2011 Festival Adjudicators

Dr. Glenn D. Price(concert band) - Dr. Glenn D. Price is recognized as one of the leading international conductors of today. He has conducted in over 20 countries on five continents, covering the gamut from professional chamber players to 450 piece string orchestra, symphony orchestras and wind ensembles to mass bands of over 1500 musicians. He is best-known as a major authority on music for wind groups and in this capacity he has appeared as featured conductor for many professional organizations. These include the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE), the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), the American Bandmasters Association (ABA), the MidWest Clinic, the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), the Encontro Latino Americano (Brazil), the Shizuoka Festival (Japan), the British Association for Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles (BASBWE) and others. Dr. Price has conducted many renowned soloists, such as Evelyn Glennie, Christian Lindberg, Ney Rosauro, Jens Lindemann, Alain Trudel, Roger Webster, Rick Todd, John Marcellus, Simone Rebello and Michael Burritt. Under his direction, the University of Calgary Wind Ensemble developed into an organization of international prominence. Their nine cds on five commercial labels have been heralded for their technical precision and musical artistry. They are heard regularly on radio and serve as performance models for ensembles worldwide. Conference performances at such events as WASBE and CBDNA in addition to their Canadian guest appearances at the Esther Honens International Piano Competition and Celebrity Series in Calgary, plus the Cantando (Edmonton), MusicFest (Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg), OBA (Toronto) and Rocky Mountain (Banff) Music Festivals, have brought great acclaim and a wide audience. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, he pursued further conducting studies at the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Japan and the Tanglewood Music Centre in the U.S. as well as in Europe and Russia. A noted percussionist, he has performed with the Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet, Calgary Philharmonic and Alberta Ballet as well as numerous contemporary music ensembles. He recently recorded Ney Rosauro’s Concerto for Timpani, at the invitation of the composer. Dr. Price has devoted much of his life in service to the profession and the training of young conductors. As a renowned pedagogue he has led conducting symposia throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. His students now occupy leading positions in Canada, the U.S. and around the world. Following six years on its Executive Board, he was elected to the post of President of WASBE, dedicated to the improvement of all aspects of the profession.
Robert Taylor (concert band) is Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Conducting at the University of British Columbia. Prior to his appointment at UBC, Dr. Taylor served as Director of Bands at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, and Chair of the Performing Arts Department at Eureka High School in northern California. Under his direction, the Eureka High Jazz Ensemble and Symphonic Band earned recognition for excellence by Downbeat Magazine, the Selmer Corporation, and Grammy Signature Schools, placing Eureka High among the finest school music programs in North America. Dr. Taylor maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor and clinician. Past engagements include performances with the Chicago-based contemporary music group, the MAVerick Ensemble, in addition to collaborations with a wide range of international artists—from Allen Vizzutti, Gail Williams, and Ingrid Jensen, to Manhattan Transfer and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. He has also made frequent appearances with young musicians, serving as principal conductor of the Puget Sound Youth Wind Ensemble and guest conductor of the CODA/ASTA Honour Orchestra, Humboldt Youth Academy Orchestra, and numerous honour groups. As a passionate advocate of music in the schools, Dr. Taylor is in high demand as a rehearsal clinician and festival adjudicator. Recent appearances in western Canada include the Vancouver Heritage Music Festival, New Westminster Hyack Festival, Alberta International Band Festival, Alberta Band Association Festival of Bands, and BCMEA Honour Band, among others. Dr. Taylor received the Master of Music and Doctor of Music degrees in conducting from Northwestern University and the Bachelor of Arts degree in Trumpet and Music Education from Humboldt State University. His research has been published in GIA’s Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series and featured in presentations at several regional and national music conferences. He is a Jacob K. Javits Fellow, and a member of the Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lambda National Honour Societies, College Band Directors National Association, World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, Music Educators National Conference, and British Columbia Music Educators Association.
