String Tutors

Albert Chin is a passionate violinist born in Hong Kong. He began playing violin at the age of 4. His talent was nurtured, and by age 12 he achieved an ATCL trinity diploma, with the enlightenment of Ernesson Chiu, the founder of Centre Stage (Hong Kong). He further study music as an undergraduate at the Hong Kong Baptist University, mentored by Ray Tsoi and Gary Ngan. He studied Royal Northern College of Music Master of Performance with scholarship, under the tutelage of Callum Smart and Leland Chen.

In addition to his education, Chin played with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, winning various competitions including the 6th Hong Kong Virtuoso Music Competition and the Hong Kong Youth competition. During his bachelor’s degree, he performed with the Collegium Musicum Hong Kong, and since that time, he has appeared in different world leading side-by-side orchestral programs with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Halle Orchestra, and the Manchester Camerata.

Chin’s professional career has been punctuated by widely acclaimed performances throughout Korea, Italy, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, he has attended plentiful masterclasses conducted by world renowned violinists and soloists namely Ning Feng, Pavel Fischer and Ben Holland.

As an acting music director of the Hong Kong Gifted Education Teachers’ Association, Chin has years of experience in teaching students of all levels, including but not limited to Tseung Kwan O Government Primary School, G.T (Ellen Yeung) College and HKMLC Queen Maud Secondary School.

William Lee completed the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Music at Hong Kong Baptist University. During the time, Lee was appointed to be the concertmaster of Hong Kong Baptist University Symphony Orchestra and Collegium Musicum of Hong Kong. For striving a more advanced performance level, Lee received the Master of Music in Violin Performance at the University of Texas at Austin with scholarships.He had studied with Mr. Wong Wai Ming, Mr. Andrew Ling, Mr. Ray Tsoi and Mr. Daniel Ching in his university studies. Moreover, Lee participated in several violin and chamber masterclasses with Ms. Kathleen Wrinkler, Mr. Daniel Jordan, Mr. David Kim, Mr. Leo Philips, Mr. Robert Diaz etc. Besides that, Lee was coached by the members of Miro Quartet.

Lee is passionate in performing the music,including solo, chamber music and orchestral music. In his early time, he had obtained the violin LTCL and viola ATCL from the College of Trinity in distinction. In 2014, he was invited to be one of the members of Collegium Muscium of Hong Kong to perform at Carnegie Hall. Besides that, Lee had won the third prize at the 5th Princess Galyani Vadhana International Ensemble Competition in 2017. Furthermore, Lee gained the full scholarship to take part in the 30th Texas Music Festival and be the concertmaster in that orchestra. Lee played as a full time violinist of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta.

Lee is now playing as a freelancer in different ensembles and orchestras such as Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Opera Hong Kong and Inheritage Philharmonic etc.

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.

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.

Frankie Chan holds a Master of Music in Violin Performance from California Baptist University in the United States, graduating with a cGPA of 3.93/4.0. During his studies, he served as Principal Second Violin of the university symphony orchestra and Concertmaster of the chamber orchestra, while actively participating in performances and lecture recitals. He previously earned his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Music Studies from Hong Kong Baptist University, where he received the Scholastic Award, was named to the President’s Honour Roll for four consecutive semesters, and graduated with First Class Honours.

With nearly twenty years of teaching experience, Frankie specializes in violin teaching and music education for young people and adults. His teaching emphasizes each student’s long-term musical development. In addition to technique, intonation, rhythm, and musical understanding, he encourages students to develop their abilities in listening, observation, expression, and independent musical thinking. His teaching approach is adapted according to each student’s personality, stage of development, and individual goals.

Frankie believes that learning the violin extends beyond individual lessons and instrumental technique. As students develop, exposure to different repertoire, performers, teachers, musical peers, ensemble playing, and performance experiences all contribute to a broader understanding of music. At appropriate stages of their development, he therefore encourages students to explore musical experiences beyond their regular lessons, allowing them to encounter different perspectives and gradually develop their own abilities to listen, interpret, and express music.

Over the years, Frankie has taught students of different ages and levels and prepared students for examinations offered by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and Trinity College London. Some of his students have achieved excellent examination results, while others have subsequently progressed to undergraduate music programmes in Hong Kong. In addition to individual teaching, he has coordinated instrumental programmes at various primary and secondary schools and music organizations, covering strings, winds, and ensemble training.

