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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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%
A graduate of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Joseph is a violinist, violist and conductor from Hong Kong. He premiered Piazzola’s Four Seasons with String Appassionata, and has been performing around the world including Japan, China, Czechoslovakia, Vienna and the USA.He has also served as an adjudicator of different music competitions.
Joseph has extensive teaching experiences. His inspirational teaching method has won him Outstanding Teaching Award in the International Music and Arts Competition 2011. He has conducted students’ recitals, namely ‘Enlightening’, with local famous instrumentalists. All the ‘Enlightening’ recitals have received high acclaims. He has also been invited to host music education seminars in various music schools, and was the ‘Star Tutor’ of Parsons Music (Hong Kong) in 2018.
Joseph has been appointed the conductor of a string orchestra, and various youth and school orchestras. From 2012, he has been the Principal Conductor of the Hong Kong International Youth Philharmonia. He led HKIYP to perform in major galas and for a music tour to Taiwan in 2014. He also conducted the world premier concert ‘Nutcracker’ featuring animation Dustykid in 2015 which received huge applause.
‘Truly inspirational concert that proved classical music is fun and conventional!’ –Metro Radio (Hong Kong)
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.
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.