Don Owens(concert band) - Don Owens, Coordinator Emeritus of the Jazz Studies and Pedagogy Program, Director Emeritus, Contemporary Music Ensemble, and the National High School Music Institute at Northwestern University, began his tenure at Northwestern University in 1979. Before coming to Northwestern, he taught for twelve years at Evanston (Illinois) Township High School where his duties included directing band, brass ensembles, and jazz band, as well as teaching classes in music theory, popular music, and composition. He created the Electronic Music Studio at ETHS in 1971. Many of his ETHS students went on to become music majors at many of the major Schools of Music in the United States and Canada. Owens received the Bachelor of Music Education degree from North Texas State University, where he also studied Composition and Jazz. His Master of Musical Arts degree is from the University of Illinois, where he majored in Composition. He studied composition with Morgan Powell, Merrill Ellis, Samuel Adler, and Salvatore Martirano. He has won several grants and awards, and is regularly commissioned for new works. In his first few years at Northwestern, Mr. Owens conducted the Nationally renowned Jazz Ensemble, directed the "Wildcat” Marching Band and Symphonic Band, and taught advanced Method classes for undergraduate Music Education Majors. He eventually was appointed Coordinator of the Jazz Studies and Pedagogy Program, teaching courses in Jazz Writing, Seminar in Jazz Pedagogy, Jazz in the Public Schools, and conducted the Jazz Ensemble. Under his leadership, the Northwestern Jazz Program grew to offer the B.M. in Jazz Studies and the M.M. in Jazz Pedagogy. In addition to Owens' responsibilities in the Jazz area, he served as Director and Primary Conductor of the internationally acclaimed Contemporary Music Ensemble for over 20 years. This group performed over 200 world premiers, as well as the standard 20th century repertory. In 1991, the Northwestern CME served as the primary chamber music ensemble for the John Cage Now World Festival. In the spring of 1995, the NUCME served as one of two visiting Artist Ensembles for the National Meeting of the Society of Composers at the University of Iowa. In 2002, the CME played a major part in the Stephan Wolpe Festival, sponsored by the School of Music. During the summers, Owens served as Director of the National High School Music Institute, from 1991 to 2004. Under his leadership, the enrollment increased by 100%. NHSMI continues to thrive as a Pre-Collegiate Music Major Experience for high school-aged students. With a curriculum that requires the attending students to declare a Major - Classical Guitar, Composition, Jazz Studies, Music Education, Piano, Strings, Voice, or Winds and Percussion- NHSMI has consistently attracted students from all 50 states, as well as many foreign countries. Mr. Owens is an internationally recognized clinician/conductor. He has served as an adjudicator and has conducted Festival and All-State Concert and Jazz Bands in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, Canada, Greece, Germany, and Norway. As a conductor, he has shared in the art of music making with world famous figures from both the Jazz and Contemporary Classical idioms. His compositions have been performed across America, as well as in Canada, England, Greece, Germany, Japan, Norway, and South America. Mr. Owens is the composer/arranger of over 100 works, including those for band, jazz band, orchestra, choir, and chamber music. His music is available from the composer via Phramus Music Publications. Owens is the author of several articles dealing with contemporary music. He is a member of M.E.N.C, Illinois Music Educators Association, International Association for Jazz Education (Past President for the Illinois State Unit), Pi Kappa Lambda (Past President of Alpha Chapter), and Phi Mu Alpha.
Dr. Angela Schroeder (concert band) A native of Calgary, completed undergraduate studies in Music at University of Calgary, majoring in Secondary Education, with performance studies in piano and trumpet. She also completed the Diploma of Fine Arts in Wind Band Conducting at University of Calgary under the supervision of Glenn Price. After years of teaching at various secondary schools in the Calgary area, she entered the Long Term Residency program at The Banff Centre, where she studied and performed on piano, trumpet and as a conductor. Angela entered the Master's program in Wind Band Conducting at Northwestern University in 2002, completing her studies there in 2004 with Mallory Thompson. In 2007, she completed the degree Doctor of Musical Arts in Wind Band Conducting at the University of North Texas, under the supervision of Eugene Corporon. Dr. Schroeder is currently Assistant Professor of Music in the Department of Music of the University of Alberta. She is the Director of Bands, the area coordinator for the Winds and Percussion, and conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the Academy Winds and Percussion. She teaches courses in conducting and wind band education, and works with Graduate students in Wind Band conducting. She previously taught conducting at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. Angela Schroeder is well known in the Alberta music education community, not only through her teaching and conducting both in schools and in community music organizations, but through her involvement as an executive director of the Alberta Band Association for several years. Angela has performed on cornet with the Mill Creek Colliery Band and is the Principal Trumpet for the Concordia University Orchestra. Angela has guest conducted and adjudicated numerous school bands in festivals and clinics throughout Western Canada. She is a contributor in four volumes of the Teaching Music through Performance in Band series, which profile wind literature for all levels of instrumental instruction, published by GIA.
