Adjudicators 2008
BANDS & BRASS Jim White, Fenelon Falls, Ontario
Jim White is Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Education, The University of Western Ontario. He holds degrees from the Toronto Conservatory of Music, The University of Western Ontario and The Eastman School of Music. Until his retirement, he was a Full Professor of Music and Coordinator of Fine Arts. He is a Past President and Honorary Life Member of the Ontario Music Educators’ Association. Before accepting duties at the university level, he taught both instrumental and choral music for the London Board of Education and finished his tenure there as Music Consultant for Grades 7 to13. Conductor of the London Youth Symphony Orchestra for 10 years, he was also the founding Conductor and Music Director of Brassroots, has guest conducted extensively throughout Canada and the U.S. as well as in several other countries. As a trumpeter he has played with Orchestra London, The Windsor Symphony, Brantford Symphony, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and continues to freelance and solo with various groups throughout Ontario. As an adjudicator he has worked for Music Festivals in most major centers in Canada and the U.S as well as in England, Bermuda, and Hawaii. Jim is a member of the cornet section and Associate Conductor of Intrada Brass. During the 2003-2004 season he served as Visiting Professor and Conductor of the Wind Ensemble and carried out teaching assignments at both the Undergraduate and Graduate levels for the Brandon University School of Music, in Brandon , Manitoba.
BANDS & WOODWINDS Dr. Stan Fisher, Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Dr. Fisher has been recognized internationally as a clarinet soloist and chamber music player. The American Record Guide calls his CD "Images" a "superb recording" and placed it on its' "Critics Choice" list. "The International Clarinet" magazine states "solid and gorgeous, remarkable playing .... I wholeheartedly recommend this recording". Audiences in Canada have heard him frequently on both English and French radio networks of the CBC and on Television. Specializing in music with strings, he has performed with the Orford Quartet ( Toronto ), The Shostakovitch Quartet (of Moscow ), The Cassatt Quartet (of New York ), The Franciscan Quartet (Banff Competition winners), The Minneapolis Artists Ensemble and the Penderecki, Leblanc and Brunswick quartets. Dr. Fisher enjoys an active and multifaceted career as a musician. Performances as a clarinetist and conductor, have regularly taken him to such places as Quebec City , Frankfurt, London, Holland Oxford, Vienna, Czech Republic, Budapest, Minneapolis, Phoenix and Calgary, Vancouver etc. Dr. Fisher is a Yamaha performing artist for North America and conducts clinics for this corporation at the National Musicfest and at numerous locations across the country. Frequently invited by many universities Dr. Fisher has recently given master-classes at both The Franz Liszt Academy and The Teachers Training Institute, in Budapest, Hungary, The Montreal Conservatory, Arizona State University, The University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, and The University of Calgary. Adjudicating regularly takes Professor Fisher from coast to coast. This past year has seen Dr. Fisher invited back to the Hong Kong Music Festival, performances with the Emily Carr Quartet at the International Clarinet Conference in Vancouver, and the Victoria Summer Music Festival, a masterclass/perfomance at McGill University and performances at Acadia University with the Blue Engine String Quartet of Halifax, and the new Music Festival, “Shattering The Silence”. Dr Fisher has been invited to Adjudicate the National Music Festival later this summer in Edmonton.
CELLO, Susan Gagnon, Oakville, Ontario
Susan Gagnon holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Western Ontario. Susan was the
recipient of a Canada Council grant to attend masterclasses at the Banff School of Fine Arts with
Janos Starker, Aldo Parisot, and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi. She is a member of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Toronto Arts Trio. Ms. Gagnon has been a faculty member of The Royal
Conservatory of Music since 1984 and is currently head of the Suzuki Department. She is an examiner, has sat on the council of examiners and has just completed the 2007 Cello Syllabus for the Royal Conservatory’s exam department. Susan is a registered Teacher Trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas. She also is a member of the Canadian Federation of Adjudicators and has adjudicated and given workshops throughout Canada. Her summer teaching activities include Suzuki Institutes throughout North America and a chamber music camp for teens, Music at Port Milford. Susan is a member of the AFof M and the SAA.
