Nickel, Christopher
BMus 2001

After Graduating from UBC, Nickel studied film scoring in New York and LA. Christopher has worked on productions for clients that include the Sci-Fi Channel, Alliance Atlantis Television, YTV, Lifetime, NBC, the National Film Board of Canada, Teletoon, Cinetel, HGTV, Telefilm Canada, Animal Planet, Vision TV, TLC, the Discovery Channel, and the History Channel. His awards include the 2004 Gold Metal for Best Action Score at the Park City Film Music Festival, the 2002 Golden Key International Performing Arts Award for Musical Composition, two 2009 JPF awards for “Best Contemporary Classical Album” as well as “Best Contemporary Classical Song”, and four Leo Award nominations in the category of Best Score – Feature Length Drama. For the past two years, Christopher has also composed music for the Vancouver Canucks’ Canuck Place PSAs featuring Roberto Luongo. Recently completed scores include Transparency starring Lou Diamond Phillips and Estella Warren, and Virtual Lies for Lifetime.

Christopher is the author of numerous concert works that have been performed by many ensembles which include the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Champagne-Urbana Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, College Light Opera Orchestra, Vancouver Youth Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Fraser Valley Symphony, North Shore Sinfonia, Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble, West Coast Symphony, as well as many other university, youth and semi-professional and professional orchestras and concert bands.

Official Website: www.christophernickel.com

Nickel, Larry
BMus 1977, DMA 2007 (Composition)

Dr. Larry Nickel, an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre, is an active choral specialist and festival adjudicator. Larry sings bass in the Vancouver Chamber Choir and was appointed in 2011 to be the director of the Jubilate! Chamber Choir. Larry owns and operates Cypress Choral Music (coediting with Diane Loomer), which specializes in promoting the work of Canadian choral composers. Requiem for Peace, his doctoral thesis, is an extensive work for chorus and symphony orchestra in 12 languages will receive a seventh presentation August 2012 by Europa Cantat XVIII in Torino, Italy.

Nielsen, Wendy
MMus 1987

Nielsen made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1996. In the 2010-2011 season hears Ms. Nielson sing the title roles in Manitoba Opera’s Tosca and Pacific Opera Victoria’s Vanessa, as well as Vitellia in Vancouver Opera’s La Clemenza di Tito.

Oh, Gina
BMus 1998

In the 2005/6 season, Ms. Oh was a member of the Vancouver Opera OIS Touring Ensemble where she débuted the world premiere of the role Obasan in the newly commissioned opera based on Joy Kogawa’s book, Naomi’s Road. Performing the role 170 times, she has recently received the Joe Boxer Memorial Award with a career development scholarship as most promising artist from Vancouver Opera.

Ms. Oh completed her doctoral studies at l’Université de Montréal where she succeeded her studies in French and was recognized there with the Cedric Ferguson Award. Ms. Oh holds a Master’s degree from the New England Conservatory in Boston she also possesses a valued Bachelor’s degree from her hometown at the University of British Columbia, Canada.

Gina was a finalist for the Vancouver Star Search produced by the Mount Saint Joseph Foundation. As well, Gina was a quarter-finalist on Bravo’s reality TV show called Bathroom Divas produced by Kaleidoscope. Her personal story has been televised and released on BCTV, TVKOREA and the Multicultural Network. Last year, Gina was a Professor of Voice at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York, Potsdam where she held a private studio, taught class voice and lectured on breathing practices, vocal health and nutrition.

Gina now sits on the board for the Pacific Rim Initiative with Vancouver Opera co-producing a concert series showcasing and diversifying talent from the multi-cultures in Canada. Gina’s upcoming projects also include co-producing Two Divas are Better than One and touring with her New York chamber ensemble The Calliope Trio.

Olive, Derek
BMus 2003

In May 2007, Johnny Eden and Derek Olive began their cross-Canada MUSICYCLE tour in Powell River, BC, in an effort to undertake music touring in an environmentally friendly way. The tour aimed to highlight the possibilities for merging music touring with sustainable transportation as well as to encourage healthy living. The tour will concluded in Halifax, Nova Scotia in September 2007, and passed through numerous small towns and major cities along the way, including Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Barrie, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec and Halifax.