Dr. Gillian MacKay (concert band) is an Associate Professor of Music of the University of Toronto, where she conducts the Wind Ensemble and teaches conducting and trumpet.  She is also Associate Dean of Graduate Education.  An award-winning teacher, Gillian has an active professional career as a trumpeter, conductor, adjudicator, and clinician.  She has conducted honour bands throughout Canada and the United States, including the National Youth Band of Canada.  Dr. MacKay has adjudicated Canadian band festivals at local, provincial, and national levels, as well as competitions in Singapore and Thailand. Dr. MacKay has presented 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.  Also 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.  As a trumpeter, she has a particular interest in the French solo trumpet and cornet music of the 19th century. Gillian holds degrees and diplomas from the University of Lethbridge, McGill University, the University of Calgary, and Northwestern University.  Previously, she served as Instructor of Brass at Medicine Hat College, and Director of the School of Music at the University of Windsor.
Scott Leithead (choral) - Kokopelli's artistic director, Scott Leithead, B.Mus. is the founder of the Kokopelli and TIME Jazz Associations. . Scott is in demand as a clinician, guest director, and evaluator at events in North America, Europe and Africa. He has conducted provincial/state honour choirs in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Montana.  Scott has a passion for music from southern Africa and he has been hired to work with choirs in South Africa and Namibia on numerous occasions. In 2008/09, Scott was on sabbatical in Namibia, where he worked with the Mascato Youth Choir and numerous other choirs in southern Africa. Scott’s passion for innovative and unique choral music experiences has shaped the direction of the Kokopelli Choir Association and was the founder of Òran as the alumni ensemble for the Kokopelli Youth Choir. This season Scott has been invited to conduct the Saskatchewan and New Brunswick Youth Choirs for the second time.  On July 1st, he will lead the Unisong National Choir Festival on Canada Day with the National Arts Orchestra.  In addition he will be presenting at Festival 500 in Newfoundland as a festival clinician and he will adjudicate the Ontario Vocal Festival,  the Vancouver Kiwanis Festival, and the Edmonton Cantando Festival.   He will be presenting major concerts with the Amabile Choirs in London Ontario, The Bach Children's Choirs of Guelph, The Toronto Children's Choir, The Hamilton Children's Choir, and The High Park Children's Choirs.  He is also looking forward to conducting a summer program in Naramata BC in August 2011.  He has been invited to work with ensembles and institutions in 9 provinces this year, as well as in the United States, the Cayman Islands, Thailand and in Africa.
Raymond Baril (jazz band) is Section Head of the Wind and Brass Department at Grant MacEwan College. He is in his tenth season as principal conductor and musical director of the New Edmonton Wind Sinfonia. He has, for the past 20 years, been the director of the University of Alberta/Grant MacEwan College jazz ensemble. Prior to his appointment at Grant MacEwan College, he taught at Ross Sheppard High School and W.P. Wagner High School and was conductor of the University of Alberta Concert Band. Before that period, he was the Executive Director of the Alberta Band Association, and for many years taught woodwinds, music history and jazz studies at Grant MacEwan College as a sessional instructor. He was also a conductor for the Cosmopolitan Music Society in Edmonton for fifteen seasons. Mr. Baril continues to work as a saxophonist and woodwind player and has performed with Doc Severinsen, the Harry James, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman Tribute Orchestras, Manhattan Transfer, Dionne Warwick and Rod Stewart. He was a regular member of the Tommy Banks Big Band for 25 years and has appeared with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra on numerous occasions. He was a guest soloist with the Edmonton Symphony during 2005 Symphony Under the Sky and in the past three seasons he was a guest conductor with the ESO for the Enbridge Symphony Under the Sky, the Rexall Symphony for Kids series, the Holly Cole ‘Night Before Christmas’ concert, the AlPac Country series and the 2005 Royal Visit. In 2005, Mr. Baril’s ensembles released two CDs: First Time Out with the University of Alberta/Grant MacEwan College Big Band and Among Friends with the New Edmonton Wind Sinfonia. In addition, he has directed pit orchestras for shows such as Sweet Charity, On The Town and Candide. Raymond attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois where he received a Master of Music degree in conducting. He holds undergraduate degrees in both music and education from the University of Alberta. In 2004, Mr. Baril was honored with the “Tommy Banks Award” by The Alberta Foundation for the Arts for his contribution to music and music education. In 2001, he received the “Elkhorn Award” for Director of the Year by the Alberta Band Association. He was also a recipient of the “Best Teaching Practices Award” from the Alberta Teachers’ Association, a “District Service Award” from Edmonton Public Schools and an Excellence in Teaching Award from Alberta Learning. In 1997, he was awarded the “David Peterkin Memorial Award” for contributions to music and music education in Alberta.

