Conductor and Winner of 2015 TCO Conducting Competition

Matthew Poon is currently the Music Director of the Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church (SCBC) Chamber Orchestra. Previously, he acted as the Assistant Conductor for the Kindred Spirits Orchestra in Markham, McMaster University Choir, and McMaster Women’s Vocal Ensemble. He has also appeared as a Guest Conductor with the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra, McMaster Concert Band, and Toronto Better Homeland Choir.

Having earned a master’s degree in orchestral conducting at the University of Toronto, Matthew is currently completing a master of arts in music theory. He has earned a bachelor’s degree with a diploma in music performance from McMaster University and an associate’s diploma in piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Workshops have allowed Matthew to study with teachers, such as Harold Farberman, Gustav Meier, Jorge Mester, and Paul Vermel, among others.

Matthew speaks English and Cantonese and has a working knowledge of Mandarin and German. Matthew’s musical interests extend beyond conducting to music composition and arrangement, music cognition research, and teaching, where he maintains a studio both with Arcadia Academy of Music and privately.

2015多倫多中樂團指揮比賽冠軍

潘勉唏現為士嘉堡華人浸信會室樂團音樂總監。曾為萬錦市Kindred Spirits樂團、McMaster大學合唱團及McMaster女聲合唱團副指揮，並曾與多倫多大學交響樂團，McMaster大學樂隊，多倫多Better Homeland 合唱團合作為客席指揮。

於多倫多大學獲得管弦樂指揮碩士學位後，潘勉唏現正修讀音樂理論碩士課程。他亦獲得McMaster大學音樂學士及演奏文憑、多倫多皇家音樂學院鋼琴演奏文憑，曾參予多個工作坊，隨Harold Farberman, Gustav Meier, Jorge Mester, Paul Vermel等老師學習。

潘勉唏能操英語及廣東話，亦於工作上使用普通話及德文。他在音樂上的興趣從指揮伸延到作曲及編曲，以至音樂心理學研究、音樂教學，並於Arcadia Academy of Music擁有一私人製作室。