Guest Clinicians
BRIAN BALMAGES – WORLD RENOWNED COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR
Brian Balmages is known worldwide as a composer and conductor who equally spans the worlds of orchestral, band, and chamber music. His music has been performed by groups ranging from professional symphony orchestras to elementary schools in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Sydney Opera House, Toronto Centre for the Arts, and many more. He is a recipient of the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association, won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest with his work Love and Light, and was awarded the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Visual and Performing Arts. In the same year, he was commissioned by his other alma mater, the University of Miami, to compose music for the inauguration of the institution’s 6th president, Dr. Julio Frenk. His music was also performed as part of the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service, which was attended by both President Obama and Vice President Biden.
As a conductor, Mr. Balmages enjoys regular engagements with all-state and regional ensembles as well as university and professional groups throughout the world. Notable guest conducting appearances have included the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, Maryborough Music Conference (Australia), College Band Directors Conference, American School Band Directors Association National Conference, numerous state ASTA conferences, Teatro dell’Aquila (Italy), and others. He is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association and has taught instrumental conducting at Towson University where he also served as Assistant Director of Bands and Orchestras. Currently, he is Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.
RANDALL STANDRIDGE – WORLD RENOWNED COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR
Randall Standridge (b.1976) received his Bachelor’s of Music Education from Arkansas State University. During this time, he studied composition with Dr. Tom O’Connor, before returning to Arkansas State University to earn his Master’s in Music Composition, studying with Dr. Tom O’Connor and Dr. Tim Crist. In 2001, he began his tenure as Director of Bands at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, Arkansas. He left this post in 2013 to pursue a career as a full-time composer and marching arts designer.
Mr. Standridge is currently published by Grand Mesa Music, Alfred Music, FJH Music, Wingert-Jones Music, Band Works Publications, Twin Towers Music, and Northeastern Music Publications. Mr. Standridge’s music is performed internationally. He has had numerous works selected to the J.W. Pepper’s editor’s choice. His compositions Snake Charmer, Gently Blows the Summer Wind, and Angelic Celebrations have been included in the “Teaching Music Through Performance in Band” series. He has had numerous works performed at the prestigious Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. His work Art(isms) was premiered by the Arkansas State University Wind Ensemble at the 2010 CBDNA conference in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and his work Stonewall: 1969 was premiered at the National LGBA conference in 2019. Mr. Standridge is also a contributing composer for Alfred Music’s Sound Innovations: Ensemble Development series.
In addition to his career as a composer, Mr. Standridge is the owner and editor of Randall Standridge Music, LLC and Grand Mesa Marching. He is in demand as a drill designer, music arranger, and colorguard designer for the marching arts, as well as a freelance artist/photographer and writer. He lives in Jonesboro, Arkansas with his family.
https://www.randallstandridge.com/
KEVIN DAY – WORLD RENOWNED COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR
My creative endeavors of collaboration center around my work as a composer, conductor, producer, and pianist specializing in jazz, minimalism, Latin, Blues, Hip-Hop, R&B, fusion, and contemporary classical idioms. The music I write is often scored for wind bands, orchestras, and a variety of chamber groups, both large and small. My music has been performed throughout the United States, Russia, Austria, Australia, Taiwan, South Africa, Japan, and more. As an artist, I’m interested in exploring various ways of expression through means of introspection; how we connect deeply to the music already in us and bring it out to the forefront.
I am currently completing my Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Composition at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. I received a Master of Music degree in Composition from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance from Texas Christian University (TCU).
My composition mentors include Gabriela Lena Frank, Neil Anderson-Himmelspach, Peter Van Zandt Lane, Emily Koh, Charles Norman Mason, Dorothy Hindman, Lansing McCloskey, Valerie Coleman, Matthew Evan Taylor, Marcos Balter, and Anthony Cheung. I also serve as the vice president of the Millennium Composers Initiative, a collective of about 120 composers from several different countries and backgrounds.
You can find out more by visiting kevindaymusic.com.
DR. GILLIAN MACKAY – DIRECTOR UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO WIND ENSEMBLE
Gillian MacKay is Professor of Music of the University of Toronto, where she conducts the Wind Ensemble and teaches conducting. Gillian has an active professional career as a conductor, adjudicator, clinician and trumpeter. She has conducted honour ensembles throughout Canada and the United States, and is Associate Conductor of the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra. Dr. MacKay has adjudicated Canadian band festivals at local, provincial, and national levels in Canada. She has conducted honour bands and judged competitions in the US, Singapore, Thailand, and Korea.
Dr. MacKay enjoys presenting clinics and workshops at provincial and state conferences in Canada and the United States, and is known for her work on the relationship between conducting and mime. Currently, she is investigating the application of the Michael Chekhov acting technique to movement and meaning in conducting. Recognized as a conducting pedagogue, Gillian leads the University of Toronto Wind Conducting Symposium each July, and has been the guest instructor at other symposia in Canada and the United States.
