Our Team
Justin Chen
Co-Founder
Co-Executive Director
Music Director
Justin Chen, a 14-year-old Canadian pianist, violinist, violist, and composer, is currently a fourth-year student at the RCM Taylor Academy and a ninth-grade student at the University of Toronto Schools (UTS). He currently studies piano under professor Li Wang and has performed for renowned artists such as Stewart Goodyear, James Anagnoson, and Anton Nel. By age 11, Justin had completed his piano ARCT diploma, and by 13, his LRCM diploma. In June 2023, he won first place in the Canadian Music Competition (CMC) in the piano category for age 12.
He began to play the piano at age 6 and he made his Carnegie Hall debut 2 years later, at age 8.​ He performed his own composition for the Royal Princess Her Imperial Highness at age 9. He became a 2023 OYMI Music Festival Contract Award winner and premiered his original piano concerto with the OYMCO in June 2024. As a first-place winner in the Global Philharmonic 2024 Music Competition, Justin was invited to perform at the prestigious Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles in August 2024.
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In addition to piano, he enjoys playing violin and viola in his school orchestras. He received the John & Margaret Withrow Music Scholarship for Strings in 2024 at UTS. Other than music, Justin enjoys badminton, golf, Rubik's cubes, science and coding.
Christie Cheung
Co-Founder
Co-Executive Director
Outreach Director
Christie Cheung, age 14, is currently a violin student at the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and a ninth-grade student at the University of Toronto Schools (UTS). Christie is currently under the tutelage of Dr. Conrad Chow, and she has had the opportunity to perform for renowned violinists such as Maxim Vengerov, Augustin Hadelich, and James Ehnes.
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Most recently, Christie was the 1st place winner of the Oakville Chamber Orchestra (OCO) Concerto Competition, and she will perform the Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto No. 3 with OCO during the 2024-2025 season! In 2023, she was a winner of The Taylor Academy’s Concerto Competition and performed as a soloist with orchestra. Additionally, Christie was selected to perform as a soloist with the Burlington New Millennium Orchestra and the Glenn Gould School Chamber Orchestra.
In the summer of 2023, Christie attended the Heifetz International Music Institute Program, an acclaimed summer program that focuses on developing the musical talents of young artists.
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Among her many accomplishments are winning the 1st Prize in the Canimex Canadian Music Competition in 2022, receiving the Grand Trophy in the CCC Toronto International Music Festival in 2021, being selected as a finalist in the Ysaye International Music Competition in Belgium in 2021, and winning the 1st Prize in the Little Mozart International Competition in New York in 2019.
In 2023, Christie received the John and Margaret Withrow Music Scholarship for Strings at the Unviersity of Toronto Schools. She made her debut at the iconic Carnegie Hall at just nine years old.
Andrew Bao
Head of general outreach
Xian (Andrew) Bao was born in 2011. He started playing piano from age four. In 2020,
Andrew was accepted into the Taylor Academy of RCM and studies under the studio of
Mr. Li Wang since then. He is also a student of the University of Toronto Schools (UTS).
Andrew has participated in a variety of piano competitions and has achieved excellent
results including, Winner of the 2024 Taylor Academy Concerto Competition; 1st place in
Category of Piano-11 yrs in the 2023 Canadian Music Competition; 2nd Place in Piano-
10 yrs in 2022 CMC; Favorite in 7-10 yrs in 2020 CMC (Non Competitive Edition), Gold
Award at 2020 Steinway and Sons’ Piano Competition, 1st place and the Junior Pianist Contract Award at 7th GOCAA International Piano Competition & so on.
Andrew is a full-scholarship recipient at Taylor in the past three school years. He also
received the John and Margaret Withrow Music Scholarship at the University of Toronto
Schools in October 2024.
Outside of piano, Andrew plays violin, enjoys reading and playing chess.