Arbutus Music Academy Team
Arbutus Music Academy is a vibrant community of passionate educators who are committed to nurturing the musical talents of students of all ages. With their guidance, you can embark on a journey that will enrich your life and connect you with the heart of music. So, take the first step in your musical adventure by choosing the right music teacher in Vancouver at Arbutus Music Academy, and let the music play on!
Faculty
Feel free to click on a faculty member below to find a brief Bio along with contact details.
Jennifer Gray
Violin,Viola
Jennifer Gray
Violin,Viola
A Suzuki teacher for over 25 years, Jennifer Gray been active as a performer and teacher in the U.S, 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 returned to Canada to teach in 2002 and helped found the Arbutus Music Academy.
- Phone:(604) 448-2482
- Email:gray.jenniferlaw@gmail.com
Alla Shmaenok
Violin, Chamber Music
Alla Shmaenok
Violin, Chamber Music
Alla was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia where she received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Violin Performance, Chamber Music, and Pedagogy from St.Petersburg State Conservatory. As an orchestra musician, Alla performed with the St. Petersburg Chamber Orchestra, Capella Symphony, and Mikhailovsky
Ballet Theatre Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, she toured Northwestern Russia, Germany, France, Switzerland and Finland with various chamber ensembles.
Alla began her teaching career in St.Petersburg and continued in Chicago, IL teaching private lessons to students of all levels and coaching chamber groups. After moving to Vancouver in 2006, she taught violin at Salina Cheng Music Academy in Coquitlam and Amati String studio in Vancouver before co-founding Arbutus Music Academy. Alla's professional development path lead her to Suzuki teacher training under Kathleen Spring, Elisabeth Stuen-Walker, and Elayne Rus.
Her students grow rapidly in technique and musicality, successfully take RCM exams, and receive awards at various festivals on a regular basis.
- Phone:(778) 996-2613
- Email:violin@dikman.net
Emily Chen
Piano
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.
- Email:emily_yc@hotmail.com
Katerina Lu
Violin, Hummingbirds Sing and Play
Katerina Lu
Violin, Hummingbirds Sing and Play
Katerina Lu, BA in Violin Performance and Pedagogy, studied violin, piano, music theory and history for 16 years in her native Ukraine and at Saratov State Conservatory in Russia. She is also a trained Suzuki ECE teacher. Her teaching methods combine the best of Russian classical school, the Suzuki method and Western practices. She designs her lessons with steady improvement of students’ violin skills and musicianship in mind while also accounting for the age and personality of each learner to keep them engaged and motivated. Before arriving in Vancouver, BC in 2013, she taught for several years in Vancouver, WA.
Katerina teaches students of all ages and successfully prepares them for RCM examinations and festivals. Her special interest areas include motivating young learners to practice and stage fright management for older students. She hopes that her students develop a lifelong relationship with music, grow intellectually and emotionally through practice, and become more imaginative, confident, and happy human beings as a result.
Jesica Wu
Piano
Jesica Wu
Piano
Jesica holds a BMus degree from McGill University (where she studied on a scholarship), ARCT diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music, and an Advanced Certificate and LRSM from the Associate Board of the Royal School of Music.
Jesica has taught piano privately in Hong Kong and Canada for over 20 years. In Hong Kong, she taught at several schools including Parsons Music and was a piano professor at the prestigious Liu SK Piano and Arts School. During her tenure there, many of her students placed high at music competitions and earned high marks in music exams.
Jesica’s resume also includes teaching music in a SKH primary school where the choir she conducted was awarded first place in an inter-school competition- the first award ever that the school received in the field of music. On several occasions, she was also invited to be an adjudicator in different competitions.
She teaches students of all levels and enjoys finding the best approach for every one of them, hoping that music would become their life-long friend.
- Phone:778-668-6553
- Email:jesicawu8@gmail.com
Ju Dee Ang
Violin, Viola
Ju Dee Ang
Violin, Viola
DMA, MM. Originally from Singapore, Ju Dee Ang completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree under the guidance of Sally Chisholm at the University of Wisconsin, where she was a member of the graduate string quartet. Previously, she completed a Master of Music degree at Indiana University, where she studied with Atar Arad of the Cleveland string quartet and also studied violin/viola pedagogy with well-known pedagogue Mimi Zweig. Ju Dee has been teaching the violin and viola since 2007, and has experience teaching a wide variety of ages and levels. In the Vancouver area, Ju Dee performs with the Pro Nova quartet (pronova.ca), which has had a regular concert series on the north shore for over 30 years. She has also performed with the Vancouver Island Symphony, and is an extra musician with the Vancouver Symphony.
