NORMAN ABBOTT, collaborative pianist (London, ON), is a freelance keyboardist, cellist, choral/orchestral director and music arranger. Educated in Victoria BC, Toronto and London ON, he holds his ARCT in piano and MM in cello (UWO). Norm is currently music director of Dundas Centre United Church (London), and on faculty of Young Artists Pre-college Academy (YAPCA, London), which together with Forest City Violins have showcased many of his arrangements for 3 or 4-part violin ensemble and piano.
His arranging renown extends to the UK and USA for choral, orchestral and chamber music genres. Recently he garnered acclaim for choral/orchestral settings of Canadian World War I songs showcased in Victoria BC April 2018. For 21 years, he co-operated with Edward Avey the Lake Huron Chamber Music Camp which had its origin in Muskoka. Norm is also an experienced string/keyboard festival adjudicator.
ANYA ALEXEYEV, piano (Waterloo, ON). Born in Moscow into a family of concert pianists, Anya Alexeyev started studying at the Gnessin Music School at the age of five, and in 1989 entered the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory to become a student of the renowned professor Dmitri Bashkirov. The following year she was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London. While studying there, Anya Alexeyev won numerous prizes including Elizabeth, The Queen Mother's Award for “the most outstanding contribution to the Royal College of Music”, the First prize at the Newport International Piano Competition, Young Concert Artists Trust, and The Capital Radio/Anna Instone Memorial Prize.
Alexeyev has performed extensively in many countries across Europe (Britain, France, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Ireland, Greece, Germany and Macedonia), as well as in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Malaysia and South Africa.
She has performed many times in all of London’s major concert halls. Throughout her career she has also appeared as soloist in major international venues. She has performed concertos with numerous distinguished orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Moscow State Symphony, Vienna Chamber, The Philharmonia, Royal Scottish National, Deutschland Radio, City of Birmingham Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony and Sinfonietta, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, London Mozart Players, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, English Chamber, Belgian National Symphony and Quebec Symphony, collaborating with such conductors as Temirkanov, Simonov, Oramo, Bakels, Judd.
Alexeyev has an extensive solo repertoire, ranging from baroque to cutting edge contemporary music. As well, she has been a participant in many chamber music festivals in Europe and North America. She has recorded for EMI, Dutton Epoch, Toccata Classics, and Marquis Classics labels. Her performances have been broadcast by BBC Radio 3 (UK), GMTV (UK), CBC (Canada), Deutschland Radio, and numerous other radio stations around the world. In 1995, she premiered Paul McCartney’s first solo piano piece, A Leaf, which was later released on CD for EMI Classics.
Anya Alexeyev is currently a member of faculty at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada.
MARY-MARGARET ANNAB, operetta assistant director (Toronto, ON), is a multi-disciplinary artist and youth arts educator originally from Guelph, ON. She has a BFA in Theatre Production and English Literature from York University and a graduate diploma in Arts Management and Masters of Arts Leadership from Queen's University. Her focus in her Masters degree was the implementation of DEIA strategies at non-profit arts organizations. As a theatre artist and musician, she has toured across Canada, the United States, the UK, and Poland, and has had the pleasure of teaching youth across southwestern Ontario. She currently works for MASC as their Community Programs Manager and sits on the Board of Directors for the Guelph Youth Singers.
ANDREW DAWYDCHAK, violin ( ON). is a former Suzuki student at Etobicoke Suzuki and has taken Suzuki teacher training. We welcome him to the SOSI faculty this summer, where he will teach fiddle for violin/viola and some violin classes.
Andrew is the Canadian Open Junior Fiddle Champion for 2015 and winner of many top honour fiddle awards since 2005 including the Ontario Open, Southwestern Open, Northern Ontario Open and Maritimes and many others for his age category and duet categories. He is a recipient of the Best Intermediate violinist NYMF (2013) and Summerfolk Youth Discoveries Showcase winner (2012). He performs regularly with his family band and other musicians.
JOSÉE DESJARDINS, piano (Ste Julie, QC) was raised in Kapuskasing, Ontario. She started piano lessons with Mrs. Rita Séguin at the age of 10. In 1986, Josée obtained an Honours Bachelor of Music with Distinction from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, where she studied piano with Marjorie and Garth Beckett. While finishing her Bachelor’s degree, Josée was initiated to the Suzuki Philosophy of music teaching and became engaged in a long-term Suzuki Teacher Training Apprenticeship with Gail Lange of Guelph, Ontario.