Oliver, John
BMus 1982

Vancouver-born John Oliver went on to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied guitar with George Sakellariou and also studied voice, piano and composition. His first composition teacher, the American composer John Adams, encouraged him to continue composing. After obtaining music degrees in composition from UBC and McGill (D.Mus.), Oliver studied briefly with Belgian composer Philippe Boesmans and completed perception research in Paris. During 1988/89 Oliver won six prizes for his compositions, including the Grand Prize at the CBC Young Composers' Competition. Since then he has been commissioned to write music for leading Canadian ensembles (Vancouver Symphony, Canadian Opera Company, National Arts Centre Orchestra, St. Lawrence String Quartet and others), and his music has been performed in North America and Europe. He has been Composer-in-Residence at the Music in the Morning Concert Series, the Canadian Opera Company, and most recently at the Windsor Canadian Music Festival. Oliver also performs a special "immersive sound" event using special guitars whose sound he transforms by realtime computer processing.

Onwood, Michael
BMus 2004

Onwood was selected as one of six outstanding BC musicians featured on CBC Radio's "Debut Series" in August of 2005.

Osborne, Simone
DMPS 2009 (Diploma in Performance Studies)

Simone Osborne attended the Music Academy of the West and the UBC School of Music studying under Marilyn Horne and Nancy Hermiston respectively. Early opera credits include the title role in Mignon with the Music Academy of the West, Laeticia in The Old Maid and the Thief with Wexford Opera Festival, Nannetta in Falstaff with University of British Columbia Opera, and appeared as a guest soloist with the Prince George Symphony. Osborne is currently a member of the Canadian Opera Company (COC). [Canadian Opera website]

Osborne was the winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2008, Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition in 2008, International Czech and Slovak Voice Competition in 2007.

January 2011 Simone launched her own website

Parker, Liz
BMus 1992

Liz Parker is now a Toronto-based publicist specializing in classical musicians. She has vast experience promoting classical musicians and concerts to the media, and has also promoted jazz, world, and folk music. Crazy about makeovers, she ensures her clients look and feel great for their photo shoots; and yes, she offers clothes shopping as a service. She LOVES encouraging musicians to raise their game with their presentation off- stage, to match the magic they create on-stage.

After achieving the gold medal for the highest mark in Canada at age 15 from the Royal Conservatory of Toronto for piano performance, Liz received her Bachelor of Music from the University of British Columbia and literally talked her way through a Broadcast Radio diploma at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. After a radio career that included producing a talk show, interviewing musicians, cueing CBC’s Jurgen Gothe (who even looked up to be polite), everything clicked into place when she became a publicist. She then worked in orchestra publicity with the Toronto and Vancouver Symphonies, and also served for two years as Publicity Manager at the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall.

Parker, James
BMus 1985

James (Jamie) Parker is a Professor and Head of Keyboard Studies at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music where he also holds the Rupert E. Edwards Chair in Piano Performance. A soloist, collaborative pianist and chamber musician, Parker regularly tours internationally and has over a dozen CD recordings. He is a winner of three Juno Awards and a founding member of the Gryphon Trio, one of Canada's preeminent chamber music ensembles.

Parsons, Laurel
DMA 2003

Parsons received an appointment at the University of Oregon in 2005. Later Laurel Parsons held the position as Assistant Professor of Music Theory at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. Currently (2011), she is Co-ordinator of Humanities at Quest University Canada.

Pauls, Cheryl
MMus 1991, DMA 1997

Cheryl Pauls is Associate Professor of Piano and Music Theory at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where she has been teaching since 1994. Cheryl has been appointed incoming President of CMU. Before beginning this position on November 1, 2012 she will be recording the delightful recent piano music of Elliott Carter.