Gillian holds degrees and diplomas from the University of Lethbridge, McGill University, the University of Calgary, and Northwestern University.
https://music.utoronto.ca/our-people.php?fid=5
DR. LATOYA WEBB – DIRECTOR LAURIER WIND ORCHESTRA
A native of Richmond, Virginia, I serve as an assistant professor of Music and director of the Laurier Wind Orchestra. Before joining the Laurier Faculty of Music, I served as an assistant professor of Practice in Conducting, assistant director of Bands at the University of Texas at Austin, and instructor of Wind Conducting at Auburn and Grambling State University.
Before teaching at the university level, I served as a music director and activities coordinator at Somerset Prep Academy in Washington, D.C., and as a band director for Richmond, VA, Public Schools. I hold degrees from Norfolk State University, George Mason University, and Auburn University. Currently, I serve as the Tau Beta Sigma National vice president for Professional Relations, building relationships within the college band teaching profession.
An internationally sought-after educator and conductor, I am an active researcher, presenter, author, and guest conductor appearing at state, national, and international conferences and events. Most of my research publications and works are in the Music Educators Journal and the Teaching Music Magazine. I am honored as a 2017 College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Mike Moss Diversity Conducting Fellow, a 2018 CBDNA/National Band Association Masterclass Conducting Fellow, a 2019 U.S. Army Band Conducting Fellow, and a 2019 Midwest Clinic Reynolds Conducting Institute Fellow.
As a passionate advocate for improving educational opportunities through diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, I serve on the Composer Project Advisory Board and as the Special Projects Manager for United Sound, Inc. This organization strives to remove barriers and foster social change through music. I am also the Co-founder of I See You: Affirming Representation in Music, an organization aimed to affirm Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) in all fields of music.
https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-music/faculty-profiles/latoya-webb/index.html
JEFFREY LEUNG – SAXOPHONE INSTRUCTOR & CLINICIAN, QUEENS UNIVERSITY
Hailed as “a powerhouse in classical saxophone” (University of Toronto), JEFFREY LEUNG is an active performer, collaborator, and educator. Jeffrey is the Assistant Professor of Saxophone at Queen’s University and serves as the Associate Director of the International Saxophone Academy. He is on the artist roster for renowned groups like the Maryland Chamber Winds and Moanin’ Frogs saxophone sextet. Jeffrey’s performance accolades have received numerous honours and awards – most notably from the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra and Montreal Symphony Orchestra.
Curating musical programs spanning traditional to contemporary repertoire, Jeffrey has presented recitals and concerts throughout North America including concerto performances at the Maryland Wind Festival, appearances with ensembles like the New World Symphony Orchestra and Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings. Described as: “A truly modern virtuoso, Jeffrey effortlessly navigates the most demanding scores for saxophone without losing his trademark warmth, sensitivity, and lyricism” (Roydon Tse, composer). Several of Jeffrey’s performances can be found on albums and recording projects by Michigan State University, people|places|records (PPR), Arts Laureate, and Sly Pup Productions.
Dedicated to the expansion of the saxophone repertoire, Jeffrey’s collaborations with composers has resulted in premieres and commissions of over thirty new works for the saxophone including music by Viet Cuong, Shelley Washington, Joel Love, Theo Chandler, Spencer Arias, Annika Socolofsky, Keaton Garrett, Alexis Bacon, Timothy Peterson, Roydon Tse, Baldwin Giang, Matthew Browne, Joe Krycia, and Gregory Wanamaker. Jeffrey has premiered these works at conferences hosted by the North American Saxophone Alliance, Northwestern University New Music Conference, and Midwest Composers Symposium. Since joining Novus New Music Inc. in 2016, Jeffrey has helped organize consortiums for new music by David Biedenbender as well as Novus’ Women in Music Campaign and Novus Spark project.
As a pedagogue, Jeffrey cultivates student-driven curiosity and healthy creativity by drawing from his experiences in teaching saxophone, chamber music, music theory, and Soundpainting/ improvisation. Dr. Leung maintains an active schedule as a visiting guest artist at North American schools and universities, speaker at international conferences and workshops, and is on faculty at the Interprovincial Music Camp hosted each summer at Camp Manitou in Parry Sound, Ontario.
Dr. Jeffrey Leung holds degrees in Saxophone Performance and Music Theory from Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Northwestern University, and University of Toronto. His mentors include Professor Joseph Lulloff, Dr. Timothy McAllister, Dr. Wallace Halladay, Dr. Christian Matijas Mecca, Dr. Leigh VanHandel, and Dr. Michael Callahan. Jeffrey is a Key Leaves Artist, endorser of Lagan Music instrument customizations and products, and exclusively performs with Ishimori – Wood Stone ligatures.
