Madam Yu -- Teacher at Unison Academy of Music
An elegant, poised, and refined middle-aged woman is approaching me from the distance. She is none other than someone I have a lot of love and respect for -- music educator Madam Yu. She was born into a family of intellectuals in Guangzhou, China, and has received an excellent education since childhood. She is very grateful to her parents for nurturing her and giving her a lot of learning opportunities.
She said during the interview that she had loved music ever since she was a child. When she was six years old and attending kindergarten, she had already started learning the piano. She also took part in children's song and dance performances as well as all kinds of concerts and musical activities for which she was highly appreciated and praised by her seniors. When she was eight years old, Madam Yu concentrated her attention on playing the piano and, under the guidance of her music teacher Mai Bixia, achieved continuous advancement in her piano skills. From then on, her love for the sound of the piano became increasingly ardent. She put in great efforts to learn and practice playing the piano. Subsequently, she also developed a great passion for singing and took part in numerous performances during her primary-school, junior-middle-school, and senior-middle-school years. After graduating from Guangzhou No. 13 Middle School, she joined Guangzhou city's Baiyun Art Troupe and frequently took part in performances of varying sizes. She remained active on various cultural and artistic fronts that included various troupes of musicians and artists, radio stations, television stations, and film studios. Through taking part in performances of varying sizes, she had received a great deal of training and accumulated ample experience in giving performances, thereby achieving more impressive growth. Her performances were well received and thought highly of. In 1977, she was admitted, with top marks, to the Department of Vocal Music (mezzo soprano) of Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou. Meanwhile, she continued to pursue piano playing and frequently acted as piano accompanist to her vocal-music classmates. She gained considerable knowledge about music during her four years of studying at the conservatory of music and she also highly valued the opportunities that came her way as well as her time spent there, thus laying a solid foundation for her future development. She graduated from Xinghai Conservatory of Music in 1982 with top marks for all subjects and was awarded a bachelor degree. Soon afterwards, she was assigned to a song and dance ensemble in Guangzhou to work as one of the principal performers and piano accompanist and accompanied the troupe on touring performances in different parts of the country. Because of her unique performing style, her performances were extremely well received and well liked by vast audiences.
Madam Yu pursued further training in piano playing at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada, in 1983 and received instructions from well-known professors. During her two years of advanced studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music, she unceasingly strove to enhance her artistic level and accomplishment. She completed her advanced studies with flying colours and was awarded a teacher's certificate by the conservatory of music. Subsequently, she joined the Unison Academy of Music in Toronto and embarked on her piano-teaching work. While working at the academy of music, she has constantly summed up her teaching experience and has developed a unique teaching method that works effectively to enhance her pupils' interest in music. She has nurtured numerous young pianists many of whom are Chinese juniors. She is well loved and deeply trusted by her pupils and their parents. Some of the pianists she has trained are professionals and some are master piano players. Her pupils' achievements have given her a great sense of pride. Madam Yu is an excellent teacher who has a great number of pupils. She said that she would continue to work hard and nurture a larger number of pupils and more outstanding pupils with beautiful music.