CHOIRS - CHURCH and SECONDARY SCHOOL, Mitchell Pady, Toronto
A graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Mitchell Pady pursued his studies in composition and voice. Both during and after university Mitchell followed his interest in conducting and developed his skills through private study and apprenticeship. Since 2004 he has been the choral director for the acclaimed Inter Provincial Music Camp. He has been a choral adjudicator for the Ontario Music Festivals Association, the Kiwanis Music Festival of Greater Toronto, the Toronto District School Board Music Festival and Music Fest Canada. Currently he works with the Bach Chamber Youth Choir and the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra. Over the past nine years Mitchell has worked with teachers and students and is highly regarded as a choral clinician for professional development workshops across Toronto. As a tenor he performs professionally in choral ensembles in the Toronto area including the Elmer Iseler Singers, the Amadeus Choir, the Aradia Ensemble and the Bach Consort. He has recorded for both the Naxos and Centrediscs labels.
CHOIRS - ELEMENTARY SCHOOL John Barron, Komoka, Ontario.
John Barron's early choral experiences were singing with Elmer Iseler and Dr. Healy Willan, two of Canada’s best known choral directors. In 1975 he conducted the Ontario Youth Choir leading it to win the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Biennial Choral Competition (both Youth Category and “best choir” in the overall Competition) and the European Broadcasting Union’s Let the Peoples Sing (again both the Youth Category and the Rose Bowl for best choir in the overall competition). Sir David Willcocks, one of the judges, called the choir the finest youth choir he ever heard. In 1983 the world-famous Tapiola Choir visited London and was the inspiration for John and Brenda Zadorsky to form the Amabile Youth Singers. From its inception the choir quickly rose to national and international success. It is widely associated with the outstanding choral composer, Stephen Hatfield from whom it has commissioned over 30 works! The choir has grown from one choir to ten choirs in an organization known as Amabile Choirs, London, Canada. John has recently retired from conducting the Amabile Youth Singers. In the education field, John was a music consultant for 24 years. He went to Hungary in 1976-77 to study the Kodály philosophy of Music Education and implemented many of Kodály’s ideas back in Canada. In 1983 he was awarded an Honourary Diploma and Centennial Commemorative Medal of Zoltán Kodály for his outstanding contribution to the knowledge of the composer’s work. His publications include a three-part series of arrangements of Canadian Folk Songs entitled Reflections of Canada. He is also the author of a delightful music text book called Ride With Me – A Journey from Unison to Part-Singing.
GUITAR, Philip Candelaria, Sudbury, Ontario
Philip Candelaria received his Bachelor of Music degree in Music History from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C. (Canada). Then, at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland ( USA ), with the generous support of the Canada Council, he completed his Master's degree in guitar performance, studying with Aaron Shearer.
Mr. Candelaria has adjudicated throughout Ontario, in B.C., Manitoba, Quebec, and at the Ontario Guitar Competitions, the Canadian National Guitar Competition, and at the National Guitar Festival “Liliana Pérez Corey” in Santiago, Chile (1998, 2005). In 2004, Mr. Candelaria was a member of the international Jury panel for the Music Competition “Dr. Luis Segal” in Viña del Mar, Chile . For 2007, Candelaria was the national adjudicator in guitar for the Canadian Music Festivals.
Mr. Candelaria has made four solo recordings on the Cambrian, Palladium, and Centrediscs labels. These have been described as "dazzling" (Canada Music Magazine), "distinguished" (High Fidelity Magazine - U.S. ), and "masterful" (USA Soundboard - GFA). A founding member of the Canadian Guitar Quartet, Candelaria has made three recordings with the CGQ on the Eclectra label. The second of these, “Les Scenes de Quartiers”, received the Golden Trillium award for the best instrumental album of the year in 2005. The CGQ has also been featured on Bravo Television, in international guitar magazines, and has performed throughout Canada , the USA , and in Argentina , Brazil and Chile . As a soloist, Candelaria has toured on four continents and performed in festivals in over a dozen countries. Philip is on the music faculties of Cambrian College, Laurentian University in Sudbury, and the University of Ottawa . His current season includes concerts in Canada and the USA with the Canadian Guitar Quartet, performances with the Guitars Alive Trio, and tours in Austria, Canada and Germany with G8.
