Verdy Guo

Verdy Guo is a passionate music educator, performer, and multi-instrumentalist with over a decade of experience. Currently completing his Master of Arts at the Royal Academy of Music, London, as a scholarship recipient, he is also a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium, where he earned distinction and a place on the Dean’s List of Academic Excellence.

Verdy has excelled in international cello competitions, earning 1st Prize in the Derek Simpson Cello Competition, 2nd Prize in the Piatti Etude Competition, and 3rd Prize in the David Martin Concerto Competition at the Royal Academy of Music. He has worked and performed with world-renowned musicians, including Noah Bendix-Balgley and Ludwig Quandt (Berlin Philharmonic), Steven Isserlis, Alisa Weilerstein, Vaclav Petr (Principal Cellist of the Czech Philharmonic), Hannah Roberts, and Arto Noras.

Awarded music scholarships to Trinity Grammar and Sydney Grammar School, Verdy studied piano at the Sydney Conservatorium under The John and Dorothy Timpani Pianoforte Scholarship. During university, he transitioned to cello, achieving AmusA certification within two months. This transition deepened his expertise in skill acquisition and allowed him to develop novel learning strategies by combining piano and cello techniques.

His achievements include four scholarships at the Sydney Conservatorium, including the Estivo and Henderson’s Scholarships, which enabled him to study in Berlin, London, and Italy with leading professors from ‘Hans Eisler’ Hochschule für Musik, Royal College of Music, and FRANZ LISZT University of Weimar.

Verdy’s teaching philosophy blends traditional music pedagogy with project management and algorithmic problem-solving, drawing on his background in computer science. This innovative approach has accelerated student learning and enabled them to secure a cumulative $1 million in scholarships to prestigious Sydney schools, including Trinity Grammar, Kambala, and Newington College.