Doctor of Musical Arts Program
Hong Kong-raised percussionist Hoi Tong Keung believes in the power of music in connecting people from around the world. As a contemporary music advocate, she attended summer institutes including the Darmstädter Ferienkurse (Germany) and soundSCAPE festival (online), where she collaborated with composers and premiered their works. Hoi Tong co-founded KöNG Duo with fellow percussionist Bevis Ng. In summer 2022, they held a residency at Banff Centre where they curated their début performance—“good morning, hong kong.” Since then, the duo has been invited to perform locally at Music TORONTO’s inaugural Celebration of Small Ensembles series and internationally at the New Music Gathering in Portland, OR. KöNG Duo was the 2023–2024 Young Artistic Associates of Confluence Concerts and endorses M1 (Marimba One) instruments.
Hoi Tong’s performance and research interests lie on the interplay between modes of expression, be it Eastern and Western music, acoustic and electronic instruments, audio and visual media, or music and speech. Her doctoral research focuses on incorporating spoken Cantonese into percussion music.
Hoi Tong is a fourth-year D.M.A. student at the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Aiyun Huang and Beverley Johnston. She holds degrees from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Originally from Hong Kong, Bevis Ng is a Toronto-based percussionist, specializing in contemporary classical music. He is completing a Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in Percussion Performance at the University of Toronto with the support of the Ontario Graduate Scholarship and Terence Clarkson and Cornelis van de Graaff Graduate Scholarship. As a musician passionate about chamber music, his doctoral research focuses on rehearsal strategies for percussion chamber music.
Bevis founded two Toronto-based percussion groups: KöNG Duo, with fellow percussionist Hoi Tong Keung, and Kairos Percussion Quartet. Award-winning KöNG Duo has actively performed in Canada and abroad, including Darmstadt (Germany), Portland OR, and Eindhoven (The Netherlands). KöNG Duo is Marimba One’s ensemble artist. Kairos Percussion Quartet was formed in 2023. Members include Andrew Busch, Nikki Huang, and Thomas Li. The quartet has performed in various places across Canada, including the Aga Khan Museum, the Music Garden, McGill University, the University of Windsor, and Arcadia University. In 2024, They were featured as the solo quartet in Kevin Lau’s Charon’s Dance at UofT’s Wind Symphony concert.
Bevis believes in the power of combining thoughtful programming, composer-collaboration, and recontextualization of existing repertoires in a contemporary music concert. He hopes to create a more inviting concert experience for the audience by making contemporary classical music more relevant and relatable through these tools. His co-curation in KöNG Duo—good morning, hong kong—unfolds the duo’s memories about a place they used to call home. Intertwining video projection, lighting, voice, and music, it explores the sensation of longing, nostalgia, and being lost in memories.
Chi-En Wong is a versatile Taiwanese percussionist currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Toronto. With a Master of Music from the University of Oregon and a Bachelor of Music from Missouri State University, Chi-En’s formal training has provided her with a solid foundation in percussion performance. Her passion transcends borders and genres. The experience in orchestral music has led her to perform as a section percussionist with professional groups such as the Eugene Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Next, where she has showcased her skills in diverse repertoire, from classical masterpieces to contemporary works and world premieres.
Chi-En’s commitment to musical excellence has been recognized through numerous awards and accolades, including a 2nd Place in The Great Plains International Marimba Competition in 2022 and the winner of the Missouri State University Concerto/Aria Competition. Her journey as a percussionist has taken her from winning competitions in Taiwan as a youth to performing on stages across the United States and beyond.
Chi-En’s interest as a solo percussionist now lands on exploring storytelling in various ways, including improvising and programming. With an unwavering dedication to her craft, Chi-En continues to captivate audiences around the world with her performances and a blend of technical precision and artistic expression that is truly inspiring.
American percussionist Jade Hails is a dynamic presence on and offstage. Combining theatrics and technical performance in a musical amalgamation, Hails has committed his career to bridging the gap between the arts. By offering his skill set to other artists, Hails continues to curate collaborations based on poetry and literature as well as visual art and dance. An avid promoter of new music, Hails has made it a goal to commission composers and perform works that he believes will push the boundaries of timbre, gesture, and aesthetic. In this effort, Jade has been invited to perform and present at Transplanted Roots Percussion Research Symposium and the Arcata Gathering with Marimba One as well as been a participant in the Beta Percussion Seminar and soundSCAPE Composition and Performance Exchange.
