Patricia Armstrong, violin / viola

Patricia Armstrong has taught violin for thirty years both in Edmonton, Alberta, at  The Alberta College of Music, and here in the lower mainland, at the Vancouver Academy of Music, the Langley Community Music School, and at Kwantlen University College. An active performer, she studied violin at UBC, The Victoria Conservatory,and at  the University of Toronto, receiving Artist Diplomas in Performance and Pedagogy, as well as in Orchestral Studies. She has been a full-time member of the Victoria Symphony, the Edmonton Symphony, and the CBC Radio Orchestra, and is currently the Principal Second Violinist with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. Patricia enjoys working with young people and is looking forward to being part of the Arbutus Music Academy’s teaching collective.

Contact Patricia at:

(604) 581-1167

pat_armstrong_5@hotmail.com

Jennifer Gray, violin / viola

A Suzuki teacher for over twenty years, Jennifer Gray been active as a performer and teacher in the US, Britain and Canada. She has performed professionally on both viola and violin in orchestras, ballet and opera companies in Canada and South Florida, and also as a baroque violinist with the Essex Baroque Orchestra in the UK. Her principal Suzuki teacher training was with Helen Brunner and Ronda Cole; Jennifer has herself taught in workshops for the London Suzuki Group, Cambridge Suzuki Group, Hertfordshire and West Midlands Suzuki Groups, and at the Valhalla Suzuki Institute; she has conducted young string orchestras in Miami, the UK and Canada. Her students have won numerous competitions and scholarships, and been selected for membership in the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain. She has taught since 2002 in Vancouver at the Amati Academy of Music, and is pleased to continue as a member of the new Arbutus Music Academy.

Contact Jennifer at:

(604) 448-2482

jenlgray@shaw.ca

Domagoj Ivanovic, violin

DMA, MM., BMus. Originally from Zagreb, Croatia, Domagoj completed his studies at the University of Miami in 2006, graduating with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Violin Performance with a minor in Musicology. In addition to teaching private lessons to students of all ages and levels, he held the post of a Teaching Assistant at the University of Miami for five years, gathering an extensive amount of experience teaching advanced students and coaching chamber music. During his stay in Miami, he also served as the Assistant Concertmaster of the Miami Symphony Orchestra and toured the Southeastern United States as a member of the Ibis Camerata. Currently, he is a member of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and an extra musician with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. He takes great pleasure in teaching and seeing students excel as a result of proper guidance.

Contact Domagoj at:

(778) 317-7602

domagojivanovic@hotmail.com

www.domagojivanovic.com

Alla Shmaenok, violin

BMus, MM. Alla was born, raised and educated in St. Petersburg, Russia where she received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the State Conservatory. She has performed in several symphony orchestras including the St. Petersburg Chamber Orchestra, Capella Symphony and small chamber ensembles. Having toured Germany, France, Switzerland and Finland, as well as many cities in Russia, Alla began her teaching career in Russia and continued in the United States until moving to Vancouver two years ago. Since 2006, she has been teaching students of all ages and levels in the lower mainland. In B.C., many of her students have prepared for and successfully taken their RCM exams at all levels.

Contact Alla at:

(778) 996-2613

shmaenok@dikman.net

Zuzana Uskovitsova, violin

BMus., MM., SAA Teacher Training. Originally from Zilina, Slovakia, Zuzana completed her studies at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Bratislava, Slovakia. In 2004, she graduated with her Master’s Degree in Violin Performance. Zuzana grew up in a musical family, with both her parents being music teachers. Over the duration of her music career, she has performed with many orchestras, including the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, State Chamber Orchestra (Slovakia), Bratislava Symphony, Baden Kur Orchestra (Austria), Henry Mancini Institute (United States). Zuzana has performed on cruise ships and enjoys playing chamber music.

Contact Zuzana at:

(604)345-2872

jazzuz@gmail.com

Diana Welsh, piano

B.A., ARCT(Performer) Diana received her Bachelors Degree from UBC, and has been teaching piano and theory to all ages and levels for over ten years. She has studied piano with Ellen Silverman and Mary Fraser and received many top honors at local music festivals.  She is a great supporter of Early Childhood Music and teaches preschool music classes. Diana is an avid accompanist for singers, violinists, violists and cellists in concerts, festivals and examinations.  From opera to musical theatre, she credits her experience as an accompanist for her love of a wide variety of music.   An avid performer, Diana can be found backstage with Footlight Theatre Company in Burnaby and singing in the Douglas College Choral Society.

Contact Diana at:

(604) 319-1201

dianawelsh@yahoo.ca

Emily Chen, piano

MM (MSM), BMus (UBC).  Emily Chen has recently returned to Vancouver after receiving her Masters Degree in Piano Performance from The Manhattan School of Music in New York City. As a devoted teacher and pedagogue, Emily has had more than 15 years of experience with the Royal Conservatory Examinations, and has been on faculty at the Song of Songs Music School in New York, working with numerous students of vast backgrounds in preparation for examinations, festivals and competitions. She values and edifies keyboard technique, theory, history, and ear training in her approach to educating her students. As an active performer, Emily recently presented a solo recital in the Out-For-Lunch Concert Series held at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and as a collaborator at the national Canadian Music Competition (CMC) in Montreal.

To inquire about lessons with Emily, please contact the Arbutus Music Academy office.

phone: (604) 736-8767

e-mail: info@arbutusmusicacademy.com

Stel.la Guillen Fabregas, violin

Originally from Barcelona, Stel.la moved to England where she completed all 5 levels of the European Suzuki Association training program under the guidance of a variety of teacher trainers. Stel.la co-led the Cambridge Suzuki Group (UK) with violinist Polly Waterfield for almost five years, during which time the group received invitations to perform at such prestigious venues as The Royal College of Music and The Purcell Room. She has taught violin to elementary students at King’s College School, Cambridge, and at a variety of workshops in the U.K. and Spain, including Bryanston Suzuki Summer School and the Royal College of Music. A musician who has worked under the direction of such conductors as Bertrand de Billy, Guerassim Voronkov, Jordi Mora, Graham Ross and Josep Pons, Stel.la brings many years of playing and teaching experience to her new home in Vancouver.

To inquire about lessons with Stel.la, please contact the Arbutus Music Academy office.

phone: (604) 736-8767

e-mail: info@arbutusmusicacademy.com

David Powell, theory

David has a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Montreal and has been teaching music theory in Vancouver for 16 years. He is an active choral singer and plays cello with a string quartet. He also dabbles in conducting, jazz singing, blues guitar, and is a part-time librarian. Other interests include skiing, hiking, and taking road trips on his motorcycle or bicycle.

To inquire about lessons with David, please contact the Arbutus Music Academy office.

phone: (604) 736-8767

e-mail: info@arbutusmusicacademy.com

Derek Sterling, guitar

DipGSM, MMus, DMA candidate, Registered SAA Instructor, BCRMTA. Derek earned his first guitar performance degree from the Guildhall in London, England, where he was also a member of the guitar panel for the Inner London Education Authority. Returning home to UBC in Vancouver and later, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, he again majored in guitar performance with a minor in music theory and education. Inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honors Society at USC in 1994 and president of the Graduate Association of Music Students, he held the post of Graduate Teaching Assistant to the guitar department for 5 years, earning numerous awards for outstanding achievement in performance, academics and teaching. Students of all ages and abilities have benefited from his more than 25 years of teaching experience.

Contact Derek at:

(604) 684-5481

sterlingdj@hotmail.com

http://youtube.com/user/sonatarondo