Paulson, Adrienne
BMus 2009

Since graduating from her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance at UBC in 2009, Adrienne has focused her efforts on changing the way classical music - especially vocal music - is viewed.  She has written and directed The Holocaust Project, Savage Parade and Clara/Clara with Song Drama Productions, which incorporate a theatrical setting with classical music. The 2011 premiere of Clara/Clara was heralded as a 'fascinating study' and 'a fine piece of musical theatre' by ReviewVancouver. She is passionate about the development of interdisciplinary art, and is currently on the board of directors for the Innovative Classical Performing Arts Society, which promotes emerging artists in taking on interdisciplinary endeavors. She also teaches voice and music theory rudiments in her private studio in Vancouver.  For more information about Song Drama Productions and Adrienne's current work, visit www.songdrama.com

Pay, David
BMus 1992

With Music on Main, David Pay introduces a new concept of concert-going in Vancouver with shorter the med concerts called One Night Stands and a bar before and after the performances. His season opened with a full house October 3rd celebrating the music of Steve Reich.

Pedersen, Annelisa
BMus 2000

Pedersen, who originally hails from Langley, B.C., is a classically trained trumpeter who studied at the University of British Columbia, the Vancouver Academy of Music, The Glenn Gould School in Toronto and The Banff Centre.

In 2005, she graduated from the arts administration and cultural management program at Toronto's Humber College. In November 2008, Pedersen was named as the new Executive Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Full article here.

In 2008, Pedersen was been named the new Executive Director with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Ms. Pedersen graduated from the Arts Administration & Cultural Management program at Humber College with the Academic Award of Excellence. Prior to joining the HPO, she served as General Manager with the Vancouver-based vocal ensemble, musica intima. As a trumpet player, Annelisa has performed with the Festivalensemble Stuttgart and the Schlesswig Holstein Musik Festival Orchestral Academy, and has studied at U.B.C., the Glenn Gould School, and the Banff Centre.

Pelletier, Jeff
Diploma in Artist Performance Studies 2010

In addition to being the flutist with the Vancouver Chamber Players and 2nd flute/piccolo with the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra as well as reserve flutist with the Vancouver Island Symphony, during the summer of 2010 flutist Jeff Pelletier won an audition with Winter Harp and performed a 15 concert tour with them throughout the BC lower mainland and as far away as Winnipeg for sold out crowds as large as 1,500. He'll be performing with Winter Harp at the International Harp Congress in Vancouver in July, 2011 and expanded touring in 2011.
 
Jeff's wind quintet Ventos, of which he is founder and artistic director, won an audition for the Vancouver Island Symphony Educational Concert Series.  Lastly, Jeff was named the first Canadian Pearl Flutes Performing Artist.
 

Philcox, Steven
BMus 1997

Pianist Steven Philcox (BMus '97) has quickly established himself as one of Canada’s finest collaborators and has performed with many renowned singers including Richard Margison, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Shannon Mercer, and Measha Brueggergosman. His performances consistently receive high praise and critical acclaim prompting Toronto’s The Globe and Mail to write “a superb piano partner...gorgeously accompanied.”

In July 2010 Philcox was appointed Assistant Professor, Head of Collaborative Piano at the University of Toronto. While in the performance program at UBC Steven studied with Alice Enns and credits Rena Sharon as his “collaborative inspiration”. In the summer of 2010 he was Head of Collaborative Program, Opera on the Avalon, St John's, Newfoundland and will be Head of the Singing Academy at the Center for Operatic Studies in Italy, Sulmona, Italy Summer 2011.

Kate Polsky
BMus 1990

If you asked Kate Polsky when she started making her living as a musician, she’d tell you that it started the day she wrote the following on a slip of paper:  “I will not limit the ways I am allowed to be a musician.”

Kate has enjoyed working in three very different sectors of the industry: performance, administration, and teaching. As a performing musician, Kate has sung and played in venues from the Orpheum to BC Place to the Commodore Ballroom and beyond. Administratively speaking, her past clients include Jane Siberry (also known as Issa), Musicfest Vancouver, and Music BC, eventually becoming its Executive Director (1999-2001). As well, she has taught primarily at the secondary school level in both the private and public sectors.

Popoff, Tanya
BMus 1987

Popoff is in the University of Pennsylvania residence string quartet Cassatt.

