Adjudicators - Toronto
Mark Anderson, Steinway Artist
A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, pianist Mark Anderson’s recordings and performances have met with widespread critical acclaim. Since his successes at the 1993 Leeds (U.K.) and 1994 William Kapell (U.S.) International Piano Competitions, Mark Anderson has appeared frequently as recitalist, soloist and chamber musician. He has performed in Japan, throughout much of Europe and Great Britain, Ireland and North America.
Mr. Anderson records exclusively with Nimbus Records and has released recordings of works by Liszt, Schumann, Brahms and Dohnanyi, Copland and Gershwin, Mussorgsky and Stravinsky. He has recorded 2 CDs of the solo piano works by Hans von Bülow and, since 2014, has released three CDs of solo piano music of the German/Dutch composer Julius Röntgen. The fourth CD, released March 1st, 2019, is also available online at Amazon, iTunes, Spotify and other online music distributors.
Mark received his early formative training in California with Trula Whelan and later with Aiko Onishi. In 1988, he received a Fulbright Scholarship to continue his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England under Ryszard Bakst. Subsequently, he concluded his formal education privately with Benjamin Kaplan in London.
Mark Anderson is Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia School of Music and is owner and Executive Director of New World Music Academy in Pleasanton, California. Mr. Anderson is a Steinway artist.
Derek Chui
Derek Zhi Guang Chiu is a seasoned Canadian pianist and piano pedagogue from Calgary, Alberta. His extensive training includes tutelage from notable Canadian teachers Dr. E. Gregory Butler and Joel Hastings at The University of Windsor. Chiu had additional studies in piano pedagogy with Dr. Thomas Green.
Under the guidance of Solomon Mikowsky (featured in Benjamin Saver’s book The Most Wanted Piano Teachers in the USA) and Donn-Alexandre Feder at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, Chiu graduated with a Master of Music degree in 2003. During his studies at the Manhattan School of Music, Chiu was mentored in chamber music by well-known pianist Daniel Epstein of the Raphael Trio and engaged in rigorous studies in Baroque and Classical performance practices with Kenneth Cooper, one of the world’s foremost music specialists in the music from those eras. Chiu has performed in master classes in Canada, Europe, and the United States for Janina Fialkowska, Robin Harrison, James Howsmon, Lorrin Hollander, Ramzi Yassa, Cecilio Tieles, and Jesus Angel Rodriquez.
In addition to maintaining a full performance schedule, Chiu presented pedagogical ideas on cognitive practice, aural skills development, sight reading and memorization of music. His academic lectures include the music of Bach, Chopin, Liszt, and Mozart. He is a sought after music adjudicator and guest teacher. Chiu has been an active member of The Royal Conservatory of Music’s College of Examiners since 2006 and is currently the Alberta Regional Representative for The Royal Conservatory. He is a member of the faculty for the JVL Music in the Summer Festival (Canada) and Cremona International Music Academy and Festival (Italy).