You can find out more by visiting https://www.jeffreyjfleung.com/
DR. COLLEEN RICHARDSON – DIRECTOR OF BANDS, WESTERN UNIVERSITY
Dr. Colleen Richardson is Coordinator of Bands and directs the Wind Ensemble at Western University, as well as teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in conducting and instrumental music education. In collaboration with Dr. Kevin Watson, she administrates the Western Young Winds program, which is a community band for students in grades six to nine, and supervises the undergraduate music education majors selected to rehearse and conduct the ensemble. Prior to her appointment at Western, Dr. Richardson was an Assistant Professor of Music Education and the Wind Ensemble Director at Converse College in South Carolina.
Besides being active as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor nationally, Dr. Richardson has guest conducted or presented her research at conferences in Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Wales, and the US. Her research focuses on wind literature, conducting pedagogy, and rehearsal techniques. Publications include articles for the Canadian Winds, and the Canadian Music Educator Journal, as well as multiple study guides for the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. Dr. Richardson has produced two CDs with the Western University Wind Ensemble (Apparitions and Explorations), and the Hunsberger DVD within GIA’s DVD set entitled Three Icons: Frank Battisti, Donald Hunsberger, and H. Robert Reynolds.
A native of Winnipeg, Dr. Richardson graduated from Brandon University (BMus Ed), the University of Calgary (Wind Conducting Diploma, MMus Conducting), and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (DMA Wind Conducting). Her primary conducting teachers have been Rodney Winther and Glenn Price. However, she has also had opportunities to study with many other well respected composers and conductors, including: Craig Kirchhoff, Karel Husa, Warren Benson, David Maslanka, Eugene Corporon, Mallory Thompson, Robert Reynolds, and Jerry Junkin.
While in Cincinnati completing her doctorate, Dr. Richardson co-directed the Tri-State Chamber Players, as well as served as the Music Director and Conductor of the Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble. Prior to her graduate studies, she taught general, choral, and instrumental music in the Canadian school system for 14 years.
https://music.uwo.ca/faculty/bios/colleen-richardson.html
DR. KIRA OMELCHENKO – DIRECTOR LAURIER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
At Wilfrid Laurier University, I am an Associate Professor of Music and the Conductor of the Laurier Symphony Orchestra. My past positions include the Director of the Orchestra and String Studies at Florida Southern College and the Director of Orchestra and Strings at The University of Tampa (United States). As a passionate educator, I have received the 2018 Miller Distinguished Professor Award, which recognizes excellence in Teaching and Advising. As a conductor, I was the winner of the 2016 International Conductors Workshop and Competition and the 2014 recipient of the National American Prize in Music (Prize Winner in Opera Conducting). In addition, I have served as the Interim Artistic Director of the St. Augustine Youth Orchestra as well as the assistant conductor for the Imperial Symphony Orchestra Opera Productions.
As the 2017 winner of the International Institute for Conductors in Bulgaria, I conducted the Vidin State Philharmonic Orchestra in a Concerto Festival and was invited back to guest conduct in their 2017-18 season. In the summers of 2019 and 2018, I served as artist in residence and guest conductor at the University of Aveiro (Portugal), where I mentored graduate conducting students and conducted the University Orchestra. In July 2019, I also served as the String Director at the International Opera Performing Experience Festival in Mercatello sul Metauro, Italy.
Additional guest conducting engagements include concerts with the Gwinnett Symphony Chamber Symphony (GA), the Imperial Symphony Orchestra (FL), the Seasons Music Festival Orchestra in Yakima (WA), and with the Bulgarian State Opera. In 2015, I was selected to participate in a conducting festival in St. Petersburg, Russia where I conducted the orchestra in the historic Mariinsky Theatre. In addition, I have held international conducting fellowships and have studied in Vienna, Rotterdam and Amsterdam conservatories in the Netherlands and Bulgaria.
As a recipient of the Sigma Alpha Iota Conducting Scholarship, I have presented research at national and state conferences such as NSEE, NAfME, ASTA, and FMEA. As a highly sought-after and innovative lecturer, clinician, and adjudicator, I have been invited to be the 2021 Florida All-State Orchestra conductor, and have conducted several All-County Orchestra Festivals. I have worked with Middle School and High School students in Summer Orchestra Music Camps at Florida Southern College, The University of Tampa, and the University of Iowa. I have also served as the director of the Florida Southern College String Camp, and as a clinician and adjudicator for Florida Orchestra Association, OrlandoFest, Music USA Festival at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL, and Brightparks Travel Festivals. An advocator of community engagement, I have served on faculty senate at my previous institute and on the Board of Directors for the Imperial Symphony Orchestra.
Recognized for my research and contribution to the field, I was awarded numerous grants including American String Teachers Association Grants, Sigma Alpha Iota Professional Development Grants, FSC Faculty Summer Stipend and Professional Grants, FSC Faculty and Student Collaboration Grant, as well as the University of Tampa Alumni, Dana, and the David Delo Research Professor Grants. My research on health and music has been published in Health Education Journal (SAGE publications, UK). I am a native of Kansas, and hold a doctoral degree in music from the University of Iowa and degrees from the University of New Mexico and Knox College.
https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-music/faculty-profiles/kira-omelchenko/index.html
ERNESTO CERVINI – DRUMMER/COMPOSER/EDUCATOR
JUNO Award winner Ernesto Cervini is a sought-after drummer, composer and bandleader and an influential presence on Canada’s modern jazz scene and beyond. He has documented his vision with the Ernesto Cervini Quartet (featuring Joel Frahm), the innovative sextet Turboprop, numerous co- led trio projects including MEM3, Myriad3 and TuneTown, and also the quartet Tetrahedron, featuring acclaimed guitarist Nir Felder, electric bassist Rich Brown and alto saxophonist Luis Deniz.
