Piano Faculty

Lukas Mikolajczyk joined the piano faculty in Vancouver Central School of Music  after he won the Piano Category in 2017 Vancouver International Music Competition. Lukas is standing out as one of the most recognized pianists of his generation in Poland. He has been distinguished as a pianist of great sophistication. He is praised particularly for his harmonic perception, beauty of sound and passionate performances. In 2014 he was the very first to receive the Krystian Zimerman Award for most talented young pianists.

In October 2015 Lukas Mikolajczyk advanced to the second round of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland. This achievement placed him among the world’s top 30 best young pianists. In October 2017 Lukas Mikolajczyk won the Vancouver International Music Competition held to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday. He received Platinum Cash Prize and numerous additional prizes.

Originally from Poland, Lukas Mikolajczyk studied in Katowice at the Karol Szymanowski State Music School in the piano class of Professor Anna Górecka. His progress was accelerated by studies at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, where in 2017 he graduated master’s degree with Professor Zbigniew Raubo. Currently Lukas Mikolajczyk is mentored by Professor Lee Kum Sing.

At the start of Lukas Mikolajczyk’s career, he has received numerous awards on many significant piano competitions. In 2008, he won the First Prize and the Special Award of Elżbieta Stefańska for the best performance of a Johann Sebastian Bach work at the 10thLudwik Stefański and Halina Czerny-Stefańska Piano Competition in Płock, Poland. Two years later he received Second Price in the 16th Polish Piano Competition in Konin, Poland and he was awarded the third prize at the International Podkarpacki Chopin Competition held in Rzeszów, Poland. Lukas Mikolajczyk achieved 3rd place (2013, 2015) in the national Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland.

Lukas Mikolajczyk is a scholar of Krystian Zimerman as well as Kler Foundation. He has been awarded many scholarships, such as those sponsored by the Mayor of Katowice, the Marshal of Silesian Province and the Polish Prime Minister.

In November 2013 Kler Foundation released Lukas Mikolajczyk’s first recording which features Fryderyk Chopin’s Piano Concerto in F minor op. 21. This album commemorated the 40th establishment anniversary of the Kler Company. Succeeding album, recorded live at the Witold Lutoslawski Concert Studio S1 in Warsaw, Poland, contains unique live performance of Fryderyk Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto. In August 2015, Lukas Mikolajczyk recorded his first solo album which features Fryderyk Chopin works.

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Domenico Mongelli was born in Foggia (Italy) in 1986. He started to learn piano when he was nine. In 1997 Domenico entered the Conservatory of Music U. Giordano in Foggia in the class of Daniela Caratori. On 2008 he obtained the Bachelor diploma with honors and prize at the Conservatory O. Respighi in Latina.

The same year he got the Prize Regione Lazio as a best pianist of the year. For this occasion he was invited to play in Roma (Biblioteca Angelica), Frosinone and Latina. He attended master classes led by Roberto Prosseda, Claudio Trovajoli, Elisso Wirsaladze, Graham Scott, Aaron Shorr, Teppo Koivisto, Hu Yong Liu Tavaststjerna, Petras Geniusas and J.-C. Pennetier.

In the second Concert Season Assaggi di Musica, Arte e Natura in 2009 he played recital solo in Foggia, where he performed Beethoven and Schumann. In 2010 he studied at Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in a frame of Erasmus, under tuition of Peep Lassmann.

In 2011 he finished Master degree with honor and prize in piano performance at the Conservatory of Foggia in the class of Claudio Trovajoli.

In 2012 he performed the Haydn Piano concerto in D major with the young orchestra ArtOrchEesti under the baton of Karol Kisiel.

In 2013 in collaboration with Maila Laidna and Mirva Helske he organized a tour called Musical Stories of Three Pianists performing through different cities in Estonia (Tartu, Türi, Tallinn) music of Debussy and Prokofiev. In the same year he obtained the Master Degree in piano performance at the Estonian Music Academy and Theatre in Tallinn in the class of Ivari Ilja and Mati Mikalai.

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Peggy Hua is a Vancouver-based conductor and an advocate for the arts. As a frequent sought-after clinician, Peggy has directed performances in Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Chan Centre, and Roundhouse Theatre. Graduated from UBC with B.Mus in Piano and M.Mus in Choral Conducting, Peggy has studied voice with Geordie Roberts, Heather Pawsey, Paula Kremer, and conducting under Lars Kaario, Dr. John van Duersen, Dr. Rob Taylor, Maestro Dwight Bennett, Dr. Graeme Langager, and Maestro Vance George.

Currently, Peggy works with a wide range of singers and instrumentalists from the age of six to ninety, directing Downton Singers, Left Coast Labour Chorus, Elgar Strings, various Buddhist choirs, and serving as the associate conductor of Cor Flammae.

Outside the music world, Peggy serves as Citizen Rep on the Environment Committee Board of Burnaby City Hall, Board Member of Egret Music Centre, Member-At-Large of the Vancouver Women’s Musical Society, Executive Director of Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival, and co-owns Once Upon a Time: Macarons.

 

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Claire Huang started her piano learning when she was age 6 in Taiwan. Beside Piano, she also received her offer in Voice major from Shih Chien University when she was in Taiwan. However she decide to explore her music journey after she moved with her family in Canada, She studied with Barrie Barrington, MayLing Kwok, also she received her Bachelor of Music in Piano at University of Victoria with Professor Bruce Vogt.

Claire has received several awards and performances including first honor talent when she was in high school in Taiwan, Entrance Scholarship at Douglas College.

Claire encourage her students to participate recitals, RCM Examinations and master classes to achieve their music desires as a piano player step by step. She shares passion of music with her students with patience and interpersonal skills.

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Oscar Liu started learning the piano at age 5 in China, and has been teaching since  2009. He is fervent about  sharing the art, and introducing the practice and performance of music into students’  long­term lifestyle. Oscar received rigorous trainings in western classical music, and  has worked as an accompanist for choirs ranging from classical chamber groups to  modern vocal jazz. Oscar emphasizes on a balanced lesson format, weaving playing  the instrument with music theory, sight reading, rhythm exercises and aural trainings  at the very start of a student’s musical journey. Oscar is committed to introduce his  students to a wide range of genres, from classical to jazz and contemporary pop.  Oscar encourages students to sing and play at the same time, and collaborate with  other instruments and musicians. Most importantly, Oscar wishes to share the  greatest qualities of practicing music with all students: elevated self­esteem,  perseverance, and tranquility in character.    Oscar has an ARCT in Piano Performance, and has also received:  2008 Darren Paul Jacobson’s Memorial Scholarship and Plaque for music  2008 Dogwood Graduation Scholarship for music (School District of Vancouver)

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Katherine Ho has started learning piano in Vancouver since she was 4 years old. She has achieved her first diploma from the London College of Music and Media in 2002. She has also finished her Grade 10 Piano Examination in March 2003 and in the same year, she has received her Diploma in Piano Performing from The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

Katherine has also taken music programs in high school and received several awards in her performances throughout her high school years.

Katherine has been giving piano and theory lessons since 2008 to students of every age. She encourages her students to participate in various recitals and RCM examinations to build up their passion and knowledge towards music.