Meet the Team

Piano and Organ Teacher

Mr. Anthony Halliday performs piano and organ concerts and ensemble performances annually in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and Asia. His performances have garnered praise from several world-renowned conductors, including Walter Süsskind, who praised Mr. Halliday's performance of Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto as "astonishing." Mr. Halliday recently toured Europe, performing in venues such as St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Cologne Cathedral, Berlin, Noyes, Kleve, Paderborn, and Düsseldorf, as well as composing a large-scale piano symphony commissioned by the ancient city of Kleve and performing within the city. He has also performed in London's Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, and St. Paul's Cathedral. In Rome's World Organ Festival, Mr. Halliday performed at St. Peter's Basilica. His recent piano and organ recordings include works by Bach, Dürerflay, Vido, and his own compositions. Mr. Halliday has long collaborated with St. Francis Church as the chief organist and serves as the director of St. Joseph's Collegium at St. Joseph's West Brunswick. Mr. Halliday became the first performer outside Europe and the United States to be invited to perform the opening piece at the International Bach Organ Festival and had the honor of performing as the organist and pallbearer at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, described by the Leipzig media as one of the world's finest organists. He has also performed at the International Organ Festival in Cologne Cathedral, festivals in Paderborn, Düsseldorf, and Kewral. In 2015, Mr. Halliday was described as the "Hercules of the piano keys" by Bonn. Mr. Halliday has received numerous awards, including all research awards from the Royal College of Organists and the Silver Award from The Worshipful Company of Musicians in London. Just five years after studying piano, he won first place in Bartok's Second Piano Concerto at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Commonwealth Symphony Competition. In 2012, he collaborated with Sir Charles Mackerras to arrange a complex eight-piano triple fugue emphasizing piano-making for the celebration of the Steinway company at the Sydney Opera House. Mr. Halliday has also composed several commissioned pieces, including large-scale masses and hymns for choirs, symphony orchestras, and organs, Luther's congregational hymns, and Easter anthems. Recently, Anthony has enjoyed being commissioned to arrange traditional Irish music for orchestral symphonies. He has recorded all 32 of Beethoven's piano sonatas and performed all 48 preludes and fugues from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier solely by memory.

Business Manager, Singer, Guitar Teacher

Thomas Tuena began instrumental lessons at the age of 7 and since then his love for music has developed into a full time occupation. Thomas is originally from the country town of Shepparton and began performing regularly at the local “Yahoo bar” when he was 17. He moved to Melbourne in 2003 and completed an Advanced Diploma of Music Performance at Box Hill Institute in 2007. Since then has been performing regularly at weddings, bars, cafes and festivals in Melbourne and across country Victoria. Thomas began writing and recording music at the age of 14 and in 2011 he released his debut album “The River” to a sold out show at the Chapel off Chapel in Prahran. He continues to craft songs in various music groups throughout the week and is currently working on a second album. Thomas began teaching privately whilst studying at Box Hill Tafe and has predominantly taught primary aged students for the past 10 years. He is passionate in seeing students reach their full potential teaching skills such as: sight reading, writing, theory, how to practice, aural and improvisation. Thomas is currently teaching at Mckinnon Arts Centre and Learn Music in Kew. A majority of Thomas’s time is currently dedicated to facilitating music programs for people with special needs. He is committed to creating opportunities for all participants to enjoy music with each program being performance based integrating; songwriting, movement and instrumental instruction. Thomas is currently facilitating music programs for Villa Maria Catholic Homes, W.A.T.C.H. Disability services Inc, Belgrave South Community House, Araluen, Maroondah City Council and The Pioneers. Not only has Thomas’ love for music become a full time occupation it has also enriched his life by connecting him with many amazing and inspiring people. He looks forward to working together with you in the near future.