CLINICIANS

Doug Berner (bass) Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Doug has been an active part of the musical community since his mid-teens. He studied trumpet and jazz performance at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton and Moorehead State University in Kentucky. Doug has been privileged to perform with many great musicians, including Peabo Bryson, Aaron Neville, and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and has traveled widely working as a Bandmaster for Princess Cruises and as Musical Director aboard Cunard's Queen Mary 2. Currently Doug resides in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, and can be found performing and teaching throughout western Canada.

George Colligan (rhythm section - piano) George Colligan (born December 29, 1969) is a New York-based jazz pianist,organist, drummer, trumpet player, educator, composer and bandleader. An in-demand sideman, Colligan has worked with Phil Woods, Gary Bartz, Robin Eubanks, Billy Higgins, Lee Konitz, Nicholas Payton, Steve Wilson, Richard Bona, Cassandra Wilson, Christian McBride, Buster Williams, Al Foster, Don Byron,Benny Golson, Lonnie Plaxico, Vanessa Rubin, and many others. He counts Chick Corea, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter, and McCoy Tyner as influences. Colligan is a recipient of the Chamber Music America award for composition and a winner of the Jazzconnect.com award. He has released 18 albums as a leader and is featured on over 100 albums as a sideman. Colligan's style is extremely eclectic; it incorporates everything from show tunes to funk, from free improvisation to modern classical music. Colligan has performed at festivals all over the world, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, Vancouver International Jazz Festival, and the Cancun Jazz Festival. In 2007, for the first time, he played trumpet with the trio Mr. Trumpet at the Festival of New Trumpet Music, which is held annually in New York City. Colligan taught at the Juilliard School. In September 2009, Colligan moved to Winnipeg, MB in Canada to teach at the Marcel A. Desautels faculty of music. He teaches jazz history, piano, drums, trumpet, and leads many different master classes. He will be the songwriter-in-residence at Aqua Books from February to March 2011.

http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/music/staff/347

.html http://www.georgecolligan.com/

Tami Cooper (flute) is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s Bachelor of Music program in flute performance, and also studied Jazz Performance at Grant MacEwan College. Tami started performing professionally with The Plumbers Union recorder quintet, and later co-founded and performed in the Goliard Duo with classical guitarist David Grainger Brown for 10 years, and the celtic folk band Sheela Na Gigh, which toured and produced two albums, “Knee Deep in Moon Shavings” and “Live By the Aire”. Tami also toured and recorded with David Wilke’s Cowboy Celtic, the chamber trio Mélange (soprano, flute and piano), and as a guest performer in several musical theatre and chamber music ensembles, theatre projects, film soundtracks, and CD projects. She loves teaching, and has taught flute students of all ages in her Edmonton studio since 1982, and recently trained as a Suzuki method flute teacher, starting children as young as age four on the flute. Currently her efforts are focused on teaching, on performing and recording with her group Celtara (www.celtara.ca), and as a side player with Keri Zwicker’s Harp Rouge Trio.

Quincy Davis (rhythm section – drums) As the Assistant-Professor of Jazz Drum-Set studies at the University of Manitoba, I am currently sharing my passion and knowledge of jazz with very talented and passionate students. There’s a lot of talent up here in Winnipeg and all I gotta say is, 'Watch out, because here comes Canada!'

Quincy Davis was born in 1977 in Grand Rapids, MI, into a musical family. Davis began his formal music study during his 11th grade year at a private arts high school called Interlochen Arts Academy (IAA). There he studied classical percussion as well as trap-set drumming. IAA is where he received his first experience playing jazz in a group setting. IAA proved to be an important contribution to Davis's future successes.

In 1995, Davis graduated from IAA and began college at Western Michigan University. It was here that he studied with drum master, Billy Hart. Along with learning more about the drums, Mr. Hart instilled in Davis a deep knowledge of the music, which has proven to be very beneficial to his career. For all 4 years, he was quite involved in various performing ensembles such as orchestra, band, as well as jazz combos and big band. Along with emerging as an excellent drummer, he emerged as a great composer. The combos he played with often played his compositions. At various collegiate jazz festivals, musicians such as Roy Haynes, Wallace Roney, Sir Roland Hanna, and Benny Green heard these compositions. Davis graduated in 1999 and substitute taught elementary and middle school music in the Grand Rapids area for one year before moving to New York City.

In the summer of 2000, Davis moved to New York City. Within a week of moving, he landed his first gig at a well known jam session spot, Cleopatra's Needle in Manhattan. He became their house drummer every Friday, which he did for over a year. His name spread quickly in the jazz community and within a couple of months, he had steady work. Within just his first year, he met and played with many great musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Frank Wess, Russell Malone, Eric Reed, Cyrus Chestnut, Paquito D'Rivera, Lew Tebakin, Marcus Printup, Warren Vache, Ron Blake, Jon Faddis, Stefon Harris, Peter Berstein, Roy Hargrove, Paula West, Nicholas Payton, New York Voices, Ryan Kisor, Regina Carter and Wessell Anderson.