She has been teaching piano with the Suzuki Philosophy ever since. After moving to the Montreal area in 1991, Josée became actively involved in the local Suzuki music community. She now directs Institut Suzuki Montreal (ISM), which offers Suzuki piano and string students an exciting music-filled workshop every month of July. Josée currently resides in Ste-Julie, Québec. In 2011 she obtained a Diploma in Advanced Music Performance Studies from Concordia University in Montreal, where she studied piano with Gregory Chaverdian. She continues to study with Mr. Chaverdian.
DRAGAN DJERKIC, violin (Montreal, QC), is a graduate of McGill University, where he studied with Mauricio Fuks; he has taught at the McGill Conservatory of Music since 1980. In 1984, he established his own studio “Institute Suzuki”, and is a past co-director of the Summer Institute in Montreal. He has been teaching in various Institutes and workshops in North America and Europe. Presently, he is also teaching at Vanier College in Montreal.
DAVID EVENCHICK, cello (Montreal, QC) resides in Montréal after many years of teaching at the Preucil School of Music (Iowa City, Iowa), Grinnell College (Grinnell, Iowa), and The Suzuki String School of Guelph (Ontario). He is the cello trainer for Long-Term Suzuki Pedagogy program at Wilfrid Laurier University (Kitchener, Ontario) and teaches at the Pré-Conservatoire at the Conservatoire de Québec à Montreal.
David has been a member of the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, Associate Principal cello of The Cedar Rapids Symphony (Iowa), Principal Cello of the Prince George (BC) and Guelph Symphony Orchestras as well as a core player for the Magisterra Soloists (London, ON).
David has a particular interest in the research and performance of compositions of the great Croatian cello pedagogue, Rudolf Matz. He has been awarded the Anne T. Clearly Fellowship for International Doctoral Research from The University of Iowa, and he continues to explore and teach Matz’s solo works.
CAROLINE FRASER, piano (Edinburgh, Scotland), graduated from Edinburgh University with a Bachelor of Music degree and studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, obtaining the diplomas Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music (piano) and Associate of the Royal College of Music (violin). She obtained a Masters of Music degree with Kodaly emphasis from Holy Names University (HNU) in California, where she continues to direct the Summer Suzuki Piano Teacher Training Institute. Caroline is an ESA and SAA teacher trainer. After many years living in Lima, Peru, and California, USA she currently resides in Edinburgh, Scotland. Caroline is a member of the SAA Latin American Teacher Trainers Committee, the SAA Latin American Country Association Committee, and the Suzuki Association of Peru Festival Committee. She has given teacher training courses all over Latin America, the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Caroline is passionate about making Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy known to all and promoting a natural approach to learning.
SUSAN GAGNON, cello (Oakville, ON), holds a Bachelor of Music degree with Honours in Performance from the University of Western Ontario. She studied with Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi and attended master classes at the Banff School of Fine Arts with Janos Starker and Aldo Parisot.
Susan teaches all levels and ages. She is in demand as a cello workshop and master class presenter. She is a member of the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicators' Association and has adjudicated festivals across Canada.
Susan played per service with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra from 1983-2023. She enjoys performing chamber music and has been a member of String Quartet Panache, the Toronto Arts Trio, and the Chrysalis Piano Quartet.
Several of the quartets that Susan has coached have won Provincial Finals, CMC finals and been awarded the SOCMI scholarship to participate in events at the Banff String Quartet competition. Susan has been a regular faculty member at Music at Port Milford, an international summer music camp that teaches chamber music to teens, since 1995.
Susan Gagnon has been an examiner for the RCM since 1995, compiled the 1995, 2007 and 2013 Cello Syllabi as well as the 2013 repertoire books for the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program. Ms. Gagnon is also a Certified Teacher with the RCM Teacher Certification program.
She has been on the faculty at Suzuki Institutes across Canada and throughout the US, teaching both teachers and students. She was formerly the Chair of the Suzuki Association of Ontario.
RACHEL GAUNTLET, cello (Toronto, ON), is a cellist and early childhood educator with a celebrated background in music performance, teaching, and arts administration. Her performances have been broadcast on CBC radio and taken her to Lincoln Center in New York City.
As an orchestral musician, Rachel has held principal cello positions with Sneak Peak Orchestra (Toronto) and l’Orchestre de la Francophonie (Montréal) among others. Rachel performed as a full time member of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra for three consecutive seasons (2011 to 2014).
As an arts administrator, Rachel has worked for some of Canada’s most prestigious arts organizations, including the Canadian Opera Company and Esprit Orchestra, where she was artistic administrator and manager for four consecutive seasons (2014 to 2018).