"Delightful and technically dazzling" The Gleaner, Kingston , Jamaica
“This guy sounds like the entire Gypsy Kings!” Vicki Gabereau, CBC Radio
www.cgq.on.ca & www.candelaria.ca
HANDBELLS & CHIMES, Susan Carscadden-Mifsud, Ingersoll, Ontario
Susan Carscadden-Mifsud has a passion for handbells. They are the focus of her professional life as well as her avocation. She is one of Canada’s most accomplished handbell soloists, a noted conductor, and a clinician who has shared her expertise and love of ringing with directors and choirs across Canada. Based in Ingersoll, Ontario, Susan is the sole proprietor of Handbell Graces and a Regional Independent Sales Representative for Schulmerich Carillons, Inc. Susan’s formal music education includes an ARCT (Piano Performance), a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Education. She has been a school teacher, a piano instructor, and a music school administrator, but in the world of handbells, Susan ranks among the best.
Susan was first introduced to handbells in 1975 and has played in several advanced handbell choirs, including Bronze Foundation. She is founder and director of two handbell ensembles: Bells Ablaze, and the Bellissima Ringers handbell quartet, one of Canada ’s most advanced handbell small ensembles. As a handbell soloist, Susan has given numerous solo recitals. As a workshop clinician, Susan offers a comprehensive range of sessions appropriate for ringers and directors of all levels. Susan was a massed conductor at the Ringing Link in Penticton , BC in 2005 and will return to BC in 2008 as the massed conductor for the BC Guild’s Spring Ring. Recently, Susan accepted the position of handbell director at Westminster United Church in Thamesford.
HARP, Sharlene Wallace, Toronto, Ontario
Sharlene Wallace has played both concert and Celtic/lever harp with symphony orchestras, choirs, in folk festival and on numerous recordings as a soloist and with Classical, folk, jazz, pop and avant garde musicians.
After studying Classical harp with Judy Loman at the University of Toronto, Sharlene followed her interest in the Celtic harp and travelled to the USA to work with such folk harpists as Celtic harpist Kim Robertson and South American harpist Alfredo Rolando Ortiz. The diversity in Sharlene's playing is represented in the two international competitions she has won (the Lyon & Healy International Pop & Jazz Lever Harp Competition in Tucson, Arizona and the Concours d’Improvisation de Rencontres Internationales de Harpe Celtique in Dinan, France) and in the musicians she has played with (George Koller, Sal Ferreras, Rick Lazar, Loretto Reid, Susan Piltch, Kim Robertson, vivie’ vinçent, Doug Cox and Sinead Sugrue to name a few).
Sharlene has also created four independent CDs of her own (“the rhyme & the river”, “Journey of Shadows”, “Beyond the Waves”, “Island Mountain”) highlighting her unique compositions and Latin, Celtic and contemporary influences. Most recently she and flutist/pianist Susan Piltch co-produced their first CD collaboration, “Anticipation”.