In all these settings, as J.D. Considine of JazzTimes has written, Cervini “drums like someone who’s an arranger at heart, carefully placing each accent for maximum melodic impact.” He’s been cited by Modern Drummer for his old-school knowledge and feel in the spirit of Art Blakey and Billy Higgins, yet credited by Musicweb International as a maker of music “grounded in the language of hard bop but not confined by it.”
DAVID LUM – EDUCATOR/CONDUCTOR
David Lum is a graduate of the University of Toronto (Mus. Bac. /Ed. 1988, B. Ed. 1990) and completed the Graduate Diploma program in Wind Conducting at the University of Calgary in the summer of 2001. He is a past conductor of the Scarborough School’s Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony and has served as a Senior Administrator of the Scarborough Music Camp. David served as the Conductor of the Northern Ontario Music Festival Honour Band from 2008-2011 and is a past conductor of the Toronto Youth Concert Winds, and Assistant Conductor of the Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra. In June of 2016, David was featured as a Guest Conductor for TYWO’s 25th Anniversary Tour of NewYork City, culminating in a performance at Carnegie Hall.
David served on the board of the Ontario Music Educators’ Association (OMEA). from 2000 to 2015. He initiated the creation of the Awards and Scholarships Committee, and chaired the committee since its inception in 2004, to 2014. David is a Past President of the Ontario Band Association (OBA) and currently serves as President of the Lambda Iota chapter of Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters’ Fraternity. Other professional affiliations/memberships include the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE), the Canadian Music Educators’ Association (CMEA).
DEKE SHARON – ARRANGER/ MUSIC PRODUCER
Born in San Francisco, California, Deke Sharon has been performing professionally since the age of 8, and as a child toured North America and shared the stage in operas with the likes of Pavarotti. Heralded as “The Father of Contemporary A Cappella,” he is responsible for the current sound of modern a cappella, having created the dense vocal-instrumental sound in college, subsequently spreading it around the world.
Deke produced “The Sing-Off“ worldwide (USA, Netherlands, China, South Africa), which had the highest ratings of any new, unscripted television show in the US in 2009, and was the third highest rated show on NBC in 2010. In addition, Deke served as arranger, on-site music director and vocal producer for Universal’s “Pitch Perfect“ & “Pitch Perfect 2“ & “Pitch Perfect 3“ starring Anna Kendrick & Rebel Wilson.
Deke founded the Contemporary A Cappella Society while in college, and is responsible for many seminal a cappella programs, including the CARAs (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards, ICCAs (International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella), BOCA (Best of College A Cappella Compilations), the first contemporary a cappella conferences (The A Cappella Summit), the Contemporary A Cappella League, the professional ensembles Voasis and Vocalosity, and Camp A Cappella. His latest project for Disney – D Cappella – launched in 2018.
He is also contemporary a cappella’s most prolific arranger, having arranged over 2,000 songs, with many of them in print worldwide with Hal Leonard/Contemporary A Cappella Publishing. He has written 5 books: “A cappella Arranging” (2012), “A Cappella” (2015), “The Heart of Vocal Harmony” (2016), “A Cappella Warmups for Pop and Jazz Choir” (2017) and “So You Want To Sing A Cappella” (2017). He is also the vocal orchestrator for the Broadway’s first a cappella musical: In Transit (2016).
As the founder, director and arranger for the House Jacks for almost 25 years, the original “Rock Band Without Instruments,” Deke shared the stage with countless music legends, including Ray Charles, James Brown, Crosby Stills and Nash, Run DMC, The Temptations, LL Cool J and the Four Tops, and performed for luminaries including President Bill Clinton. The House Jacks have eight albums, and dozens of international tours to their names, including multiple appearances Carnegie Hall, and performed the Monday Night Football Theme with Hank Williams Jr. in 2011.
He has produced dozens of award-winning a cappella albums (including Straight No Chaser, Committed, Nota, Street Corner Symphony and the Tufts Beelzebubs), created a cappella groups for Disneyland and Disneyworld, and frequently tours the world teaching a variety of topics to students and professional singers. He’s a frequent emcee at events, and gives corporate speeches on business lessons from vocal harmony, to companies like Google and Facebook. His voice can be heard in commercials and video games, including “Just Dance Kids 2.” He is one of only 20 honorary members of the Barbershop Harmony Society since 1938, as well as an honorary member of BYU Vocal Point, and received CASA’s lifetime achievement award in 2016 and the PT Barnum Award for Excellence from Tufts University in 2017. Perhaps you saw him on Lifetime Television’s “Pitch Slapped” coaching Stay Tuned from Cherry Hill New Jersey (2016). He can now be seen on BBC One’s “Pitch Battle” in the UK (2017).
