Place des Arts relies on our passionate staff, board and teachers who bring their unique experiences to enhance our facility and programming. Find out more about our team below.
Join us on May 24 for a concert and visual arts activity - just for adults! Find out More
Joan McCauley, Executive Director
T: 604.664.1636 ext 35 | jmccauley@placedesarts.ca
Bali Singh, Facilities & Administrative Coordinator
T: 604.664.1636 ext 37 | bsingh@placedesarts.ca
Fatemeh Ghayedi, Facilities & Technology Assistant , Rentals
T: 604.664.1636 ext 30 | techassistant@placedesarts.ca
Vishakha Uppoor, Development Coordinator
T: 604.664.1636 ext 39 | development@placedesarts.ca
Christa Beese, Financial Coordinator
cbeese@placedesarts.ca
Lidia Kosznik, Artisan Shop Coordinator
T: 604.664.1636 ext 23 | lkosznik@placedesarts.ca
Tania Deisinger, Registration Coordinator/Financial Assistant
T: 604.664.1636 ext 29 | tdeisinger@placedesarts.ca
Aurora van Roon, Communications Coordinator
T: 604.664.1636 ext 36 |avanroon@placedesarts.ca
Susan Pereira, Marketing Assistant
T: 604.664.1636 ext 36 | mktgassistant@placedesarts.ca
Jessie Au, Program and Events Coordinator
T: 604.664.1636 ext 33 | jau@placedesarts.ca
Kim Correia, Fine and Performing Arts and Exhibitions Programmer
Ceramic Arts, Fibre Arts and Art Camps
T: 604.664.1636 ext 32 | kcorreia@placedesarts.ca
Scott Jeffrey, Fine and Performing Arts Programmer
Music and Home Learners
T: 604.664.1636 ext 38 | sjeffrey@placedesarts.ca
Marley Jordan, Fine and Performing Arts Programmer
Dance, Theatre, Fine Arts and Literary Arts
T: 604.664.1636 ext 34 | mjordan@placedesarts.ca
Lolu Oyedele, Events Assistant
T: 604.664.1636 ext 31 | eventsassistant@placedesarts.ca
Larrisa Chenosky, Program and Community Engagement Assistant
Place des Arts is a not-for-profit society governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Directors dedicate many volunteer hours to provide direction on policy, program and facility development.
Board contact email: board@placedesarts.ca
President: Matthew Sebastiani
Vice-President: Diane Tucker
Treasurer: Barb Hobson
Secretary: Rachel Mai
Director: Sarah Brito
Aouda Yen
Becky Ho
Christina Krystecki
Christina Neale
Derek Pang
Dina Kholina
Evan Bates
Florence Noh
Frank Bond
Garth Preston
Geeta Das
Genevieve MacKay
Herbert Tsang
Irina Jilina
Isaac Juarez-Flores
Jason Overy
Jess Breuer
Jimmy Baldwin
Joshua Dean
Karen Illman
Karen Wood
Katrina Gillis
Kimmie Xiong
Krista Pederson
Krystal Morrison
Maggie Van Wyk
Marjory Purdy
Marysia Niemczyk
Meredith Bates
Noel McRobbie
Rebecca Blair
Rita Attrot
Robin Chan
Rosie Carver
Ross Ling
Sabina Siverns
Sarab Shamoun
Stefan Nazarevich
Surim Cha
Yurgen Ilaender (Mr. I)
Aouda Yen
Piano and Flute
Aouda holds a Master of Education degree in Arts Education from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Performing Arts from Capilano University. She is a certified educator of RCM and a member of BC RMTA.
Two of her students were awarded the Gold Medal in Grade 7 Piano from the RCM for the highest exam mark achieved in BC and the Medal in Grade 2 Piano from the BC RMTA Vancouver branch for excellent achievement, respectively.
Her teaching philosophy is to provide a safe and welcoming environment for students to explore, learn and grow.
Becky Ho
Music for Young Children® (MYC)
Miss Becky has an ARCT in Piano Performance, Certificate of Teaching (Music) from The Associated Board of The Royal Schools of Music, U.K. in 2008. From 2007-2019 she was the head teacher of a music program at Tom Lee Music Academy in Hong Kong. She was also one of the program planners and song writers responsible for new teachers’ training for the related program. From August 2002- March 2007, she served as a private piano teacher and course instructor at Salina Cheng Music Academy. She also taught group lessons for early beginners, in a program named “Music for Little Mozarts”. Besides teaching at the academy, Miss Becky taught group courses at Simon Fraser University Day Care Units. During those years, she had instructed over 40 piano students.
Miss Becky has more than 20 years experience in early childhood music education. She has excellent communication and interpersonal skills. She has good command in spoken and written English, Cantonese and Mandarin.
One of her piano students just awarded the Bronze medal in Grade 4 Piano at Steinway Piano Competition 2021.
Her teaching philosophy is to provide the flexibility of teaching. Every student is a unique individual so better listen to what they want and what they like. And hoping every student will bring a smile to her music class.
Christina Krystecki
Piano
Christina received a master’s degree in teaching and composition from the Academy of Music in Gdansk, Poland. Her work experience in Poland includes performing and travelling with the Gdansk Philharmonic Opera.
Christina has been a music director and organist for several churches in Vancouver and is a Royal Conservatory of Music Affiliate Teacher. She is a founder, leader, producer, actor and singer of the Polish Cabaret: “Kropka nad i . . . .”
Christina regularly prepares students for music festival and RCM exams. She teaches a variety of styles, from classical to jazz. An active performer, accompanist and soloist, Christina constantly searches for new ways to nurture her students’ artistic development and is passionate about sharing her experience. She also never forgets to have fun and that progress takes time and requires patience.
Christina Neale
Music and Movement
Christina is a proud Metis woman exploring her maternal lineage. Music has always been a passion of Christina’s and she has been making sounds and using melody to communicate for as long as she can remember.
Christina was raised in Coquitlam, BC and was involved in various extra-curricular activities such as choirs, musical theatre and figure skating. She attended the Langley Fine Arts School, which sparked her interest in continuing her education in music at the University of British Columbia. Christina graduated with a degree in Anthropology and worked as a consulting Archaeologist, which gave her the opportunity to work with elders in Indigenous territories and learn about their traumas and resilience. She continued this work in New Zealand, working with Maori communities and learning about their unique traditions and culture.
In 2014, Christina decided to pursue Music Therapy and graduated from Capilano University with a Bachelor of Music Therapy in 2021. She is now a Music Therapist accredited in Canada and started Tuned In Music Therapy.
Currently, Christina works with youth and adolescents in psychiatry, kids and adults on the autism spectrum, and seniors in long-term care.
Derek Pang
Violin
Derek Pang attended the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music, and earned his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music.
Derek has been a member of the Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Eastman Philharmonic Orchestra, the Eastman Graduate Chamber Orchestra, the Whitewater Opera Company, the St. Martin Chamber Orchestra, the Richmond Symphony Orchestra and the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Derek is a member of the BC RMTA.
Dina Kholina
Piano
Dina Kholina is a Ukrainian-Canadian pianist whose musical path started at age five. She completed 17 years of music education and holds a Master’s degree in Music and Arts from the Ukrainian State Pedagogical University (Kiev, Ukraine).
Playing as an accompanist for various instruments and voice has expanded Dina’s teaching and performing experience. She is a prizewinner of the National Piano Players Competition (Lviv, 1992). In 2003 Dina relocated to Canada where she continues her musical career as a BC RMTA registered piano teacher, accompanist and piano performer. She is in high demand as a piano coach and accompanist for recitals and masterclasses, music festivals, exams and auditions (Kiwanis, Burnaby Clef Society, Richmond, SDMF, St. Thomas College, BCRTMA, RCM, VAM, UBC, VSO, Metropolitan Opera, Vancouver Chamber Choir, Burnaby Lyric Opera and others).
Dina had her first student at age 16, and since then teaching piano has become her passion. She believes that every child is unique, and with a positive and innovative approach, everyone can enjoy playing the piano. Dina’s goal as a teacher is to promote classical music and the best traditions of the Russian piano school (Rachmaninoff, Rubinstein, Scriabin, Horowitz). Dina’s lessons focus on hand position, fingering, posture and quality of sound. She is eager to fill children’s hearts with the joy of music.
Evan Bates
Cello, Guitar, Double Bass
A musician since a very young age, Evan has played a wide variety of music styles and instruments. He has a wealth of experience playing and teaching double bass, electric bass and cello with symphony orchestras, jazz or folk ensembles and touring with both rock and country bands. His talent and professionalism have given him the opportunity to perform with many accomplished musicians across North America, Europe and Asia.
He believes that music is a fundamental part of life and every student can grow through practice and encouragement.
Florence Noh
Violin
Florence earned a bachelor’s degree in violin performance in Seoul Korea, where she was a middle school music teacher before immigrating to Canada. She has over 40 years of teaching experience.
Florence started teaching at Place des Arts in the mid 1980’s. She has performed with the Vancouver Chamber Music Orchestra and is a member of the BC RMTA. Currently, she performs as a soloist and accompanies a church choir on the violin.
Florence’s students are consistently high-mark earners, including silver and gold award winners at RCM exams and music festivals. Florence teaches classical and gospel music (she is open to other suggestions) to children and adults of all ages. She believes students learn best in a fun and motivating environment where they are able to reach specific goals and appreciate music.
Frank Bond
Guitar, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Piano, Ukulele
Frank was trained privately by Mr. Faust Pinto. Frank has extensive experience as a live performer in many different musical styles and has written music for television (the CKVU news theme), theatre, film as well as pop tunes. Frank aims to give his students a well-rounded ability on their instrument which will allow them to enjoy playing in whatever style(s) they choose.
Garth Preston
Piano, Composition, Theory
Garth began his musical education as a child in school and church choirs. He began piano study at the age of nine. He graduated from the Brandon University School of Music in 1982 with a Bachelor of Music and from the UBC School of Music in 1989 with a Master of Arts in Music Theory.
