Violin

Photo of Eiko Hosaka
Eiko Hosaka
Violin

Born in Japan, Eiko started playing the violin at the age of 3, and received her Master of Music and Bachelor of Music from the Tokyo College of Music. She was awarded fellowship and scholarships from the Mozarteum International Summer Academy, the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific and the Asian Youth Orchestra respectively, and being chosen as a student for master classes conducted by the concertmasters of world renowned orchestras. She also took part in many recording projects.

Eiko has been a violinist of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta for over a decade and performed across the world at prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, La Maison Symphonique (Montreal), Taipei National Concert Hall (Taiwan), Takemitsu Memorial Hall (Japan), etc.

Eiko has more than 10 years of experience in teaching the violin. She teaches beginners from 3-year-old to university students. She uses the Suzuki method to teach the very young kids. Her students received excellent results in examinations and music competitions.

Credentials: M.M., B.M.

Photo of Andrew Hsu
Andrew Hsu
Violin

Andrew holds a Master of Music and a Bachelor of Music (with High Honors) in Violin Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States. He played in various performing groups and was the concertmaster of the University of Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra.

After graduation, Andrew joined the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. On the other hand, as a music educator, Andrew was a member of the MusiCorps program of the Civic Orchestra. The goal of the program was to perform music and introduce the stringed instruments to the students of elementary and high schools.

Before coming to Canada, Andrew taught the violin in various secondary and primary schools, and the Music Office in Hong Kong. He also played in several orchestras including the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Strings and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong.

Credentials: M.Mus., B.Mus.

Photo of Simon Lau
Simon Lau
Violin

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Simon first discovered the joy of playing the violin at the age of 9. Under the tutelage of maestro Thomas Wang, Simon was considered a late starter by many, but quickly mastered the necessary skills and became one of the youngest members of the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra at the time. He subsequently became Concertmaster for the same orchestra and other ones as well.

At the age of 16, Simon organized his own chamber group “Bachanini” and won many awards at the Hong Kong School Music and Speech Festival. He was also one of the youngest violinists to have obtained the LRSM certification from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in England.

After arriving in Canada, he had studied under many master violinists, including the late professor Eugene Kash of the Royal Conservatory of Music. Simon has been a member of several music organizations in Canada, including the York Symphony Orchestra.

Simon’s students scored excellent results in RCM exams and music festivals:
(Students who obtained the highest marks in each level of RCM examination in Ontario)
2019 – RCM First Class Honours with Distinction, Grade 2 ~ 90%
2014 – North York Music Festival, Grade 2 ~ 2nd Place
2013 – *RCM Gold Medalist, Grade 1 Gold Medal in Violin ~ 97%
2009 – RCM First Class Honours with Distinction, Grade 1 ~ 90% | Grade 1 ~ 91%

Credentials: B.Sc.

Photo of Joyce Lee
Joyce Lee
Violin

Joyce Lee is a violinist based in Toronto. She is a member of Sinfonia Toronto and Toronto Artist Symphony Orchestra (TASO). Before coming to Canada, she was a fellow and co-concertmaster in The Orchestra Now (TŌN) in New York. Joyce earned her Master’s Degree majoring in violin performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studied with Austin Hartman. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and her former teachers were Aimee Sung and Poon Ting Leung, Martin. As an orchestral musician, Joyce served as concertmaster for various orchestras in the past, including the Chung Chi Orchestra of CUHK; the Pro Arte Orchestra of Hong Kong; and the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Hong Kong. She also performed internationally at the Pacific Music Festival and Asian Youth Orchestra. In year 2014, she got first place in the 7th Hong Kong Students Open Music Competition under the group of western instrument scholarship and she also won the golden prize under violin open class in the Hong Kong Bauhinia Cup String Competition. In the same year, she was awarded the Dr T H Yip Memorial Scholarship of E and R foundation. Joyce also obtained Trinity College London FTCL in violin performance a year after.

Apart from violin playing, Joyce is also interested in orchestral conducting. Her former teacher was Choi Ho Man and she gave her debut with the CUHK Student Orchestra in 2015. She also conducted the APSKT Alumni Symphony Orchestra in the same year. Outside of music, Joyce enjoys cooking and making desserts. She is also a fan of Korean television dramas.

Credentials: M.A, B.A., FTCL

Photo of Luri Lee
Luri Lee
Violin

Luri Lee (violin) has been praised for her “sensitive tone” and “emotionally powerful tuning” (The Calgary Herald). Appearing as soloist with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Lee has performed throughout North America, Europe, and Asia as a soloist and chamber musician. At the Royal Conservatory in Toronto, Lee completed the prestigious Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Performance Residency. She joined pianist Stewart Goodyear in a Beethoven violin sonata cycle alongside world famous violinists Isabelle Faust and Leonidas Kavakos, and has also been featured on CBC Radio 2’s In Concert as a “Next! Artist”.