Rachel’s true passion is teaching. She is regularly in demand as a guest clinician at workshops and institutes across the country. More recently, Rachel has served as a guest faculty member at the Royal Conservatory of Music and Wilfrid Laurier University. Her teaching has taken her throughout North America to Chicago, Austin, Montréal, San Diego, and Boston.
Rachel is deeply grateful to her Suzuki teacher trainers—Barbara Wampner, Carey Beth Hockett, Danette Warren, David Evenchick, Pam Devenport, Rick Mooney, Tanya Carey, and Sharon & Dorothy Jones—for their generosity, wisdom, and inspiring commitment to learning. A lifelong learner, Rachel continues to seek out opportunities to further enrich her teaching. Rachel is currently on faculty at Etobicoke Suzuki Music.
KEN GEE, collaborative pianist (Guelph, ON), is a classical pianist, born in Hamilton but happily living now in Guelph. He studied music at McMaster University, where he was awarded the McMaster Medal for the Creative and Performing Arts, and piano in Toronto with Boris Berlin. Ken was music critic for the Hamilton Spectator, manager for chamber music series and Ensemble Sir Ernest MacMillan, co-director of the Hamilton Kiwanis Music Festival, and a teacher at McMaster University, Sheridan College and Mohawk College. He developed classical piano music software for PG Music Inc., Victoria, and makes music and music text books for Frederick Harris Music Ltd. and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
Ken has performed an impressive amount of string and piano chamber music, especially repertoire for violin & piano, cello & piano, and piano trio, quartet and quintet. He has also given many concerto performances with various orchestras, as well as solo piano recitals.
He is the pianist for Guelph Youth Singers, Suzuki String School of Guelph, and Suzuki summer Institutes in Waterloo and Montreal, and has also been a piano adjudicator, private teacher and chamber music coach. Until recently, he was chair of the Guelph Youth Music Centre where, among other initiatives, among other initiatives, he led the creation of the Guelph Youth Symphony Orchestra and (after an absence) is part of the Steering Committee. In 2008, he was the recipient of a City of Guelph Mayor’s Award. Ken is married to violinist wife, Paule Barsalou (former director of the Suzuki String School of Guelph).
Ken created and continues to be the sole organizer of Guelph Musicfest, which is in its 17th season.
SALLY GROSS, cello (Aurora, IL). A native of the Chicago area, Sally Gross is currently on faculty at the Western Springs School of Talent Education and the Naperville Suzuki School. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Northern Illinois University and a Masters of Music in Suzuki Pedagogy from Ithaca College. Before returning to the Chicago area in 2004, Sally taught at the Suzuki String School of Guelph in Ontario where she was also Artistic Coordinator. She is currently celebrating her 43rd year as a Suzuki cello teacher and still loves every minute of it. She has been a teacher trainer since 1990. As a dual citizen of the US and Canada, Sally has a keen interest in expanding Dr. Suzuki’s vision in both countries through her leadership, teacher training, and guest clinician appearances.
DEBBIE HAMMOND, violin (Ottawa, ON) began her studies at the age of four in London, Ontario. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Toronto and a Master of Music in Performance from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Debbie has completed Suzuki Pedagogy training with several noted trainers including Edmund Sprunger, Alice Joy Lewis, Mark Mutter and Dr. Timothy (Terry) Durbin. Her principal violin teachers include Patrick Burroughs, Geri Arnold, Dr. Robert Skelton, Mark Fewer & Yehonatan Berick.
Debbie is the director of the Hammond Suzuki Studio, a private Suzuki violin program in the Bells Corners area of Ottawa (Canada). The Hammond Suzuki Studio program features not only private lessons, but a developed group class program rich in supplementary musical styles, ensemble development and performance opportunities. Prior to establishing the Hammond Suzuki Studio in 2014, Debbie was a faculty member of the Suzuki String School of Guelph (2007-2010) and the National Capital Suzuki School of Music (2010-2014).
Before Debbie focussed her career on Suzuki pedagogy, Debbie was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada (200-2002). She also served as the Assistant Concertmaster of Orchestra Toronto (2004-2005) and the Cambridge Community Orchestra (2007-2010). Debbie was also a regular member of the Jackson and Battle Creek Symphony Orchestras in Michigan. In Canada, Debbie has performed with both the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra London Canada.
Equally at ease with beginning and advanced level students, Debbie is becoming a frequent guest clinician, chamber coach and adjudicator at festivals and workshops. Debbie is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with so many violinists in cities across the province.