Garth’s Master’s thesis was a comprehensive study of the extreme chromatic harmony in the early music of the 20th century Austrian composer Anton Webern. That study has been cited as a reference in an introductory essay, in an edition published in 2004 by Dr. Matthew Shaftel, on Webern’s early vocal music and also in a paper on chromatic harmony presented to the Society for Music Theory at a conference in Seattle in 2003.
Garth has a wide-ranging background in music having performed as a soloist and accompanist and in various ensembles in such diverse idioms as classical, jazz, rock, country, folk and musical theatre.
His professional activities have also included composing, arranging and adjudicating. Garth began teaching full-time in 1983, working for Yamaha Music Canada in Winnipeg and for the Winnipeg School Division, teaching both piano and guitar. He has been teaching at Place des Arts since 1985 and at the Delta Community Music School since 1987.
Geeta Das
Bass Clarinet, Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba
Geeta is a professional multi-instrumentalist who has been performing and teaching music in Vancouver, as well as around the world, for over 25 years. She has studied music at Douglas College, the University of British Columbia and privately throughout the eastern United States. She is well-versed in a variety of musical styles, including everything from Classical and Jazz, to Latin, Funk, R&B, Reggae and more.
Geeta has had the honour of performing with world-renowned artists such as UK singer/songwriter Adele, rap star Kanye West, UK pop/rock sensation The Heavy, world-famous historic big band The Glenn Miller Orchestra and many more. Geeta has a great deal of knowledge and passion for music that she hopes to share with the community.
Genevieve MacKay
Violin & Viola
Genevieve MacKay is a working musician, educator, arts administrator and writer living in North Vancouver. She is a regular performer and avid teacher of viola and violin, which she has played with the Lions Gate Sinfonia, Plastic Acid Orchestra, Vancouver Chamber Choir, Vancouver Film Orchestra and many other ensembles.
Genevieve holds a BA (English Literature) and an MA (Ancient Culture, Religion, and Ethnicity) from UBC, where she also performed in the UBC Symphony Orchestra and the Early Music Ensemble. Her teaching philosophy is music should be fun and everyone can learn.
Herbert Tsang
Violin & Viola
Violinist and conductor Herbert Tsang earned his Master of Music degree from Boston University’s School of Music, where he continued his musical studies at the doctoral level. In addition, Herbert earned the Doctor of Worship Studies degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. Herbert is currently the music director of the chamber orchestra SINFONIA MOSAIC and President of Church Music Ministry of Canada. Locally, he has performed with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra and West Coast Symphony as a violinist and conducted the Vancouver Chamber Choir in performance.
With an avid interest in opera and musical theatre, Tsang was the musical director of the Fraser Valley Gilbert and Sullivan Society production of The Mikado and HMS Pinafore. In Europe, he conducted in a production of Le Nozze di Figaro at the East Slovakian State Opera House, Slovak Republic.
A prolific recording artist, Herbert has over 30 recordings produced under his musical direction. Tsang was selected as one of eight Tanglewood II Symposium Scholars in 2007. This international symposium brings together distinguished international scholars to cultivate a new understanding of music learning for the 21st Century. He has been on the music faculty of Place des Arts since 1995. Visit his website at www.herberttsang.com.
Irina Jilina
Piano
Irina Jilina graduated from Music College in 1978 and the Conservatory of Uzbekistan (Tashkent) in 1983. Irina worked extensively in music schools in Tashkent city and taught Piano in the Music College of Uzbekistan. After immigrating to Canada in 2002, Irina established herself as a private piano and theory teacher in Vancouver. Irina is a member of the Piano Teachers Federation and a Registered member (#54897) of the Royal Conservatory of Music, as well as a registered member (#3148) of the BC Registered Music Teachers’ Association.
In 2007 Irina founded the Vancouver International Festival of Russian Music in Vancouver (viform.org) and many of her students regularly performed in this annual event. In 2009 Irina accepted a position with Place des Arts where she has been teaching piano and music theory.
Irina’s students participate in a variety of local music festivals and Place des Arts class concerts. Many of her students successfully complete the Royal Conservatory of Music requirements for practical and theory examination at all levels.
Isaac Juarez-Flores
Piano, Music Theory/Harmony
Isaac’s musical style is influenced from music dating back 400 years to present day. He has earned a Bachelor of Music from the National University of Mexico and an Artist Diploma from the Superior School of Music, both in Mexico City. He has also earned his ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music and Licentiate Diploma from the British Columbia Conservatory of Music.
Isaac has attended many master classes taught by high-caliber performers worldwide and has received numerous medals, awards, and scholarships. An active performer, Isaac has been featured as a soloist and accompanist in a wide range of styles and musical genres.
A dedicated teacher, many of Isaac’s students have earned high marks in music exams and have placed highly in festivals, including 1st prize winners.
Aside from teaching and performing, Isaac is also an active adjudicator in various music festivals both locally and abroad.
Jason Overy
Percussion/Drums, Intro to Drumset
Jason has a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Victoria where he grew up playing in the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra and a variety of Jazz, Blues, Rock, Punk and Ska bands.
Since finishing his degree and moving to Vancouver in 1996, he has played, recorded, and toured internationally with many groups of note. He is the musical director for Uzume Taiko, a drum set soloist with OLAM and percussion section leader for the Band of the Fifteenth Field Regiment RCA.
Jason has a great deal of experience playing for musical theatre productions. These include Cabaret, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Oklahoma, The Wiz, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Oliver Twist, Urinetown and several award winning independent productions.
Jason has also played drum set and percussion in a multitude of west coast funk, rock, blues, punk, and ska bands, notably DOA, the Hounds of Buskerville, The Colorifics, The Harpoons and the Juno award winning bluesman Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne.
Jason has studied with some of the world’s great masters, and has taught drum set, hand drums, percussion and taiko to people of all ages locally, nationally, and internationally.
Jason’s other love is martial arts, and he has his Sandan (third degree black belt) in Shotokan Karate-do and travels regularly to Japan with his Sensei to study Budo.
Jess Breuer
Musical Rainbow Babies and Sparkles
My music journey started with the Musical Rainbow program at Place des Arts. Music has continued to be a large part of my life since then, from school choirs to community concert bands and various instruments picked up along the way. My background in early childhood development gives me a unique insight into the role music can play in their growth. Music and movement have always been an important part of my curriculum and I love seeing children learn new skills, engage with songs and instruments, and foster relationships through exploring music together.
Jimmy Baldwin
Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Group Guitar
Jimmy is an accomplished and versatile musician who holds a Bachelor of Applied Music Degree in Contemporary Jazz Guitar Performance from VCC School of Music and has been performing and teaching for two decades. As well as skill and experience, he brings great enthusiasm and a deep love of music-making to his teaching. Students will learn and develop basic musicianship skills and guitar techniques while exploring music from various genres and cultures. Students are also encouraged to bring their personal musical tastes and interests to lessons.
Whether solo or as leader of his own Jimmy Baldwin Band; as the co-founding member of 10-piece Afro-beat funk juggernaut Camaro 67; as a member of the electric bebop group the Underdogs; as a performer with top-tier event bands like Five Alarm Funk, Ten Souljers and Supersonic Hearts; or as a gun for various solo artists and one-off appearances, Jimmy is always playing. Since the release of his debut album “Changing Time” in 2013, he has focused on the above-mentioned projects until recently releasing his sophomore album “Lighthouse” in December 2020.
Joshua Dean
Violin
Violinist Joshua Dean is a dynamic artist who is passionate about performing, teaching and innovating. His modern teaching methods are synthesized from the latest ideas in education, neuro-science, psychology, physiology, as well as methods of great masters of violin playing such as Jascha Heifetz, David Oistrakh and Nathan Milstein. In the last ten years, he has traveled to Harvard University, the Juilliard School, and New York University to meet with top researchers and professors and to discuss ground-breaking ideas on violin playing and teaching. He believes that with proper guidance and attitude, every student can master the violin. He places great importance on how to listen to one’s own playing and how to practice at home.
Joshua holds a Master’s Degree from UBC where he studied violin and education. While doing his master’s degree, he was also a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Faculty of Music Education. He enjoys teaching young students aged 4 to 10, many of whom have won top prizes in local festivals and competitions. Since 2005, his students have achieved highest marks in the province of British Columbia at Royal Conservatory of Music Examinations in virtually all levels.
Joshua is also a top expert in antique string instruments and has been consulted by members of Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Opera, and the University of British Colombia School of Music. Aside from violin playing and teaching, he works as an independent appraiser of fine string instruments.
Anyone who is interested in violin lessons with Joshua is welcome to contact him through Place des Arts.
Karen Illman
The Musical Rainbow
In her very first year of school, while playing a purple iris in the spring kindergarten musical, Karen was inspired to explore the world of the performing arts. Since that moment, she has found herself following a winding path full of opportunities and experiences in both Canada and the USA. Growing up in Toronto, Karen participated in youth choral music and attended a performing arts high school, growing and gaining varied musical and dramatic skills along the way.
Music and young children have long been combined passions for Karen. Since graduating with her Music Education degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, Karen has had the joy of providing many children with an early start in music. She enjoys working with all ages as both a private voice teacher and theatre arts director. Karen has also performed as a guest soloist over the years in the various places she has lived with her family. In 2013, Karen began teaching the Musical Rainbow program in pre-schools and daycare centres throughout the Tri-Cities. She relates to this educational program as both a parent and teacher, having had her own daughter study with Mr. I for many years at Place des Arts.
Karen firmly believes that every child is worthy of having meaningful musical experiences in their lives and that early engagement with music helps to shape and impact young learners at every level of development.
Karen Wood
Piano
Karen Wood has an ARCT in Piano Performance and a Bachelor of Sacred Music from Ambrose College where she studied with David McIntyre. From 2015 – 2017 Karen studied with Marjory Purdy and received her Teacher’s AVCM with Conservatory Canada and qualified for the CFMTA Pedagogy award for the highest mark.
