Wui Man

Having trained and obtained First Class and Distinction for my BMus (Hons) and Master’s Degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, I have a solid and rounded understanding of piano playing to the highest level. I am a dedicated piano teacher and take great pride in teaching. I have taught students from all ages and skill levels, ranging from complete beginners all the way to diploma level, and I have entered my students successfully for the ABRSM and Trinity College exams.

Having been brought up in Hong Kong with an extremely competitive environment until the age of 15, I have a strong work ethic and I excelled academically at school. I received straight As for all my subjects and I was two years ahead in Mathematics than my peers. I strive for continued excellence and I am constantly finding new ways to improve my skills and develop my own pedagogy through research and experimentation.

On top of my teaching career, I also give solo and chamber music recitals regularly. I have also appeared as a concerto soloist with various orchestras; the most recent performance being Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Meadows Chamber Orchestra. My experiences with performing are valuable as I can advise students on how to deal with pressure or anxiety and stay focused during a performance or exam. Furthermore, I have been awarded the following prizes:

• Third Prize at Norah Sande Award 2019
• Highly Commended Prize at Bromsgrove International Musicians’ Competition 2019
• Third prize at Christopher Duke International Piano Competition 2018
• Third prize at Windsor International Piano Competition 2018
• Prize-winner of the First New Stars International Music Competition for Strings and Piano 2016
• Awardee of the Deena Shypitka Music Award 2016
• Awardee of the Dewar Arts Awards Removed
• 2016 Winner of the Worthing Concerto Competition (Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3)
• 2015 Winner of Springboard Concerto Competition (Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3)
• 2012 Winner of Concerto Class at Edinburgh Competition Festival (Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1)
• 2011 Winner of Aberdeen Young Musician of the Year, Scotland
• 2010 Winner of 15-minute Open Piano Recital at Edinburgh Competition Festival
• 2009 Third Prize at Moray International Piano Competition (16 & under)

Tutoring Experience

I am an in-demand piano teacher, currently holding positions at London Youth Conservatoire (Parsons Green), Encore Music Tuition (Clapham South), Greenwich Music School and THAMES, as well as maintaining a private studio. I am experienced in teaching within a school setting (primary and secondary), monitoring students’ progress and writing reports. As part of my ongoing professional development, I attend workshops regularly to stay well-informed and discover new ideas in areas such as preparation for exams, practice methods, sight-reading technique and best teaching resources in the market. Moreover, I conduct my own research about piano pedagogy, particularly the books written by the great English teacher Tobias Matthay which have been largely neglected in recent years. I am also interested in including body-mapping, mindfulness and mental practice into my teaching and my own practice, as I believe the highest level of piano playing can only be achieved by training the mind (as well as the mindset).

As part of my teaching module at the Guildhall School, for which I attained a high distinction, I taught at the Junior Guildhall with exceptionally talented young musicians. I was also invited to give a piano recital and masterclass to a group of young pianists at the Royal Grammar School in Worcester.

Tutoring Approach

Flexibility, spontaneity and creativity are the three key elements of my teaching as I adapt to my students’ individuality and their need. At the same time, I am also extremely reliable, and I believe it is my duty and responsibility to lay the foundation for my students.

In my teaching, I try to inspire my students to have a love for music, which I think is very important for their development. I also encourage them to play by ear and improvise as much as possible, whilst emphasising the importance of sight-reading. I don’t consider myself as merely a piano teacher, but a teacher of music, as I cover topics on theory, improvisation, visualisation, technique, musical understanding and so on.