Iris Hung

Founder of Pano Piano Music Studio, Iris Hung (BMus UVic, MMus UofT) is an award-winning concert pianist and music educator. Active in the Toronto area, she is a Certified Teacher of the Royal Conservatory of Music, an executive member of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association Toronto Central Branch (ORMTA), and an experienced teacher of the Yamaha curriculum. Iris began studying piano at the age of five, after learning “Hot Cross Buns” (for two fingers) from her older sister. Since then, she has learned to use all her fingers and greatly expanded her repertoire, performing as a soloist and chamber musician across Canada and in the United States and Austria. In 2016, Iris made her orchestral debut with the Victoria Conservatory of Music Orchestra and conductor Timothy Vernon, performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major. While completing undergraduate studies at the University of Victoria, Iris won top honours, including the Johann Strauss Scholarship Competition for study at the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg, as well the UVic Concerto Competition, for which she performed Ravel’s Concerto in G Major for UVic’s 50th Anniversary season. Guided by a philosophy of deep understanding and dedication to both craft and self, Iris’ students have found success in at local festivals, international competitions, and Royal Conservatory of Music and Yamaha exams, winning top prizes and scholarships. Currently on faculty at the University of Toronto’s Piano Pedagogy Program, Iris has led several projects to expand accessibility, inclusivity, and community for music education, piloting curriculum that is now widely used across private studios and group classes in Toronto. Iris' students enjoy a personalized and varied curriculum of classical and popular repertoire, improvisation, group classes, and regular recital opportunities. While obtaining her Masters of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, Iris studied the effectiveness of mind-body teaching methods (including Alexander Technique, Body Mapping, etc.) on advanced pianists. Since 2020, she has studied Dispokinesis under the tutelage of Julia Tom, gaining experience as a student, teaching assistant, and now student-teacher of the method. Her keen interest in the neurophysiology of musician performance health and performance has led to collaborations with researchers from the Faculty of Kinesiology to tackle the scientific frontier of human sensory and motor control. In July 2023, Iris was invited to present at the National Conference for Keyboard Pedagogy in Chicago, Illinois, giving a Lightning Talk named, "Smooth or Crunchy: Touch-based Approach to Legato Playing for Beginning Pianists." She has also presented at the National CFMTA Connecting Canada Conference in 2024.