- Phone:(604) 445 8675
- Email:judee.ang@gmail.com
Rebecca Ruthven
Violin, Viola
Rebecca Ruthven
Violin, Viola
Violinist and violist Rebecca Ruthven is Principal Second Violin of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. An active chamber musician, she has performed with Vetta Chamber Music and is a member of the Gallo Chamber Players and Vancouver Baroque Trio.
Rebecca teaches private lessons and group classes inspired by Suzuki, RCM, and Teach Music 21C philosophies. She is a strings coach with the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra and has coached chamber music at summer programs at the Vancouver Academy of Music and Victoria Conservatory. She is committed to enabling students at every age and level to achieve their musical goals, to find meaning in music-making, and to connect with the broader musical community.
Originally from Kelowna, Rebecca studied violin with Mark Fewer, Nancy DiNovo, Chloe Meyers, Ken Stromberg, and Heilwig von Koenigsloew. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in Violin Performance and Biochemistry from McGill University. Recent summer festivals include SoundSCAPE in Switzerland, the Banff Centre for the Arts, and Tafelmusik Baroque Institutes. An alumnus of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, she was a member of the Canada India Youth Orchestra project in Bangalore and is a recipient of the Stephen Sitarski Leadership Award. She studies baroque violin thanks to Early Music Vancouver’s Scholarship Programme.
Adjunct Faculty
Feel free to click on a faculty member below to find a brief Bio along with contact details.
Rachel Park
Voice
Rachel Park
Voice
BMus (UBC). Rachel Park is a classically trained Soprano originally from Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Opera Performance from the University of British Columbia, and a diploma certificate in Voice and German from the Universität Mozarteum Sommer Akademie in Salzburg, Austria. Rachel has 13 years of experience with RCM Examinations for Voice and Piano, and is a RCM Gold Medalist for voice. Rachel has performed as a soloist and in ensembles across Western Canada and internationally. She has toured the UK with the UBC Singers, and received 3rd prize in the Cork International Choral Competition. Currently, Rachel is working simultaneously in classical music, theatre, and casual performance. Her recent credits include Johanna in Sweeney Todd (Snapshots Collective), Lead Soprano in the Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular (Razzle Dazzle), and Zerlina U/S in Don Giovanni (UBC). Rachel is also a recording artist and songwriter, and has been featured on Hip-hop, Electronic, R&B and acoustic singles.
Joseph Stacy
Piano
Joseph Stacy
Piano
Joseph Stacy is an American pianist based in Vancouver, BC. He holds a Master of Music in Piano from UBC as well as a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance/Pedagogy from Ohio University, where he was recognized with the Undergraduate Achievement in Performance Award. His music career has taken him throughout North America as well as to Austria, and he has presented at many national conferences and symposia throughout the United States on various pedagogical subjects. A native of North Carolina and long-time resident of the Appalachian community of Pulaski, Virginia, he enjoys the novelty of west coast living. Even so, he vows to never lose that southern charm.
- Email:js240114@ohio.edu
Tod Dorozio
Guitar
Tod Dorozio
Guitar
Tod Dorozio is a published composer, classical guitarist and teacher hailing from Vancouver, B.C. who plied his trade in Toronto, Ontario for 22 years. He has 8 published guitar pieces, a CD ('An Uncultured Pearl') and has toured across Ontario and Western Canada.
Tod has taught classical guitar at Pro-Music Conservatory, the Conservatory of Dance & Music and privately in Toronto for over two decades. He also had the privilege of studying classical guitar with the great Canadian/Israeli guitar pedagogue Eli Kassner, a former student of Andres Segovia, who is considered the greatest guitarist of all time. Tod has participated in numerous masterclasses (2005 - 2024) with many of the world's top guitar virtuosos: Remi Boucher, Pavel Steidl and Jeremy Jouve to name a few. In addition, Tod has a Music Diploma from Vancouver Community College, a BMus from the University of Toronto and a MMus from the University of British Columbia (Guitar Performance, final recital pending).
