Canwei Li
Head of School
Canwei Li is a Chinese-born, New Zealand–based education entrepreneur and school leader. Since settling in Auckland in 2006, he has dedicated his career to building high-quality, community-focused music education. He is the Founder and Head of School of Blockhouse Bay School of Music in Auckland, which he has grown from a small home studio into a well-regarded music school serving a large community of students and families.
In his role as Head of School, Canwei oversees the full operation of the school – including strategic planning, curriculum development, teacher recruitment and mentoring, finance and budgeting, marketing, and stakeholder relationships with parents, schools, and community partners. He is passionate about designing sustainable education models that balance strong artistic standards with practical, well-run business operations.
Bilingual in English and Chinese, Canwei is experienced in leading diverse teams and communicating effectively with families from different cultural backgrounds. Under his leadership, many students have achieved excellent results in music exams and competitions, and the school has built a strong reputation for both professional teaching and caring, personalised service.
Canwei’s professional background as a trained concert pianist gives him a deep understanding of performance excellence, which he brings into his educational leadership. He graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Music (Honours) in piano performance and has previously won multiple national scholarships and concerto competitions, as well as appearing in international piano competitions in New Zealand, Australia, and Europe. Today, he draws on this artistic foundation to inspire students and staff while focusing most of his time on school management, educational innovation, and long-term business growth.
Beyond Blockhouse Bay School of Music, Canwei is also actively involved in new ventures in the broader education and lifestyle space, applying his entrepreneurial mindset, strategic thinking, and operational experience to build organisations that create real value for students, families, and communities.
