Adjudication Panel

Nancy Tsou is an Australian pianist and dedicated music educator whose passion for the piano has left an indelible mark on both the performance and the education sector in Australia. She is the Co-Founder and Chief Adjudicator of the Melbourne Star International Music Competition. Nancy is currently a senior piano examiner with the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB). With a career spanning several decades, Ms Tsou has worked extensively throughout Australia, the USA, and China presenting recitals, workshops, and masterclasses.

Born in South Africa, Ms. Tsou began her music education in Argentina at the age of five. In her youth, she received a scholarship from the University of Melbourne and studied piano with Ronald Farren-Price before undertaking post-graduate studies. After receiving a master’s degree in music performance, she has served as a lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Monash University, and Wollongong University. Ms Tsou has toured extensively in Australia, USA, and China, and has given master classes at five of the most prestigious conservatories, including the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. As one of the most sought-after piano pedagogues, many of Ms Tsou’s piano students have won competitions across Australia and received full music scholarship from prestigious universities, private schools, and state-owned elite schools across the world.

Ms Tsou has recorded two CDs between 2016 and 2023, ‘Nocturnes by Chopin’ and ‘Latin Muse’, both of which have been broadcast by the Australian ABC-FM and the 3MBS radio station. They are also available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and iTunes. As commented by Kenneth Hince (The Age), ‘her work truly embodies the romantic spirit of music - what many call its inner poetry'. She is currently working on her new album 'The Complete Preludes Op.28 by Chopin', which is expected to release in 2024.