While currently based in Toronto, Hails has spent the last few years before his time at University of Toronto in Vancouver B.C. establishing himself as an artist and educator outside of the US. As an educator, Jade was able to spend time teaching percussion at Douglas College and was also the Artist in Residence for St. John’s School in addition to private teaching in the area. As an artist and performer, Jade joined Scrap Arts Music and continues to perform with them on their Children of Metropolis show.
Jade hails from Springfield, Oregon. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Oregon State University and a Master of Music from Southern Oregon University where he studied with Bob Brudvig and Terry Longshore at those institutions respectively. Jade is a strong proponent for the marching arts and spent years working and studying with Justin Preece, Alan Keown, and Matthew Keown on and off the field as well.
Master's Program
Arthur Lo is a Hong Kong percussionist currently studying the masters of performance at the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Ms Aiyun Huang and Ms Beverley Johnston.
He is previously graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in his bachelor majoring in music, under the tutelage of Dr. Lung Heung Wing and Mr. Raymond Leung. He is also studying drum set under Mr. Gin Yim. He started learning piano when he was 4 years old, and started learning western percussion at an age of 6 under Mr. Choy Lap Tak, and received the ATCL certificate in 2016.
Arthur is passionate in exploring and different chamber works for percussion.tArthur participated in the Toolbox Percussion’s Toolbox Excursion, performing around at different places in Hong Kong, he has also performed in the Dr Beat Series Concerts. He is also a member of the Asian Youth Orchestra 2023. He also received a 1st prize with his duo combo “Percusonic” in the open class ensemble category competition in the IPEA international percussion competition 2024 held in Hong Kong during the Percfest in July 2024.
Taiwanese Percussionist Yi-Hsuan Lo is active in contemporary music, solos, and chamber music. As a percussionist, Lo explores new methods of performance and actively engages in cross-disciplinary collaborations, and the new compositions. She is currently pursuing a Master of Music Performance at the University of Toronto under the mentorship of Prof. Aiyun Huang and Prof. Beverley Johnston.
In 2020, Lo achieved first place in the marimba solo competition at the National Student Music Competitions in Taiwan. She is a core member of the Cross Song Percussion Ensemble in Taiwan, performing the immersive percussion theatre that collaborates with the storyteller and combining the history of the band’s main venue. Also performed in China Suzhou International Wind Festival. Additionally, Lo actively participates in various roles. including contributing to the composition team for the musical “Sorrow in the Circus”, serving as a conductor in the wind band, and performing as principal percussionist in both the orchestra and wind band.
Lo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music from University of Taipei. She has studied under Shu-Ting Huang, Chia-Wen Shen, Hui-Ling Chen, Chun-Ting Chen, and Ya-Chi Cheng. Lo has also been mentored by masters such as Sebastien Efler, Theodor Milkov, Adélaïde Ferrière, Caleb Pickering and Ming-Yu Wong.
Madison Keats is a percussionist from Ontario, Canada who describes her interest in music beginning with a feeling of finally fitting in and strives to ensure she conveys that feeling to everyone she meets. Madison holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance with a minor in Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University. As an orchestral percussionist, Madison has played with the Rose Orchestra, Huronia Orchestra, the Stratford Symphony Orchestra and the Guelph Symphony Orchestra among others. Madison has also performed in the pit orchestra for Wilfrid Laurier University in their productions of both Little Women and Into the Woods. To further her development, Madison has attended many clinics and seminars including the TORQ Percussion Seminar, and LAMP’s Composition Academy in Lunenburg, NS, as well as the Sandbox Percussion Seminar. Music has also brought Madison overseas when she participated in the World Youth Wind Orchestra for the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles in both 2022 and 2024.
In the future Madison is interested in studying the intersection between music and athletics, but for now you can find Madison at the gym, on a walk, or enjoying some yummy food when she isn’t hard at work in a practice room!
