About Our Association

Canadian pianist Cindy Thong leads a polyvalent career as a pedagogue, researcher and performer. She has performed throughout Canada, in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Spain and
Italy, and has also been a finalist and prizewinner in numerous competitions such as the Concours Hélène-Roberge and Canadian Music Competition. She has also made appearances at the Orford Music Festival, Banff Arts Centre, Gijón International Piano Festival and Euro Music Festival, among others.

Alongside her performance and pedagogical activities, Cindy maintains a keen interest in performance psychology and mental skills training. In particular, her dissertation pertained to the
neuropsychology of learning and the optimization of practice methods, deconstructing and analyzing models related to enhanced efficiency. Building on this work, Cindy has been invited to lecture and offer workshops on these topics and related subjects at institutions such as the University of British Columbia and York University. She also continues to pursue her interdisciplinary interests through collaboration across diverse fields, including research involving arts and health interventions. Most recently, she presented aspects of this work at the 37th International Society for Music Education (ISME) World Conference and the 2025 Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association (CFMTA) National Conference in Montréal.

A passionate music educator, Cindy is a co-founder of Where Music Leads, an arts organization bridging education and industry, dedicated to promoting career-development resources for
aspiring young professionals. She also currently serves as the president of the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers’ Association and vice-president of the Nova Scotia Chapter of the Canadian Music Competition (CMC), fostering musical excellence and reflecting her continued commitment to music education and the broader musical community. Additionally, Cindy adjudicates regularly at the national, provincial and local level, having been invited to work with the FCMF National Music Festival, Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association, as well as various provincial music festivals and competitions.

Cindy holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Montréal (Canada), where she was also awarded the Prix d’interpretation en piano upon graduation. She also holds a Master of Arts in Music Performance from the Haute École de Musique de Genève (Switzerland), as well as a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and Artist Diploma from the University of Montréal. Her primary teachers include Jimmy Brière, the late Dominique Weber, and John Hansen.

In addition to her formal studies, Cindy has also worked with distinguished artists such as Robert McDonald, Jacques Rouvier, Bernd Goetzke, Dang Thai Son, Stephen Kovacevich, Ronan O’Hora, Marc Durand, Benedetto Lupo, Alexander Kobrin, and Evelyne Brancart, among others.

Cindy is currently on faculty at Acadia University and the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts. She is also the Artistic Director of the Acadia Piano Intensive program.