In December 2000, he received a called to go on the road with trumpet master, Tom Harrell. Davis's first tour with Tom was in March of 2001. The band which includes Xavier Davis (pianist), Jimmy Greene (Tenor Sax), and Ugonna Okegwo (bass) recently recorded a live CD at the Village Vangaurd for RCA Victor. Along with Mr. Harrell, Davis has been working with the piano wizard Benny Green. Between the two bands, Davis has played in over 10 different countries and in many well known jazz clubs such as: The Village Vangaurd and The Blue Note in New York City; The Jazz Showcase in Chicago; Paris, New Morning Jazz Club; The Jazz Bakery, Yoshi, and Catalina Bar and Grill in California.

Davis's talents have clearly been recognized and admired by many and because of his humble spirit, great attitude, and deep knowledge and passion for the music, he will continue to move forward in the jazz scene. He is unquestionably a young and up-coming jazz talent with a great future ahead of him.

http://quincydavis.com/

http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/music/staff/350.html

Kimberly Denis (vocal), M.Mus. Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance (University of Alberta, 2007), B.Mus. (Mount Allison University, 2003), B. Comm. (Mount Allison University, 2003) is known for her energy and enthusiasm both on stage and off, and is sought after as both a soloist and as a vocal clinician for high school, community, church and children's choirs. Upon completion of both her commerce and music undergraduate degrees at Mount Allison University, she returned to Alberta where she completed a double masters degree in choral conducting and voice at the University of Alberta. Following her academic studies, she has conducted a wide variety of choral ensembles across the province and begun work in theatre, creating and directing a live vocal music score for Red Deer College's production of Romeo and Juliet and the world premier of Vern Thiessen's adaptation of Wuthering Heights.  She was also the music director and arranger for the 2010 production of the RDC Class Acts Cabaret and vocal coach for the 2009 Class Acts production.  She has won many accolades for her work as a soprano soloist and conductor including a nomination for 2010 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award and a research grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for her thesis work on regionalism and nationalism in Canada as portrayed through choral arrangements of Eastern Canadian folk songs. She is currently working on her second solo recording featuring original arrangements of the music of Joni Mitchell and Jann Arden.  She is often asked to write choral arrangements for choirs of all shapes and sizes and is currently published by Cypress Music and Augsburg Fortress.  She currently directs Shumayela with the Kokopelli Choir Association in Edmonton, and the Nota Bene Youth Choir and Red Deer Children's Choir in Red Deer. She is also currently the music director at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Edmonton, music editor for Themes and Variations Music Publishing, and the Program Coordinator for the Alberta Choral Federation.

Mary Fearon (french horn) Mary Fearon was born in Edmonton and has a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta. While living in Toronto she performed with many groups including the Canadian Opera Company, the Toronto Symphony, the Toronto Pops Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the York Brass.

Since returning to Edmonton in 1989 she has been a regular performer with the Edmonton Symphony, the Citadel Theatre, Alberta Baroque Ensemble and numerous chamber ensembles. She is a founding member of “Wind, Women and Song’, an eclectic chamber group who are recording a new children’s CD set for release in September 2009. As a soloist she has been heard in recital at Alberta College, All Saints' Anglican Church, Festival Place, and the McDougall at Noon concert series. Ms. Fearon has been a guest artist at "The Call of the Wild" Horn Festival in Cold Lake since it's inception in 1998. At the festival she has shared the stage as a soloist with Phillip Meyers from the New York Philharmonic, Richard Sebring from the Boston Pops, and Jeff Nelsen from the Canadian Brass. She has been heard on Our Music, CBC1, and performed in the Wednesday at Winspear series with Take Three Plus One.

Ms. Fearon has been the horn instructor at Alberta College since 1994. Her students regularly perform and are awarded scholarships in Contemporary Showcase, the Fall Music Festival,and Kiwanis Festival. Ms. Fearon has had five students qualify for Silver Medals with the Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music, signifying that they have achieved the highest mark for Winds and Brass in the prairie provinces. Mary is also in demand as a clinician and adjudicator. She enjoys gardening and cooking, and is married with three daughters, and an energetic Brittany Spaniel named Beau.

Melissa Goodchild(clarinet) came to Edmonton in 2008 from Ontario where she received her Master’s of Music in clarinet performance and Artist Diploma from the University of Western Ontario and Bachelor of Music from the University of Windsor. Throughout her studies she attended workshops and master classes lead by artists such as the Slowind quintet, Robert Riesling, Theodore Oien and Eddie Vanoosthuyse. Since moving to Edmonton she has performed in several ensembles and musicals. Currently she enjoys teaching privately at the Alberta College Conservatory of Music and works as a freelance musician.

Jimmy Greene (jazz improv – saxophone) A native of Hartford, CT, saxophonist, composer, and educator Jimmy Greene has emerged as a positive young force in the jazz world. Greene’s 8 solo recordings, including his latest, Live at Smalls (SmallsLive), have been met with much critical acclaim. In fact, Tony Hall of Jazzwise Magazine calls Greene “ . . .without doubt one of the most striking young tenors of recentyears.”