Karen seeks to foster a lifetime enjoyment of music with her students while having fun developing a strong musical foundation, exploring many musical styles and performing at recitals and exams. All ages and experience are most welcome!
Katrina Gillis
Voice
| Katrina [Kat] Gillis started singing at the age of 10 and took piano lessons starting at age 6. She has competed in festivals for voice and piano starting at a young age. She found a passion for entertaining while playing popular songs on the piano and singing along, which then led to her writing her own music. She did some post-secondary studies at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, where she studied Vocal Performance. Throughout university, Kat continued to play the piano by accompanying vocalists, playing in bands and acting as a band director for school productions.
Upon moving to BC, Kat attended Malaspina University (now called Vancouver Island University) for Jazz Performance. This was also where she further developed her skills in creating original compositions, working with bands as a backup singer and keyboard player and as a Musical Director for various musical productions on the island. She also performed her original work around Vancouver. As a teacher, Kat has brought her focus to strengthening her student’s voice with proper breathing techniques, proper intonation, Semi Occluded Vocal Tract (SOVT) Exercises and agility (embellishment) warmups. She also likes to bring in some fun styles of warmups to inspire her students to practice their warmups more. She also teaches music theory, ear training and recently has been teaching some of her students playing the piano while singing their songs. In the Summer of 2022, she completed “The Injured Singer”, “The Vocal Athlete” and the “Teaching Young Singers” courses from the Shenandoah CCM Institute to bring added focus on taking care of a singer’s voice while singing challenging styles such as Musical Theatre and Pop. She also recently became a Full Member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). Katrina is proud to have written and performed a song for the Place Des Arts 50th Anniversary Gala in November 2022. She was inspired by the opportunity and has returned to writing and producing/coproducing music, as well as session work as a writer, piano player and backup singer. |
Kimmie Xiong
Piano for Beginners
Kimmie is an experienced and dedicated music educator with a passion for teaching and inspiring young musicians. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Wright State University in the US and a Master of Education in Music Education at the University of British Columbia.
Kimmie holds an ABRSM Piano Music Performance Diploma, and an ABRSM Grade 8 Theory Certificate. Her commitment to excellence has been recognized through numerous awards and achievements, including the 2022-2023 Wright State University Music Education Award, the silver prize at the 23rd Santa Cecilia International Piano Competition, and the Faber Piano Competition & Arts Festival 2021 First Prize. Kimmie has also performed as a pianist and piano accompanist for a variety of events and venues.
As an educator, Kimmie is dedicated to creating a positive and supportive learning environment that fosters creativity, critical thinking and personal growth. Kimmie’s teaching philosophy is centred around the belief that music education should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or prior experience. Kimmie strives to create a tailored and personalized curriculum that meets the unique needs and interests of each student, while also emphasizing the development of fundamental piano skills. Kimmie is committed to using her expertise and experience to help students achieve their full potential and develop a lifelong love of music.
Krista Pederson
Voice, Piano, Music Theory/Harmony, Collaborative Music and Dance
Krista Pederson is a pianist, singer and teacher in the Tri-Cities region. After being born and raised in Saskatchewan, Krista has enjoyed travelling to and living in many different places for study and adventure. She studied piano performance with Jacques Després at the University of Alberta and completed a Master’s Degree in collaborative piano with John Hess at the University of Western Ontario. She has also studied piano and voice in the U.S., Canada, Spain and Austria with dedicated musicians like Alexandra Munn, Christiane Riel, Margo Garrett, Patricia Caicedo and Norman Shetler. She is pleased her career allows her to perform and share music with the people around her. Her work includes collaborating with singers and instrumentalists, playing for ballet classes and choirs, teaching, performing and being a mother to her four children. She has performed, toured and recorded with the Vancouver Chamber Choir and more recently, she has joined the Vancouver Cantata Singers and is loving sharing extraordinary performances with those talented musicians. In 2019, Krista joined the Coastal Sound Music Academy family as a pianist and this year she is thrilled to also be teaching and getting to know more artists at Place des Arts.
Krystal Morrison
Clarinet, Saxophone, Piano, Alexander Technique
Krystal Morrison holds the position as second clarinet with the Vancouver Island Symphony, and enjoys an active freelance and teaching career in her native Vancouver. A graduate of McGill’s Schulich School of Music and the University of Ottawa, she possesses Master’s degrees in both Performance and Musicology. Krystal began her musical career with the Canadian military, making her debut on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill as a musician in the daily changing of the guard ceremony. Since then she has continued to perform across North America and Europe, and can be heard outside the orchestra playing Argentine Tango, or alongside viola in Duetto di Nuovo.
An enthusiastic pedagogue, Krystal has taught at music schools throughout Canada, from conservatories to Cadet Camps. Her teaching style matches her diverse interests and blends practice and theory, both in the studio and the classroom.
Krystal is also a certified Alexander Technique teacher and member of CANSTAT, the Canadian Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique. She has worked with musicians, actors and dancers to help them find ease in movement and bring new energy to their craft. Whether in masterclasses or one-on-one, she aims to give students a chance to pause, notice their habits, and ask, “is there a different way to approach this?”
Maggie Van Wyk
Piano and Theory/Harmony
Born in South Africa, Maggie studied at the University of the Free-State in Bloemfontein. There she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Music, majoring in piano and music education. In addition, she completed an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Music Education (Cum Laude), an Advanced Certificate in Arts and Culture Education (Cum Laude) and three levels (Preparatory, Level 1 and Level 2) in Orff Schulwerk. In South Africa, Maggie had a teaching career spanning 20 years; she taught piano, music theory, music history, music appreciation, recorder, ukulele, folk guitar and Orff groups. She was also a director of church and school choirs, as well as an accompanist at churches and music festivals.
In September 2011, Maggie and her family immigrated to Canada. Since then she has been teaching piano, theory, history and harmony at the Bergthorson Academy of Musical Arts. Maggie has prepared many students of all levels for RCM examinations, competitions and festivals; her students are consistently successful, winning medals and awards.
Maggie is a registered member of the BC Registered Music Teachers’ Association, and she is also the Music Director at the St. Laurence Anglican Church in Coquitlam, a position she has held since January 2015.
Maggie believes her purpose as a music teacher is to unlock and develop every student’s musical talent, enabling them to share the joy of music with others.
Marjory Purdy
Piano, Theory
Marjory began piano lessons at the age of four with her mother Margaret Purdy. She later continued her studies with Robin Wood, Winifred Scott Wood and William Goldenberg.
Marjory’s education includes Performer’s and Teacher’s Diplomas from the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Victoria Conservatory of Music; a Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria; and a Master of Music and Performer’s Certificate from Northern Illinois University.
She also studied collaborative piano at the doctorate level with Martin Katz at the University of Michigan and participated in various summer programs and master classes in Canada, the United States, and Europe.
Marjory has been teaching for over 20 years. She adjudicates music festivals throughout British Columbia and is an examiner for Conservatory Canada. As a clinician, Marjory presents master classes and workshops on various topics to teachers, students and the public.
Marjory loves teaching all levels from the very young beginner to the advanced piano student. She considers the benefits of music education immeasurable for a child’s emotional, social and intellectual development.
In her teaching, Marjory encourages and challenges students, in partnership with parents, to strive towards excellence within a kind and supportive environment. She believes all children have an artist within, and she aspires to guide students on their journey of learning and discovery.
Marjory’s students are recipients of numerous awards from local festivals, the Registered Music Teachers, and Conservatory Canada; but what Marjory values most is watching students master the things they thought were impossible, and the privilege of sharing time with children as they grow up.
Marysia Niemczyk
Novice Piano Teacher-in-Training
Marysia began playing piano at age 5 with Margaret Purdy and is now studying for an Associate Diploma from the Conservatory of Canada in Piano Performance and Grade 10 Violin. She is currently studying piano pedagogy with Marjory Purdy. She was awarded medals of excellence for Piano, Violin and Theory 5 in 2014, 2017 and 2018 (respectively). Marysia was also awarded the BC Registered Music Teachers’ Association Scholarship in 2018 and the Harry & Sylvia Novak Memorial Scholarship in 2022. She participates in various music festivals in the Lower Mainland and plays in the Coquitlam Youth Orchestra. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology & Biochemistry from Simon Fraser University. Marysia wishes to share her love for music and create a positive, fun and encouraging environment for others.
Meredith Bates
Violin, Violin Basics, Chamber Ensemble
Meredith Bates is a multiple award-winning violinist based in Vancouver, BC where she has been performing professionally since 2004.
Meredith is a founding member of the celebrated ensembles Pugs and Crows (JUNO Award winner 2013, JUNO Award nominee 2016, Galaxie Rising Star Award winner 2010, Polaris Prize nominee 2016, Western Canadian Music Award winner 2016), Gentle Party (Polaris Prize nominee 2017), ElkHorn, Gran Casa, Tony Wilson’s Burn Down the Cornfield and Looking Back, Peggy Lee’s Echo Painting and Ford Pier’s Strength of Materials.
She has collaborated extensively with some of Canada’s most innovative musicians, including C.R. Avery, Laila Biali, Ayelet Gottlieb, Chris Gestrin, Joshua and Jesse Zubot, Annie Lou, Matt Mayes, David Ward, The Fugitives, Mark Berube, Rodney Decroo and Buck 65, and has performed alongside such varied musicians as Evan Parker and Rod Stewart.
Meredith has toured internationally with Pugs and Crows, Peggy Lee’s Film in Music, Crowman, Annie Lou and Dyad and has recorded on over 100 albums to date. Meredith was an artist in residence at the Western Front in Vancouver from September 2019 -March 2020, and attended residencies at The Banff Centre for the Arts in Banff, Alberta, and Flykingen in Stockholm, Sweden, in January and February 2020, respectively.