Pritchard, Barbara
BMus 1983

Barbara Pritchard has been active as a freelance pianist in Halifax for about 10 years now. Her most recent solo recital, Reflections on the Christ Child, took place  November, 2007. The program was made up of music by Messiaen and Crumb as well as five brand new pieces by Maritime composers, including works by UBC alumni Ian Crutchley, Linda George-Wegner and Peter Togni. This program was broadcast twice on the CBC Radio 2 program, The Signal. Barbara is preparing to record her second solo CD for Centrediscs: music by Jerome Blais, Ian Crutchley, Anthony Genge, Richard Gibson and Clark Ross. She is also working towards performances (Autumn '08) of Messiaen's Vision de l'Amen with David Rogosin (Mt. Alison University), yet another UBC alumnus.

Rigden, Suzanne
MMus 2009

Suzanne Rigden, (MMUS 2009) is originally from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, completed her Masters of Music in Opera Performance from University of British Columbia, Vancouver, under the tutelage of professor Nancy Hermiston. September 2009, she took a position with Atelier lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal, where her roles on the main stage have included "First Spirit" and cover for "Queen of the Night" in the Magic Flute and "Shepherd Boy" in Tosca. 

Suzanne is currently with l'opéra de Montréal, and was chosen to sing a lead role (Sophie) In Werther for the upcoming season! Werther is a romantic drama based on a story written by one of the fathers of Romanticism, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. An opportunity to re-discover Massenet’s masterpiece in its rare version for baritone. For more information on this opera visit their website: www.operademontreal.com

Suzanne will be performing with Chants Libres, a contemporary Opera Company in Montréal in May 2011. She was a finalist in the prestigious George London Competition in New York in March 2010.

For more information about Suzanne Ridgen, visit her website: www.suzannerigden.com

Robertson, Lesley
BMus 1987

Lesley Robertson Violist Lesley Robertson has been an artist in residence at Stanford University since 1998, where she is a lecturer in viola. She holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of British Columbia, a Master of Music from The Juilliard School, and is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Lesley was born in Edmonton. In 1989, she became one of the founding members of the St. Lawrence String Quartet.

Roeck, Karen
BMus 2006

Karen is the director of the Richmond Youth Honour Choir. She led the group at the 2005 Learning and the Brain Conference.

Ryan, Lance
BMus 1994

In the summer of 2010, heldentenor Lance Ryan was Siegfried in Wagner's Ring Cycle at Bayreuth. December 2010 Lance returned to Vancouver to give performances in his hometown of White Rock and benefit performances at both Douglas College and UBC. Proceeds of the UBC concert benefit the UBC David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund.

Sat, Ronald
BMus 1992

Sat accepted a teaching position at the University of Texas Pan American Edinburgh, TX in 2005.

Schulz, Joanna
MMus 2002

A few years after completing her Master's degree Schulz took the position of 3rd horn in the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand.  With a lot of experience and homesickness she came back to Vancouver where she freelanced and became Principal Horn of the Vancouver Island Symphony. This fall (2009) Schulz became the new horn player with the Foothills Brass Quintet.

More about the Foothills Brass Quintet can be found on their website: www.foothillsbrass.com.

Seaton, Gwen
BMus 2004

After graduating from UBC in 2004, Gwen Seaton won the position of Acting Principal Bassoon with the Vancouver Opera for that Fall. She was accepted to the Rice University MMus program in 2006 to study with Benjamin Kamins. At the end of her first year at Rice, Seaton won Second Bassoon with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and held the position from 2007-2008 before returning to finish her degree at Rice. Most recently, Seaton won Second Bassoon with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, a position that will started in September 2009. Seaton went to the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA (Summers 2007, 2008) and won the 2007 Concerto Competition there. Seaton will perform with the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra at Rice in 2010 as a winner of their 2009 Concerto Competition.