In recent years, Frankie has also planned and organized student ensemble concerts, taking part in repertoire selection and arranging, score and part preparation, rehearsal coaching, and concert coordination. Through these projects, students are given opportunities to develop ensemble experience alongside their individual studies, learning to listen, collaborate, and make music with others.

Caleb is a Hongkongese violist, composer, and violinist who works as a professional musician, teaching and performing professionally.

He began his musical journey at the age of five as a violinist and later embraced roles as a composer and violist. Caleb has performed across Europe and Asia, including Switzerland, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, China and Hong Kong. He has participated in several music festivals in Europe and received the title of 'Hong Kong Youth Musician Representative' from the Hong Kong Youth Concerto (HKYC) in 2023. As an orchestral musician, he performs with professional orchestras in both the UK and Hong Kong. He has held leadership positions in different orchestras, including Principal Viola in the Royal College of Music Opera Orchestra, Principal Viola in the Hong Kong Youth Philharmonia, and Principal Viola in the University of London Symphony Orchestra, as well as leadership roles in various recording projects and classical performances.

Caleb has trained many promising young musicians. Several of his students are currently studying music in college, and some have achieved excellence in music competitions.

Caleb graduated with First Class Honours in BA Music from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he studied violin, viola, and composition. He then attended the Royal College of Music in London, receiving full tuition support from the college. During his studies, he focused on violin, viola, and composition, and several of his compositions have been premiered in Asia, Europe, and the USA.

Aggie Ching, a skilled and versatile music professional with a diverse range of expertise. With a strong presence in both the education field and the pop music industry, she offers a unique perspective and valuable insights to her students.

With two years of experience as a secondary school music teacher, she has acquired a comprehensive pedagogy in teaching group classes and utilizing engaging activities to foster musical learning. Her teaching methods create an interactive and dynamic environment that encourages students to explore their musical abilities.

Ching has been teaching violin since 2016. Her students have achieved notable accomplishments in instrumental examinations while also developing a solid foundation in music theory. Aural training and duet playing are integral components of her lessons, cultivating musicality and promoting collaborative skills.

Busy freelance violist Edwin Lam was awarded the Grantham Scholarship, the HKSAR Government Scholarship, and the Y.S. Liu Foundation Scholarship before graduating with a bachelor's degree in music from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and embarking on his career as an orchestral and chamber musician.

As Viola Principal of the Asian Youth Orchestra he toured major cities around Asia in 2013 and 2014, before becoming Viola Principal at the Kent Blossom Music Festival in 2015. There he performed as Viola Principal of the Chamber Orchestra, and collaborated as a chamber musician with peers from across the United States. He has participated in masterclasses with the Endelion Quartet, the Szymanowski Quartet, the Miami Quartet and the Shanghai Quartet.

Since graduation Lam has performed under the baton of a distinguished list of conductors, including James Judd, Ken-David Masur, and Brett Mitchell, and with such noted soloists as cellist Steven Isserlis and violinists Vadim Repin, and Sarah Chang.

Having received her Bachelor's Degree with First Class Honors and Professional Diploma from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2004 and 2005, under the tutelage of Professor Ray Wang, Karey was awarded numerous scholarships. In 2006, she won the Molly McAulay Memorial Scholarship, a full scholarship which sponsored her studies at Sydney Conservatorium of Music with the Danish cellist Georg Pedersen. Upon completion of her Master’s Degree in Sydney, Karey returned to Hong Kong and has since been a faculty member of Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She also joined Hong Kong Sinfonietta as its contracted cellist the subsequent year, a position which she held for 19 years.

She has participated in various international music festivals, such as the Asian Youth Orchestra and the International Summer Academy of the University Mozarteum, Salzburg, and has performed extensively in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macau, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, Uruguay and USA. Conductors that she has collaborated with include Wen-pin Chien, Tung-chieh Chuang, Edo de Waart, Christoph Eschenbach, Roberto Forés Veses, Christopher Hogwood, Fayçal Karoui, Alexander Liebreich, Kuok-man Lio, Wilson Ng, Trevor Pinnock, Christoph Poppen, François Xavier Roth, Daniel Raiskin, Joseph Silverstein, Mu-hai Tang, Christopher Warren-Green, Wing-sie Yip and Pinchas Zukerman.

