the piano category such as Crescendo International Competition, American Protégé International Competition, Golden Classical Award Competition, Grand Prize Virtuoso Music Competition, The American Association for Development of the Gifted and Talented Music Competition. Her students were also invited to perform at renowned concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Glaserner Saal, Musikverein (Vienna).
She will tailor her teaching method accordingly to the characteristic and personality of the student. She focuses on creativity teaching, especially for young children. She has a unique ability to make the process of becoming a highly disciplined musician both enjoyable and fun.
Wei-Chun Chen- Violin/Piano
Wei-Chun Chen, born in Taiwan, began her music study with piano at age 6 and violin at age 14. In 2007,Chen received her Bachelor's Degree in Violin Performance from Soochow University in Taipei. During her college years, she studied violin with You-Yuan Chen, Katz Lynn and Zong-Cheng Chen, and had been performed in the National Concert Hall and Japan with the Soochow Symphony Orchestra.
In 2008, she moved to New York City, continued her violin studies with Wei Chung Chiang (the concertmaster of Taipei Symphony Orchestra) , Emil Israel Chudnovsky (concert soloist, winner of Paganini violin competition), Daniel Phillips (faculty member of The Juilliard School and the member of Orion String Quartet), Richard Chang (the member of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra), Ordin Rathnam, Shu-Ting Yao and Jonathan Carney (the concertmaster of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra).
In 2016, She became the member of the Symphony Orchestra of the Americas, as a member of orchestra, performed at Elebash Recital Hall, DiMenna Center for Classical Music, Merkin Concert Hall and Carnegie Hall. Beside performance, Chen also focuses her time in teaching. Through her instruction, many of her students perform successfully in several festival events and auditions, included NYSSMA, ABRSM, Youth Orchestra, Manhattan School of Music precollege...etc.
Steven Shen- Piano
Steven Shen began learning music at the age of 4 with renowned piano teacher Li YiFan. In 2008, Shen came in second place in the Beijing International Open Piano Competition. In 2010, he won the gold medal in the Hong Kong/Asia Open Piano Competition. In 2014, he graduated from the Shanghai Si-Fan University with a BA in Music, concentration in piano performance, educational psychology and music education.
Afterwards, he was accepted into the Queens College Aaron Copland School of Music, where he studied piano performance and music education with Dr. Donald Pirone. It was during this time that he was awarded his MA in Music. In recent years, he has gained substantial experience with solo and orchestral performance, playing in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and LeFrak Concert Hall.
Aside from his extensive performance experience, Steven Shen has over ten years under his belt teaching music to children and students of varying ages. He has also helped prepare students in the past with on-stage performance and music exams. It is his sincere hope that through his teaching, students can grow to love the piano and refine their playing skills and technique.
Zach Tady - Flute/Piano
Zach Tad-y is an active performer and teacher of music. Coming from the Philippines, his musical training includes earning a Bachelor of Music degree in flute, with a minor in piano, magna cum laude, from the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music. He was recently awarded his Master of Music degree in flute performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music under the guidance of Prof. Judith Mendenhall.
Zach’s performance activities encompass a variety of settings as a solo, chamber and orchestral musician in the Philippines and the United States. In February 2022, he was awarded the top prize in the Copland School of Music - Bach Competition. As a dedicated teacher, seasoned with years of experience, Zach has worked with students from a plethora of backgrounds in the study of piano, flute and music theory. This has cultivated in him a deep commitment to pursue the highest potential that ensues from the shared experience of music-making.
Juney Li- Soprano/Piano
Juney Li is a New York City based vocalist, band leader, and music educator. She first gained recognition as a female front vocal with her rock band “Juney” in 2016. Since then, the band has performed in music venues around New York City and had shared stages with celebrated artists like Michael Angelo Batio and John 5.
As a singer, Juney participates in competitions, festivals, and concerts in the United States and has received numerous awards. She sings different genres of music in Chinese and English, and other Germanic languages, such as classical, jazz, pop, and rock music. As an educator, Juney tailors her teaching for students at different levels. She believes that learning music is for everyone at any age and should be an enjoyable process. Juney is currently studying with soprano Jane Olian along with pianist Donna Gill. She is pursuing Master of Music at the Aaron Copland School of Music of Queens College, and holds a Bachelor of Music Diploma from the City College, where she studied Classical Vocal Performance.
Yongze Li- Piano
Yongze Li began learning piano when he was 6 with Yao Wang who is the head of the
piano department at Shandong College of Arts. In 2010 January, Li won the Second
place in Beacon-CSU Stanislaus international piano competition organized by US
Beacon Artists Association at California State University. During the same year, Li
achieved the Golden Price in National Youth Talent Show. In 2014, Li accompanied the
school choir and won a First Prize in the school choir competition in Shandong Province.
In 2015, Li held a solo recital in the recital hall of Shandong College of Arts.
In 2017, Li attended the Queens College Aaron Copland School of Music for
Undergraduate. Li started studying Piano Performance and Chamber music with
Professor Morey Ritt; Dr. Donald Pirone; and learning Keyboard Accompany with Pro.
Gerald Robbins, and Pro. Youn Kim. During 4 years of studying, he gained an excellent
experience in solo performance and accompanied with many different instrumentalists. In
2021, Li received his BM degree from Aaron Copland School of Music and played Piano
solo recital in New York Steinway Concert Hall and New York Lefrak Concert Hall. Li also
is a member of Steinway Teacher & Educational Partner Program.
Yongze, Li has begun his teaching career more than six years. He taught Piano, Music
Theory, and Aural training. During his teaching career, he is very patient in helping
students solve difficulties with piano and keeping students interested in piano. His
students attended many piano competitions and won Gold/Silver Prices such as the
Young Maestro International Competition, and also successfully perform in piano exams
and pre-college programs such as NYSSMA, ABRSM, Pre-college in Mannes, and MSM.