Debbie is proud to serve as the Chair of the Suzuki Association of Ontario Board. Debbie is the proud parent of two very energetic girls.
ASHTON HART, composition (ON), Born in Port Hope, Ontario, Ashton grew up surrounded by music. He began playing violin at the age of 5, and studied with teachers in Ontario and South Australia. In 2015, he found his passion for composition in his grade 9 music class. Since then, he has dedicated his career to writing background music for film, television, video games, and other visual media. He completed a Bachelor of Music with distinction at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2023. Today, Ashton runs an online business composing commissioned background music in several genres for clients across the globe.
MARGOT JEWELL, violin (ON), has enjoyed working with young people and their families, first at the Hamilton Suzuki School where she taught violin and was also the director. Then in 1982, she founded Etobicoke Suzuki Music, where she presently is an artistic advisor. She received training from many inspiring Suzuki trainers, including a three-month study time in Matsumoto with Shinichi Suzuki in 1985. Margot is now a registered Suzuki violin Teacher Trainer with the SAA.
Margot was an active freelance musician and currently enjoys her work as a festival adjudicator across Canada and an Examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music. She enjoys teaching at Suzuki workshops and institutes as well as summer music camps. She was on the board of the Suzuki Association of Ontario and is a past board member of the SAA.
Margot’s Suzuki parenting skills were developed as a mother to a violinist and cellist who as adults continue to enjoy playing. She also now enjoys teaching her grandchildren.
JERZY KAPLANEK, violin (Waterloo, ON), was born in Poland and began his musical training at the age of 6 on piano and transitioned to the violin at age 10. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from the Conservatory in Bytom and a Master's Degree in Arts from the prestigious Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. My teachers included distinguished artists Janusz Skramlik, Stanislaw Lewandowski and Aureli Blaszczok. Other teachers include Sylvia Rosenberg (NYC), Daniel Heifetz, Arnold Steinhardt, John Dalley, the Guarneri Quartet (University of Maryland), as well as the Fine Arts Quartet (Chamber Music Institute, Milwaukee).
Since joining the Penderecki Quartet in 1987, Jerzy has been actively performing with his colleagues throughout Canada, Europe, Asia and North and South America. Recent solo performances include recitals and appearances with the K-W and Peterborough Symphony Orchestras.
His solo recording, M
usic of Karol Szymanowski, was described by the Strad magazine as “an outstanding release”. Jerzy has also released over 2 dozen CDs (Marquis, Eclectra, CBC, CMC, EMI labels), including an acclaimed recording of the complete string quartets of Béla Bartók with the PSQ and Arnold Schoenberg's
Pierrot Lunaire with the Blue Rider Ensemble.
Jerzy’s chamber music partners have included pianists Janina Fialkowska, Francine Kay, Vladimir Feltsman, Lev Natochenny, Jamie Parker, Stéphan Sylvestre, cellist Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, clarinetist James Campbell and others.
KATHLEEN KING MARTIN. piano & organ (Kitchener, ON), is originally from Indiana, where she received a B. A. in Music with emphasis in Piano Pedagogy from Goshen College, Indiana. Currently, she is the Director of Music and Organist at First United Church, Waterloo, and teaches piano at The Beckett School at Laurier, Waterloo, and at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, Kitchener. She has had a wide and varied music career including teaching piano, organ, theory and voice privately; Director of Music at several churches in Waterloo, Goderich and Port Elgin; director of several community choirs such as the MacKay Choristers of Goderich, Goderich Area Youth Chorus, and the Saugeen Children's Choir; director of several handbell choirs and guest mass conductor at the Ontario Guild of English Handbell Ringers convention in 2001; teacher at Institut Biblique Lumière in Les Cayes, Haiti (MCC 1986-89). In 2007, Kathleen received the Associate degree from the Royal Canadian College of Organists and was awarded the Charles Peaker Prize for the second highest mark overall, and the Barker prize for the highest mark in the playing test portion of the exam. Kathleen lives in Kitchener and is delighted to participate in SOSI.
APRIL LOSEY, viola (CA)
is a registered SAA Viola Teacher Trainer and maintains an active private studio in Redlands, California. April grew up as a Suzuki student in Alberta, Canada and has been an active Suzuki teacher for over twenty years. She has taken extensive teacher training in both violin and viola, continuing to be passionate about finding ways to inspire children to learn.
Ms. Losey holds a M.M. in Viola Performance from Arizona State University, a B.A. in Music and a B.S. in Communications (Public Relations) from Washington Adventist University and has studied privately with Donald McInnes. In addition to freelancing throughout the Los Angeles area, April is a member of the Redlands Symphony Orchestra and San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra. April directed the Los Angeles Suzuki Institute from 2015-2022.