CAIT NISHIMURA – WORLD RENOWNED COMPOSER
Cait Nishimura is a Canadian composer, songwriter, and music educator based in Toronto. Known for writing melody-driven, programmatic music, Cait has quickly established herself as a prominent voice in the concert band community. With influences from minimalism and pop music, her work is full of simple yet lush harmonies, and themes that linger in listeners’ minds. A lifelong nature-lover, she draws inspiration from the beauty of the natural world and aims to transport listeners to the landscapes she writes about.
Cait’s music has become increasingly popular among middle and high school music programs, and new works are regularly commissioned by ensembles and individuals around the world. Her music has been presented at The Midwest Clinic, MusicFest Canada, and numerous other conferences and festivals across North America. In 2019, the Ontario Band Association commissioned her work Intrinsic Light in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Ontario Music Educators Association. Her best-selling piece Chasing Sunlight was the winner of the 2017 Canadian Band Association’s composition competition.
Cait is committed to presenting contemporary concert music that is approachable, relevant, and enjoyable for all. Before transitioning to a full-time career as a composer, she taught instrumental music and continues to prioritize and advocate for the value of music education. Cait is equally comfortable behind the pencil and on the podium, and actively seeks opportunities to connect personally with the communities for whom she writes. Her charismatic, personable nature makes her a highly sought-after guest artist in the classroom, on stage, and on screen. She is passionate about setting a positive example for future generations of musicians through her creative work, her social media presence, and her dedication to increasing awareness about mental health.
Cait holds undergraduate degrees in music and education from the University of Toronto, but is an advocate of people pursuing their passions regardless of their field of study. Outside of her work in the “classical” realm, Cait enjoys pushing her creative boundaries through writing and performing original pop songs, and is recording her first album. All of Cait’s concert works are self-published under Cait Nishimura Music.
MARK PELLI – SONGWRITER, LEAD GUITARIST FOR MAGIC!
Mark Pellizzer, better known by his stage name Mark Pelli, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for being a guitarist and vocalist for the pop-reggae group MAGIC!. In addition to performing Mark has produced and written songs for several artists including: Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Shakira, Anthony Hamilton, Classified and Vita Chambers. Pelli currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
Pelli has collaborated with a number of well-known artists. In 2012, he worked with The Messengers to produce the song “Don’t Judge Me” for Chris Brown which hit #1 on U.S. Urban chart, #18 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and 67 on the Billboard Top 100 chart. Pelli co-produced/wrote the song “Cut Me Deep” for Shakira. He co-wrote the song “Inner Ninja” for the Canadian rapper Classified which hit number 5 in Canada and was 5x Platinum. Pelli co-produced/wrote the song “Serial Killer” for Trey Songz. He co wrote/produced and mixed the song “Coming Home” for Anthony Hamilton. He co-produced/wrote the song “Fix You” for Vita Chambers. Pelli has also worked in the studio with Usher, Jennifer Lopez, JoJo and Marsha Ambrosius. In 2014, he collaborated with Kiprich to produce and feature on the song “My Own Holiday” In August 2015, he announced a collaboration with artist Major Myjah, to produce the song “Disposable” off Major Myjah’s new EP titled “Trouble.” Most recently Pelli co-wrote, produced and mixed most of Sabrina Claudio’s debut EP entitled: “Confidently Lost” including: “Too Much Too Late”, “Tell Me”, “Runnin Through Lovers”, and “Confidently Lost”.
Mark Pelli is the guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist for the pop-reggae group Magic!. Pelli started the group with frontman Nasri Atweh due to their friendship and unique musical connection in the studio. Magic! is a fusion of several different musical styles but is primarily considered a pop-reggae group with a sonic aesthetic similar to The Police. In 2013, the group released the song “Rude”, which ranked #1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart. The group toured with Maroon 5 in 2015. The group won an American Music Award in 2014 for “Rude” as the Best Single of the Year In 2015, they received a Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of The Year.
COLIN CLARKE – CONDUCTOR/ADJUDICATOR
Colin Clarke is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra program, and maintains an active career as a sought-after conductor, clinician, and adjudicator.
A recipient of the Clifford Evens Award for Conducting at the University of Western Ontario, Colin completed further studies in conducting at the University of North Texas and at the Manhattan School of Music in New York. Participating in the International Conducting Workshop in Sofia, Bulgaria, he conducted the symphonies of Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky with the highly celebrated New Symphony Orchestra of Sofia and studied with noted pedagogues Gustav Meier and Rossen Milanov. Colin made his Carnegie Hall debut in May 2006 with the Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra, and returned to Carnegie Hall in 2011.