Greene, the composer, won the prestigious 2005 ASCAP / IAJE Commission, a 2004 Chamber Music America Grant, a 2005 Artist Fellowship in Music Composition by the State of Connecticut, and a 2009 Artist Fellowship by the Greater Hartford Arts Council. His quartet performs at the Village Vanguard, Smalls, and Smoke in New York, and has performed in festivals and jazz venues worldwide, including tour dates throughout the U.S., Italy, Russia, Israel, Canada, Brazil, and Uruguay. As a sideman, Greene appears on 70 recordings, and has toured the world and recorded with the bands of Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard,Tom Harrell, Harry Connick, Jr., Avishai Cohen, and Lewis Nash, among manyothers.

Currently, Greene is Assistant Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the University of Manitoba’s Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music, where he leads the Jazz Lab Orchestra and teaches jazz saxophone, arranging, and composition. He has also served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Purchase College (State University of New York), as Lecturer at the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the Hartt School (University of Hartford), and as Instructor at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts.

Greene was the First Runner-Up the 1996 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Saxophone Competition, and a 1997 Summa Cum Laude graduate of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the Hartt School / University of Hartford.

www.jimmygreene.com

http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/music/staff/345.html

Joel Gray (jazz improv) Joel Gray has spent 15 years as a freelance trumpet player and educator in Edmonton and its surrounding areas. Joel attended the music programs at MacEwan College and the University of Alberta. As a music educator, he teaches trumpet and brass at MacEwan College, Keyano College, the Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta, and directs the Littlebirds Bigband.

Joel is a regular performer with many local artists and ensembles, including the the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Edmonton Opera, the Tommy Banks Big Band, the New Orleans Connection, the Don Berner Sextet, the Urbanites, Trembita, Hot Cottage, and Capital Brass. He is a veteran in the orchestra pit, having performed many professional musical theatre productions at the Citadel Theatre, as well as in other venues. He has graced the stage alongside such greats as Tommy Banks, Kent Sangster, and P. J. Perry, to name a few.

Steve Kirby (bass) In the summer of 2003, Steve Kirby accepted the position as the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Manitoba. Since then, Steve has overseen a full-fledged rejuvenation of the jazz scene in Winnipeg. His ongoing activities include: artistic director of the Izzy Asper Jazz Performances, advisor to the TD Canada Trust Jazz Winnipeg Festival, director of the U of M Summer Jazz Camp, creator and editor of dig! Magazine and the creator and director of Jazz On Wheels, a mobile Jazz education performance group that takes the music to Winnipeg's inner city youth. He was the 2006 recipient of the Xerox Manitoba Jazz Educator of the Year Award. Steve also performs locally with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and his own critically acclaimed ensemble: The Oceanic Jazz Orchestra for which he composes and arranges all of the music.

In 2007, Steve recorded a CD entitled "Wicked Grin" with local guitarist Larry Roy. Professor Kirby is also featured on "Subtle Fire" a CD by the young up and coming pianist, Will Bonness, that was recorded in 2009.

Before coming to Winnipeg from New York, Professor Kirby established himself an enviable career as a double bass player, performing, recording, and touring with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Elvin Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Cyrus Chestnut, Abbey Lincoln, Steve Turre, James Carter, Stefon Harris, Joe Lovano, Kenny Barron, Kathleen battle and many others.

www.stevekirby.ca

http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/music/staff/kirby_steve.html

Beth Levia (oboe) holds a Bachelor of Music degree, with honour, from Michigan State University and a Master of Music degree in performance from McGill University. She is a frequent performer with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the Alberta Baroque Ensemble, and Edmonton Opera. She has also performed with the newly formed Ecclectica Ensemble of Edmonton, Calgary Opera, ProCoro, National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, Red Deer Symphony and the New Brunswick Symphony and is a founding member of the WindRose Trio. Ms Levia is former oboe instructor with McGill Conservatory of Music, Alberta College Conservatory of Music, and currently teaches at the University of Alberta, Red Deer college as well as maintaining a private studio.

Mark Maynor (percussion) received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in music performance from Baldwin Wallace College and the University of Akron. Further instruction included Richard Weiner, principal percussionist of the Cleveland Orchestra, John Soroka, principal percussionist of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and Michael Burritt from the Eastman School of Music. Mark attended the Leigh Howard Stevens Marimba Seminar and competed in the first Leigh Howard Stevens International Marimba Competition. Mark’s performing experience includes many years as a member of the Akron Symphony, Cleveland Chamber Symphony and the New Music Associates, a professional new music ensemble in residence at Cleveland State University. Mark has recorded with Telarc International and GM Recordings Inc.