Shimokawa, Reiko
DMPS 2005

Reiko Shimokawa ne'e (Nakatsukasa) is a recipient of numerous awards including 2nd prize at the 8th Pacific Piano competition in Canada (2002) and Musical Activity Award from Yamaha Music Foundation in Japan (2001). Her concert appearances include the 'Debut' series broadcast on CBC Radio 2 (2001), concerto with the Budapest Concert Orchestra in Hungary (1999) and piano trio at Mendelssohn Haus, Leipzig in Germany (2011). She completed her master's degree at UVic in 2001 and her Diploma in Music Performance at UBC in 2004 under the guidance of Dr. Sara Davis Buechner for piano and Doreen Oke for harpsichord. She also studied with renowned teachers including Ronan Magill, Lee Kum-Sing and Paul Roberts. She taught at Oakridge Music Studio in Vancouver (2005-2006), and Music Academy Tokyo (2007-2011). Reiko has released two CDs in Japan, entitled In Earth's Many Colored Dream and Tunes of Clowns.

Siemens, Rosemary
BMus 2000

Siemens premiered at New York's Carnegie Hall in 2005.

Smithson, Karen (Weisgarber)
MMus 2003

On October 17, 2007 Karen was heard on public radio WDAV in Davidson, North Carolina playing her late father Elliot Weisgarber's Miyako Sketches for flute and piano from the Canadian Music Centre's Coastal Waves CD. Anyone who attended the School of Music between 1960 and 1984 will remember Elliot's many contributions as a faculty member. Karen spends her days working hard transcribing his hundreds of compositions into computerized format for inclusion in the Canadian Music Centre's collection. During October WDAV also broadcast Elliot Weisgarber's Sonatine for flute, clarinet and piano performed by the Aulos Trio.

Snizek, Suzanne
DMA 2011

Suzanne Snizek is a full time Visiting Assistant Professor in Music at University of Victoria, where I am teaching both flute and coaching chamber music. In November 2011 she presented a paper at the international/interdisciplinary conference ''Captivité de guerre au XXe siècle," hosted by the Ecole Militaire in conjunction with the Invalides, Institut d'Histoire de Temps Présent and the London School of Economics. Her paper focussed on Hans Gál and his Huyton Suite trio, which he wrote while he was interned as an 'enemy alien' in Britain in 1940. Snizek was also the featured performer the conference, and performed the Huyton Suite trio (with two Parisian based violinists) at the conclusion of the conference.

In March 2012 her contributed chapter to Creativity behind Barbed Wire will be published by Routledge of New York. This chapter deals with music making in two British internment camps during WWII, which included interned composers Franz Reizenstein and Hans Gál and the classical musicians who performed their works in these camps.

Steenhuisen, Paul
DMA 1998

Steenhuisen was awarded the Governor General of Canada Gold Medal in 1990 for his Master's Thesis. His music has received many awards, including awards in all three categories of the CBC's 1992 competition for Young Composers. He was appointed to the faculty of Music at the University of Alberta in 2003.

Stemper, Frank BMus 1975

The music of composer Frank Stemper has been performed extensively across North America and in 14 additional countries.  Recent premieres at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and similar venues, have highlighted a career that spans over 30 years.  He has been Guest Composer with many professional ensembles and for scores of international music festivals. Among his numerous accolades are the George Ladd Prix de Paris, a Pulitzer nomination, and most recently the New York Virtuoso Singers Competition.  He has received to date nearly 40 commissions for new works from foundations and ensembles.
His activities has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), ASCAP, Meet the Composer, MTC – Global Connections, The American Music Center, The Rockefeller Fund for Music, and the State Arts Councils of Illinois, California and New York, and the governments of Mexico, The Netherlands, Austria, Romania, and Spain.  Recently his 60th birthday was celebrated with a concert of his music featuring the Altgeld Chamber Players and Lucy Shelton, produced by the St. Louis New Music Circle. His music is available from various publishers and commercial recording labels.
He and his wife, Nancy, raised FIVE kids and currently live in Southern Illinois.

www.frankstemper.com

Stride, Fred
B.Mus 1976

Fred Stride has been an active professional musician in Vancouver, Canada for more than 30 years. A graduate of the UBC School of Music, Fred also studied in Los Angeles with Dick Grove at the Dick Grove Music Workshops. On his return to Vancouver Fred began his career in earnest, playing trumpet and arranging for various projects and ensembles. His skills soon brought him in contact with many prominent Vancouver band leaders including Bob Hales and Dave Robbins. Fred also spent about 10 years working with Tommy Banks on various television and theatre projects in both BC and Alberta, including the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Website with more about Fred Stride