Piano Teacher

Hong Yue Lo, Tobey is a Melbourne-based pianist. She was born and raised in Hong Kong, and is currently studying the Bachelor of Music at the University of Melbourne. She started playing piano at the age of 7 and completed her ATCL exam when she reached 15. She also participated in many competitions and concerts such as Hong Kong School Music Festival and concerts held by the university. As a music lover she hopes her passion in piano can be shared to the others. Instead of forcing her students she focuses on arousing her students’ interest. So the student not only acquire an exam-oriented skill but also enjoyment in piano.

Piano Teacher

Regina Lin is a classical pianist currently based in Melbourne, who is passionate about discovering various types of music. She began her musical journey at the age of 4 and has completed her ALCM exam in piano performance in 2019. Besides playing the piano, she also played the flute, and has completed ABRSM grade 8 flute exam in 2017. She also participated in many competitions and has given performances in Penang, Malaysia, including solo piano and flute recitals. Regina is not only an experienced pianist but also an established music teacher. She teaches students ranging from four years old to adults. As an enthusiastic and passionate teacher, she strives to provide well-rounded music education and ensure that her students are engaged in her lessons. She believes that all children are musical and they have distinct learning needs. In her lesson, she often tailors the curriculums based on students’ needs. She aims to inspire and guide students to discover the joy of music, nurture their musical creativity, and help them achieve music literacy. Regina is currently completing her studies at Monash University and has been studying with Mr Robert Chamberlain, and is currently under the tutelage of Dr. Tomoe Kawabata.

Drum Teacher

Born in Chile, Jose is a professional drummer specialising in the drum technique of Miguel Zarate, the First Percussionist of the Chilean Philharmonic Orchestra. Jose has a large garnered wide experience from many bands and orchestras across Australia, New Zealand and Chile. Stylistically he plays and teaches: Latin, Funk, Rock, Pop & Jazz. Jose speaks English and Spanish.

Piano/Singing/Art Teacher

Amelia Liu is a multi-talented creative artist with impressive abilities in digital drawing, sketching, and music. She obtained her Bachelor of Art and Design from the School of Design Jiangnan University in China in 2014 and her Master of Animation, Games, and Interactivity from RMIT University, Melbourne in 2017. Amelia's love for drawing was evident in her early years, winning several awards in children's art competitions during elementary school. She underwent years of intensive visual art training, including classical pencil and charcoal drawing of sculptures, gouache, portrait, figure, and still life sketches. During her sophomore year, she studied graphic design and oil painting as an exchange student at Wichita State University. Before moving to Australia, she also took manga and comic classes at Kudan Institute in Tokyo, Japan. Her passion for animation and visual interaction led her to study animation and learn storyboarding at RMIT AGI Studio. Some of her showreels can be found here https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/218431004 Amelia has worked as an art teacher, graphic designer in an advertisement company, and a children's book illustrator. She enjoys playing the piano and producing music on various Digital Audio workstations when she's not doing art. She has composed a series of video game soundtracks for her Master's graduation group project and background music for other classmates' animations. Her original music can be found on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/liuxueyan NetEase Cloud Music https://music.163.com/#/album?id=148057229. Amelia is passionate about music and has even done street busking to express the freedom of music. Since having her own child, she has focused on producing nursery rhyme music and early childhood music education.

Piano/Singing/Guitar Teacher

Jheison Felipe Lopez Valencia, 28 years old. Jheison started in the world of music at the age of 15 years old in the Casa De La Cultura Dosquebradas from his hometown of Pereira in Colombia. Two years studying guitar in that school led to him making the decision to study a Bachelor of Music Education at the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, the program from which he graduated in January 2020. During his major, which focused on classical guitar, Jheison was taught by Edison Sandoval and Alejandro Montoya, both of whom are extremely well-recognised guitarists in Colombia. At that time, Jheison also had the opportunity to have master classes with renowned guitarists around Latino America such as Edwin Guevara from Colombia, Martin Marino from Argentina and Hector Vudoyra from Mexico. Although his education in university focused on classical guitar, Jheison has been always fascinated by the world of jazz, pop and rock music. So before graduating from his Bachelor, Jheison began learning to play and master these musical genres based on his previous knowledge. He then enrolled into the virtual courses of Jazz Improvisation and History and Theory of Blues Music with Berkeley College of Music and Rochester University respectively. He went on to take master jazz guitar classes with teachers Jaime Jaramillo from Universidad de Caldas and Carlos Peralta from Fernando Sor Institute, both of whom boast huge experience in professional jazz music. These classes were thoroughly enjoyable and profitable. Finally, Jheison has been part of many musical projects, playing around his native country and also having his own band in which he played numerous gigs with. He then moved to Australia one year ago looking to keep developing his musical skills and searching for the opportunity to achieve his goal of getting his Master Degree of Jazz Music at an excellent university in Melbourne.