Chieh-Hsun is a Percussionist from Taiwan who began studying percussion at the age of six. Throughout the years, she has accumulated extensive performance and competition experience, having performed in Japan, South Korea, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. She also achieved outstanding results in a marimba competition in Australia.
Chieh-Hsun believes that music should be more diverse and not limited to percussion alone. She seeks to explore interdisciplinary collaboration—combining music with visual arts, dance, and drawing inspiration from exhibitions to create innovative and integrated artistic experiences.
She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Taipei in Taiwan and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of Toronto in Canada. Her first teacher and musical inspiration was Chun-Ting Chen, and she later studied under Yi-Ju Chen, Ya-Hsin Cheng, and Ya-Chi Cheng. Currently, she studies with Professors Aiyun Huang and Beverley Johnston.
She has also participated in masterclasses with renowned Percussionists such as Keiko Abe, Jean
Geoffroy, Minh-Tam Nguyen, and Sébastien Éfler.
Jerry Yuan is a transfer music student at the University of Toronto. He has previously been at Wilfrid Laurier University for two years before transferring to the University of Toronto for his third year in the Bachelor of music, performance major in the field of percussion. Some experiences in the field of music include, playing along with the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra for three years, volunteering at the Oakville chamber orchestra, and entering the Oakville chamber competition and achieving third prize.
Aside from percussion and music related activities, he has a passion in sketching and short story writing. He has also volunteered at a child care center and has achieved GHAC’s mixed doubles champion of 2019 and participation in OFSAA for badminton.
Jeffrey Zhu is a Toronto-based percussionist who is currently pursuing a Master’s in performance at UofT. He completed his Undergrad in performance at UofT, studying with John Rudolph, Beverley Johnston, Aiyun Huang, and Charles Settle. Jeffrey’s musical interests vary greatly as he regularly plays in orchestras, opera, musical theatre, and wind band in addition to a jazz combo as a pianist. As an advocate of new music, Jeffrey recently presented his commission “Titan: for solo car muffler and electronics” by Anthony Gunadi at the 2025 Transplanted Roots Research Symposium in Portugal. A versatile and collaborative artist, Jeffrey brings a forward-thinking voice to contemporary music.
Advanced Certificate in Performance
Amiel Ang is a Philippine-born multi-instrumentalist, performer, and interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Canada. He has been successful in numerous Canadian music competitions that have resulted in concerto performances with the Burlington Symphony Orchestra, the University of Toronto Wind Symphony, the HMCS York Naval Reserve Band, and Rouge River Winds.
Amiel has also been heard in the percussion sections of the Berlin Opera Academy Orchestra, l’Orchestre de la Francophonie (Montréal), the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the University of Toronto Contemporary Music Ensemble.
An active drum set player, Amiel regularly works in the Greater Toronto Area’s musical theatre scene. He has collaborated with artists who frequently work on Broadway, Ed Mirvish Productions, Stratford Festival and Shaw Festival. Most recently, performing as the drummer and percussionist for the Dora Award winning production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee presented by Shifting Ground Collective.
Amiel can be heard on album recordings for Bjorn Kriel, French Onion Soup, find some time…, Exit Points, and the Original Cast Recording of A Perfect Bowl of Pho.
@amielangonline
Bachelor's Program
Thomas Carli is a composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Toronto. Thomas’s pieces have been played by ensembles such as the Oriana Women’s Chorus, Continuum Ensemble, University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra, JACK Quartet, and the Macmillan Singers. Thomas has received commissions to write and produce music for the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, The Canadian Film and Television Costume Awards (CAFTCAD), Kurtis Connor’s “Keep Busy”, and several short films by independent filmmakers and animators. As a music editor and composer’s assistant, Thomas has contributed to television series such as Wynonna Earp, Murdoch Mysteries, and The Borderline. An accomplished drummer and percussionist, Thomas has appeared on stages across North America and in the studio with acts such as AVIV, Danny Michel, Lia Pappas-Kemps, Mini Pop Kids, Max Parker, The Commune, Meteor Heist, Siobhan Bodrug, Irish Millie, University of Toronto Percussion Ensemble, the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Hannaford Youth Band. As a producer, Thomas’s recordings have amassed over 100,000 streams, and he continues to expand his reach through collaborations with emerging indie artists. Currently in his fourth year of undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, Thomas is pursuing a degree in composition under the guidance of Christos Hatzis while also studying percussion with Aiyun Huang.