As an active chamber musician, Karey has performed at the Lunchtime Concert series of Hong Kong City Hall, the Jockey Club Musicus Heritage Stories Concert at JC Cube (Tai Kwun), the Dairy at the Fringe Club, the Hong Kong Airport Proms and also at the Education University of Hong Kong, where she gave a chamber concert as well as a masterclass. Devoted to cello ensemble playing, she is a founding member of the Hong Kong group Cellistra.

Being an enthusiastic educator, Karey has given tuition in both Hong Kong and Macau. Most recently, she served as the cello coach for Asian Youth Orchestra’s Hong Kong Music Summer Orchestra (in 2019 and 2024) and was a guest performer at Parsons Music’s International Summer Cello Intensive Program 2024. She has also been on the jury panel of local music competitions. Her pupils are frequent prize winners of competitions (such as the local Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, HKGNA International Music Competition, UK Elizabeth International Music Competition, London Young Musician, Canadian International Music Competition, VIVO International Music Competition, etc.) as well as scholarship recipients. A number of them have subsequently pursued their career in cello performance and won jobs in orchestras, both locally in Hong Kong and in China.

Amy Wong is a skilled musician specializing in classical violin and viola performances. She holds a Master's Degree in Music and a Performer’s Certificate in the United States, where she pursued Violin Performance with a full-tuition scholarship starting in 2018. During her time in the U.S.A., Amy studied under Dr. Jennifer Dalmas, Concertmaster of the Longview Symphony Orchestra, and Professor Yi-Wen Jiang, a member of the Shanghai Quartet and an International Violin Competition winner.

Amy demonstrated her talent as the Concertmaster of both school orchestras and various event ensembles during her studies. She also received full scholarships to participate in renowned music festivals such as the Texas Music Festival and the Red Rocks Chamber Music Festival.

After completing her violin studies, Amy decided to pursue a Master's degree in Viola at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, under the guidance of Professor Roger Benedict, former Viola Principal of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. At the conservatory, she held the position of Viola Principal in both the Con String Orchestra and the Con Symphony Orchestra. Amy was also selected to join the Con Symphony Orchestra on their European tour. Additionally, she served as a teacher in the Con junior program.

Prior to her international studies, Amy received violin instruction from Mr. Ting Fan, the Chief Conductor of The Saigon Philharmonic Orchestra and former Second Violin Principal of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Her talents were consistently recognized with the Talent Development Scholarship awarded by the HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund.

Amy is now studying viola with Mr Yu Sun, who is the Solo Violist of Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and was formerly the Solo Violist of the renowned Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Principal Violist at the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Amy embarked on her viola studies with Mr. Sun during her graduate studies in Sydney and remains under his guidance.

Throughout the years, Amy has had the privilege of participating in masterclasses and receiving coaching from celebrated musicians such as Wilfried Strehle, Ole Böhn, Julian Smiles, Daniel Herscovitch, Wei-Gang Li, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Mathias Tacke, and Cho-Liang Lin, among others. Furthermore, she successfully auditioned for and toured with multiple orchestras, showcasing her talents in esteemed venues across Berlin, Leipzig, London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bratislava, Brno, and Russia.

With over a decade of teaching experience, Amy has provided continuous instruction in Hong Kong, the United States, and Sydney. She has delivered private lessons and group classes at various music centers and educational institutions. Amy's extensive experience enables her to offer invaluable guidance to students in diverse settings, drawing from her own training under esteemed instructors.

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.

Isaac Szeto, born in Hong Kong, began learning the violin at the age of four. He begnaning studying the violin under Li Chuan-yun's parents, as well as Teacher Li Yongchun. He was also fortunate to receive meticulous guidance from Professor Zheng Shisheng. In 2010, he obtained the Violin Performance Diploma from the Royal Academy of Music in the UK and the LTCL Diploma from Trinity College London, as well as Master of Arts in Muisc at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2023.

Subsequently, Mr. Szeto was awarded a scholarship to pursue further studies in violin performance under the tutelage of Dr. Stelios Chatziiosifidis at the University of Kent in the UK.

In terms of performance experience, he has performed as a soloist at the Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre, showcasing the Bruch G minor Violin Concerto. He has also performed with the Hong Kong Children's Symphony Orchestra and Diocesan Boys' School in Austria, Vienna, Germany, Finland, and mainland China. During his studies in the UK, he was a member of the City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra, serving as the first violinist. He simultaneously held the position of principal violinist in the University of Kent Symphony Orchestra and the University Chamber Ensemble.