ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Rhythmie Wong
“She seems unerringly to resurrect the spirit of each composer she plays.” -Lark Reviews, UK
"Her remarkable performance of Ravel’s transcription of La Valse could have been mistaken for the two-piano version!" -Sussex International Piano Competition
"The pianist has a great future and represents a musician of high technical level with an empathetic ability to adapt to the composers’ specifications" Aachener Zeitung, Germany.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Rhythmie has performed extensively in solo recitals across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Her appearances in the iMusic Concert Series, Sussex International Interview Concert Series, Karlovac Piano Festival in Zagreb, Haywards Heath Music Society Concert Series, and the Dueren International Piano Masterclass have earned high acclaim. She has performed at major venues including Carnegie Hall and Merkin Hall in New York, the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Jordan Hall in Boston, and the National Theater and Concert Hall in Taipei. She was also invited to participate in a series of broadcasted charity concerts in Cambodia.
Her performances have been featured by Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Radio France, Radio Television Hong Kong, TVK Cambodia, Teledifusão de Macau, and Hong Kong Educational Television. She has performed with orchestras such as the Worthing Symphony Orchestra, Südwestfalen Symphony Orchestra, Northampton Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Festival Orchestra, and Ealing Symphony Orchestra.
In 2024, Rhythmie embarked on a chamber music tour across Hong Kong and Taiwan, presenting a program of Eastern European repertoire. The tour included performances at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), National Kaohsiung Normal University, and the National Concert Hall in Taipei, among others. In 2025, she was presented by the LCSD under the Hong Kong Artists Series, collaborating in a concert with painter Fu Man- yat, pianist Colleen Lee and cellist Letty Poon.
Her debut solo album Evolving Fantasia, released in 2022, was featured and positively reviewed by France Musique, Radio France, and WDR Cologne. She was named one of Hong Kong’s “Ten Best Young Artistes” and awarded the Steinway Förderpreis in Münster. Her competition accolades include First Prize, Audience Prize, and Best Interpretation Award of a Croatian composition at the Karlovac International Piano Competition, First Prize at the Valletta International Piano Competition, and Third Prize at the Sussex International Piano Competition. She is also the First Prize winner of the New York International Artist Piano Competition, the Aloha International Piano Competition, and the Kawai Asia Piano Competition, and a laureate of the Dorothy Mackenzie Artist Recognition Award.
As a composer, Rhythmie has written music for microfilms and chamber ensembles. Her Narnia Fantasy, written for oboe, violin, horn, cello, and piano, premiered in 2011. Her piano solo piece The End is Not the End, inspired by writer Mitch Albom, was premiered in April 2014 as a tribute to the victims of the Boston Marathon. She also enjoys exploring the expressive possibilities of various instruments, including violin and clarinet, and was a violinist in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra in Hong Kong during her teenage years.
Rhythmie began piano lessons at age three and was soon admitted to the Junior Program of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree under Professor Eleanor Wong. She completed her Master of Music degree at the New England Conservatory under Professor Victor Rosenbaum. She holds a Concert Exam diploma from the Cologne University of Music and Dance under Professor Claudio Martínez-Mehner, and a Master of Music degree in Fortepiano under Professor Gerald Hambitzer. She also studied with Professor Heribert Koch at Münster Music University.
She has participated in masterclasses with an exceptional roster of artists, including John Bayless, Dang Thai Son, Peter Donohoe, Andrei Gavrilov, Pavel Gililov, Eduardus Halim, Ilya Itin, Emanuel Krasovsky, Ivan Moravec, Jon Nakamatsu, Maria João Pires, Jorge Luis Prats, Ferenc Rados, Paul Badura-Skoda, Aquilles Delle Vigne, and Elisso Virsaladze.
Her academic excellence has been recognized through numerous scholarships, including the Tom Lee Music Scholarship, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Staff Prize, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship, the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowship for Overseas Studies, the New England Conservatory Scholarship, the NEC Merit Award, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund, and the Clavarte Foundation Scholarship.
In addition to her performing career, Rhythmie is currently an instructor in the Advanced Music Performance Course at the University of Hong Kong. Since 2025, she has also served as the Artistic Director of Shema Music, a studio dedicated to music education and artistic development. She is a regular adjudicator for local music competitions, contributing her expertise to support and mentor emerging talent.
DIRECTOR
Tackianna Lau
With over 40 years of experience in education, Tackianna brings a wealth of knowledge in both teaching and child development. She is deeply passionate about music education, with a particular focus on sparking children’s interest and helping them build a positive, lifelong learning attitude.
Tackianna was the first music mentor to her own daughter, and remained her most vital pillar of support throughout her journey to becoming a professional pianist. This has also given her a profound understanding of the crucial role parents play in a child's musical path. Over the years, she has successfully guided numerous students into the Junior Music Program at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), with many continuing their journey to earn Bachelor of Music degrees.
A message from our Director
"In my forty years as an educator, the most common concern I hear from parents is: 'My child doesn't want to practice. What should I do?'
To me, learning music is more than just a sensory exercise; it is the pursuit of a life attitude.
At Shema, our goal is to inspire children to do more than just finish a piece of music—we want them to truly feel it. When a child learns to listen to the quality and nuance of sound, to connect deeply with each musical phrase, and to find joy in sharing their hard work on stage, they naturally become more attentive and resilient in all aspects of life.
I hope that music becomes a lifelong companion for every child. This attitude, nurtured through growth, is the most precious gift we can offer them."