Tod's classical guitar teaching style is rooted in a deep desire to instill a love of music learning, making and sharing in his students! His approach is anchored in helping his students establish both an excellent classical guitar technique and an equally important expressive performance style. Music that inspires, challenges and motivates his students is key, and so, along with a Classical music core, diverse genres such as: Flamenco, Jazz, Pop, Movies, Video Games and etc. will be incorporated into the mix!
Tod has taught classical guitar at Pro-Music Conservatory, the Conservatory of Dance & Music and privately in Toronto for over two decades. He also had the privilege of studying classical guitar with the great Canadian/Israeli guitar pedagogue Eli Kassner, a former student of Andres Segovia, who is considered the greatest guitarist of all time. Tod has participated in numerous masterclasses (2005 - 2024) with many of the world's top guitar virtuosos: Remi Boucher, Pavel Steidl and Jeremy Jouve to name a few. In addition, Tod has a Music Diploma from Vancouver Community College, a BMus from the University of Toronto and a MMus from the University of British Columbia (Guitar Performance, final recital pending).
Tod's classical guitar teaching style is rooted in a deep desire to instill a love of music learning, making and sharing in his students! His approach is anchored in helping his students establish both an excellent classical guitar technique and an equally important expressive performance style. Music that inspires, challenges and motivates his students is key, and so, along with a Classical music core, diverse genres such as: Flamenco, Jazz, Pop, Movies, Video Games and etc. will be incorporated into the mix!
- Email:tod.dorozio@gmail.com
Min Jee Yoon
Cello
Min Jee Yoon
Cello
Born in Incheon, South Korea, Min Jee Yoon completed her Bachelor of Music degree at the Kyung-won University in Korea and received her Artist diploma from the Vancouver Academy of Music. Min Jee participated in master classes led by distinguished cellists such as Aldo Parisot, Daniel Muller Schott, Desmond Hoebig and Judith Fraser. After moving to Canada, in the autumn of 2011, she enjoyed participating in the NAC’s institute of Orchestra Studies, which allowed her to perform with the National Art Centre Orchestra in Ottawa under the baton of Pinchas Zuckerman.
Since 2016, Min Jee has frequently performed as a substitute player with the Vancouver Symphony. She previously served as a Section Cellist at the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and as the Principal Cellist at the Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Yoon teaches cello students of all ages and levels.
Alla’s students grow musically and technically, successfully take RCM exams on a regular basis and receive awards at local and provincial festivals.
- Email:minjee.m.yoon@gmail.com
Dana Wenzel
Violin, Music Theory
Dana Wenzel
Violin, Music Theory
Dana Wenzel grew up as a Suzuki student, and completed her BMus at the University of Victoria with Ann Elliott-Goldschmid and the Lafayette String Quartet. She has also studied with Jan Coleman and Dr. Sarah Pizzichemi, and played in masterclasses with Rachel Barton Pine, Gwen Thompson, and Chloé Trevor.
In 2017, Dana was awarded Special Recognition in the Seattle Young Artists’ Music Festival, and performed as concertmaster and featured soloist in Cascade Youth Symphony’s European Tour. She has also held leadership roles at the Chloé Trevor Music Academy and Tuned In! Summer Student Festival.
Dana is an active event violinist and social media content creator on the topic of accessibility of classical music. She has also been trained in Baroque and Contemporary performance practices.
Her special area of interest is teaching students with ADHD. A musician with ADHD herself, she believes music is a tool of regulation, motivation, and self-discipline. She is currently certified through Suzuki Unit 4.
- Email:dana.violinist@gmail.com
Morgane Baudry
Piano
Morgane Baudry
Piano
Morgane studied piano and accompaniment in France at the Conservatoire de Nancy for 15 years. Since the start of her studies, she has played with various instrumental groups and soloists. Between accompanying string and wind players and vocalists in classes and examinations and playing with chamber music ensembles, choirs, orchestras and even theatre productions and operas, Morgane likes to diversify her instrumental practice. She has also taught students of all ages. As a teacher, she likes to commit herself fully to her students, adapting her teaching methods according to their desires, needs, personality and level. Coming from a classical background, she’s also interested in modern music such as pop and jazz.
Morgan can teach in English and French.
Morgan can teach in English and French.
Free Trial Lessons
A private 30-minute trial lesson for new violin, viola, cello, piano, guitar, voice and private and semi-private theory students is free of charge and may be booked through the Free trial lesson form. A fee of $40 will be charged for additional trials with other teachers.
