Po Sim Head

Born in Hong Kong, Dr. Po Sim Head is a pianist, educator, and musicologist who has a strong passion for discovering lesser-known piano repertoire from Latin America. Head received a doctorate degree in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Kansas under the instruction of Scott McBride Smith. Her thesis introduced a few piano compositions written by a Peruvian composer Francisco Pulgar-Vidal, some of which are included on her Navona Records release. Prior to her doctorate degree, Head received her master’s degrees in piano performance and musicology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) and earned a bachelor’s degree in music composition and production at Hong Kong Baptist University.  

Head has been active in academia as a speaker and writer at various conferences, such as the Music Teacher National Association (2022), NCKP (2021), Kansas Music Teacher Association (2020), and College Music Society (2019). She is also a writer for the online magazine Interlude.hk. She works to discover and promote the work of lesser-known musicians. She also has a strong passion for piano pedagogy; to that end, she has established a website providing teaching resources for young piano teachers and students.

She has over 20 years of teaching experience with students from all over the world. Her students are active participants in piano recitals, festivals, and competitions.  She is in demand as a judge in local and international competitions and an active member of local music teacher associations coordinating local music events. 

In addition to her busy schedule between researching, writing, and teaching, Head is also active in performing on stage. Her performing footsteps include Southeast Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United States.