WeiHsi
WeiHsi is a conductor and opera singer who has a passion for choral music. For the past 20 years he has worked in Canada and UK. In January 2019 he became the Musical Director of ‘Take Note Blackheath’.
His work with choirs focuses on building singing skills whilst fostering a group ensemble. Since coming to the UK, WeiHsi has worked extensively with choral clinicians and music directors in a number of choirs. His interest in musicals has also resulted in him developing an ongoing community project,’ Berlin UnRehearsed Musicals’.
Originally from Canada, WeiHsi’s conducting career began as Assistant Conductor at the Vancouver Bach Children’s Chorus. At the same time he worked as Music Director of New Westminster United Church. He has also worked extensively with a range of choirs including the British Columbia Boys’ Choir and Folsom Singers, a women’s choir in Vancouver.
WeiHsi studied conducting with Bruce Pullan and Leonard Ratzlaff at the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta. He also studied orchestral conducting with Kenneth Kiesler and with Colin Metters at the Royal Academy of music.
Andrea Kmecová Accompanist
Slovakian pianist Andrea Kmecová has been working with Take Note Blackheath since 2012. She performs regularly as a soloist, vocal and instrumental accompanist, and chamber musician in London and across Europe. She is a graduate of the National Conservatoire, the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Slovakia, and Trinity College of Music in London.
Andrea has played at leading venues and festivals in the UK including St Martin-in-the-Fields, St James’s Piccadilly, The Royal Overseas League, Houses of Parliament, the Oxford Lieder Festival and she played a concert for the former Queen Sofia at the Royal Palace in Madrid.
She has performed with Jamie Cullum for his BBC4 Radio programme Jamie Cullum’s Piano Pilgrimage. Other broadcast appearances include BBC2, Slovak National Radio, Slovak Television, National Cypriot Television, and Turkish ATV Television. The most recent recordings include the appearance on Patricia Hammond’s new CD Songs of the Great War and session work for SONY.
Andrea is the founder and director of Piano Maestros, the private music service that delivers piano tuition with special attention to creative music making. She is works as a staff accompanist at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and performs regularly for several charities, including Lost Chord and Council for Music in Hospitals.