In her spare time April makes handmade artisan jewelry and works on her historic house (which was built the same year Dr. Suzuki was born). www.aprillosey.com
STEPHANIE MARA, collaborative pianist (Waterloo, ON), received an Associate Diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor Degree in Piano Performance from Wilfrid Laurier University where she studied with Garth Beckett.
As a collaborative pianist and coach for Wilfrid Laurier University, Stephanie works with students majoring in brass, bassoon, clarinet and cello and has assisted in master classes with Alain Trudel, Dennis Najoom and James Campbell.
Her festival and series appearances include the Elora Festival, the Festival of the Sound, the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, Barrie Colours of Music and Quad City Arts (USA).
ELEN MEYER, collaborative pianist (Toronto, ON), is one of Ontario’s most in-demand collaborative pianists. Possessing a large and varied repertoire, she has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across Canada and the USA (including Carnegie Hall), multiple times in Germany and most recently, Italy. Ellen has presented recitals with such notable musicians as Ricardo Morales, principal clarinettist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Julian Bliss, and was the official pianist for master classes conducted by Sabine Meyer and Karl Leister, amongst others. Ellen has been heard on upward of 15 CDs including Foliage and Twelve by the Moon-dial with Riverdale Ensemble, several with Cantores Celestes Women’s Choir and Mit Ausdruck with Ossia on historical keyboard . Ellen has been broadcast on CBC, CTV, MuchMusic, Bravo, TVO and WNED, and hopes one day to perform in Antarctica.
BLANCAMARIA MONTECINOS, piano (Santiago, Chile) is a Suzuki Piano, Pre-Piano, and Early Childhood Education teacher. Former president of the Chilean Suzuki Association, and collaborator with 30 years of experience teaching the Suzuki Method. Currently the director of Escuela de Música Suzuki Chile in Santiago, Chile; with a team of 13 teachers and more than 250 students. Motivating and inspiring teachers for over a decade she is currently a certified SAA Teacher Trainer.
During the pandemic years, BM did intense work with TTs giving online seminars in “Transition into Prepiano” “Reading at the Piano”, and Filosofía, Book 1 unit, and Prepiano the first approach.
DOUG MURPHY, double bass, orchestra assistant (Ottawa, ON), lives in Ottawa, Ontario, and is a bassist and father of three Suzuki trained musicians (violin, viola and cello). His wife Marie Kusters has been a Suzuki violin teacher since 1986. He has led the bass sections of many orchestras for over 40 years, and also directs choirs. He has recently retired from a career as a civil engineer, and he is a promoter of the life-long benefits that music education can have in all facets of mental and physical development.
Doug’s has played with Suzuki ensembles since 1986 with his wife’s violin studio, and since 1990 in Suzuki Association of Ontario ensembles and at summer Institutes. He has been orchestral assistant and bassist for SOSI since 2002. His formal teacher training in the Suzuki Bass Method began in the fall of 2013 and he has been teaching since 2014. He is fully fluent in French and English.
Doug teaches private lessons and holds group classes from his home studio in Ottawa.
LAURA NERENBERG, violin (Ottawa, ON), is a Suzuki Violin, improvisation teacher and improvisation pedagogy coach for music students and teachers. Laura wants to make the world of classical music more imaginative by being a catalyst for students and teachers to develop their own unique creative voice.
Laura has worked with students and teachers from all over the world, including Canada, the US, the UK, Switzerland, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, India and Hong Kong. She traveled to Canada's North early in 2022 to teach improvisation to students and teachers in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Laura earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Violin Performance from the University of Ottawa and the Hartt School respectively. While at the Hartt School, she completed Suzuki Violin pedagogy training with Teri Einfeldt. Laura has continued to deepen her pedagogical studies through studies with many Suzuki, violin and creativity luminaries. As a Baroque violinist, Laura trained with members of the
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and has performed in numerous Baroque chamber music and orchestral concerts.
Laura has also trained in Body Mapping and Alexander Technique to help her students develop and maintain a healthy physical and psychological relationship with their instrument.
Laura's improvisation pedagogy mentors are Alice K. Kanack and Dr. Sera Smolen. As an improviser, her studies with the late David Darling and at
Ottawa JazzWorks were most influential. Additionally, Laura studied Jazz Piano and composition with Steve Boudreau.