Switzer, Erika
MMus 2000

Collaborative pianist Erika Switzer was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2010/2011, Ms. Switzer performs for Frick Collection and Joy in Singing debuts in New York, and for Montrea'ls Turp recital Society anad Prairie Debut tour in Canada. She is a founding faculty member of the Vancovuer International Song Institute and co-hosts a podcast "Sparks and Wiry Cries" with soprano Martha Guth. Erika Switzer won First Prize for best pianist at the Wigmore Hall International Song Competition and the Best Pianist awrd at the Robert Schumann International Vocal Competition. Following seven years in Germany, Ms. Switzer is currently based in New York City where she is a C.V. Starr Doctoral Fellow and student of Margo Garrett at the Juilliard School of Music. 

Sykes, Kimball
BMus (clarinet)

Kimball Sykes joined the National Arts Centre Orchestra as principal clarinet in 1985. Mr. Sykes has performed as a soloist with the NAC Orchestra on numerous occasions. In May 2000, he gave the premiere performance of Vagues Immobiles, a clarinet concerto by Alain Perron commissioned for him by the NAC, and in November 2002, he performs the Copland Clarinet Concerto, both conducted by Pinchas Zukerman. Other groups he has appeared as a soloist with include Thirteen Stings, the Honolulu Symphony and the Auckland Philharmionia. Additional information about Kimball Sykes can be found at the National Arts Centre website.

Toyne, Jeff
MMus 1999

Vancouver composer Jeff Toyne is one of eight musicians selected from across Canada to write new film music for the Victoria Symphony’s Reel Music 2 project. Part of the symphony’s Odyssey Series, Reel Music 2 pairs live orchestral performances of original film music with big screen video projections.

Jeff Toyne returned to Vancouver in 2004, having spent several years in Los Angeles as a composer and orchestrator for film and television. His quickly expanding credits list includes composition or orchestration work on over 50 films, including 2 Academy Award nominees.

Jeff was commissioned by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra to write new works that would premiere during the VSO's 2005/2006 Musically Speaking series. He is one of the five composers selected by the orchestra as part of the Olympic Commissioning Project to create a new three minute piece celebrating the upcoming XXI Winter Olympic Games (Vancouver 2010).

Trotter, John William
BMus 1998

Trotter had already accumulated several years of experience as a music director when in 2005 he was awarded a full scholarship to the graduate conducting program at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), the top ranked program in the United States. In 2006 he was selected as one of ten emerging conductors from around the world, and the only Canadian, to conduct the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, Ars Nova Copenhagen, and the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra as part of the Eric Ericson International Master Class on Choral and Orchestral Conducting. In 2007, while still a Masters student, he was awarded second prize overall among more than 70 Masters and Doctoral- level conductors in the Graduate Division of the American Choral Directors Association Student Conducting Competition. In 2008, he was awarded the highest value individual grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, and conducted in concerts with Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra and Chorus. He went on to complete his Doctorate in less than two years, assuming a new position as Assistant Conductor of the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Canada’s outstanding professional choir, in 2009.

In his first season, Trotter’s work with the Choir is extensive including conducting the ensemble in over a dozen performances in Canada, Taiwan, and Japan. He is also the founding director of a new ensemble within the organization (the Pacifica Singers), has developed the Choir’s first-ever series of pre-concert talks, and enjoys significant involvement in outreach, education, and audience development.

For more information on his work with choirs and orchestras, institutions and individuals, visit www.johnwilliamtrotter.com.

Truax, Barry
MMus 1971

Truax is a professor in both the School of Communications and the School of Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University. He has worked with the World Soundscape Project and has composed many pieces with the PODX computer music system.

Vanaelst, Charis
BMus 2002

Vanaelst sung with the Australian Opera Company in 2005. Continuing in 2006, Charis sings the role of Pamina in Opera Australia's 50-minute touring production of Mozart's The Magic Flute in primary schools. Charis is also now a member of the Victorian Opera Chorus.