Currently, Meredith is finishing production of an immersive multimedia concert at The Western Front with guests Lief Hall, on vocals, synthesizer and running the octophonic sound system, and Josema Zamorano, on live improvised video and photographic installation. Over the next few months, she will be collaborating remotely with Seattle-based pianist, Wayne Horvitz, on an EP of solos and duos, one of which will be a premiere recording of her recent Western Front/SOCAN Foundation composition commission for processed violin and piano, If Not Now. Meredith is scheduled to perform at the 2021 JazzAhead conference in Bremen, representing Canada with Joshua Zubot’s String Quintet, and at the 2021 Katowice Jazz Festival in Poland. She will also be giving multiple performances, both collaborative and solo, as a guest artist at the Suoni per il Popolo festival in Montréal for three weeks in June of 2021.
She continues to be an in-demand session musician, performer and teacher, known for her elegant and virtuosic sound. A talented improvisor and collaborator at heart, she relishes any opportunity to join forces with other like-minded artists.
Noel McRobbie
Piano, Chamber Ensemble
Born in Winnipeg, Canada, pianist Noel McRobbie first received national attention after receiving top prize at the Eckhardt-Grammatté Piano Competition. In addition, he has received prizes at the CBC Début Concert Artist Series, Grand Konzerteum International Piano Competition, Seiler International Piano Competition and the University of Michigan Concerto Competition.
Noel’s solo performances include the Steinway Series at the University of South Florida, the Vancouver Chopin Society, the Eastport Arts Centre in Maine, the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, the Seoul Arts Centre and the Asian Composers League at Sejong Chamber Hall. As a concerto soloist, he has performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Bulgarian Chamber Orchestra, the Jeonju Philharmonic Orchestra, the Westcoast Symphony, the University of Michigan Philharmonia, Dongduk Women’s University Symphony Orchestra and the New Westminster Symphony. Recent performances include the Victoria Conservatory of Music Summer Piano Academy, the Turning Point Ensemble and the Canadian Music Centre Concert Series. In addition, Noel is currently performing and recording works by Juno Award-winning composer Michael Conway Baker. His performances have been broadcast on CBC radio, and he was featured in International Piano magazine and KBS television’s Classic Odyssey.
For many years, Noel was a student of Lee Kum-Sing at the Vancouver Academy of Music and the University of British Columbia, where he received an Artist Diploma and Bachelor of Music respectively. Other teachers include Arthur Greene, Patricia Zander, and Svetozar Ivanov. He received a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory. Previously Noel was Assistant Professor of Piano at Dongduk Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea. Currently, he also teaches at the Vancouver Academy of Music, where he is on the college faculty.
Rebecca Blair
Harp, Music Theory/Harmony, Adult Visual Arts
Music Bio
Rebecca’s career as a musician and teacher has been both rich and varied. Her musical studies began in the classical realm with the clarinet, culminating in 1996 when she graduated with a master’s degree in performance and musicology from the University of Victoria.
Since then, she has focused her interest on Celtic music and improvisation on the harp, attending many Celtic harp workshops all over North America and Ireland, where she studied with such notables as Kim Robertson and Sharlene Wallace.
Rebecca’s approach to playing and teaching the harp draws on her classical background and combines it with her passion for Celtic music. Her teaching philosophy focuses on balancing disciplined technique with improvisation and creativity.
Rebecca regularly gives harp workshops at Place des Arts, which attract students from all over the province. She is active in the Vancouver folk music scene, performing around the Lower Mainland as both a soloist and with groups such as the Maenads and Triskellion.
Rebecca works as a freelance musician, playing at many special events; her audiences have included the President of Ireland and the International Bar Association. She has also applied her skills as a studio musician and has been featured on CD’s such as the Maenads and Orra Chan by Teresa Doyle. Rebecca keeps a busy schedule of teaching and performing, as well as studying Irish dance. Visit her website at www.dancingharp.com.
Visual Arts Bio
Rebecca Blair has been an active member of the arts community in Vancouver, which includes a decade of teaching at Place des Arts. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from University of Lethbridge and a Master’s of Arts from the University of Victoria. For nine years Rebecca taught drawing courses at Whatcom Community College in Washington State.
Rebecca’s art experiences have also taken her to Italy where she taught for a semester in Florence and attended a fresco restoration workshop in Altamura, Puglia. She has participated in several local art events such as the East Vancouver Cultural Crawl and art shows at Place des Arts. She attends the life drawing sessions at Vancouver’s Basic Inquiry studio.
Rebecca’s body of work focuses on watercolour landscapes and portraits in various media which is inspired by her travels both local and abroad. She is presently writing a book on the 17th-century Dutch artist, Jan Vermeer.
Rita Attrot
Piano
Rita Attrot has been teaching piano students of all ages and levels for over thirty years. She received her early training at the Victoria Conservatory where she took her diploma in Teacher Training with Winifred Scott Wood. She went on to complete her Bachelor of Music at the University of Victoria with Bruce Vogt and followed up with a Master of Music degree in Performance from the University of Western Ontario where she studied with Dr. Damjana Bratuz and Ronald Turini. As a graduate student and post-graduation, Rita specialized in accompanying and chamber music.
Ms. Attrot held the position of Staff Accompanist at Acadia University in Nova Scotia for nine years, worked as a freelance accompanist for instrumentalists and singers in Toronto, and served as a coach and repetiteur at the University of Toronto Opera School. She has collaborated with violinist Mishan Han – releasing a CD from a live performance at the Glenn Gould Studio; pianist Lynn Johnson – performing piano duo and two-piano recitals in the Maritime provinces; and the Appassionata Trio and the Erato Ensemble – serving as principal pianist in concerts throughout Vancouver, Victoria and the Lower Mainland. Above all, Rita is passionate about working with vocalists and can be heard in recital performing innovative programs of great song literature with frequent collaborator, soprano Catherine Laub.
Ms. Attrot is Head of the Piano Department at the British Columbia Conservatory of Music where she has many students and teaches the Piano Pedagogy and Viva Voce courses. She is active as a Masterclass clinician, examiner for the BCCM Examinations and as an adjudicator for music festivals throughout B.C. As a church musician, Ms. Attrot has held many posts as organist and choir director and she is presently the Music Director at St. Thomas’ Anglican Church in Vancouver. In her spare time, she enjoys watercolour painting, gardening, rollerblading and snowshoeing.
Robin Chan
Piano (Junior Piano Teacher)
Robin studied piano under Marjory Purdy for 17 years and has been teaching piano for 10 years at Place des Arts. During her studies, Robin received the Adjudicator’s Choice Award at the North Fraser Music Festival, numerous Place des Arts’ scholarships and completed the Associate Performers Diploma in 2017 with the Conservatory of Canada. She has also attended masterclasses and performed for music faculty from the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria. Robin’s students have received First Class Honours for Conservatory Canada grade-level exams, gold and silver at the North Fraser Music Festival, and invitations to perform at the Honours Concert. Robin hopes to inspire little ones through her passion and knowledge of music.
Rosie Carver
Violin, Fiddle, Fiddlers 1, 2, 3
Rosie Carver is a member of the BC Registered Music Teachers Association (BCRMTA). She joined the association in 1997 after receiving her Associate for the Royal Conservatory of Toronto (ARCT) diploma.
Rosie uses a positive approach to teaching and believes that with proper training and awareness, a student can venture into classical, fiddle, or whichever style they choose. Many of her students have achieved high marks for their examinations including silver medals in BC.
Rosie studied under the direction of Ona Cropper in Vancouver, BC. She began her affiliation with the Vancouver Corelli Strings (Ona’s string orchestra) at the age of 10. Rosie worked her way up the ranks to the position of concertmaster and has been featured as a soloist at many concerts throughout the years. Rosie was also a member of the Vancouver Junior Philharmonic String Orchestra under the direction of Douglas Stewart (Ona’s teacher).
Rosie has been a member of the Celtic group Blackthorn for 35 years. In that time, she recorded four albums with them which include a number of her own compositions. Rosie also performed and recorded with The Carpenter’s Son, Squid Jiggers, Sunshine and You, The Streels, The Halifax Wharf Rats and Triskellion.
Rosie has attended many fiddle workshops, some of her most memorable instructors were Kevin Burke, Liz Carroll, Gillian Boucher, Adam Sutherland, Martin Hayes, Alastair Fraser and Gordon Stobbe. Rosie plays in sessions regularly in Vancouver. She runs fiddle workshops, was a featured instructor at the Georgia Strait Guitar Workshop and The Moveable Music School and has recently launched a new music camp on Gambier Island called the Cat Nap Music Camp.
Ross Ling
Violin
Ross Ling is a violinist born in Taiwan and currently residing in Vancouver. Growing up, Ms. Ling was involved in various music performances and competitions. She continued her violin studies at the University of Victoria (UVic) under Sharon Stanis, a violinist from the Lafayette String Quartet. During her four years at UVic, she was selected to play in many guests master classes with David Stewart (concertmaster of the Bergen Symphony), Yosuke Kawasaki (concertmaster of the NAC orchestra in Canada, Saguenay/Alcan Quebec) and the Lafayette String Quartet. Her quartet was chosen to perform in the open house for the UVic School of Music. She also won the top prize at the Solo Bach Competition in 2019.
Since 2019, Ms. Ling has been regularly performing and recording with Vancouver Metropolis Orchestra. Aside from performing, she is also a faculty member at the BC Conservatory of Music and Pacific Chamber Music Academy. As a dedicated violin instructor, Ms. Ling loves helping students to explore their potential and assisting them to reach their goals.
Sabina Siverns
The Musical Rainbow
Affectionately known as Miss. Beans, Sabina was once the student of Mr.I’s when she was a child. A multi-instrumentalist, Sabina plays guitar, ukulele, piano, and has a vibrant singing voice. She loves to bring surprises to class each week for her students and currently teaches at several daycares and preschools in the Pitt Meadows and Port Coquitlam areas.