Giovanni Xu- Voice
Chinese American tenor Giovanni Xu is an active performer, educator, and arts administrator in the New York area.
Gio’s previous credits include Don Giovanni (Don Ottavio), Le nozze di Figaro (Don Basilio), Die Zauberflöte (First Armored Man), and scenes from Die Vershworenen (Udolin), Naughty Marietta (Captain Dick), L’etoile (Ouf), Cenerentola (Don Ramiro), and Amahl and the Night Visitors (King Kaspar). He also performed in recitals as part of Warren Jones’ Singers’ and Pianists’ Seminar.
In the 2018/19 Season, Gio made his Carnegie Hall debut as a tenor soloist in Vaughn Williams’s Serenade to Music in MSM’s Centennial Gala Concert under the baton of Leonard Slatkin. He was also a tenor soloist in Manhattan School of Music’s Grand Reopening of Neidorff-Karpati Hall .
Gio has attended L’Académie Internationale d’Eté de Nice. Prior to this, he participated in Classic Lyric Arts: La Lingua Della Lirica, where he performed in concerts throughout Bologna, Italy. He recently attended the Bel Canto Institute as a scholarship recipient. He has performed in masterclasses at The Metropolitan Opera Guild. He also attended Bard College’s Vocal Arts Summer Institute where he worked closely with Stephanie Blythe and Kayo Iwama. He has studied acting with Mary Birnbaum at the Movement Theater Studio.
An avid chorister, he has worked with such notable conductors as Vladimir Jurowski with the New York Philharmonic, and John Williams with the Boston Pops. Gio is an alumnus of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artist Vocal Program.
An in demand voice teacher, Gio specializes in the training of young and emerging singers. His students have gone on to perform at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, Steinway Hall, LeFrak Hall and others. They have also been selected participants of the NYSSMA All-County Choruses and gained admission at Mannes Preparatory Division. Most recently, he has been selected to participate in the New York City-National Association of Teachers of Singing Mentor Teacher Program. He is an active member of the National Association for Music Education and the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA). He was formerly on the faculty at New York Music & Arts as the sole voice instructor on Long Island.
Gio holds a BM in Voice Performance from Manhattan School of Music where he was a student of Cynthia Hoffmann (The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and The Curtis Institute of Music - Adjunct). He is a member of the National Society of Arts & Letters and is a co-chair of the Winston Classical Voice and Dorothy Lincoln Smith Classical Voice Competitions for the NY Chapter.
Shi Ge- Piano
Ge Shi, from Kunming, Yunnan began learning piano at the age of 6. In 2017, he was admitted to the piano department of The Music School Attached to Xinghai Conservatory of Music, where he studied under Associate Professor Xiaobei Zhu and successfully graduated in June 2020. During his time at the school, he participated in a hosting competition and achieved second place.
He hosted school anniversary events and delivered speeches on behalf of outstanding students. From 2020 to the present, he has been studying at Mannes School of Music, under the guidance of Professors Pavlovian Dokovska and Vladimir Valjarevic. While studying, he actively participated in performances like the Mannes Sound Festival. He also participated in the North Coast Piano Festival in 2019, exchanging learning with professors such as Barry Snyder, Douglas Humpherys, Alexander Kobrin, Daniela Mineva, Olga Kern, Tian Ying, etc.
Since 2020, he has been serving as an assistant for a professor at Yunnan Arts Institute, primarily responsible for exam preparation, competitions, and art education guidance. In 2021, he began to turn to piano initiation and foundational education.
His recent awards are ; First Prize in the Free Choice Group at the Asia International Youth Piano Invitation Competition Finals in 2018.Second Prizes in the Professional Junior Group at the Asia International Youth Piano Invitation Competition Finals in 2018. First Prize in the Free Choice Group and Youth Group at the 2020 Liszt International Youth Piano Competition Yunnan Regional Competition. He also invited to perform at the award concert and ceremony of the 5th SEILER&SAMICK Piano Competition in 2023 and participated in the Beijing International Music Festival & Academy in 2023.
Shuyi Zhang- Cello
Shuyi Zhang, a cellist from Shenzhen China, began her cello lesson with Artem Konstantinov and Haichang Huang.
She commenced her musical studies at the age of four, having as the primary instrument, the piano. In 1996, she was selected to participate the Hongkong Piano Open Competition and earned the best performance prize.
Later on she studied under Weiping Chen and Chienan Chen in Shanghai Conservatory of Music. During this time, she got the third prize of chamber music(Linhua) competition in Shanghai, and played the cello solo in Yi Xu's media composition, The Goddess, world premiere.
After graduating with a Bachelor's degree from Shanghai Conservatory of Music, she joined the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra where she was a member from 2010 to 2015. In the fall of 2015, she received the Artist Certificate Program scholarship at Azusa Pacific University to study cello performance under Dr. Marek Szpakiewicz. In 2018, she recieved the scholarship for Master Degree from Aaron Copland School of Music in Queens College under Professor Marcy Rosen.
She played Bach Cello Suites No. 3 and No.1 in the Bach Collaboration Recital organized by Professor Midori Goto at the Bob Cole Conservatory, California State University in Long Beach on February 27th, 2016 and at the United University Church, USC on February 16th, 2017.
During the summer of 2016, she participated in the Montecito Music festival with scholarship, and she had the opportunity to have masterclass with Professor Ko Iwasaki.
In the Fall of 2016, she decided to complement her musical studies by taking conducting lessons, and to the present she is taking them under the tutelage of the Professor Christopher Russell.