Matthew Medina is a transfer music student at the University of Toronto. Originating from Canoga Park, California, USA, he studied at Los Angeles Pierce College. He has performed with multiple ensembles across the valley ranging from orchestras and symphonic bands to even singing in choirs. Currently, he is working toward his bachelor’s degree in performance for classical percussion.
Back in California, he coached the Chatsworth Charter High School Marching Band’s battery and pit percussion. Helping nurture the students’ passion for music and being a person they could rely on. With moving to a new country he is excited to see what this new chapter in his life will offer.
Jon Bilek is a percussionist based in Mississauga Ontario. He is in his first year at University of Toronto for percussion performance, studying under Aiyun Huang, John Rudolph, and Ryan Scott.
His interest in percussion started with drum set at the age of 10. Throughout high school he played in various genres of ensembles from classical repertoire to jazz. He performed with the Rose Orchestra in their 2023-24 season and has played at various venues in Toronto such as the Emmet Ray and The Rex.
Jon is very excited to be performing in the University of Toronto Percussion Ensemble and Wind Symphony, and is thrilled to discover opportunities with his peers.
Reuben Faigao is in his second undergraduate year at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music. He is a Filipino percussionist and aspiring composer pursuing his Bachelor of Music (Performance), with a Minor in Composition. He is studying under the tutelage of Dr. Aiyun Huang, Dr. Beverley Johnston, and Patrick Wu.
Since having learned the drumset at a very young age, his love for percussion, and music as a whole, continues to grow.
He was part of the Presbyterian High School Symphonic Band (Singapore) from 2019 to 2022, participating in the Singapore Youth Festival (2019, 2021). Additionally, he took on the role of the band’s Drum Major in his fourth year, where he developed his leadership and mentorship skills. After moving to Canada, he joined John Fraser Secondary School’s senior concert band in Grade 12, where he was both a percussionist and student conductor.
This is Reuben’s second year as part of the both University of Toronto Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble.
He has previously performed with the University of Toronto Wind Symphony, the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra (UTSO), and the Jack Long Honour Band (as part of MusicFest 2025).
Reuben has taken part in several musical productions on and off campus. Notable mentions include “Dogfight” (Thaumatrope Theatre, Nov 2024), “Dystopical” (TCDS, Mar 2025), and “Anyone Can Whistle” (TCDS, Sep 2025).
Outside of school, Reuben is active in his church as a musician and worship leader. He also teaches young students beginner piano and music-reading skills.
Cristobal Salazar is a percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer from Chile. He is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree in percussion at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile with professor Gerardo Salazar, and is spending a semester abroad at the University of Toronto, studying with John Rudolph and Aiyun Huang. Cristobal has performed with the Chilean National Youth Symphony Orchestra and is an active member of the Catholic University Percussion Ensemble. As both perfomer and composer, his work is centered on personal expression, with the intention of creating meaningful connections between people through music. His creative interests include the study of harmonic complexities, the exploration of diverse musical genres, and the search for new ways of expression within popular music. As a multi-instrumentalist, Cristobal cofounded a band together with fellow percussion students, where he takes on the roles of lyricist, singer, guitarist, and pianist. This ensemble has become an important creative space for him to bring together his diverse musical interests, bridging his classical percussion background with his passion for popular music. Through this dual path as both performer and creator, Cristobal seeks to cultivate a versatile artistic identity and contribute to expanding the role of the modern musician.
Jack Wong is Hong Kong-born percussionist based in Toronto. He is currently in his first year pursuing his Bachelor’s of Music specializing in Music Education at the University of Toronto, studying under Aiyun Huang and John Rudolph.
As a percussionist, Jack has played with the Burlington Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra, the Jack Long Honour Band and the Metropolitan Winds of Toronto, among others.
As an aspiring educator, Jack formed and conducted the percussion ensemble at Bayview Secondary School, leading them to numerous Gold ratings at the Ontario Band Association’s Small Ensemble Festival and the world premiere of Curtis Institute of Music composer Sky Yang’s “Meteor Trails”.
@jawockngly