Patsy Toh (; born 1940) is a Chinese-born

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

living in London, England. She has taught at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

since 1975, and became a Fellow in 1995.

Early life

Toh was born in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

, China, in 1940 of a family from

Xiamen Xiamen,), also known as Amoy ( ; from the Zhangzhou Hokkien pronunciation, zh, c=, s=, t=, p=, poj=Ē͘-mûi, historically romanized as Amoy, is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Stra ...

, the family returned to Gulangyu Island shortly after her birth. In 1948 at the age of 8, she won first prize in the Hong Kong Music Competition and in 1952 at the age of 12 went to Westonbirt School, a boarding school in England.GIPCA Hosts Patsy Toh Piano Recital
www.argief.litnet.co.za. Retrieved 26 March 2012.

Education

At 13, Toh passed 8th Grade and entered the

at 16. While still a student she won the Royal Overseas League Competition in London. Toh was awarded a scholarship to study with

Yvonne Lefébure Yvonne Lefébure (29 June 1898, Ermont – 23 January 1986, Paris) was a French pianist and teacher. Born in Ermont, she studied with Alfred Cortot at the Conservatoire de Paris, taking a ''premier prix'' in piano and numerous other subjects. She ...

at the

Paris Conservatoire The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

, where she won a Premier Prix. She also studied with Alfred Cortot, Dame Myra Hess, and Aube Tzerko (a pupil of

Artur Schnabel Artur Schnabel (17 April 1882 – 15 August 1951) was an Austrian-born classical pianist, composer and Pedagogy, pedagogue. Schnabel was known for his intellectual seriousness as a musician, avoiding pure technical bravura. Among the 20th ...

Career

Toh has often performed as a pianist in Europe, China, and the Americas. She has served as a professor of piano at the

and a member of the keyboard department at the Purcell School for Young Musicians. Toh is a regular visiting professor to music conservatories in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, and has taught at

Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin (22 April 191612 March 1999), was an American-born British violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in Britain. He is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. ...

Schools.

Personal life

Toh was married to Fou Ts'ong, a pianist, for over three decades until his death in 2020. They had one son. She lives in London, England.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toh, Patsy Living people Fellows of the Royal Academy of Music Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Conservatoire de Paris alumni People educated at Westonbirt School 1940 births Musicians from Shanghai People of Hokkien descent Chinese emigrants to the United Kingdom