In Ohio, Mark taught percussion lessons and directed the percussion ensemble at Ashland University, Malone College and he maintained a studio of 30-40 private students. In New York, Mark taught music classes at Nazareth College and Rochester Institute of Technology while performing with the Oratorio Society Orchestra and Mercury Opera. Since moving to Edmonton in July, Mark has performed with a wide variety of groups including the Royal Canadian Artillery Band and he teaches private lessons at Brandenburg Music.

Christopher Miller (low brass) a St. John’s, NL native, has played trombone/euphonium with the Royal Canadian Artillery Band since August of 2009. Chris has previously preformed with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de la Francophonie Canadienne and the Pittsburgh Opera. He holds a Master of Music from Memorial University (St. John’s, NL) in Instrumental Conducting, a Master of Music in Performance from Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) and a Bachelor of Music Education from Memorial.

Jennifer McMillan (assisting pianist) Òran and Kokopelli accompanist Jennifer Kinghorn McMillan is an active member of the Edmonton musical community. She is a graduate of the Music Composition and Piano Performance programs at MacEwan College and has since developed into a sought-after accompanist, composer and arranger, with particular interest in vocal jazz arranging. As an accompanist, she has played for Kokopelli, Òran, Shumayela, Brail Tones, Wagner High School, Victoria High School, Lindsay Thurber High School, Mascato Coastal Youth Choir from Namibia and most recently for a brand new musical, Wedlocked, at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre. Jennifer's choral arrangements and compositions have been heard across North America and have even reached audiences in Namibia and South Africa. As a vocalist, Jennifer lends her talents to the Òran Choir - of the Kokopelli Choir Association and 'Nuf Sed - of Today's Innovative Music Edmonton (TIME Association). This marks Jennifer's 10th year of involvement and membership in the Kokopelli Choir Association.

Diane Persson (bassoon) Diane Persson is a professional bassoonist, conductor, and music educator. A recipient of a Master of Music degree in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, in addition to a Bachelor of Science in Music Education, Ms. Persson has also studied in London, England with William Waterhouse and in Tel Aviv, Israel with Mordecai Rechtmann.

Ms. Persson is a frequent performer with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the New Edmonton Wind Sinfonia, and numerous chamber ensembles in Edmonton. As a music educator, Ms. Persson has worked with Edmonton Public Schools, Elk Island County, Kings' College, and Grant McEwan College, and is currently a sessional instructor at the University of Alberta. A clinician with Windworks, a past instructor at West Coast Amateur Music Festival, and Alberta Summer Music Workshops, Ms. Persson also adjudicates at music festivals throughout Alberta. As conductor of the Edmonton Philharmonic Orchestra Ms. Persson presents several concerts to the community throughout the season.

Ken Read (trombone) studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto. He is the founder of the Edmonton Trombone Studio, the Ritchie Trombone Choir (www.ritchietrombonechoir.com), and the Northern River Karate School (www.threebattles.com). Ken has performed with many Canadian orchestras, bands and chamber ensembles and he has premiered numerous new works written for him and his ensembles. He is recorded by CBC and Arktos Recordings.

Don Ross (clarinet) Clarinetist Don Ross is the leader of Saint Crispin’s Chamber Ensemble. Since 1994 the group has been broadcast frequently on CBC radio and has recordings on the Clef Records, Arktos and Eclectra labels. In the last while the group has appeared at New Music in New Places, New Works Calgary, Wednesdays at Winspear and CBC’s Canada Live. Recently Don appeared as the Wolf in the ESO/ Magic Circle Mime Company’s Peter and the Wolf, played with a hurdy-gurdy at North Country Fair, improvised with the Edmonton Art Ensemble and produced the multimedia End of time project. In January he appeared with dancer Eryn Tempest in Saint Crispin’s at Amber’s Brewery. Don also appears regularly as a soloist and orchestra player, most recently with the Edmonton and Prince George Symphonies and the Edmonton Opera. He is at the forefront of the Edmonton new music scene and is a frequent collaborator with Mile Zero Dance, the Edmonton Composers’ Concert Society and the Boreal Electroacoustic Music Society. He is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre.

Don teaches at Alberta College Conservatory and The King’s University College and he is much in demand as a clinician, adjudicator, conductor and composer. He holds music degrees from the Universities of Alberta and Toronto, as well as a Master’s from Northwestern University in Chicago.

Sylvia Shadick-Taylor (assisting pianist) Edmonton pianist Sylvia Shadick-Taylor is known for her diverse talents. She excels as a soloist, yet is equally comfortable as a chamber musician, accompanist and teacher. As a soloist Sylvia has a strong interest in contemporary music. Premiering many Canadian and American works, she has performed in Canada and the United States, including her highly successful New York concert debut in 1997.