Art/ Singing Teacher

Embarking on her artistic journey at the age of 5, Ilona is a versatile creative artist with a specialization in realistic portraiture. Additionally, she shares a profound passion for various artistic expressions such as painting, etching, mosaics/ceramics, collage, mixed media, as well as digital art and design. Ilona pursued three art subjects during VCE, earning a raw score of 40 in Studio Arts. Throughout her school years at McKinnon Secondary College, Ilona has received recognition through 6 art awards. Notably, in 2022, she secured the Studio Arts Award for her series 'Endless Pain,' which delves into the vulnerability of grief among adolescents. In addition to possessing a Certificate III in Interior Decoration and Design Retail Services from the Holmesglen Institute, Ilona is currently studying for a Bachelor of Interior Architecture at Swinburne University of Technology. Ilona consistently participates in creative activities with children, aiming to share her passion for art with today's youth and inspire them to embark on their own artistic journeys. Explore @ilona_artworks on Instagram to admire her remarkable art and design creations. Ilona commenced her musical journey at the young age of 4. Her love for music was influenced by her late grandmother, a local singer in Melbourne during the 60s. Ilona's vocals, reminiscent of her late singer grandmother, align with the genres of 60s Jazz and Blues. However, given her multicultural background, she also takes great pleasure in a varied range of music, spanning from early 2000s Reggateton to 80s rock. Ilona took three years of singing lessons before immersing herself in an eight-year experience with the school choir, which played a crucial role in overcoming her stage fright. At the youthful age of 12, in 2017, Ilona secured the 3rd position in a school singing competition that featured over 200 other participants. Furthermore, Ilona's mother, a primary school teacher and former owner of an afterschool music and educational program, instilled in her a deep enjoyment of working with children and engaging in musical activities alongside them.

Piano / Cello Teacher

Sheena holds a master's degree in performance teaching from the University of Melbourne, mentored by Elizabeth Mitchell, and a Bachelor of Music with Honors from the University of Waikato, New Zealand. She teaches piano at St Francis Xavier College and serves as an Instrumental Group Teacher for beginners in clarinet, saxophone, and percussion. She also instructed cello and strings at Glen Eira College. With over seven years of experience, Sheena has guided students to achieve A+ Honors in AMEB examinations and Distinctions in ANZCA, ABRSM, and Trinity piano examinations. She is dedicated to providing comprehensive instruction in music theory and tailors her teaching to blend classical and light jazz styles. Drawing from diverse musical genres, Sheena integrates methodologies from Suzuki, YAMAHA, and Kodály to offer a personalized educational experience. Committed to her own growth as a pianist and educator, she strives to continue learning and contributing to the field.