Besides writing many pieces for harp, Sharlene has been involved in numerous commissions for the lever harp by such Canadian composers as John Beckwith, Bruce Mather, Nancy Telfer, Evelyne Datl, Loretto Reid, Kirk Elliott, Craig Noseworthy and most recently a piece for orchestra with lever harp by Rodney Sharman. She regularly tours across North America performing on Celtic harp. As an educator Sharlene gives workshops and masterclasses across North America and is on the Faculties of Guelph and York Universities and the Royal Conservatory of Music’s World Music Centre. Sharlene is the Principal Harpist with the Kingston and Oakville Symphonies. www.sharlenewallace.com
ORCHESTRAS - SECONDARY SCHOOL, Doug Shippey, Woodstock, Ontario
Doug Shippey earned his Honours Bachelors of Music and his Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Western Ontario and has spent a lifetime steeped in a spectrum of musical genres. As the former Head of Music at Huron Park Secondary School (Woodstock, Ontario), Woodstock Collegiate Institute, and Ingersoll District Collegiate, Doug was a leader in the field of music education. He performed in the former London Symphony Orchestra, performed in recording studios, and practiced his craft as a violinist and trombonist in several orchestras, concert bands, and jazz ensembles in Southwestern Ontario. Furthermore he has played a pivotal role as a conductor and as a faculty member of the National Music Camp of Canada. Doug was an administrator for the Thames Valley District School Board for nine years and held the positions of Vice Principal, Principal and Learning Supervisor. As the Learning Supervisor, Doug and his team of consultants were in charge of the Development and Implementation of the Arts and Social Science Curriculum for Grades 1 through 12. Currently he has a private music studio teaching violin and cello, is actively involved as music adjudicator, and is the Musical Director of the Woodstock Choralaires. As the Director of the Choralaires, Doug brings forth a musical energy that inspires the members of the choir and an artistic drive that brings high praises to each Choralaire performance. Doug continues to be a champion for the Arts and has said, “The Arts defines our culture. Without the arts, we would live in a culture that lacks identity and lacks direction. The Arts is a measure of who we are and our vision as a people.” www.woodstockchoralaires.ca
PERCUSSION, Dr. Jill Ball, London, Ontario
Dr. Jill Ball is Assistant Professor of Percussion at the University of Western Ontario and directs the Faculty of Music Percussion Ensemble. She is a seasoned orchestral performer and has appeared as soloist with numerous professional and university ensembles in Canada and the United States, including Orchestra London, the Windsor Symphony, the Midland (Michigan) Symphony and the UWO Faculty Chamber Orchestra. She is a frequent recitalist and advocate of contemporary music, having premiered works for percussion by Alan Heard, Arsenio Giron, David Maslanka, and has recorded with the Robert Hohner Percussion Ensemble on the Albany and DMP labels. She is also an active adjudicator, conductor and clinician. Jill is Past President of the Ontario Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society.
PIANO Deborah Belcher, Asheville, North Carolina, U.S.A
Deborah Belcher has performed for more than three decades as recitalist and collaborative pianist throughout the eastern United States and in Canada . She has appeared as soloist with the Blue Ridge Symphony (NC), the Converse College Chamber Orchestra (SC), the Elmhurst (IL) Symphony, the Sammartini Chamber Orchestra (IL), and the Windermere Chamber Orchestra (London, Ontario). Chamber music affiliations have included tenures in The Abelard Trio, Trio Appassionata and, for twenty-five years, as pianist in the Statsky-Belcher Duo. Her performances have been heard in Public Radio broadcasts throughout the midwest and the southeast. Press reviews of her performances have noted “technical and musical gifts in substantial amounts” and have commented that “...her playing led us to new discoveries about Chopin.” Richard DeVinney, writing for the Grand Rapids Press, said “Her playing breathes with believable emotional force.” Equally at home in academia, Dr. Belcher holds performance degrees with Honors from Winthrop University, Indiana University, and Michigan State University, and has studied further with Eugene List at The Eastman School of Music and with Robert Goldsand at the Manhattan School of Music. She has received performance grants and scholarships from The Presser Foundation, The Michigan Council for the Arts, and Michigan State University . Dr. Belcher has taught at The Interlochen Center for the Arts, The Cleveland Institute of Music, and Converse College, all the while maintaining a class of private pre-college students. She was recently granted the coveted status of Permanent Professional Certified Teacher by Music Teachers National Association, and serves regularly as adjudicator for that organization and for the National Federation of Music Clubs in the U.S. She has enjoyed visits to numerous cities throughout Canada as Kiwanis Adjudicator and spent the 1985-86 season traveling from her home in Cleveland to London, Ontario to serve as Guest Artist Faculty at the Windermere Institute. Since 1991 Dr. Belcher makes her home in beautiful Asheville , NC , where she enjoys a rich and varied life filled with music and dancing. She teaches a class of pre-college private students and serves as Adjunct Associate Professor of Music at UNC Asheville. She is in demand throughout the Southeastern states as facilitator of the "Instant (Pop) Piano for Hopelessly Busy People" seminar. In 2004 she developed an affinity for the music of Astor Piazzolla, became an aficionado of Argentine Tango and often performs tangos by various composers, sometimes joined by dancers onstage. Dr. Belcher is one of three pianists selected to present the privately sponsored Pianoforte Series of the Asheville Art Museum and maintains an active schedule performing on this series, on the concert series sponsored by the Asheville Area Piano Forum (of which she is a charter member), and regionally as soloist, in piano four hands works, as vocal accompanist, and in chamber music settings.