Vance, Bryan
BMus 2001

Completed an MMus at the University of Calgary in 2006 after a three year term with Carnival Cruise Lines as a saxophonist and bandleader. Was appointed Instructor of Saxophone at the University of Lethbridge in 2006 and also play saxophone and woodwinds with the Prime Time Big Band, one of Canada's top jazz bands.

Vandertol, Janet

Vandertol won the local Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition in 2002.

Walsh, Eileen
BMus 2003

Second Clarinet and Bass Clarinet with Symphony Nova Scotia since October 2007. Formerly the associate principal and E-flat clarinet with the South Bend Symphony; M. Mus and PD from Indiana University ('05, '06).

Walters, Fraser
BMus 2003

Walters tours Europe, Asia, and North America with the Chanticleer Choir. He will also perform in the Toronto production of Lord of the Rings.

Ay-Laung (Ellen) Wang
MMus 1995

Ay-LaungWang,Organist at First Baptist Church in Vancouver. Ellen is performing often and a part-time faculty member at Trinity Western University.
www.aylaungwang.com

Welsh, Justin
MMus 2004

Welsh joined the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble in 2005.

Wilson, Karen
BMus 1974

Wilson was the project and recording producer of the CBC Orchestra that won the 2002 West Coast Music Award. She has also produced many CDs which have received, Grammy and Juno awards.

Wong, Debi
BMus 2008

Mezzo Soprano, Debi Wong, graduated from the UBC School of Music in 2008 with a B.Mus in voice performance.  After UBC she went on to study at the Yale School of Music and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, graduating in 2010 with her MMus.  As of October 2011, Debi is a doctoral candidate at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, where she is conducting a study on performance practices and interdisciplinary approaches to music performance.
On top of her studies and academic work, Debi has been an active performer in North America and in Europe.  Highlights of her past season include: a guest appearance with Montreal’s Les Voix Baroques at MusicFest and the Early Music Vancouver Summer Festival, as well as the role of Venere in Pacific Opera Works’ (Seattle) production of Monteverdi’s Il Ballo delle Ingrate.  She has also been an active recitalist, performing on the Silk Purse recital series (West Vancouver) with UBC alumna, Margit Juhasz, as well as on the Malmikirkko afternoon series (Helsinki) with her lutenist Solmund Nystabakk.  Last June, Debi and UBC alumnus, Christopher Bagan debuted “The Complaint of a Forsaken Lover”, an innovative recital featuring ballads and songs from the 17th century.
For current news and upcoming events, please visit: www.debiwong.com

Wong, Kemuel
BMus 2008, MMus 2010

Kemuel Wong was born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver. He holds a M.Mus in Choral Conducting and a B.Mus in General Studies: Secondary Education from the University of British Columbia School of Music. He studied conducting from Bruce Dunn, John van Deursen, Wayne Toews, the late professor Morihiro Okabe, Kenneth Hsieh, Bruce Pullan, and Dr. Graeme Langager. Kemuel has conducted ensembles such as the UBC Women's Choir, UBC Chamber Choir, Choral Union, University Singers, Gilbert and Sullivan Society of UBC, Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, North Shore Light Opera Society, and the Folsom Singers. Kemuel plays the piano, violin, and Guzheng, the Chinese zither.
Kemuel is an Artist-in-Residence at St. Patrick's Regional Secondary School since February 2011. Kemuel was appointed Assistant Conductor of Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra in September 2010 and the Vancouver Bach Choir in July 2011.
In addition to conducting and teaching, Kemuel also works in arts production. Kemuel was the Production Assistant for the UBC School of Music Production Team from 2006-2010. Since June 2008, Kemuel has also been involved with the Vancouver International Song Institute and the SongFire Festival of Song, serving as Production Manager from 2010 onward.