With a passion for music education and outreach, Colin maintains a commitment to working with young people and the community. He has guest conducted several orchestras and choirs across the country and has led the Provincial Honour Bands of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Island. In May 2008, he was selected to conduct the National Youth Band of Canada. Most recently, Colin was appointed Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
http://tywo.ca/about-us/artistic-staff/
TONY LEONG – CONDUCTOR/ADJUDICATOR
Dr. Tony Nam-Hai Leong completed his PhD at the University of Toronto in addition to a Master’s degree in Computer Applications and a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Toronto. Dr. Leong studied with Paul Meyer on Violin, Rivka Golani, Daniel Blackman and Rennie Regehr on Viola while studying both orchestral and choral conducting with Professors Dwight Bennett and Lori-Anne Dolloff. He has also participated in master classes and chamber music coaching with such eminent musicians as the Orford String Quartet, the St. Lawrence Quartet, Lorand Fenyves, Simon Fryer, and Scott St. John, and has done his Suzuki violin/viola training with Margot Jewell.
Dr. Leong is currently MusicFest Canada’s Chairman of the Orchestra/Strings Division; President of the Ontario Music Educators’ Association’s board of directors and the past co-editor of their publication, “The Recorder”; co-founding director of the Ontario Strings Association; an instructor at Queen’s University; a lecturer at the University of Toronto; Head of the Performing Arts Department at Sir Oliver Mowat C.I.; and has been a past member on the Board of Directors of the Coalition for Music Education in Canada.
Dr. Leong also conducts the National Music Camp of Canada and Sir Oliver Mowat Orchestras and previously, the Music by the Lake and Oakwood C.I. Orchestras, Korean Canadian Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Conservatory of Music Baroque and Chamber Orchestras and the Etobicoke Suzuki School of Music Orchestras. Dr. Leong was also a member of the Korean Canadian Symphony Orchestra as a violist for over two decades.
In addition, Dr. Leong has given presentations across Canada and the USA as a Technology and String Education clinician and adjudicator, as well as being a Clinician trainer for Finale and SmartMusic Studio. Dr. Leong’s research areas include string education, technology, and adolescents. His publications include the Canadian and Ontario Music Educators’ Association Journals, as well as presentations of his research both at the international and provincial levels. He has also guest lectured courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of Toronto, York University, and the University of Western Ontario, as well as having given presentations across Canada and the USA on the topics of string education and technology in the music classroom.
https://musicfest.ca/people/tony-leong/
ADAM BOWMAN -DRUMMER/PERCUSSIONIST
Drummer/percussionist Adam Bowman has been a mainstay in both the Canadian and international music scenes for nearly two decades.
As a touring musician, Adam’s big beats have been heard on stages across five continents with artists such as Juno-award winners Kellylee Evans and Carlos Morgan, Canadian independent music trail blazer Ember Swift, improvising guru VINX and country-folk songstress Dawn Langstroth, among many others.
In the studio, Adam’s creative passion and deep feel have made him the drummer of choice for producers and songwriters on dozens of recordings. 2015 saw Juno-nominations for Eccodek’s Singing in Tongues and Alysha Brilla’s Womyn albums, both propelled by Bowman’s beats.
Currently, Adam can be heard playing with Eccodek, Alysha Brilla, Joni NehRita, Jeff Eager, Jane Lewis and Elise LeGrow, as well as providing accompaniment for modern and contemporary dance classes with IMAGEO artworks, Dancetheatre David Earle and Guelph Dance.
Adam is endorsed by Murat Diril cymbals, Headhunters drumsticks and creations and UDRUM snare drums.
PAUL TARUSSOV – TROMBONE (spon. Jupiter Instruments)
Paul Tarussov, trombonist and composer/arranger, is among a new wave of musicians seeking to bring together an exploration of original music with a sound steeped in tradition. Originally from Montreal, Paul has just moved to Toronto from New York City, where he studied with trombone greats Steve Turre, Wycliffe Gordon, and Vincent Gardner. He appears regularly as a featured soloist with the Dave Young/Terry Promane Big Band, and has performed with artists such as Vic Vogel, Norman Marshall Villeneuve, Andy Ballantyne, Han Bennink, Valery Ponamarev and Steve Davis, as well as Canadian Juno-nominated indie pop/rock band “Stars”
https://www.facebook.com/paul.tarussov
STEVE MACDONALD – SAX/CLARINET (spon. Jupiter Instruments)
Steve obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree (specialization in jazz performance) at York University in Toronto. He was the recipient of a variety of academic awards including the “Marion Lower Scholarship” for jazz composition & arranging, and the “Douglas Menzie Award” for outstanding instrumental jazz performance. Steve is an active freelance performer/arranger in Toronto and travels regularly across Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia for various club, festival, radio and television appearances.
In 2004, Steve teamed up with renowned Canadian recording artist and multiple JUNO nominee Matt Dusk, as saxophonist and Musical Director. Dusk’s commercial releases have been celebrated both at home and abroad, with several of his albums reaching “Gold Record” status and his various singles topping the Jazz, Pop and Adult Contemporary charts in domestic and foreign markets alike. Matt and the band also played a feature role in Mark Burnett’s Las Vegas TV reality show, “The Casino” (on the FOX & CTV networks, 2005). The show was originally aired on Canadian and US airwaves but has since been rebroadcast on British and European television networks.
