About ACTKA

The ACT Keyboard Association was founded and launched in 2013 to fill the aspiration of the Canberra keyboard community of building an independent entity to support keyboard musical activities in the ACT and surrounding regions.

Arnan Wiesel, former head of Keyboard at the ANU School of Music, who instigated the idea of forming the association, was its first president. Founding members included Wendy Lorenz, Marie Cull, Kimberley Steele and others.

Since its inception in 2013, ACTKA has hosted a range of events – from masterclasses and workshops presented by visiting international pianists to student concerts by our local young musicians. The former have included workshops for teachers and students with pedagogues such as Christopher Norton, Jeanell Carrigan, and Tim Topham. We have also hosted masterclasses with Glen Riddle, Jovanni-Rey de Pedro, Edward and Stephanie Neeman, as well as workshops on the Alexander Technique and the Taubman Approach and much more.

The founding and subsequent committees comprise musicians from diverse backgrounds and specialisations to ensure that the association is representing the full range of keyboard activities in the ACT and surrounding regions.

ACTKA is a major sponsor of the National Eisteddfod and regularly assists with the Eisteddfod’s keyboard curriculum.

In 2016 ACTKA launched its own Piano Competition open to a wide age range and promoting both Australian and traditional repertoire.

Our Mission

To promote, encourage and collaborate in the study, practice, performance, teaching, knowledge and composition of keyboard related music.

To support a broad musical education including keyboard harmony and aural training.

To exist as a dedicated ACT keyboard organization with a vision to encourage collaborations with ACT bordering regional areas.

To look at new opportunities of delivering musical education relating to the keyboard, utilizing new technologies.

To collaborate with other organizations.

To look at a broad spectrum of inclusive memberships of various levels to ensure that professionalism and excellence are promoted.

To encourage young emerging pianists to contribute to on-going activities.

To endeavor to establish awards and competitions.

To support keyboard tuition through scholarships.

Our Committee

Our dedicated committee members are passionate about furthering musical, artistic, and educational endeavours in the ACT and beyond.

President

Rebecca Simon

Rebecca has a thriving studio in Canberra, teaching at home and in several local schools. As well as teaching piano to a wide range of ages and abilities, Rebecca particularly enjoys her role as a collaborative musician, accompanying and coaching instrumentalists and singers for performances, auditions, and exams.

Rebecca’s warm, personal approach enables each student to develop and thrive while working with individual learning styles. She seeks to provide a nurturing environment that encourages a lifelong love of music, whilst maintaining high standards of discipline to achieve each student’s unique potential.

Prior to her move to Canberra in 2011, Rebecca worked in Armidale’s vibrant music community, both for the New England Conservatorium as accompanist in residence for the choral, brass, woodwind & string programs, coordinator for chamber music in schools program, and also as a private piano teacher & accompanist.

Rebecca completed her piano studies at the University of Southern Queensland, studying under Wendy Lorenz and Marilyn Meier-Kapavale where she gained extensive experience in chamber music and accompaniment, and was repetiteur for the opera program.

Vice-President

Amber Harnisch

Amber Harnisch is a piano teacher, accompanist and proud member the ACT Keyboard Association. She greatly enjoys working with the Keyboard Association colleagues to further music-making opportunities in the Canberra region.

Amber came to Canberra in 2004 to study a Bachelor of Music, majoring in classical piano at the ANU School of Music under the tuition of Dr. Geoffrey Lancaster and the mentorship of Susanne Powell and Larry Sitsky.

A passion for teaching led her to gain a Diploma of Education in secondary music. After moving back to the Far South Coast, she worked in primary and secondary schools as a music educator, choral conductor and instrumental teacher, while also working as an accompanist for local choirs and musicians.

Amber relocated back to Canberra in 2014 and quickly built a busy and successful piano studio. She is currently studying Masters in Music Education by research at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, researching best practices for providing children with well-rounded and comprehensive musical experiences.