Sarab Shamoun
Violin and Piano
Violinist and pianist Sarab Shamoun is a passionate professional musician who graduated with a Teaching Diploma in Music and earned her Bachelor of Music Education from Al Baath University. She has more than 7 years of experience as a music teacher in public and private schools.
Her teaching philosophy is “Believing, Achieving and Serving.” As an educator, she feels that it is important that she is not just setting challenges for herself but also strive to be a positive role model for her students.
The importance of respect, reverence, patience, love and forgiveness has shaped her into the person she have become today. She felt it is her responsibility to teach students how to appreciate the positivity in life through music.
Stefan Nazarevich
Piano (Junior Piano Teacher)
Stefan Nazarevich is a Ukrainian-Canadian musician, audio engineer, and educator. His compositions, performances, and installations utilize meticulous, architectural music production to turn emergent artifacts of failing technology into aesthetic sonic objects. His visual-album ARCMAPS (2023) explores retrofuturism and lo-fi glitches, described by Adbusters Magazine as “…casually dystopic [and] cinematic.”
Stefan’s musical journey began at Place des Arts as a student, studying with perennial faculty member Marjory Purdy for 17 years, eventually becoming a Junior teacher under her tutelage. By carrying on Marjory’s teaching philosophy mixed with his background in composing, Stefan’s goal is to pass on a love and appreciation of music to students of all ages and levels.
Since graduating with a BFA in music composition from SFU in 2020a, Stefan has composed for Vision Impure, Joshua Beamish, Wen Wei Dance, and FakeKnot, among many other prominent voices in the Vancouver arts community, both established and emerging, working across disciplines such as film, contemporary dance, and immersive theatre. He is a co-founder of the duo olive theory with Shion Skye Carter, working at the intersection of installation and performance.
Past presentations include Vancouver International Dance Festival (2019, 2021), Tangente (Montreal 2021, 2023), MAI (Montreal 2021), and Darmstadt Ferienkurse (Germany, 2018).
Surim Cha
Cello
Surim is a highly accomplished cellist and an instructor. Surim received her Bachelor of Performance degree and a minor in piano performance from the Akademie für Tonkunst in Germany, where she studied with Professor Peter Wolf and Carina Stangorra. She then went on to earn her Master of Performance degree from the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg, Germany where she studied with Professor Jakob Spahn and Professor Alexander Ruder.
Since then, Surim has performed in many prestigious concert halls in Germany and Italy such as the Meistersingerhalle, Heilig-Geist-Saal, Kurhaus Wiesbaden, Frankfurt Cathedral and Teatro Curci. Surim has also participated in many international music competitions and masterclasses, winning awards such as the Franz-Hoffman Award in the Mozart Kammermusik Competition and the Second Place Award in the Citta di Barletta International Competition.
As a teacher, Surim values the importance of developing a strong relationship with each of her students and strives to create an encouraging and fun learning environment. She recognizes that every student is unique and aims to tailor her teaching approach to each student’s individual needs and learning styles. She believes that music is an ever-evolving art form and that it is important to keep up with the latest trends and developments. Whether a student is a beginner or an advanced musician, her goal is to help them reach their full potential and achieve their musical aspirations.
Yurgen Ilaender (Mr. I)
The Musical Rainbow with Mr. I
Mr. I aspires to inspire children to learn music. Since 1981 he has been teaching his Musical Rainbow program at Place des Arts and various Montessori preschools. Along with teaching music, Mr. I performs captivating concerts for children and families. An award-winning songwriter, he has recorded 18 CDs of educational and entertaining music and has written music and songs for over 20 children’s musical theatre productions.
Mr. I knows how to engage children to be the best they can be.
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Amanda Lau
Ashley Binette
Bernadette Rollin
Emily Mustard
Lucienne Anczykowski
Sarah Kennedy
Sofia Sanchez
Amanda Lau
Jazz and Lyrical Dance
Amanda is a Vancouver-based performing artist, choreographer, dance educator and vocalist. She has over 18 years of training in jazz, lyrical, contemporary, musical theatre, stage, tap, street jazz and ballet. Amanda has extensive teaching experience with a variety of ages, levels and genres. She is an awarded competitive dancer in all her dance disciplines, receiving numerous awards and scholarships. Amanda has adjudicated at the Performing Arts BC Regional Festivals and Tri-Cities Got Talent for the past 7 years. She is a professional dancer for the National Lacrosse League and the Vancouver Warriors Dance Crew at Rogers Arena. She was also a captain and dancer with the SFU Athletics Dance Team.
In addition, she has taught, trained and performed across BC with the Vancouver Tap Dance Society’s touring ensemble, TAPCO. She has trained with tap masters such as Michelle Dorrance, Jason Samuel Smith and Travis Knights. Amanda has performed in and choreographed multiple musicals in Vancouver. Past accomplishments include nominations for “Best Supporting Actress” (CTC Awards) and “Outstanding Supporting Performance” (Ovation Awards). In addition, she has worked in film, music videos and print ads.
As a vocalist, she competed in numerous voice competitions and received scholarships and awards from BC Performing Arts, Arts Club Theatre, CDMF and Kiwanis. As a performing artist, she has also trained with Arts Club Theatre and The Gateway Conservatory.
Amanda’s teaching philosophy is growth-oriented and focuses on cultivating creativity and confidence through movement. All students will be learning in a welcoming, supportive and inclusive environment. She looks forward to sharing her passion for dance with her students!
Ashley Binette
Children and Adult Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap and Hip Hop
Ashley found her love for dance and performing at a very young age. With over 20 years in the performing arts industry, she has earned titles such as National Gold Champion for two consecutive years in dance competitions in Las Vegas and Orlando, as well as National Silver Champion in a dance competition in Portland, Oregon.
Ashley is trained in tap, hip hop, jazz, musical theatre and ballet and has trained with many masters, including Jeni Le Gon, Jason Samuels Smith and Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo (NappyTabs).
She was a backup dancer for Tazneem Tarmohamed, has been featured in television commercials such as Alley Cats, and performed in local productions, including For The Luv Of It, West Side Story and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games Ceremony. Ashley is always eager to share her knowledge and continue to learn in every aspect in the performing arts industry.
Bernadette Rollin
Adult Yoga
Bernadette has been practicing yoga since 1984. She received her Yoga Teacher Certificate in September 2000 upon successfully completing a five-year program of yoga study with Om Sairam. In addition, Bernadette has studied and been awarded her 500-Hour Yoga Teacher Certificate from Sandra Sammartino in conjunction with receiving her Canadian Yoga Alliance Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher Certification (CYA-E-RYT500). Bernadette also has completed her Teaching Chair Yoga Workshop program studying under Sylvia Smallman. Bernadette has continued to develop her yoga education through worships with Erich Schiffman (Hatha Yoga), Sherryn Rault (Critical Alignments Yoga Therapy) as well as reading and weekend retreats and practices. Bernadette has been teaching yoga to both adults and children since 1999 blending dedication, passion and joy into her teaching.
She is a member of the British Columbia Yoga Alliance and over the years has continued to develop her yoga education through workshops, reading and practice. Bernadette is also a successful visual artist in her own right and teaches art to children and adults.
Emily Mustard
Children’s Intro to Ballet and Boys Can Dance
Emily started her dance career at the age of 6 at Place des Arts. Growing up taking ballet classes with Lucienne Ancyzkowski as well as jazz and technique classes, she received several awards and scholarships. She then branched out into hip hop and street jazz, which is where she ultimately found her passion.
In her last year of high school, Emily joined hip-hop training company “Kill the Lights” (KTL) run by industry professionals Ken Yung and Shauna Smith through Harbour Dance Centre in Vancouver.
After booking work in the Vancouver dance scene, including multiple music videos, movies, live performances and commercial work, Emily decided to return to team dancing and training.
Her biggest accomplishment to date was being invited to dance with an internationally renowned, all-female competitive hip-hop team called Style and Grace. Run by Carmen Forsyth and Ravienal Lescano, Style and Grace competes locally and internationally and was featured on Season 3 of NBC’s World of Dance.
Emily continues to travel and teach locally and in other Canadian cities in the hopes of spreading her love of dance to others.
Lucienne Anczykowski
Children and Adult Ballet, Pointe, Body Development
A professional and certified Russian Ballet teacher, Lucienne began her studies as a resident of a Polish State Ballet School, later working toward her professional teaching credentials at the University of Music in Warsaw. Her performing career was with the Maurice Bejart Theatre de XX Siècle in Belgium. Lucienne continues to learn by attending extensive teacher ongoing training through the National Ballet School of Canada.
Sarah Kennedy
Adult Dance (Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop)
Sarah Kennedy is a recent graduate from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia with a degree in Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) majoring in Dance. She is from Newmarket, Ontario and has been dancing since the age of four. Sarah grew up in a competitive dance studio environment and competed in many dance styles including jazz, ballet, contemporary, tap, musical theatre and acro.
As an emerging artist, Sarah has performed in many works at SFU including Ascension 2018, 2020, 2021, PPE Waves, Ghost Forest, Myriad and Coda. She has been performing in Dusk Dances since 2017 and has toured with artists in Barrie and Hamilton, Ontario. During her career, Sarah has had the pleasure of learning from artists such as Megan Walker-Straight, Rob Kitsos, Judith Garay, Marla Eist, Emmalena Fredriksson, Justin Chambers, NiNi Dongnier, Charlotte Boye-Christensen and Sylvie Bouchard.
Over the last five years, Sarah has been teaching various genres to students of all ages and levels of abilities. She believes that dance should be a key source of expression, communication and emotion. In her classes, students should feel welcomed and prepared to reach their goals, all while being part of a positive and inclusive environment. Recently, Sarah completed her ADA certification as a founding member through Lexy Cox and is excited to share her passion and knowledge in the industry.