As Matt’s Musical Director, Steve has performed and collaborated with some of the world’s most noted ensembles, including The Metropole Orchestra (Netherlands), The Chicago Pops Orchestra, The Ronnie Scott’s Big Band (UK), The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The Houston Symphony Orchestra, and The National Arts Centre Orchestra, among others.
In 2013, Steve began his association with Canadian vocalist, Eleanor McCain, as her Musical Director. Steve continues his work with McCain, as they perform on stages across the country alongside Canada’s top symphony orchestras.
http://www.stevemacdonaldmusic.com/
LAUREL SWINDEN – FLUTE
Self-confessed “flute nerd” Canadian flutist Laurel Swinden has been praised for her sweet and distinct tone…breathtaking in colour (Whole Note). Dr. Swinden embraces a multi-faceted career as a recitalist, orchestral musician, pedagogue, clinician and music scholar.
Not daunted by any musical challenge, Laurel is equally at home with 18th century through 21st century repertoire, whether it be a premiere of a contemporary electroacoustic work, new arrangements for flute with brass, standard of the flute repertoire, works for piccolo, alto and bass flute, eighteenth-century Scottish works on traverso and keyed flutes, or Irish and Scottish flute tunes. “If its great music, its worthy of playing!”
Recent performances as an invited guest artist include recitals at the Festivales Internacionales des Flautistas in Lima, Peru, National Flute Association Conventions (USA), the Sichuan Conservatory, Canadian Flute Conventions, and the Perimeter Institute. In addition to her positions as Principal Flute of the Stratford Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Principal Flute/Piccolo of the Scarborough Philharmonic, Dr. Swinden has performed with the Musicians of Orchestra London, Windsor Symphony, Toronto Sinfonietta, Memphis Symphony, Mississippi Symphony and Tupelo Symphonies.
Lauded as “beautifully played…” with “…her very musical phrasing is matched in every turn by longtime collaborator, Stephanie Mara…”(Audiophilia), Laurel’s CD Celebrating Women: Music for Flute and Piano by Women Composers was the first of a multi-CD project with a mission to bring wider attention to works for flute written by women composers. Her successive CD Celebrating Canadian Women! received generous support from the Canada Council for the Arts.
A passionate and dedicated teacher, Dr. Swinden teaches Flute at Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Guelph and the Laurier Conservatory of Music. Laurel was Visiting Assistant Professor of Flute at the University of Nebraska Omaha in 2017 and has taught at the University of Windsor, Western University and the University of Mississippi.
In demand as a clinician, teacher, adjudicator, coach and examiner, Dr. Swinden adjudicates at festivals across Canada, the United States and Peru. She has served as a juror for the Ontario Arts Council and the National Flute Association’s Myrna Brown International Scholarship competition. Dr. Swinden has given masterclasses in China, Peru, the United States and across Canada. In addition to her home studio in Cambridge, Ontario, Laurel gives Skype lessons to flutists all over the globe as the first Canadian-based flutist on the roster of Play-With-A-Pro.
Dr. Swinden earned a DMA in Flute Performance as a Fellowship recipient at the University of Toronto, where she studied with Toronto Symphony Principal Flute Nora Schulman and traverso with Alison Melville. Her training includes residencies at the Banff Centre and the Harid Conservatory (now Lynn University.) Laurel sought additional training in masterclasses and lessons with Jim Walker, Jeffrey Zook, Jan Gippo, Leone Buyse, Kathleen Rudolph, Bernard Goldberg, Keith Underwood, Philippe-Alain Dupré, Lisa Besnoziuk and Carol Wincenc.
Dr. Swinden gratefully acknowledges support from the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canadian Federation of University Women, Waterloo Region Arts Council, Tafelmusik, David and Marcia Beach Scholarship fund, and the London Music Scholarship Foundation.
RICHARD BURROWS – PERCUSSION (spon. Yamaha Percussion)
Richard Burrows received both a Masters of Arts in Music Education and a Masters of Music in Performance Percussion from the University of Toronto, and an Honours Bachelor of Music in Performance Percussion from Wilfrid Laurier University. As a former principal cast member of ScrapArtsMusic, Richard has performed throughout North America, Europe, Mexico, Asia and Australia. He has also shared the stage with Nebosja Jovan Zivkovic, Evelyn Glennie, Synergy Percussion and NEXUS. Closer to home, he plays with numerous orchestras including the Kitchener/Waterloo Symphony Orchestra. As a freelance percussionist he has performed with the improv ensemble “Digital Prowess”, with famed bass clarinetist Kathryn Ladano in “Stealth,”with new music projects for InterArtsMatrix, and was as a member of the Toronto Raptors drumline “TR Beat”. An avid educator, Richard gives masterclasses on improvisation, concert percussion and drumline throughout Ontario, and across Canada. He is also on faculty at the International Music Camp in North Dakota.