Amber regularly presents professional development sessions for young music teachers, and has presented at music education conferences in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Treasurer

Emily Leong

Emily Leong is an accomplished pianist whose musical expertise spans both classical and contemporary styles. With a rich repertoire that includes musical theatre, choral, orchestral, and chamber music, she is deeply committed to the collaborative spirit of music-making and finds great joy in sharing her knowledge with students of all ages.

She holds a Master of Music from Melbourne Conservatorium, specialising in Classical piano performance and a Master of Teaching (Secondary) form University of Canberra.

Emily's teaching philosophy is one that is inclusive and understanding of each student's individual needs and interests. She strives to engage students and finds her training as a classroom teacher helpful in equipping her with sound communication skills and an extensive range of teaching strategies to draw from.

Emily's patient and easy-going approach encourages students to gain confidence in making music without compromising technique and theoretical knowledge.

Outside of her musical pursuits, you will often find Emily bushwalking, cycling, or enjoying live musical theatre.

Secretary

Hannah Th'ng McDowell

Classical pianist Hannah Th’ng McDowell is a passionate performer, teacher, and researcher. She holds a Master of Arts (Performing Arts), Licentiate Diploma of Music, and is the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships for both performance and research. Originally from Perth, where she was lecturer in piano performance and piano pedagogy at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and Edith Cowan University, Hannah is now based in the nation’s capital, Canberra.

An active soloist and chamber musician since young, Hannah was accepted into the prestigious Tel-Hai International Piano Master Classes in Israel where she studied with renowned pianist and pedagogue Tatiana Zelikman (teacher of Daniil Trifonov and Konstantin Shamray) and performed in a number of masterclasses. Hannah graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing with First Class Honours and was awarded the Helen Court/Friends of the Academy Award for the most outstanding graduating student as well as the coveted Barbara MacLeod Scholarship.

Hannah has a keen interest in teaching and was the recipient of the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship, awarded to students of exceptional research potential, for her research into piano pedagogy. Most recently, Hannah has worked with the esteemed pianist and composer Larry Sitsky AO to publish the second edition of Century, a collection of 155 pedagogical pieces for children, and was a presenter at the 2024 Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference, Monash University. As a teacher, Hannah has taught at all levels from beginner to AMusA/tertiary level, and believes that it is important that students have a technically healthy and musically fulfilling journey.

Committee Member

Lilian Hathorn

Lilian Hathorn is a piano and theory teacher with 35 years teaching experience. She has been an instrumental teacher at Canberra Girl’s Grammar School for over 30 years, both in the Senior and Junior Schools, and the Head of Keyboard since 2019.

Whilst Lilian has had a particular interest in teaching advanced theory and harmony, she has taught privately and in a group setting to students of all ages and levels.

Over the years, she has maintained a high standard of teaching that has resulted in consistently good results from the AMEB for both her Piano and Theory students.

Lilian studied classical piano performance with Prof Larry Sitsky and Harmony with Marretje Van Wezel at the Canberra School of Music. She holds a Licentiate and Performer’s Diploma in Piano Performance with Trinity College, London, and an Associate Diploma with both the Australian Music Examinations Board and the Australian Guild of Music.

As well as her musical studies Lilian also graduated with first class Honours in Philosophy from the ANU and is about to graduate with a Masters degree in secondary teaching.

Committee Member

Phoebe Mu

Phoebe is currently a Law and Music student studying at the ANU as well as a piano tutor and accompanist. During her time teaching, she loves to cater to students’ passions by arranging and composing different songs that interest them and aims to create an environment where students have the opportunity to showcase their work and their love for music.

Originally from Sydney, Phoebe has trained in cello, violin, clarinet and classical voice, starting a music education at a very young age. She studied with Natalia Ricci in the Rising Stars program at the Sydney Conservatorium as one of the youngest accepted students and have won multiple awards in state and national level competitions.

In 2022, she completed 3 Licentiate Diplomas in Piano Performance with Trinity College London and AMEB and was accepted into Berklee College of Music in Boston USA and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with substantial scholarships.

She has recently been accepted as a 2026 Kingsland Fellow with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, and hopes to further her piano career through teaching and more performance and competitive opportunities such as the Fellowship Diploma.