PIANO Dr. Michel Fournier, Sherbrooke, Quebec
Canadian pianist Michel Fournier has performed with a number of orchestras and is widely appreciated for the many recitals he has given in Canada , Europe and United States . His repertoire covers a broad spectrum of keyboard music from different eras and styles. He has a special fondness for French music and has earned critical acclaim for the originality of his interpretation and his refined sound. He has several CBC recordings and movie soundtracks to his credit. His CDs feature piano works by Debussy, Prokofiev, Bartok and Stravinsky. Michel has made a series of recordings dedicated to composers of Central Europe, highlighting the works of Szymanowsky, Janacek, Dvorak and Suk. His new CD released in 2007, features works by composers Poulenc, Debussy, Ginastera, Barber and others. As a student of French pianist Yvonne Hubert, Michel completed a master’s degree in Montreal before continuing his studies abroad, primarily in France and Austria . He also attended the University of Indiana , where he studied under Menahem Pressler. Michel completed a doctorate in performance with Marc Durand and is currently associate professor at the University of Sherbrooke . Highly appreciated as an educator, he gives regular master classes and promotes his love of music by presenting frequent lectures and workshops.
PIANO Amber Morphy, Cambridge, Ontario.
Amber Morphy, soprano and pianist, is a versatile performer, teacher and adjudicator. She has traveled throughout Canada and enjoys working with young talent in a workshop, festival or exam situation. Amber began her musical training in the Kitchener-Waterloo area and later completed a Bachelor of Music in voice and piano at Wilfrid Laurier University. She then graduated with a Masters in Music from the University of Western Ontario, specializing in vocal performance. In 2003, Amber had the honour of being the first Artist-in-Residence for the city of Cambridge. This exciting position allowed for monthly concerts, workshops, performances at community events and the creation of her first self titled CD. Amber is an active performer having performed with various musical organizations including the Elora Festival, Gallery Concert Series, Hamilton Opera, Kitchener-Waterloo Opera, Symphony in the Barn, Summer Opera Lyric Theatre and the Gilbert & Sullivan Ensemble. She is also an active accompanist as well as a music director for Summer Operetta Camps held in Guelph. In 1991, Amber was accepted as a member of the College of Examiners for Royal Conservatory of Music. She has examined in voice and piano throughout Canada. She is also an active adjudicator, adjudicating music festivals and competitions throughout Ontario. Since 1987 Amber has run a successful private studio in Cambridge teaching all levels of piano, voice and theory to over 35 students a week. She has also taught with Kindermusik of Cambridge for ten years. Amber also teaches voiced majors at Eastwood Collegiate, on integrated Arts high school in Kitchener.
PIPE ORGAN, Gregg Redner, London, Ontario
SPEECH ARTS, Glenda Pennington, London, Ontario
During her thirty-two years in education, Glenda Pennington was a teacher and Department Head of English and Drama at the secondary level, an Enrichment Resource teacher, an Intermediate Division Consultant, and a Drama Consultant for JK – OAC. Glenda is a professional storyteller and has been actively involved in acting, producing and directing shows in schools and the community. Her passion for the arts and belief in their vital importance in the lives of children led to her founding the London International Children’s Festival. Later, as its Artistic Director, she initiated the Circus Arts Mentoring Partnership, a circus camp for disadvantaged children. Among other volunteer work in the community, Glenda has served five years as a Board member of London ’s Grand Theatre and is an active member of First-St. Andrew's United Church. Recently, Glenda has taught Intermediate/Senior Drama, Elementary Drama and Children's literature at the Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario.