A native of Montreal, Laura now lives in Ottawa where she performs chamber music, improvised music and jazz on her modern and Baroque violins. She is concertmaster of the Ottawa Jazz Orchestra and a founding member of Gatineau, Quebec's
Ensemble Prisme. She forms a recital duo with a pianist/harpsichordist and founded the
Triptych Piano Trio. During the pandemic, she performed streamed solo, duo and jazz concerts and recorded several chamber works.
Laura's students play classical repertoire, as well as their own imaginative creations, world music, jazz, Blues and fiddle repertoire.
Laura is in demand as a guest clinician specializing in violin, chamber music and improvisation for students and improvisation pedagogy for teachers. Learn more at lauranerenberg.com or get in touch
[email protected]ARUN PAL, percussion (Kitchener, ON), “Arun Pal oozes talent”, “Arun is just as engaging a singer and piano player as he is as a percussionist” (Michael Barclay), “To say Arun Pal is prodigiously talented is an understatement” (Errol Nazareth – CBC Radio 1), “Pal’s evolved melodic content supports David Earle’s intent. It also lends emotional texture to its most lyrical moment” (National Post).
Arun is one of the most diverse artists in Canada. He has produced, recorded and engineered close to 50 albums including artists like Delaney Jane, Matt Osborne, snack! and many others. Arun has also collaborated with the most revered modern dance choreographers in Canada composing compelling orchestral works, playing live with his piano-drumming-singing at the same time set up and work-shopping movement and rhythm at Universities and Arts Schools.
Arun's recent Before Now Always music series and Arundisplays Arun’s full multi-instrumental talents featuring his incredible drumming and piano skills, his voice, his prolific com-positional skills whether it be his solo acoustic guitar and singing repertoire, his eclectic full band material, his one-man-band sets (known as “the man with 4 HANDS”) or his rhythmic orchestral pieces.
Arun is grateful to work, perform or open for many talents like Amanda Martinez, Luke Doucet, Bob Egan from Blue Rodeo, Matt Osborne, snack!, Juno nominated artists Eccodek and Alysha Brilla, the Skydiggers, David Usher/Moist, renowned and he is also honoured to regularly collaborate with Order of Canada winner David Earle. He has also frequented venues such as CTV’s Canada AM, Ontario Place, Centre in the Square, Festival of Friends, Hillside Festival, The River Run Centre, Nashville and The Canada Summer Games and had his music performed throughout France, the USA and Canada. With a long history of musical excellence, Arun was honoured to receive the KW Arts Award for Music in 2005.
MARGARET PARKIN, violin (Oxford, UK), Canada native Margaret Parkin began her musical studies as a Suzuki violin student with Richard Lawrence at the age of 4. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from Queen's University (Canada) and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from McGill University where she studied under the direction of Iwan Edwards. She is a graduate of the British Suzuki Music Association, chair of the BSMA Events Committee, a ESA Violin Teacher Trainer, and Director of BSMA Violin Teacher Training in London (UK).
Margaret is the director of the Oxford Suzuki String Group where she maintains a private studio of violin and viola students. She has previously served as director of the Exeter Suzuki String Group, as a member of faculty at the Suzuki String School of Guelph, and director of the Guelph Youth Music Centre String Orchestras. She is a regular guest clinician and conductor at workshops and institutes in Canada, the UK, and Europe. Her most rewarding and challenging role is that of Suzuki parent to her inquisitive teenage son.
PAUL PULFORD, cello (Long Reach, NB) is a chamber musician, soloist, conductor and educator. Since his debut recital in Winnipeg in 1967 he has performed on four continents and has recorded over 30 CDs.
For over 25 years Pulford pursued a passion for the string quartet, playing with the internationally acclaimed Penderecki String Quartet from 1990-2013, and Orford String Quartet from 1987-1989. With the Penderecki Quartet he recorded many CDs including the Bartok String Quartets; Brahms, Shostakovich and Schnittke Piano Quintets; the quartets of Penderecki and many works by Canadian composers.
As a quartet player, Pulford has performed in many of the great venues of the world, including Concertgebouw, Amsterdam; Wigmore Hall, London; Oratorio del Gonfalone, Rome; La Caxia, Barcelona; Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York City; Kennedy Centre, Washington; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Takefu Festival in Japan; Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City; National Arts Centre, Glenn Gould Studio & St. Lawrence Centre, Canada; to name a few.
