A Fresh Take
We sat down with the founders of M.int Academy to find out why their music school is exactly what this city needs
Hong Kong sisters Andrea and Philippa Wong have set their sights on providing premium music education with their new academy, M.int. While M.int is short for Music International, the name also alludes to the characteristics of the mint leaf. “The connotation of freshness really resonated with us, as we bring something new to the music scene in Hong Kong,” says Andrea. The academy is the first of its kind in terms of its overall ideals, with an aim that’s clear and simple: to treat each student as an individual while providing them with the highest quality music education available.
Brought up in a very musical household, the sisters have always had a passion for music. Opening the academy was a natural step in their careers. Both are musicians in their own right, with Andrea playing the piano and flute and Philippa, a music major, playing the piano, violin, and oboe. Having both gone to boarding school abroad, they noticed a difference between the music education they received overseas compared to their exposure to it in Hong Kong. “It was more than just ourselves and going to lessons, it was about producing music as a group,” says Andrea. This was a stark contrast to their experiences in Hong Kong which were “very much siloed.”
M.int Academy strives to bridge this gap. Set up on the 19th floor of Casey Aberdeen House in Wong Chuk Hang, the academy boasts 6,600 square feet of bright, tastefully decorated space filled with all the tools necessary for any music student to succeed. The school offers private classes for piano, violin, trumpet and other wind instruments, as well as various ancillaries such as developing skills in scales and sight reading. Group classes are designed for teaching music theory, and there will be introductory singing lessons for younger children. On a more scholastic side, M.int provides GCSE and A-level music classes for individuals who want to pursue music on an academic level. To top that off, the instructors for this academy are nothing short of the best. With an international roster recruited from prestigious music conservatories like The Juilliard School, Yale School of Music and Royal Academy of Music, M.int ensures that its teachers are experienced and well credited in the international music scene.
The sisters want to emphasise that the academy is open to anybody of any age or level with the desire to pursue their passion for music. “Everything is customisable,” says Andrea. Regardless of whether you’re a beginner or an experienced musician looking to try something new, M.int Academy has a plan for you.