STRINGS Dr. Metro Kozak, Sudbury, Ontario
Dr. Metro Kozak is a native of Toronto, Canada, and studied violin under these famous teachers: Sydney Harth, Ivan Galamian, Broadus Erle, Roman Totenberg, and Angel Reyes. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree (University of Toronto), a Master of Violin Performance degree (Yale University) and a Doctorate of Musical Arts (University of Michigan). He recently retired as Professor of Music at Cambrian College and as Conductor of Sudbury Youth Orchestra, and Sudbury and North Bay Symphonies. He is in demand as an adjudicator and a teacher of master classes and workshops across Canada. Metro Kozak has been recognized by the City of Sudbury for his outstanding musical contributions to that city by receiving the Rotary Club's Paul Harris International Award presented by Northeastern Music and Film, and most recently the Community Builders Award of Excellence for commitment and leadership in the Arts.
STRINGS Margot Jewell, Etobicoke, Ontario
A native of Toronto, Margot Jewell was a scholarship
student at McMaster University where she received her Bachelor of Music and
studied violin with Marta Hidy. She also received her ARCT from the Royal
Conservatory of Music and did post graduate studies in Matsumoto Japan with
Shinichi Suzuki.
Margot has enjoyed performing in groups such as the Hamilton
Philharmonic, Symphony Niagara,
Te Deum Orchestra, the Aradia Ensemble, as
well as many freelance groups.
For the past 30 years Margot 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 the
Etobicoke Suzuki School of Music, where she presently teaches. Margot also
has worked for the Toronto District School Board as a visiting artist at the
Etobicoke School of the Arts.
Margot has been a festival adjudicator across Ontario as
well as in Winnipeg and is a member of the College of Examiners for the
Royal Conservatory of Music. She is also on the Board of the Suzuki
Association of Ontario.
Margot is in demand for weekend workshops and week-long
institutes with Suzuki students held at various Suzuki schools and
universities across Canada. She has also enjoyed being a faculty member of
Huckleberry Music Camp and for the past 15 summers, at the National Music
Camp near Orillia, Ontario.
VOICE Barbara Collier, Stratford, Ontario.
Soprano Barbara Collier studied singing in London, Salzburg, Cologne and Budapest after graduating from the University of Toronto. She has been acclaimed internationally for her operatic, oratorio and concert appearances in Europe, England, the United States and Canada. Barbara toured extensively with the Canadian Opera Company, as well as performing in the Toronto season. She has sung with the major opera companies and symphonies in Canada as well as performing solo recitals and with other artists such as Mark DuBois, Mark Pedrotti and John Arpin. Her repertoire ranges from the heroines of Mozart, Verdi and Puccini to Ivor Novello, Victor Herbert, George Gershwin, World War II hits and Victorian parlour songs. A member NATS, Barbara has a successful voice studio in Stratford, Ontario . She is also in demand as an adjudicator and clinician.
VOICE Stuart Hamilton, Toronto, Ontario.
For 65 years, one of Canada ’s premier vocal coaches, he is also founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of Opera in Concert—the highly successful concert series in Toronto ---now in it’s 33 rd year of operations. For 26 seasons, he has been the quiz master on CBC’s Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, and he has appeared regularly on the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts for 16 seasons. He has appeared as accompanist with such internationally celebrated artists as Maureen Forrester, Lois Marshall, Richard Margison, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Louis Quilico Jose Carreras and Jon Vickers. He was the first Artistic Director of the Canadian Opera Company ensemble and he currently gives master-classes in vocal interpretation across Canada . He lectures on opera in Canada and the United States . He was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in 1984 and won the Toronto Arts Award in 1989. In 1993 he received the Governor-General’s Commemorative Medal and in 2000, he received the first award given by Opera Canada for an Opera Educator. In 2004 he was given the Beckmesser Award by the Los Angeles Opera League. This May he receives an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Dalhousie University .