From 1989 to 2017 Pulford was Professor of Cello and Director of Orchestral Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, where he also served for seven years as Associate Dean of Music. During his tenure at Laurier he developed a professional-level orchestral training program and taught and mentored many cellists and orchestral musicians who are now part of the professional music world in Canada and abroad. In 1991, Pulford founded QuartetFest, a festival based at Laurier that celebrates the art of the string quartet with performances by international ensembles and mentorship of emerging string quartets from around the world. Pulford remains Professor Emeritus at Laurier.
As a conductor, Pulford has worked with Symphony New Brunswick, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Canadian Chamber Ensemble, Mississauga Symphony, Stratford Symphony Orchestra and as Resident Conductor of the NUMUS Ensemble. He has conducted many premiers of new works, including Tim Brady’s opera The Salome Dancer, and Glenn Buhr’s Red Sea (2010) and Piano Concerto (2015).
Pulford maintains a passionate commitment to contemporary music through his involvement with Blue Rider Ensemble, which he co-founded in 1989. Based in Montreal, Blue Rider specializes in 20th and 21st century Instrumental Theatre works, having released a highly acclaimed CD recording of Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, premiered experimental works such as Peter Hatch’s Mounting Picasso, and created new works, including the large-scale multi-media work, Frankenstein’s Ghosts.
ROBERT RICHARDSON, JR., violin (Brandon, MB), a sessional faculty member at Brandon University, teaches and conducts at Suzuki workshops, Institutes and music festivals on a regular basis throughout North America and beyond. He has presented at the Suzuki Association of the Americas Teachers’ conference, leadership retreats and most recently at the European Suzuki Conference. Along with maintaining an extensive violin and viola studio in the Suzuki Talent Education Program at Brandon University’s Eckhardt-Grammatté Conservatory of Music, he also conducts string orchestras and coaches chamber music. Robert is a member of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and performs regularly on both violin and viola as well as in numerous chamber ensembles, including the Brandon Chamber Players of which he is a founding member. Mr. Richardson also teaches in the Community Schools Partnership Initiative (CSPI) Suzuki Strings Program, which is comprised of over 40 students. He has served on the board and on committees for the Manitoba Registered Music Teachers Association and the Festival of the Arts both locally and provincially and is happy to serve as assistant violin coordinator for SAA conference 2018.
ANNA RONAI, collaborative pianist (Waterloo, ON), has performed at major venues in Europe, North America and China, including the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall in New York, Gläserner Saal, Musikverein, and Schubert Saal, Konzerthaus in Vienna. Anna has collaborated with such distinguished singers as Michelle Breedt, Bernarda Fink, Robert Holl, and instrumentalists like Ulrike Anton and Brooks de Wetter-Smith.
Anna graduated from the University for Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, [Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Wien] with two Masters degrees, one in Piano Performance and the other in Collaborative Piano. She maintained vocal and instrumental coaching positions at the Vienna and Innsbruck Conservatories, and a faculty position for piano chamber music at the Institute for European Studies in Vienna. She has played for master classes with esteemed artists including Brigitte Fassbaender, Christa Ludwig, Thomas Hampson and Linda Watson.
Anna has appeared and placed in several major Lied Duo competitions such as the Robert Schumann Duo Competition in Zwickau, Germany, the East & West Artists International Auditions in New York, and Schubert und die Moderne in Graz, Austria.
In 2009 Anna moved to Canada and took the position of vocal coach and accompanist at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. She is an active performer at concerts and recitals across Ontario. Recent performances with the Trio d’Argento include “Music Toronto” (the world premiere of ”Manidoog” by native composer Barbara Croall), the Caledon Music Festival and the McMaster University celebrity series, and a series of 5 concerts with Flutist Ulrike Anton on “Musicians in Excile”, including a concert at the 2016 Holocaust Education week in Toronto. Anna is also a co-recipient of the Waterloo Region Arts Fund and the Ontario Arts Council 2015 grant.
MARION SAMUEL-STEVENS, operetta director (Rockwood, ON), has been described as an engaging, direct performer and actress. Her performances range from the intimacy of recital performance to the grandeur of opera. Equally comfortable on the operatic and concert stage, Marion is sought after for her subtle interpretations of text and character, as much as for her warm, supple and luminous voice. She is also a wonderful teacher, choir director, and is a conductor for Guelph Youth Singers.
ZOÉ SANTO, klezmer (Toronto, ON), is a Classically-trained violinist and violist whose performance focuses on improvisation, and folk music from around the world. She has studied with such artists as, Anton Kuerti, Marie Bérard, and Csaba Koczo, as well with various members of ensembles such as Afaria Quartet, Linden Quartet, Harlem Quartet, Ensemble Made in Canada, and Lemon Bucket Orkestra. Her fascination with world music has led her down many paths including but not limited to Balkan, Celtic, Trubaci, and Klezmer.