Sofia Sanchez
Dance and Movement
I was born in Caracas, Venezuela. From an early age, I trained in Latin American and Venezuelan traditional dance as well as belly dance. My mother, who practiced psychopedagogy inspired me to pursue a career in the service of children. I studied psychology with a focus on developmental and social psychology at Simon Fraser University. Here I spent time working as a production technician and assistant for various productions in SFU’s School for Contemporary Arts, while also training in Theatre Production. Once my university studies were completed, I moved on to a graduate certification in expressive arts therapy from Langara College and I later pursued a Master of Arts in Expressive Arts Therapy from The European Graduate School in Saas Fee, Switzerland. I have worked for over 8 years in early childhood arts programming, teaching visual arts and dance with Arts Umbrella, City of Port Moody as well as independently. I have also done contract work for DAREarts (now ThriveYouth) and the City of Coquitlam as an Artist Educator, Cultural Ambassador and Dancer. I am passionate about celebrating diversity and empowering immigrant communities. I am active in the dance community, and you can find me teaching belly dance with World Dance Co and SFU Recreation, as well as performing Venezuelan traditional dances around Vancouver. I also enjoy painting and selling my art in local shops.
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Blue Chu
Crystal Koskinen
Hailey Fowler
Joanna Kovats
Morgan Emsley
Seamus Fera
Simran Toor
Blue Chu
Improv for Children and Adults
Blue Chu aka Lilbluebeluga, creates and plays on the stolen and unceded ancestral territories of the Coast Salish People of the Kwikwetlem (kʷikʷəƛ̓əm), Qayqayt (qiqéyt), Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw) and Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) First Nations.
Blue is a performer, composer, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, writer, improviser, musical comedian and clown. Their life’s work is to spread joy and make music!
Blue released a self-produced home-recorded solo debut album, The Whale Tale Between Two Fins, under Lilbluebeluga, created the format, Queerside Stories: The Improvised Musical, performed occasionally by Queerprov, with Blue as the musical accompanist. They are in an improvised musical comedy duo, Peaceful Blips (2023 Vancouver Fringe). Their clown persona, Mei Xing was the Ambassador of Wonder, at Places des Arts, Coquitlam (2023-2024). Mei Xing has also performed in the 2023 Play the Fool Festival and will be at the 2024 Edmonton Fringe.
Crystal Koskinen
Acting 101
Crystal Koskinen (HBFA) has been an Arts Educator for over 20 years and is passionate about all things creative. Her mission is to renew the gift of imagination through her unique and creative classes. Creating an encouraging and fun environment allows students to grow in confidence, creativity, imagination, thinking outside the box and teamwork.
Crystal is a writer, director and designer. She has created costumes, props and set designs for many shows over the years – most notably assuming the role of Associate Set Designer for Grease in Toronto at the Elgin Theatre for two seasons. Crystal has worked in hundreds of schools, developed arts curriculums for various organizations and even hosted several Canadian awards shows annually. She has acted in film, television, commercials and is no stranger to the stage. As a graduate of the Second City Conservatory Program in Toronto, improv is a big part of all she does.
As a voiceover artist, Crystal has enjoyed recording for radio, television, Audible, Netflix, web, animation and more. Her visual art has been showcased across the globe in various galleries and juried exhibitions. Most recently, her work was on display in New York Times Square and Art Basel Miami. She continues to exhibit her work digitally in the web3 space using VR and AR in the metaverse, while showcasing prints and mixed media work in real life. Keep your eyes open for a new fabric and home collection featuring her designs in the very near future!
Hailey Fowler
Musical Theatre
A friendly smile and welcoming space are a guarantee when working with Hailey! Hailey (she/her) is a multi-faceted artist engaging with companies across the Lower Mainland located on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations and Vancouver Island of the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.
From a young age, the stage called to Hailey. Raised in Richmond, BC, she took programs at local community centres that sparked her interest in theatre and dance. Hailey is a proud alumnus of the pre-professional musical theatre program at Arts Umbrella and has her BFA in theatre from the University of Victoria. In Victoria, she shaped herself to have plenty of versatility from exploring various mediums, both onstage and off: devised and site-specific theatre; Shakespeare, text and voice; audience services; sets, lighting and costumes; and more. Her driven mindset has led her abroad to train on London’s West End (UK) in addition to the Globe Theatre (UK), as well as locally with Bard Studios, Vancouver Acting School and Arts Club.
Hailey approaches each lesson with purpose. She believes it is important in lessons to have connecting activities and clear intentions for the students to better their understanding. She comes with a plan but allows space for flexibility depending on the classroom’s energy and needs. Hailey is a firm believer of building a safe space that invites exploration and collaboration.
Joanna Kovats
Children’s Intro to Ballet and Song & Dance | Children’s Acting and Musical Theatre
A Musical Theatre performer for over 25 years, singing, dancing, and acting have been Joanna’s life passions. She started dancing at a very young age, completing all the examinations in Ballet, Tap and Modern dance with the British Association of Teachers of Dance in the UK. Joanna successfully completed a teaching diploma in Ballet, Tap and Modern dance before setting off on a professional career on the stage that enabled her to travel the world.
Performing in dance reviews and musicals in England, Germany, Spain, Japan and Canada, Joanna’s knowledge of the performing arts is extensive. Now a proud member of the Canadian Dance Teachers Association in the Classical Ballet, Tap and Jazz divisions, Joanna is thrilled to become a part of the Place des Arts community, sharing her passion for dance and theatre with her students!
Morgan Emsley
Film Making 101
Morgan Emsley (she/her) is an enthusiastic educator with a passion for learning and creativity. She has completed a Bachelor of Arts in Interactive Art and Technology with a concentration in Media Arts from Simon Fraser University, and a degree in 3D Animation and Visual Effects from Vancouver Film School. She brings a diverse skill set and a deep understanding of the intersection between art and technology. Throughout her studies, she has directed and produced two student films and hopes to teach the skills she gained from her experiences as well as her studies.
With a commitment to bridging theory and practice, she infuses her teaching with real-world experiences. Her goal is to create an inclusive and collaborative learning environment that empowers students to explore their artistic potential and develop practical skills. She believes in nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability to prepare students for success in the rapidly evolving landscape of filmmaking.
Seamus Fera
Coquitlam Youth Theatre
Seamus Fera is an emerging Vancouver-based theatre artist and Literary Manager for Western Gold Theatre. Seamus is a recent University of British Columbia BFA graduate and hopes to focus on creating new Canadian works that are engaging and reflective of modern society. Since 2011, Seamus has been a youth theatre instructor for various organizations throughout the Lower Mainland.
Selected acting credits include Cassandra (Agamemnon– Stone’s Throw Productions) The Figure (The Ocean– Pull Festival 8), Robert/De Stogumber (Saint Joan– Promethean Theatre), Jay (Generation Hot: Waterborne– The Only Animal) and roles in Lone Star, Love and Information Edward II and The Safe Word (Theatre@UBC).
Directing credits include Bare (Eternal Theatre Collective), Anon(ymous), The Secret in the Wings (Killarney Theatre), The Chrysalids and Our Town (Coquitlam Youth Theatre) and MilkMilkLemonade (Awkward Stage Productions). Upcoming directing projects include Salome for Promethean Theatre.
Assistant/Co-Directing credits include Peter Pan (Arts Umbrella), Dear Edwina Jr. (Coquitlam Youth Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Theatre Temp), Charles III (Arts Club Theatre), Taken at Midnight and The Imaginary Invalid (The United Players of Vancouver).
When not acting, directing or teaching, Seamus can be found writing. His play Gale: The Yellow Bricks of Oz was produced by Coquitlam Youth Theatre and previously at Vancouver Technical Secondary School. He has also written Alice: A Wonderland and Genesis: Genesis. Other recent produced scripts include Curiouser and The Greek Cycle: Persy’s Phone. He is currently developing an original play, The Wives, which received public readings at UBC and Sup: A Reading Series. Seamus has abridged various classical plays that have been produced by Arts Umbrella’s Pre-Professional Training Program and Carousel Theatre for Young People’s Teen Shakespeare Program.
Simran Toor
On-Camera Acting
Simran Toor graduated from the University of Winnipeg Asper Centre for Theatre and Film with a major in Theatre Studies and a specialization in Devised Theatre. She shares a passion for learning, education and personal growth. Simran has worked with children and youth in a professional setting as a direct support worker and as an instructor. She tries to find creative ways to convey and communicate information and strives to ensure her students have the tools and recourses necessary to succeed. Simran believes it’s important to take into consideration the fact that every student learns differently and expects different outcomes out of the classroom. Her goal is to create a positive, judgement-free, approachable and creative space for students to convey their thoughts and emotions, comfortably be themselves, discover new skills while strengthening pre-existing ones, collaborate and ask questions. An environment of exploration and freedom allows for an open mind which is the fuel to the fire we call creativity.
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Bernadette Rollin
Cara Bain
Catherine Dumaine
Clarissa Banos
Clive Tucker
Cyd Eva
Dan Severance
Emily Sheppard
Jean Robson
Kathleen Gros
Kenten Bowick
Kristen Conboy
Laura Vanderlinde
Lena Savic
Mariana Frochtengarten
Matin Komeili
Ming Kong
Noelle Horrocks
Rebecca Blair
Riley O’Neill
Rosie Kerschbaumer
Ruth Griffiths
Stan Hunc
Suze Mercado
Valentina Pena Varon
Vin Arora
Bernadette Rollin
Adult Visual Arts
Bernadette Rollin has always had a life passion from early childhood on to see and create art through a variety of techniques and mediums.
Bernadette’s enthusiasm is shared in teaching painting to children and adults as well as being a yoga instructor for many years. Bernadette’s art is impassioned through her love of nature and has evolved to include various mediums such as pastels, inks, acrylics, watercolour, all of which have challenged Bernadette to further explore the inner depths of her art and creativity.
