Celine Kang (2018) is an educator, arts leader and concert pianist whose work sits at the intersection of performance, education, and cultural leadership. Her journey began at MLC School in Year 7, where a deep engagement with music laid the foundation for a career that has since expanded onto major stages, into education and entrepreneurship, and ultimately back into the very community that first shaped her – she currently serves as Acting Assistant Director of Music within the MLC School Music Department.

Alongside her work at MLC School, Celine is Director of GNT Education Group, an award-winning, multi-disciplinary education organisation recognised nationally for excellence in music and academic education. Under her leadership, the academy has received major Australian business awards, including a Australian Small Business Champion Award and an Australian Women’s Business Champion Award. Its students have progressed to leading institutions such as Berklee College of Music and Oxford University, and have performed on major stages at competitions and concerts, emerging as the next generation of performers and leaders.

As a pianist, Celine maintains an active performance career. A piano solo performance at the Sydney Opera House marked an early milestone in a trajectory that would later extend to prestigious international stages including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Musikverein in Vienna, and the Sydney Opera House, and in October this year, she will perform at Sydney Town Hall.

Celine’s accolades include: Winner of the Canadian International Music Competition, Winner of the UNSW Concerto Competition, Prize Winner at the International New York Piano Competition and Festival, and Winner of the International Vienna Grand Virtuoso Music Competition. She recently conducted the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under Ben Northey in a masterclass, further expanding her artistic practice.

Beyond music and education, Celine holds leadership roles across cultural and artistic sectors. She serves as Chair of Public Relations and Strategic Planning for the Australia Chapter of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, where her contributions to culture, the arts, and community leadership have been recognised with a Presidential Citation Award from the President of the Republic of Korea – the youngest recipient of this Award. And as Artistic Director of Koralia Entertainment, she leads major concert productions with world-class performers while creating performance platforms for the next generation of young artists in Australia.

Celine is a graduate of the University of New South Wales (UNSW), holding First Class Honours in Music and a Distinction in Secondary Education. During her studies, Celine was a UNSW Music Scholar and Dean’s List recipient, and served in key leadership roles including the Undergraduate Student Representative for the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture; a member of the UNSW Education Committee; and as a UNSW Student Ambassador.

These pathways are grounded in her formative years at MLC School. As a Music Scholar, she contributed extensively to the School’s musical life, performing across ten ensembles and developing as both a soloist and collaborative musician. She was recognised with the School’s Grosman Trophy and Music Extension Prize at its annual Speech Night, and received HSC Music Encore and Drama OnStage nominations.

Celine considers herself to be fortunate to have been a student at MLC School; a school that encouraged her to be fearless, curious, and self-driven, and that allowed her to develop not only as a musician but as a well-rounded individual willing to embrace opportunity and challenge. She carries these values forward, creating pathways for the next generation to grow as performers, leaders, and as individuals beyond the arts.