Biography

Nga-man Silva is a piano teacher and performer. She received her Master's degree in Piano Performance at the School of Music, California State University, Sacramento with the renowned Steinway Artist, Richard Cionco.

As an educator, Nga-man enjoys teaching students of all ages and levels. She’s an active member of the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC). Over the last decade, her students have been selected to perform at MTAC's Branch Honors and State Convention Recitals under the Certificate of Merit (CM) program. They are also involved in the local music festivals and community services. A number of her students have been awarded the Senior medallions under the CM program and scholarship and the Paderewski Gold Medal under the National Piano Guild program of the American College of Musicians. Nga-man has served as the president, vice president, and chairwoman of the annual Fall Festival for the MTAC Yolo Branch in the past. 

A native of Hong Kong, Nga-man’s interest in classical music and piano started at a young age. She won second place at the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival in her division adjudicated by pianist Nancy Loo, as well as participated regularly in the ABRSM Practical and Theory Examinations with the Royal Schools of Music. Her musical achievement was recognized and she was given the Rita Ng Award by the piano department her senior year at high school. She was also offered a scholarship by the Department of Music at California State University, Stanislaus where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance studying with Dr. Stephen Thomas. Nga-man believes in sharing music with others, giving recitals at retirement communities as well as performing and mentoring at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. Moreover, she has appeared both as a soloist and in ensembles at international music festivals in Italy and Germany.

During her graduate studies, she became interested in left-hand piano music after suffering an injury in her right hand. In addition to performing a recital program of music written for the left hand only, she gave a lecture recital where she transcripted and arranged compositions by J.S. Bach, Villa-Lobos, Mompou, and Barrios-Mangoré for the left hand. The unexpected injury has made her highly conscious of the way she approaches the piano when playing and practicing. Because of this, in her teaching, she pays special attention to and places emphasis on playing in ways that reduce the chance of injury.

Nga-man lives in Sacramento, California with her husband Michael Silva, a classical guitarist and music educator. Besides playing the piano and teaching, she loves traveling and spending time with her family, friends and her cat, Mina!