Ms. Shadick-Taylor has also performed as a chamber musician with many ensembles. Recent performances include concerts in Canada, Thailand, Germany, France, Japan, and a performance at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in New York City with Hungarian violinist Nándor Szederkényi. A popular accompanist, she adeptly spans opera classics to demanding contemporary concert repertoire, and her work can frequently be heard on CBC Radio. A respected name in the musical community, Sylvia works as a private teacher, vocal coach, adjudicator and clinician, and has worked for the University of Alberta, Edmonton Opera, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Alberta College and Pro Coro Canada.

Sylvia has released three CDs on the Arktos label: Caprice; Intimate Impressions (winner of the 2000 Alberta Recording Industry Award for Best Classical Artist); and At Your Service, which focuses on the art of accompanying. She can also be heard on several other CDs, including Northern Arch, soundland alberta and Lucidae.

Kathleen Skinner (vocal) Kokopelli Choir Association's executive director Kathleen Skinner, B.Mus. (University of British Columbia, 2003), M.Mus. Choral Conducting (University of Alberta, 2005), is the conductor of the Oran Choir. Prior to finishing her post-secondary education, Kathleen spent two years as the assistant conductor of the U of A Madrigal Singers under the direction of Dr. Leonard Ratzlaff. Kathleen was the music director at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church until recently, where she led two adult choirs and a children’s choir. Now Kathleen is pleased to be taking on a new role as the executive director for the Kokopelli Choir Association. An emerging conductor and composer on the Alberta choral scene, Kathleen has been engaged as a clinician and vocal coach for high school and youth groups around B.C. and Alberta. Her compositions have been published and performed widely in North America.

Dorothy Speers (flute) received her Bachelor of Music in Performance from Queen’s University and her Master’s of Music degree in Performance from the University of Alberta. She was the recipient of the Beryl Barnes Scholarship for Excellence in Performance from the University of Alberta and was the recipient of the prestigious Kingston Symphony Scholarship while in attendance at Queen’s. Dorothy has studied and performed in masterclasses with Aurele Nicolet, William Bennett, Louis Moyse, Julius Baker, James Walker and Camille Churchfield. She has performed with the Kingston Symphony, Aspen Festival Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony, Alberta Baroque Ensemble, Edmonton Wind Sinfonia, many musical theatre productions, and in numerous small ensembles. In addition to being on staff at Grant McEwan College, Dorothy has a large private flute studio. Dorothy is in constant demand as a solo performer and is a member of the trio Terzetto. She remains busy as an adjudicator and clinician throughout western Canada and has toured extensively in France, Germany and Italy over the past ten years.

Dr. Charles Stolte (saxophone) Described by Classical Music magazine as a musician of “dazzling commitment and versatility,” Charles Stolte enjoys a career as a saxophonist and composer that takes him throughout the world. Glowing reviews in the Chicago Tribune laud him as a “talented performer with glossy technique and bluesy charm,” and he enjoys frequent support from the Canadian provincial and national governments for his composition projects and performance tours. CBC radio has broadcast his performances and compositions nationally and he and his music enjoy performances across North America and in Europe. He can be heard on a variety of recordings as a saxophone soloist, in the Stolte/Segger Duo with pianist Joachim Segger, as alto saxophonist with the Edmonton Saxophone Quartet and as a member of Ensemble Mujirushi, Edmonton’s “New Music Supergroup” (Edmonton Journal). Dr. Stolte is Associate Professor of Saxophone, Music Theory and Composition at The King's University College in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and Instructor of Saxophone at Grant Macewan Alberta College Conservatory of Music. He has served on the faculties of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Roosevelt University and the University of Alberta and his teachers include William H. Street and M. William Karlins. He holds a Doctor of Music degree in Saxophone Performance from Northwestern University, where he was the first Canadian accepted to the doctoral program in saxophone performance with renowned saxophonist Frederick L. Hemke.

Brian Thurgood (percussion), B. Mus., M. Ed. (Jazz Studies), obtained his Master of Music Education degree from the University of Victoria, BC and his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Alberta after which studied at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA. He has been a member of Edmonton Symphony Orchestra since l977 and on the faculty of MacEwan since 1981. Brian proudly endorses drums made by EPEK Percussion. Their webpage is www.epekpercussion.com

Russell Whitehead (trumpet) has been a featured soloist with the Edmonton, Saskatoon and Red Deer Symphonies, the Edmonton Cantando Band Festival, the Edmonton Wind Sinfonia, Alberta Baroque Ensemble and recorded solo and chamber concerts for CBC radio. Presently, he plays with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Flux (a free improvisation group) and the Capital Brass, and teaches at the University of Alberta, King's College University and through his home. He recently released his debut CD entitled, Prairie Scene, in the fall of 2006.