As a founding member of the Rolston String Quartet, she was awarded First Prize at the 12th Banff International String Quartet Competition, Grand Prize at the 31st Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition, as well as the Astral Artists National Auditions. The quartet has performed at some of the most prestigious concert venues on the globe, including Carnegie Hall, the Louvre, Kennedy Center, Koerner Hall and Wigmore Hall.

Her diverse chamber music career has led to collaborations with many world-renowned artists such as Gil Kalish, Gary Hoffman, Cho-Liang Lin, Miguel Da Silva, and Jon Kimura Parker. Lee holds degrees from the University of Toronto, Glenn Gould School, Peabody Conservatory and Rice University. She plays on a Carlo Tononi violin kindly loaned to her through the Rolston family.

Credentials: M.M., B.M.

Photo of Susan Lin
Susan Lin
Violin

As a nationally-recognized violinist, Susan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the Xinghai Conservatory of Music. She graduated with high standing and joined the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra as a violinist. She participated in several important performances, winning critical acclaim.

Susan has over 30 years of teaching experience. Her students have received excellent results in the Royal Conservatory of Music examinations. Some of them were admitted to various youth orchestras in Toronto. Besides teaching, Susan is still actively participating in orchestral performances.

Credentials: B.A.

Photo of Loo Tsai
Loo Tsai
Violin

Loo Tsai began his musical studies, taking up the violin at the age of six. In 1990, he was admitted to The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts as a violin major. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music and Professional Diploma in Performing Arts. During his studies, he was awarded the Ruggiero Ricci Violin Performance Merit-Award and the Exxon Energy Student Foundation Scholarships.

Tsai has given recitals and concerts as a solo performer as well as chamber musician, and joined various orchestras in concert tours. He has been a violin player of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta for more than 20 years and served as the Assistant Second Violin Principal.

As a teacher, Tsai has over 30 years of experience teaching both private lessons and in-school group instrumental classes. His students had very good results at violin examinations and music competitions. Besides teaching, Tsai also conducts strings ensemble and orchestra.

Credentials: Prof. Dip., B.M.

Students’ Achievements:
2022 – RCM Exams – Level 9 (Honour with Distinction) – 91%
2022 – Trinity College London – Student attained LTCL Diploma
2022 – Student was accepted to Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra

Photo of Joe Varga
Joe Varga
Cello, Flute, Recorder, Trumpet, Violin

Joe began studying the violin in 1970 and trumpet in 1972. He also studied the piano. He has more than 45 years of teaching experience. He prepares students for the Royal Conservatory of Music examinations, university entrance and auditions.

Besides teaching, Joe has been in the musical products industry for nearly 40 years. His main field of interest in this area is repairs and restoration of the stringed instruments.

In all aspects of his musical career, Joe has held high standards of quality and professionalism, and endeavoured to impart such attitudes to his students so that they may excel at their own pursuits.

RCM Gold Medalist
(Students who obtained the highest marks in each level of RCM examination in Ontario)
2017 – Level 3 Gold Medal in Violin ~ 93%

Photo of Jonathan Yuen
Jonathan Yuen
Violin

Jonathan started learning the violin at the age of six under Chu-Tung Lo in the Junior Associate Program of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. As a teenager player, he won numerous prizes in music competitions, including the Sandra Wagstaff String Concerto Competition of the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival.

After receiving his Bachelor Degree in Violin Performance from the University of Michigan under Andrew Jennings, he was awarded a scholarship to study violin performance in the Graduate School of the Northwestern University, where he was guided by Blair Milton, a violin player at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and received his Master of Music. During his years in the United States, Jonathan has played in some of the best training orchestras in North America, including the National Repertory Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

Jonathan started his music career as a Tutti Violin at the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. He was appointed the Founding Concertmaster of the Hong Kong String Orchestra in 2013, and has played in the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, where he acted as the Associate Concertmaster and Second Principal for multiple times. In addition, he has involved in many pop concerts, recording sessions and commercial gigs.

Jonathan has been teaching the violin for more than 15 years. He taught private lessons, as well as primary and secondary school group classes. Most of his students got distinctions or merits in the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) Violin examinations. His students also won numerous prizes in violin competitions in Hong Kong and other places.

Credentials: M.M., B.M.

Photo of Mandy Zhao
Mandy Zhao
Violin

Mandy received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou, China, majoring in Violin Performance. After graduation, she was appointed as the Associate Concertmaster of the Pearl River Film Orchestra.

After Mandy moved to Canada, she joined the National Academy Orchestra of Canada based in Hamilton. Besides performing, she is also an experienced violin teacher. Her students, ranging from beginner to ARCT levels, not only excel in the Royal Conservatory of Music Examinations but also appreciate music very much.

Mandy’s student attained excellent results in RCM examinations:
2013 – RCM First Class Honours, ARCT ~ 86%
2013 – Student was accepted to Arts Unionville
2013 – Student was accepted to University of Toronto, major in Violin Performance
2012 – RCM First Class Honours, ARCT ~ 88%
2008 – RCM First Class Honours with Distinction, ARCT ~ 91%

Credentials: B.A.