Bernadette’s current works range from nature studies through to semi-abstracts, on canvas, mixed media with varied surfaces, as well as watercolour using bolder and brighter colours.
Bernadette was a Founding Member of the Art Focus Art Group as well as being an Active Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists. Over the years, Bernadette has also participated in many selected solo and group exhibitions with Bernadette’s artwork being acquired by a number of Corporate Agencies as well as Art Collectors from around the world.
Cara Bain
Visual Arts for Children and Adults
Cara Bain has a passion for capturing the faces and places that surround her. Her work explores the ways people search for meaning and find a connection with themselves, with others and with their surroundings. She is also devoted to landscape painting, both indoors (working from images) and ‘en plein air’ (painting in the great outdoors from life). She’s known for her unique combination of oil paint with copper leaf patina, unexpected colours, and expressiveness.
Cara has been an art instructor since 2016 and joined the Place des Arts team in 2018, teaching and inspiring children, teens and adults to build a solid foundation of technique to express their creative ideas. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Communication from Capilano University and over 15 years of experience in fine arts including participation in numerous exhibitions in greater Vancouver.
Catherine Dumaine
Fibre Arts for Children & Youth
Catherine Dumaine is a fibre artist living in Port Coquitlam, BC. She has been teaching in art centres and institutions around the Lower Mainland and in local schools since 2007. Catherine’s Fibre Fun classes for children are among Place des Arts’ most popular programs, and she is also a regular art camp teacher, where she offers a variety of fibre arts classes to children and youth.
Catherine’s work has been exhibited in shows locally including at Place des Arts, in the Port Moody Festival of the Arts and at Leigh Square Community Arts Village. She also served as the curator for the Craft Year 2007 exhibit Au Naturel.
Catherine has led community engagement workshops for Place des Arts, both at the centre and as a Place des Arts representative at external community events. In 2013, she helped Place des Arts celebrate our 40th Anniversary with her community engagement Social Fabric Project, and in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 as an artist in residence, she engaged thousands of school students to create lantern installations that were unveiled during our annual winter season event. Catherine continues to advance her skills through the multitude of fibre arts workshops she takes each year.
Clarissa Banos
Drawing & Painting for Children and Youth
Clarissa Banos is a visual artist whose subject matter focuses on traditional Latin American culture and folklore. Her ancestral heritage inspires her colourful acrylic paintings: She is passionate about the magnificence of indigenous civilizations of the Ancient Americas and particularly intrigued by the Pre-Hispanic iconography found in ancient textiles of Mexico, Central America and South America.
She holds a BFA in Graphic Design from Universidad Dr. Jose Matias Delgado, El Salvador, and an MFA in Graphic Design and Illustration from the University of Illinois, Chicago, where she graduated as a Fulbright LASPAU Scholarship grantee.
Clarissa’s artwork has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in various cities globally including Vancouver, Chicago, New York, Milan, Canary Islands and Barcelona. Her paintings can be found in private art collections in Central and South America, the United States, Canada and Europe. She has been a visual arts instructor at Place des Arts since 2019.
Clive Tucker
Ceramic Arts for Adults
Almost 20 years ago in a dim corner of industrial Yorkshire, Clive Tucker strayed from his appointed path. After years of study completing two science degrees, Tucker found himself slaving in one of England’s “dark satanic mills.” Disillusioned, he cast his job aside and fled to the exotic east.
In 1993, he landed in Durness, Scotland to apprentice with Lotte Glob at The Far North Pottery. There, he learned the art of throwing and dreamed of becoming an artist. Immigrating to Ontario in 1994, it was not long before he became a self-sufficient potter.
In 1998, restlessness struck once more, and he moved to Vancouver to attend Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Upon graduating he was invited to be artist in residence at the Port Moody Art Centre. Late in 2008, Clive and fellow potter Jacqueline Sheridan opened their own studio, Straight Up Studios in Port Moody.
Clive believes in a playful, yet poignant approach to art. He is very focused on keeping elements of play and whimsy in his work with a light sprinkling of irony. For more information about Clive and his work, visit his website here.
Cyd Eva
Visual Arts
I am an emerging interdisciplinary visual artist and fashion designer from Coquitlam, BC. I love patterns and colours and create art in a variety of mediums including painting, murals, clothing design, upcycling vintage, collage, textile sculpture, dance, film and photography through the brand I run called Pattern Nation. I have a BFA in visual art from Simon Fraser University (2016) and a degree in fashion design from Cape Town College of Fashion Design (2021). I have taught youth art workshops at ArtStarts in Vancouver, painted a mural with youth through “Painting with a Purpose” in Durban South Africa and shared Blobs, interactive play sculptures with youth in Durban (South Africa), London (United Kingdom), and Vancouver at the Museum of Vancouver, ArtStarts, Art in the Park (North Van), Poco Community Centre, Circles Festival and The Granville Promenade. I have shown my art and fashion designs at galleries and on runways locally and internationally since graduating from Riverside high school in Poco (2011). I believe in encouraging creative expression and individuality in my students. I have been told by the parent of a past student that “The creativity and initiative that you inspire and encourage have far-reaching effects while providing a welcoming, inclusive, fun and supportive environment.” I strive to create that type of experience for all my students while sharing with them tools with which to realize results and open doors in their imaginations. As a former student of Place des Arts Summer Fun! program, I am overjoyed to be teaching at this summer camp that inspired me as a young artist.
Dan Severance
Ceramics Technician, Ceramic Arts for Adults
Dan Severance first did wheel throwing in high school in Burnaby and was lucky to have potters as teachers who encouraged him to take classes at the Shadbolt center in Burnaby. But like most youth, it was adventure time and clay work was put aside.
27 years later in 2004, Dan decided to try wheel throwing again. He took a beginners course with Gillian McMillan at the Port Moody Arts Center, followed by more courses taught by Clive Tucker.
Dan Severance’s work has now shifted to handbuilding functional wares decorated with brightly colored under glazes. Dan is a member of the BC Potters Guild and the Tri-City Potters’ Group. His work can be seen at the Gallery of BC Ceramics on Granville Island and Kizmit gift gallery in Fort Langley.
Emily Sheppard
Emily Sheppard is an interdisciplinary artist focused heavily on ceramics. She has been working and teaching art for almost 8 years in Vancouver after graduating with a BFA from Emily Carr University and Fine Arts Diploma from North Island College. Her work is always rooted in traditions but with a contemporary twist. Whether through vibrant painterly marks on functional pottery or realistic sculpted works in clay, Sheppard’s versatile skills and passion for ceramics is contagious in the studio learning environment. She is very much looking forward to joining the PdA community this fall.
Jean Robson
Preschool Visual Arts
Jean has a BFA From NSCAD University with a major in jewelry design and metal smithing, as well as a Fine Arts Diploma from Langara College. She is a passionate visual arts teacher with a special connection to children and youth. Her experience with a multitude of materials, mediums and techniques leads her students into producing works of art rich in concept and visual depth. Enjoyment in the creative process is at the heart of her classes.
Kathleen Gros
Adult and Children Comics
Kathleen Gros is a cartoonist living in Vancouver. Her graphic novels include Last Night at Wyrmwood High, Jo: An Adaptation of Little Women (Sort Of) and Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of). She is currently working on her fourth graphic novel. She loves encouraging people of all ages to learn about the magic of comic-making!
Kenten Bowick
Cartooning & Animation
Kenten is an animator and cartoonist, working at a Vancouver animation studio, making cartoons such as the Emmy-winning Rick and Morty. Having made and sold comic books since he was young, Kenten also makes his own animations on YouTube.
Kristen Conboy
Basketry for Adults
It is the tactile nature of basketry that inspires Kristen to continue learning and teaching basketry – and the practical side of her loves to create functional art that can be used and admired. Basket weaving is about creating something with your hands; there is a sense of satisfaction gained from looking at the finished product and saying, “I made that.”
Kristen has over 20 years of experience working with fibre, whether it be knitting, weaving or basketry. Kristen’s professional career is outside of the studio; to the classroom she brings with her years of experience teaching adults, a passion for learning and a love of creating.
Laura Vanderlinde
Ceramics
Laura Vanderlinde is a full-time ceramic artist living in Vancouver. She has worked in clay for over 35 years. She has a studio creating functional and garden wares.
Laura teaches at Trout Lake and Douglas Park Community Centres. She has taught at Port Moody, FalseCreek, West Point Grey and Kerrisdale Community Centres in Vancouver. She has given clay-related workshops and demonstrations to guilds and clubs in British Columbia and Alberta. Laura has taught at MISSA, the Northern Clay Symposium in Prince George and children at Nootka and Chief Maquinna Elementary Schools.
Laura has received Artist Recognition Awards twice for excellence in clay medium at Edmonds Art Festival in Washington, USA. She received the best booth award at Out of Hand Craft Show in Victoria. She has been awarded grants from Circle Craft Co-op and Metchosin International Summer School for tuition.
Laura has been commissioned by Thomas Hass Chocolatier, Vij’s Curry Gallery, Wild Rice Fusion and Bojangles to design restaurant tableware. She produced 200 mugs for Swiss Water’s recognition program.
Laura takes part in summer craft shows such as the Filberg Festival in Comox and the Harmony Arts Festival in West Vancouver. Winter shows are Circle Craft in Vancouver, the Eastside Culture Crawl and Out of Hand Modern Market. Exhibitions include “Three” at the Gallery of BC Ceramics and a group show “Black and White 100”.
Laura is constantly updating and upgrading her creative skills by taking workshops. This challenges her abilities and diversity of artistic practices and keeps her inquisitive.
Her hobbies are felting and gardening.
Lena Savic
Visual Arts
I studied Art History at Belgrade University, Fine Arts at Langara College and ECUAD.
I’ve taken part in various artist residencies, facilitated and participated in community art projects, open studios and city art events. I have run art programs and workshops for children and adults for over 15 years and currently teach at Place des Arts and Arbutus Club.
