Donovan Kwan

Mr. Donovan has been awarded Teacher of the Year 2025 - ABRSM Exam Prep and Music History respectively by Lessonface. He also received the former same accolade in 2024 and 2023.

In greater details, Mr. Donovan is a prolific educator who possesses 3 decades of music and language experiences, these include teaching individual piano/keyboard instructions, classroom music, English and Mandarin/Chinese at international schools, private schools, colleges, music schools and his own private studio. In addition, he is the band leader in his church; performing on the keyboard and directing his worship band.

Please see a recommendation and referral below, made for Mr. Donovan by one of the very top music teachers in Lessonface, Heather Gerber, for him being a great Lessonface teacher. Here is the Lessonface link:

https://www.lessonface.com/instructor/heather-gerber

Moreover, you may find more about Steve’s success in learning with Mr. Donovan in Lessonface and learn all about the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), London, in an article found in this Lessonface link:

https://www.lessonface.com/content/celebrating-student-success-steve-and-all-about-abrsm

In addition to teaching the piano/keyboard, Mr. Donovan is also proficient in four languages, namely English, Chinese/Mandarin, Cantonese and Malay. He possesses native-level English, Mandarin/Chinese and Cantonese; and teaches these four languages too.

(1) Piano/Keyboard:

Mr. Donovan graduated with a UK Music Degree, alongside two UK music diplomas. In fact, he majored in piano & keyboard performance and was formally trained in classical, popular and jazz piano. He teaches the piano and keyboard from beginner to diploma levels. Moreover, his students range from children to adults.

His music students learn music for different purposes: (1) Leisure/hobby. (2) Passing music examinations and gaining music qualifications. (3) Professional performance and teaching. (4) Passing a music audition to gain admission into a local or foreign music conservatory/university. (5) Participate in music competitions.

(2) English:

Mr. Donovan uses English extensively in his daily teaching. He has been teaching English to school students, college & university students and working adults whom he has injected with a love for English. His lessons are practical, useful, interesting and inspiring; and many of his students have improved their English steadily over time and achieved their personal goals.

His students are users of English for different purposes: (1) School, college & university (including satisfying the English requirement when enrolling for higher education programs, e.g. IELTS) (2) Studying & working in, and migrating to a native English-speaking countries (3) Adults who want to improve their daily communicative English in personal and work/business settings.

Armed with a UK English Teaching Qualification and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Certification, Mr. Donovan is highly qualified and competent in the English Language Teaching.

(3) Mandarin/Chinese:

Although Mr.  Donovan graduated with a UK degree, he is equally proficient in the Chinese Language. In fact, he won the first prize in the Chinese Essay Writing Competition of his secondary school. Besides this, he became the Chinese reporter of his school, writing for many of its special activities and events.

His students are users of Chinese for different purposes: (1) Adults who want to learn daily communicative Mandarin in personal and work/business settings (2) School students who learn Mandarin as a first, second or foreign language (3) Tertiary students who want to sit for their Chinese Language Proficiency Tests (e.g. HSK & TOCFL) to gain admission into China and Taiwan Universities.

With the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language Certificate (TOCFL) awarded by the Taiwan Ministry of Education under his belt, Mr. Donovan is highly proficient and competent in the Chinese Language.

(4) Cantonese:

Mr. Donovan's dialect is Cantonese. And in Hong Kong, Guangdong (China) and Guangxi (China) and Malaysia, Cantonese is a very popular dialect among the Chinese communities. Moreover, Cantonese is the most spoken dialect in China.

Mr. Donovan has recently taught Cantonese to a Malaysian Chinese college student, someone who knows some basic Cantonese and is planning to study for her MBBS Degree in the University of Hong Kong. In fact, he coached and prepared her for the entire admission interview of her MBBS Degree; whereby part of this interview would be conducted in Cantonese. 

The tuition fees of all courses displayed in Mr. Donovan's profile are starting fees for beginners, and students' actual tuition fees will vary if they are going to learn for higher skill levels of the same courses with him. Please write to him to confirm your current standard/level first and he will then customize your fee based on your current standard (e.g. intermediate/advanced levels), before purchasing any of his courses.

(1) Main Piano/Keyboard Courses Offered:

(A) Classical Piano

(B) Popular Piano

(C) Jazz Piano

(D) Keyboard

(E) New Age Piano

(2) English:

Students will learn the 4 core skills, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing.

English Courses Offered:

(A) Daily English for Communication e.g. English conversation (for school leavers and adults)

(B) English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

(C) International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – Academic & General Training

(D) College & University Academic English

(E) Business English

(F) School Academic English

(3) Mandarin/Chinese:

Students will learn the 4 core skills, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Mandarin/Chinese Courses Offered:

(A) Mandarin for adults (beginner to advanced levels: Daily conversation & Hanyu Pinyin)

(B) Chinese/Mandarin as a second language and foreign language

(C) Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) 6 levels

(D) Business Mandarin

(E) School Academic Chinese

(4) Cantonese Course Offered:

Conversational Cantonese

(5) Malay Courses Offered:

Conversational & written Malay

Reviews from Group Classes