She is currently completing a Bachelors Degree in Sculpture at OCADU, and am looking forward to sharing my multidisciplinary creativity with Toronto.
STEPHANIE SCHULMAN, violin (Burlington, ON), began playing the violin at age 5, at the Hamilton Suzuki School of Music, and piano at age 9. She quickly became involved in chamber music and, at age 10, she joined the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra playing with them for five years, the last year as concertmaster. She later played with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra.
She completed her ARCT in violin performance and a Bachelor of Music in Performance at the University of Toronto, where she studied with internationally renowned violin teacher Lorand Fenyves, professor emeritus. Since graduating, Stephanie has been teaching violin and piano and has played with several orchestras in the GTA. She was co-concert master of the Milton Philharmonic Orchestra for 2 years and is currently concertmaster for the Southern Ontario Lyric Opera Company orchestra. About five years ago, she took up the viola and is now the principal violist of the Rose Orchestra Brampton.
Stephanie lives in Burlington with her husband Mike and children Jeffrey, Jordan, and Robyn.
CHRISTINE VLAJK, viola (Waterloo, ON). has been the violist of the Penderecki String Quartet (ps4.ca) and Artist-in-Residence in viola and chamber music at Laurier since 1997. Prior to that, she played with the Montclaire String Quartet for 15 years and served as the principal violist of the West Virginia Symphony and was a member of the New Hampshire Music Festival for eleven years.
Christine received a BMusEd and BMus (Viola Performance) from the University of Colorado-Boulder and a MMus (Viola Performance and Chamber Music) degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
As a guest soloist, she has performed with the Hamilton Philharmonic, Peterborough Symphony and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony playing viola concertos by Grella-Mozejko, Gostynski, Telemann and Hindemith. As a member of the Penderecki String Quartet and the Montclaire Quartet, Christine has recorded on the Koch, Leonarda, Eclectra, Marquis Classics and EMI labels.
NICOLE WILTON, piano (Saskatoon, SK), has been a music educator in Saskatoon for 30 years. Nicole owns Wilton Academy of Music – a large music school offering early childhood music classes as well as private instrumental lessons in piano, guitar and violin in both Suzuki and Traditional methods.
Having been a pianist and musician all her life, Nicole quickly found her niche as a Suzuki piano teacher and early childhood music educator. Her commitment to teaching and excellence is evident in all that she does.
Nicole holds a Master of Education degree with an emphasis on early childhood education, an ARCT in piano pedagogy from the Royal Conservatory of Toronto, a Bachelor of Arts degree and is a Registered Music Teacher in Saskatoon. She is a frequent clinician, adjudicator, teacher trainer and presenter at many institutes and conferences. She is one of 5 Canadian Piano Teacher Trainers.
In 2018, Nicole received the Royal Conservatory of
Music Teacher of Distinction award, and was nominated for a
Woman of Distinction Award in the education category. She also received the Canada 150th award for her many contributions to the Saskatoon community.
MYRA YEUNG violin/viola (Toronto, ON), is an adjudicator and guest clinician in Canada and the USA. She is a Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) Certified Teacher as an Advanced specialist.
Myra is a proponent of lifelong learning and enjoys working alongside colleagues to offer enriching programs for students, parents, and teachers. Examples include directing and co-chairing Suzuki workshops, administrating summer youth orchestra programs, coordinating children's summer camps in Whiteshell Provincial Park (Manitoba), and directing a mentoring program for teen girls in inner-city Winnipeg. She is a past Artistic Director in Toronto, past Program Director in Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky, and past violin and viola faculty in Ann Arbor, eastern North Carolina, and Winnipeg. She served on the Suzuki Association of Ontario Board of Directors from 2018 to 2021.
Myra grew up in Winnipeg, MB, learning Suzuki viola from Joanne Martin and RCM piano from Lydia Wiebe. For a few years after completing her undergraduate computer science degree, Myra worked in IT full-time and taught evening violin lessons and group classes. While she continues to enjoy working on computer projects, Myra's passion for teaching became quite evident during that time and she went on to pursue graduate studies in music performance and pedagogy. She credits her music teachers for instilling in her a wholehearted joy of teaching with excellence.
Recent achievements by students in Dr. Yeung’s studio include Concertmaster chairs, 1st Place awards, and scholarship awards. She herself is the winner of many competitions and awards for viola, piano, and chamber music.
Myra is currently on faculty at Etobicoke Suzuki Music in Toronto, Ontario.