My fields of exploration include mixed media, installation, photography and poetry. I examine the interplay of light, lines, space, texture and typographic forms. After graduating from Expressive Arts Therapy, my interests in intermodal expression expanded, as this psychotherapy model uses the flow of creative process between different art forms (dance, drama, visual arts, poetry) for healing and growth. It’s an ongoing work with individuals, groups, communities and myself.
Artist Statement
I am grateful to work at Place des Arts and be a part of its rich and diverse community. PdA is fulfilling an important mission to grow talents, support inclusive creativity, and foster vibrant local culture. The work I do here as well as the events and activities that I follow continue to inspire me and reflect in my practice as an instructor, artist and therapist.
Mariana Frochtengarten
Fabric Printing, Stamping and Dyeing
I am a textile artist and art teacher, with an almost thirty-year career dedicated to the resist dyeing methods of Batik and Shibori and the universe of fibres. I have practised Batik on fabric and on paper for 17 consecutive years and Shibori for the other years. In the past few years, I have also been fascinated by the world of stamping and printing, which I love to combine with dyed surfaces. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts and Education, a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts/Textiles and a Certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy. I combine all my studies and work experiences in my teachings, transferring my knowledge while fostering students’ creativity, imagination and their search for their artistic languages. I have worked with people of all ages and backgrounds as a mixed-media art teacher and as a textile art teacher, offering short and long programs in a variety of settings and class formats. I love leading community projects and facilitating collective artwork, helping people to connect through art and the unique qualities of textiles.
Matin Komeili
Adult and Children Comics
My journey with art began in my early childhood, igniting a lifelong passion for creativity. I immersed myself in painting and drawing, nurturing my skills and eventually pursuing a Fine Arts degree in my home country. Throughout my academic journey, I explored various mediums, from watercolours to oil painting and charcoal.
After college, I ventured into teaching art classes to students of diverse ages. My teaching philosophy centres around nurturing every student’s creativity and enabling them to articulate their thoughts and emotions through art. I strongly believe in fostering an environment where children can freely explore their imagination and translate it onto paper with their own distinct artistic expressions. For me, art is not just about technique; it’s a powerful medium for self-expression and a catalyst for unifying people.
Throughout my eight years as a teacher, I’ve had the privilege of guiding numerous incredible students. Every day, I am grateful for the opportunity to share my expertise and passion for art, witnessing my students blossom and craft their individual artistic styles.
Ming Kong
Calligraphy and Ink Painting
Ming Kong began her traditional training in Chinese calligraphy at the age of seven. Brush and ink have been an integral part of her life ever since. Over the years, Ming has come to see this ancient art in a Contemporary context and continues to explore its connection to life today. She values calligraphy as a pure form of expression and believes each written character contains stories that transcend time and space. Her teaching philosophy is to help others find their mode of expression by unpacking the language of calligraphy.
Ming Kong has a master’s degree in Calligraphy from the Chinese Academy of Arts, Beijing. She has five years of work experience in an art gallery in Taipei, where so also studied traditional ink landscape painting under a senior researcher from the National Palace Museum, Taipei. In addition to traditional mediums of brush, ink and rice paper, Ming works primarily in mixed-media exploring themes of tradition versus modernity and cultural identity.
Noelle Horrocks
Ceramic Arts for Children and Youth
Noelle is a ceramic artist and instructor who is passionate about sharing her love of clay with students of all ages. She has a BFA in Ceramics from Emily Carr and 18 years of teaching experience throughout the Lower Mainland at organizations such as Arts Umbrella, The Anvil Centre and The Surrey Art Gallery. Her studio practice focusses on whimsy, storytelling and colour as it relates to sculptural forms.
She believes that clay is a unique and magical material that allows unlimited possibilities in creative expression and finds great joy in supporting her students in finding their own unique art voice and vision.
Rebecca Blair
Harp, Music Theory/Harmony, Adult Visual Arts
Music Bio
Rebecca’s career as a musician and teacher has been both rich and varied. Her musical studies began in the classical realm with the clarinet, culminating in 1996 when she graduated with a master’s degree in performance and musicology from the University of Victoria.
Since then, she has focused her interest on Celtic music and improvisation on the harp, attending many Celtic harp workshops all over North America and Ireland, where she studied with such notables as Kim Robertson and Sharlene Wallace.
Rebecca’s approach to playing and teaching the harp draws on her classical background and combines it with her passion for Celtic music. Her teaching philosophy focuses on balancing disciplined technique with improvisation and creativity.
Rebecca regularly gives harp workshops at Place des Arts, which attract students from all over the province. She is active in the Vancouver folk music scene, performing around the Lower Mainland as both a soloist and with groups such as the Maenads and Triskellion.
Rebecca works as a freelance musician, playing at many special events; her audiences have included the President of Ireland and the International Bar Association. She has also applied her skills as a studio musician and has been featured on CD’s such as the Maenads and Orra Chan by Teresa Doyle. Rebecca keeps a busy schedule of teaching and performing, as well as studying Irish dance. Visit her website at www.dancingharp.com.
Visual Arts Bio
Rebecca Blair has been an active member of the arts community in Vancouver, which includes a decade of teaching at Place des Arts. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from University of Lethbridge and a Master’s of Arts from the University of Victoria. For nine years Rebecca taught drawing courses at Whatcom Community College in Washington State.
Rebecca’s art experiences have also taken her to Italy where she taught for a semester in Florence and attended a fresco restoration workshop in Altamura, Puglia. She has participated in several local art events such as the East Vancouver Cultural Crawl and art shows at Place des Arts. She attends the life drawing sessions at Vancouver’s Basic Inquiry studio.
Rebecca’s body of work focuses on watercolour landscapes and portraits in various media which is inspired by her travels both local and abroad. She is presently writing a book on the 17th-century Dutch artist, Jan Vermeer.
Riley O’Neill
Animation and Manga
I am a filmmaker, animator and visual artist currently residing in Coquitlam. Through my little creations, I strive to invent techniques that liberate our materials from rigidity towards new and unusual forms. I have a bachelor’s degree in filmmaking from Simon Fraser University and am currently working on two film projects funded by the Canada Council for the Arts and the National Film Board of Canada. I have taught in South Korea and Japan and currently instruct classes with various art organizations in the Lower Mainland. With each class, I endeavour to create opportunities for each student to incorporate their unique ideas into the project at hand.
Rosie Kerschbaumer
Fibre Arts for Adults
Rosie Kerschbaumer has a BA from the University of Alberta and a Fashion Arts and Technology Diploma from Kwantlen Polytechnic. She also worked in the garment industry for several years. She is a member of the Coquitlam and the Greater Vancouver Weavers’ and Spinners’ Guilds. Rosie is captivated by the way weaving blends different fibres, techniques and structures to create endless unique results.
Ruth Griffiths
Fibre Arts for Adults
Born and raised locally, fibre art skills including knitting, sewing and weaving were first passed on to me by family members. A self-taught spinner, to begin with, I have pursued a greater depth of knowledge through workshops and have won awards for my work. Dyeing with natural dye sources has become a great passion as well. I have taught “beginning spinning” at a local yarn store. Sharing my fibre passion with others is always a deeply satisfying process.
Stan Hunc
Visual Arts for Adult, Children & Youth
Stan is an art practitioner with ten years of formal art training (MFA and MEd) and lifelong practice. Currently, he works as a semiretired art instructor at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver and at Place des Arts in Coquitlam. Throughout the years, Stan’s work has been presented at individual and group art shows in Poland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary, South Korea, China and Canada.
More info: www.stanhunc.com
Suze Mercado
Suze Mercado is a client-focused art instructor and art therapist dedicated to providing anti-oppressive care. Suze uses her therapeutic understanding of play therapy and attachment theory and focuses on regulating the nervous system to ensure her students feel safe and supported. Suze is driven by a passion for the arts and a desire to share these powerful practices with her community.
Suze is originally from San Jose, California. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts at Colorado College, a Degree in Art Therapy at the Kutenai Art Therapy Institute and a Degree in Digital Art from Selkirk College in Nelson, BC. She moved to Vancouver in September 2023 to expand her creative network and build her art career.
Suze’s philosophy as an artist centres around the idea of absurdism and making meaning out of coincidence. Her creative practice is multidisciplinary in traditional and digital mediums, such as figure drawing, painting, collage, tattoo art, video editing and animation. She is experimental and collaborative in her approach and explores surrealist practices such as free association and blind contour drawing.
Suze’s fine art is primarily portraiture and figurative art with an abstract, expressionist twist. She is inspired by artists such as Egon Schiele, Alice Neel, Ralph Steadman and Jenny Saville. Her art is a vehicle to explore underlying themes of Jungian psychoanalysis, contemporary pop culture, ancient mythology and feminist, queer advocacy. Lately, she is especially drawn to the ineffable magic of a single line and the evocative quality of simple, abstract mark-making.
Valentina Pena Varon
Visual Arts
Valentina is happy to be teaching Comic Making at Place des Arts this Fall. My background is in Fine Arts and Animation. I believe art is a very important part of anyone’s life and that creativity should be honed and allowed in a place to be explored. I hope my students learn how to make comics and go out into the world pursuing art if that is something they are interested in.
Vin Arora
Ceramic Arts for Adults
Vin is a graduate of Emily Carr University of Art and Design (ceramic arts). He currently manages his own studio and teaches both youth and adult pottery and ceramics. Vin has gained valuable teaching experience working with the Learning Through the Arts program. Whether through painting, sculpture or pottery, he enjoys sharing his passion with students of all ages.
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Madeleine Moore
Madeleine Moore
Children and Teen Creative Writing
Madeleine Moore is an English teacher and writer. Her short stories have been published in literary magazines, and she has placed in the semi-finals of MacQueen’s Quinterly’s writing competition.
Madeleine lives in Burnaby, where she also teaches for the Burnaby school district. She enjoys working with kids and youth to use writing as a creative outlet.
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