DYLAN MADDIX – CONDUCTOR
Dylan Rook Maddix is Professor of Music at Cambrian College in Sudbury, ON, where he conducts the wind ensemble, teaches music theory and serves as the head of winds and brass studies. Dylan is founder and artistic director of the Toronto Winds, host of the podcast The Band Room, and maintains an active career as a sought-after conductor, clinician, performer and adjudicator across Canada.
With a passion for music education and outreach, Dylan maintains a commitment to working with young people and the community. He has been music director of the Milton Concert Band, a conducting fellow with the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra, program assistant of the Hannaford Youth Program, and is now co-manager of the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra. Dylan has conducted the Royal Conservatory Brass Ensemble, Northdale Concert Band, Western University New Music, Mississauga Pops Concert Band, Hannaford Youth Band, Mount Allison University Symphonic Band, Kingston Brass Choir, and Bathurst Chamber Festival Orchestra.
A prizewinner at the 2011 & 2014 National Music Festivals, Dylan has been a featured soloist with the Prince Edward Island Symphony, Weston Silver Band, Greater Moncton Chorale and Orchestra, and Strathgartney Chamber Orchestra. His musicality has led him to numerous festivals in Canada and the United States including the Scotia Festival of Music, Charlottetown Festival, North American Brass Band Championships, Indian River Music Festival, Bathurst Chamber Music Festival, Music Fest Canada and the Luminato Festival. He holds a Master of Music from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Music from Mount Allison University.
https://www.dylanrookmaddix.com/
JONI NEHRITA – VOCALIST
Toronto-born Jamaican-Canadian singer/songwriter/musician Joni NehRita has become a staple on the regional scene of KW/Guelph since relocating there over a decade ago. She is known for steadily releasing great music & being an engaging performer. While her musical tastes are eclectic, she is best known as a soul/R&B artist and as a jazz vocalist.
The release of her 3rd album, Bloom showcases her best writing and production yet. The songs are infectious, poignant and groove hard. It is noticeably more “pop/funk” than her previous releases yet the themes of social consciousness and inner reflection that has connected her to her listeners remain. NehRita has a gift for writing well-crafted songs that are deeply personal. Much of her music hearkens back to a time when soul and funk music made you dance while also serving up social commentary and a call for change.
She shines brightly during her live show & demonstrates her strength in be able to reach and connect with an audience. You know she feels the music and she leads you into feeling it too.
Raji Sohal from CBC 3 Montreal may have put it best, “I can attest that in live performance her voice and stage presence are stellar and come off as endearingly natural. Joni had me hollering and cheering like I haven’t at an R&B show in a while.”
As a vocalist, NehRita is a class act and has had varied experiences from professional musical theatre to singing with the KW Symphony Orchestra and Hamilton Philharmonic to selling out small theatres in Kitchener, Waterloo & Guelph. As a solo act and/or backing keyboardist or vocalist she has performed on such stages/events as The Montreal Jazz Festival, Hillside Festival, Waterloo Jazz Festival, Massey Hall, The Centre in the Square and countless venues across North America, Germany, England and Australia. In 2011 her single, “Are You Ready” peaked at #6 on the UK Soul Chart and received airplay on Canadian, US, and British radio stations. She is a voice coach, musical director of Guelph Glee and has sat on juries for The Ontario Arts Council. Her album The Bare Truth was made possible by a grant from the OAC.
“Bloom” receives regular play on CBC in Toronto & Kitchener-Waterloo & has been added to the CBC’s national library. Working with industry veteran Rick Hutt of Cedartree Recording Studio proved to be the best recording experience thus far in NehRita’s career. His ears, instincts and attention to detail proved invaluable. She also gained a mentor and friend and is already planning her next project “Love & Protest” with him.
GREG COLLEY – CONDUCTOR
Mr. Greg Colley has been the Head of Music at Pierre Elliott Trudeau High School since 2004. During this time, the program has seen great growth, currently seeing over 500 students taking music. Mr. Colley is currently the conductor of the Grade 11 Wind Symphony, Grade 12 Wind Symphony, and a staff advisor for the Music Council. He has also been a sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, in instrumental music. He is also a member of Phi Beta Mu, At the 2013 Musicfest Canada “The Nationals”, Mr. Colley was awarded the Keith Mann Award, as outstanding band director at the festival.
Mr. Colley is a graduate of the University of Toronto, both at the Faculty of Music where he studied music education and trumpet, and at OISE, where he received his Bachelor of Education. He is active as a clinician, conductor and adjudicator throughout Ontario.
In the Salvation Army, he is the bandmaster of the Yorkminster Citadel Band, which currently has grown to just over 40 members, ranging in age from 13 to 75. Mr. Colley is happily married to his wife Elizabeth and together they have 3 wonderful children, Brendan, Ryan and Caitlin.
http://trudeaumusic.weebly.com/staff.html