Piano Teacher

Kaykay holds a Bachelor of Music (Degree with Honours) with First Class Honours at Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne, and a Bachelor of Music in Composition and Piano Performance at Australian National University School of Music as a recipient of the Dennis Griffin Piano Undergraduate Scholarship. Kaykay has won awards at numerous regional and national competitions and has performed in many public concerts. In 2023, he was selected as a participant of Flinders Quartet Emerge Composer Program. In 2022, He was the winner of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Sutherland Piano Trio Prize and the winner of Australian Artology’s To Country Program. He was also the winner of Australian Artology’s Fanfare Competition and the finalist of Whitworth Roach Classical Music Performance Competition in 2021. In the same year, he gave a piano recital at the Embassy of Hungary, Canberra. He also won the First Prize in the 2014 Chopin International Youth Piano Competition. Kaykay's compositions have been premiered and played by Flinders Quartet, The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, The University of Melbourne Wind Symphony, Sutherland Trio, Queensland Youth Orchestra, Melbourne Youth Orchestra, Adelaide Youth Orchestra, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Percussion Ensemble, and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Saxophone Ensemble.

Guitar Teacher

Matilda Yang Bass/Guitar As a soon-to-be graduate of Monash University's Bachelor of Music, as well as having graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a Diploma in Music and Audio Technology, Matilda is well-versed in both the performance and production aspects of music. She has a Diploma in Piano Performance and Grade 5 in Music Theory, giving her a solid musical foundation that she imparts to her students. Throughout her teaching experience, she has always catered to students’ strengths and preferred genres to make the learning experience fruitful and enjoyable. Beyond the classroom, Matilda enjoys collaborating with her peers on new projects, be it in songwriting, producing, or sessioning. She gigs actively and draws from her influences of funk, rock, and folk to always bring out the best in a song.

Math Teacher

Fanxuan Xia is a mathematics teacher currently based in Melbourne, who is seeks to personalise teaching to students based on their strengths. He studied mathematical methods, specialist mathematics, physics and chemistry during his VCE, achieving an ATAR of 99.85 with a raw study score of 49 in mathematical methods and above 40 for all other subjects. This ranked him first in the school, McKinnon Secondary College, for mathematical methods in 2018 and third highest ATAR achieved in the school in 2019. Fanxuan then began his study in the Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne in 2020, specialising in Biomedical Engineering Systems with a weighted average mark (WAM) above 80%. Over the COVID-19 period, he has taught 2 VCE Mathematical Methods students, tailoring his teaching to the needs of the students and working with them to achieve raw 35+ study scores and ATARs above 96. Currently, Fanxuan is in his final year of the Master of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Melbourne and continuing to develop his mathematical teaching abilities at BumbeBee Arts Centre.

English and Math Tutor

Hi I am Gill, a devoted mother and grandma that is also an Empathetic Educator. I have spent 25 Years of making a positive impact helping to educate children. With over 25 years of dedicated service in primary and secondary schools, including tutoring, I bring a wealth of experience to the classroom. Armed with a Bachelor of Arts in Counseling, I possess a deep emotional understanding of the students I work with, allowing me to connect with them on a personal level. My specialty lies in teaching Mathematics to Year 6 through 9, both in the classroom and through personalized tutoring sessions, where I aim not only to impart knowledge but also to foster a love for the subject that lasts a lifetime."

Art Teacher

Shabana Yasmin is an accomplished Visual Art Teacher with a diverse background in art education. With a bachelor's degree in Architecture and design, Shabana has honed her expertise in various art mediums, including pencil sketching, water painting, oil painting, doodling, calligraphy, and crafting. She has extensive experience fostering creativity and artistic growth in primary-aged students through her roles at Atrium School of Design, summer camps, and community workshops. Shabana excels in creating an inclusive and engaging classroom environment, personalized instruction, and organizing art exhibitions that celebrate her students' achievements. Her innovative teaching approach and strong organizational skills make her a valuable asset to any educational institution.

My name is Shawn, and I am excited to offer my tutoring services in Math, Biology, and Chemistry to students ranging from primary school to high school. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Kansas University, USA where I developed a deep passion for the sciences and a strong foundation in mathematics. My goal as a tutor is to inspire a love of learning in your child, helping them to not only improve their grades but also build confidence in their academic abilities. I believe in creating a supportive and engaging learning environment that caters to each student's unique needs. Whether your child needs help with basic concepts or advanced topics, I am here to guide them every step of the way.