Wong, Lucas
BMus 2004

Lucas Wong is a graduate of both University of British Columbia (B. Mus) and Yale School of Music (M.M., M.M.A, D.M.A).  He made his Canadian solo debut at the Canadian Broadcasting Company in Vancouver, and Chinese solo debut at the University of Hong Kong. As a chamber musician, Wong was a featured artist alongside with violinist Soovin Kim and bassoonist Frank Morelli at the Banff Centre.  Wong was invited to perform the Shanghai premiere of Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn at the Sixth International Piano Academy.  He appeared in James Levine’s vocal masterclass under the auspice of the Marilyn Horne Foundation in Carnegie Hall.  As a repetiteur, Wong attended the Music Academy of the West and worked closely with William Bolcom in the west coast premiere of A Wedding.  He is on the faculty of SongFest at Pepperdine, and on staff at the Yale Opera and the Opera Theater of Connecticut.  He will serve as the official accompanist for the 2012 Metropolitan Opera Council District Auditions in Connecticut.  Wong was recently nominated by William Bolcom as a finalist for the prestigious Lili Boulanger Prize.  Other top achievements are the Piano Encouragement Award at the Marilyn Horne Foundation Vocal Competition, the Yale School of Music Alumni Association Prize, UBC Concerto Competition, the Vancouver Foundation Award, and Début Young Artists Competition in Canada.  He has given masterclasses at Xinghai Conservatory, British Columbia Conservatory of Music, and Shanghai Conservatory.  He has been a guest lecturer on Debussy at the Juilliard School.  He is a regular adjudicator at the Young Musicians Festival at Fairfield University.  www.lucaswongpiano.com

Yanagitani, Ryosuke (Ryo)
BMus 2000

In 2000, Yanagitani was the recipient of the 2000 Honens prize for Artist of Special Promise. He won the 2003 Honens International Piano Competition for best performance of the commissioned work. Yanagitani also won the Frank Spedding Memorial Prize at the Scottish International Piano Competition in 2004. He performed in January of 2004 with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. Yanagitani won third place and the twentieth century prize at the 2005 Hilton Head International Piano Competition. Ryo was appointed  to a one year position as Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Yeh Strauss, Cynthia
BMus 1999

Cynthia Yeh Strauss joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as principal percussionist in June 2007. She previously served as principal percussionist for the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, from 2004 to 2007.

An active chamber musician, Ms. Strauss was a member of the Battery Four Percussion Group, known for its stylistic diversity and dedication to new music. She has also been featured in the West Coast Performance Series of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 

Yu, Emily
BMus 2003

Yu was awarded Vancouver Foundation's Advanced Arts Study Award in 2004.

Zaenker, Peter
BMus 1995

Peter Zaenker received his bachelors of guitar performance in 1995 under Michael Strutt.   During his studies at UBC he also completed his A.R.C.T in guitar performance and was a top prizewinner at the Northwest guitar festival held at Western Washington University.   From 1995 to 2005 he lived in Cologne Germany, completed 2 diplomas from the Cologne Musikhochschule (studying under Roberto Aussel and Hubert Kaeppel) as well as participated in international master classes with over 20 of today’s prominent guitar performers.   Upon returning to Vancouver he has performed as a soloist with orchestra, most recently as guitar soloist with “Final Fantasy: Distant worlds” at the Orpheum Theater with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra.   He currently teaches guitar, choir, and band at New Westminster Secondary and is busy locally as a freelance musician and adjudicator.

Zakresky, Kevin
BMus 2004, MMus 2006

Chor Leoni Men's Choir appointed Kevin Zakresky as Assistant Director. Kevin was born in Saskatchewan and grew up in northern BC, then came to Vancouver for studies at UBC. Kevin's return to Vancouver summer 2010 to work with Chor Leoni comes after graduating from the MMA program in Choral Conducting at Yale University.

Zakresky also spent two weeks in the summer of 2010 in Bosnia sponsored by "Musicians without Borders". He is involved with plans for a choral festival in 2012 in the little Bosnian town of Bugojno. The festival, called "Festivale Javorov List" or "Maple Leaf  Festival", wil be a venue for Canadian and Bosnian choirs to share their traditional choral music with one another. It will also serve as a meeting point of the three distinct cultures in Bosnian society: Muslim, Croat and Serb.