Cello Tutors

Sparkle Ip graduated from the Royal College of Music with a master's degree, where he studied under Richard Lester, a renowned cellist, chamber musician and educator, he is also the principal cellist of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. During his time in London, he participated in many professional projects such as RCM symphony orchestra with Sir Antonio Pappano, RCM Super string Sunday, musicals and film music recording.

Before he further his education at the RCM, he studied his bachelor's degree at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, where he met and studied under the guidance of Nikki Thomas, an influential and important teacher to Sparkle as a cellist and musician, his passion and love for the cello were greatly nurtured and it has grown ever since. Nikki Thomas was a student of the legendary cellist Jacqueline du Pré and the influential cello educator William Pleeth in the UK. During his study time in RWCMD, his cello playing improved drastically, which strongly amazed and impressed upon the teachers and students alike. He also established himself as a role model to his peers at the RWCMD. He believes that passion, resilience and love for the cello is the key to success in the learning process.
Besides studying under Nikki and Richard, he also took masterclass and lessons with some renowned cellists during the time in the UK, including Alice Neary, Leonard Elschenbroich, Rosie Biss, Amanda Truelove, David Cohen, Tim Walden and Stefan Popov.

A native of Hong Kong, Radwan Chan started learning the cello with Isaac Au, Cheung Ming Yuen and later Chor Kai Hei. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Music, supported by the Albert Cooper Music Charitable Trust, under the tutelage of Prof. Amanda Truelove, Prof. Stefan Popov and Prof. Richard Harwood. He is privileged to attend the Kronberg Academy Cello Masterclass, the Lac Leman Music Masterclass, the Saline Royale Academy and the Musicalta Music Academy. He has also performed in masterclasses of Frans Helmerson, Marc Coppey, Gustav Rivinius, Stephen Forck, Tanja Tetzlaff, Gabriel Schwabe, Csaba Onczay, and Istvan Varga. He was selected as the 'S'way Young Artist' in 2024. He was the third-prize winner in the Gustav Mahler Prize International Cello Competition in 2022.

Radwan is a keen chamber musician and the founding member of the Hongs Quartet. The quartet has attended masterclasses by the Alban Berg Quartet, Takacs Quartet, Quatuor Ysaye, Quatuor Ébène, Quatuor Danel, Endellion Quartet, and the Marmen Quartet. It was also accepted to the Schiermonnikoog Festival, where it attended ensemble masterclasses with Marc Danel and Gary Hoffmann. In 2023, the quartet was selected to participate in the Netherlands String Quartet Academy (NSKA).

Radwan is also an active orchestral cellist in London and Hong Kong. He has performed in the RCM Symphony Orchestra and the RCM Philharmonic, working closely with Jac Van Steen, Martyn Brabbins and Maxim Vangerov. He was also appointed as the principal cellist in the Pro Arte Orchestra and served as the chairman of his high school senior string orchestra and cello principal. Radwan won multiple prizes in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival and other local competitions, including the champion of the 68th Hong Kong Schools Music Festival Symphony Orchestra Champion (Intermediate), and the Gold Award of the Hong Kong Youth Music Interflows.

Radwan is actively performing in Europe and Asia, including in China, Denmark, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK. He was also invited to perform in concert in the presence of key government officials in Hong Kong, such as the Curriculum Development Council of the Hong Kong Education Bureau, which received positive acclaim.

He is exceptionally grateful to play on an antique cello attributed to G. Corsby, loaned to him by the Cherubim Music Trust.

Jan Au, graduated from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and received her Master of Music Degree in Cello Performance. Studied under Lionel Handy, former Principal Cellist of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and Nicholas Stringfellow.

Jan started playing the Cello at the age of 9. Her teachers included Chai Hon Fong and An Yue. She then completed her Bachelor of Music (Honours) Degree at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts under the guidance of Tung Hiu Lo. Jan also studied the Viola da Gamba under period instruments specialist Lam Tim Wai during her time at the Academy. She has been invited by the Early Music Society of Hong Kong to perform as a Viola da Gamba Soloist on different occasions. Besides performing in Hong Kong, Jan has also been to Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium to perform with Orchestras.

During her time studying in the UK, Jan participated in many masterclasses. She was coached by International Cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, Jian Wang, Toke Møldrup, Ulrich Heinen and Hannah Roberts. Being the Associated Principal Cellist of the Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra, Jan has performed under the baton of Michael Seal from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Ludovic Morlot from the Seattle Symphony. She was also coached by the members of Castalian String Quartet and Lindsay String Quartet.

Apart from being a soloist, Jan also participated in a variety of music performances and training including String Quartet, Symphony Orchestra, Baroque Music Performance Practice and Music Pedagogy. During her time living in the UK, she has been invited to perform in public often as a soloist and received a lot of positive feedback.

Jan has been teaching for more than 10 years. She is currently a Cello Tutor at the Music Office, Yaumati Catholic Primary School, Victoria Shanghai Academy, St. Margaret’s Co-educational English Secondary and Primary School and a String Ensemble Coach at Sacred Heart Canossian School.