Zikang Sam Zhan

Zikang Sam Zhan has completed his Masters of Music, studying with Natalia Ricci at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the University of Sydney, where he also previously pursued a Bachelor of Music (Piano Performance) degree under the tutelage of Daniel Herscovitch. As a classically trained pianist, he has performed extensively as a soloist, collaborative pianist and chamber musician. During his time at the Sydney Conservatorium, he has participated in masterclasses and worked with renowned international artists and pedagogues such as Helen Krizos, Thomas Hecht, Michael Endres and Ingo Dannhorn. He has performed at various major venues across Australia including the City Recital Hall, the Sydney Town Hall and St.Andrew’s Cathedral. In 2019, he was featured as an emerging artist at the Theme & Variations’ Emerging Artist Program. Prior to his study at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, he studied privately with Erzsi Marosszeky and was a member of her acapella choir ensemble 'Men of Notes' where he also performed and recorded choral music across different venues in Sydney.

In September 2022, he was a part of "Encuentros Espanoles"- a Spanish music festival celebrating the nexus of Spanish piano music and flamenco dance curated by his teacher Natalia Ricci, where they performed a world-premiere arrangement of de Falla's ballet El Sombrero de Tres Picos.

In 2023, he was awarded the Henderson Scholarship by the University which allowed him to further his study abroad and participated in the Valencia International Performing Arts Festival (Spain) and the Academia internacional de música da Madeira (Portugal) to work with renowned pedagogues and pianists from around the world including Boris Slutsky (Yale University), Pavel Nersessian (Moscow Conservatory and Boston University), Antonio Pompa-Baldi (Cleveland Institute of Music), Chun-Chieh Yen (National Taiwan Normal University), Marta Zabaleta (Musikene, the Higher Academy of Music of the Basque Country) and Robert Andres (Madeira Conservatory). He was also awarded the David and Nhilla Dumbrell Scholarship and was a finalist in the Concerto Competition in the 2023 academic year.

An avid and passionate teacher, he has guided students through all levels of AMEB exams and has successfully prepared students for rising star auditions at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He has also worked with adult students and students with disabilities and special needs.

As an enthusiastic collaborative pianist, he has worked with all instruments at different levels and has collaborated closely with Heather Aird, Director of Music and Performing Arts at the Ravenswood School for Girls, especially in their music scholars program where he was an accompanist for their scholarship auditions and music scholar concerts. He also worked with Maree Ryan and Narelle Yeo as an accompanist in their vocal studios and studied under David Miller as a part of his collaborative piano training at the Conservatorium. He was also the orchestral pianist of the Sydney Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra in the 2021 program.

Teaching Philosophy

My own teaching philosophy gleans on the diverse training I’ve received, drawing ideas from various schools of piano pedagogy: Russian, German and Hungarian. My approach in teaching is one that encourages a greater awareness of the connection between body movement and the quality of sound, as well as the cultivation of efficient and mindful practice habits. A major focus of my teaching is to motivate my students to develop a sense of self-inquiry to explore their own imaginative potential in music by fostering a strong technical foundation and a greater sense of confidence at the piano.

WWCC number: WWC2205268E

Date of Birth: 13/01/2000