Richard Hornsby is an active performer, educator, arts administrator and arts advocate. His varied activities have had a positive effect on the development of the arts in New Brunswick and throughout Canada. His professional life and his volunteer work have enriched the lives of the people of New Brunswick and he continues to work for the betterment of the arts and the artist.
Professionally, he has performed with the Toronto Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, and New Music Concerts of Canada as well as frequently recording for C.B.C. Radio of Canada. He continues performing as a recitalist, soloist and chamber musician. He is a member of New Brunswick’s new music ensemble, Motion which has recently toured throughout much of Canada and performed in New York City.
He has also served on the faculties of the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto), the University of Toronto, and St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Currently he is Director of Music at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.
Since coming to New Brunswick he has been the founder and Director of the UNB Music Camp, founder and President of Musical Ventures Inc, and Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the New Brunswick Summer Music Festival. He also started the UNB Music Conservatory, a community music program at UNB.
Richard is currently president of the Cultural Human Resources Council of Canada and was a founding member of the Fredericton Arts Alliance. Richard was voted onto the board of MusicNB, the New Brunswick music industry association.
He is passionate about the role of the arts in our society, and works on issues of arts education, status of the artist, access to the arts and training for cultural workers through a variety of organizations.
Email: rhornsby@unb.ca.
Nadia Francavilla is one of Canada's leading performers and advocates of new contemporary music. The Montreal-born violinist is an accomplished recitalist and outstanding chamber musician who has performed internationally in North America, Europe, and Japan.
Nadia's driving interest in new music has led her to commission and premiere new works from Canadian and international composers. She particularly enjoys working with young composers, nurturing their innovative spark. Meanwhile, explorations of improvised works and frequent collaborations with visual and multimedia artists have shaped her study of music as performance art.
Since 2009, Nadia is UNB's Musician-in-Residence where she curates leading-edge concert series that challenge audiences to explore new sounds and musical experiences. The NB Contemporary Music Festival, curated by Mrs. Francavilla each year since its inception in 2019, exclusively features music from emerging and established women composers.
Her production company, On The Edge Productions Inc, promotes new, ground-breaking experimental music, stretching the convention of musical traditions and fostering collaboration among emerging and established musicians and multidisciplinary artists.
An experienced educator and facilitator, Nadia takes an interactive and exploratory approach to knowledge sharing in lectures, masterclasses, and workshops. She teaches violin at Mount Allison University, leads courses on women in music and music in film at the University of New Brunswick, and is the author of the violin syllabus for L’école préparatoire de musique at Université de Moncton. She is often asked to adjudicate at music festivals around the country.
In 2022, Nadia was awarded a Documentation Grant by the New Brunswick Arts Board for Noisemakers, a series of short documentaries chronicling and contextualizing important contributions from New Brunswick composers to contemporary music in Canada.
Mrs. Francavilla's projects have received financial support from Canada Council for the Arts, the New Brunswick Arts Board, the Province of New Brunswick, the SOCAN Foundation, and MusicUNB.
Hugh Kennedy attended The University of Western Ontario (Bach. of Music Education 1979 and Bach. of Education 1983) and the University of Northern Colorado (Mast. in Trumpet Performance 1981) before beginning to teach music at Fredericton High School in 1984.
During the summers of 1989 to 1991, Hugh attended a comprehensive Wind Band Conducting programme at the University of Calgary. It was here he was influenced by some of North America's best conducting teachers including Eugene Corporon, Craig Kirchoff and Fred Fennell.
In 1999, he left classroom teaching and entered educational administration. Hugh continued to be involved in Wind Band music by adjudicating music festivals and presenting band workshops as well as working with groups such as NB Winds and the Fredericton Concert and Marching Band. He retired from public education in 2013.
Hugh has a large number of fond memories from his time spent with school and community bands. In addition to the numerous interpersonal relationships developed with wonderful people, some of the memorable highlights are the commissioning of "Whispers from Handel" by Jerome Summers (1991) and "Riverscape" by Phil Nimmons (1994), the release of the recording of unpublished Canadian Wind Band music entitled "To Canada: Love Fredericton High School" (1994) and the concerts performed by NB Winds 2003 to 2006.
Mezzo-soprano Kathrin Welte holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Mount Allison University, a Masters of Music in Solo Vocal Performance from McGill University and additional performance training at the prestigious Mozarteum Conservatory's Summer Academy in Salzburg, Austria and the St. Andrews Opera Workshop.
Her active performance career spans art song to choral, opera to musical theatre, her performances having been praised for singing "...effortlessly and with style..." in Opera Canada (Ossama El-Naggar, Spring 2016). Ms. Welte has sung principal roles with musical organizations such as the Compagnie Baroque Mont Royal (Il Serpente di Bronzo), Opera da Camera (Le Nozze di Figaro, Cendrillon, Serse, Cosi fan tutte, Hänsel und Gretel) and the Montreal West Operatic Society (Orpheus in the Underworld, The Mikado).
She has frequently been heard as the invited alto soloist in Bach cantatas with Serenata at St. John's, in numerous recitals with Opera da Camera (Cabaret: de Berlin à New York, Le tour du monde en une nuit, Voyage d'amour, Bouquet Printanier) and in solo recital in Québec and New Brunswick.
An accomplished choral singer, Ms Welte has appeared with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Chorus (Beethoven 9th Symphony, Mahler 8th Symphony, Mozart, Brahms and Fauré Requiems), the Choir of the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul (CBC Christmas Sing In, Lux Christmas CD-ATMA Label), Voces Boréales (Tim Brady 8th Symphony) and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal (Mozart Requiem, Falling Angels).
Parallel to her performance career, Ms. Welte teaches private voice and violin lessons and is passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience with her students. Her student-centered teaching approach draws on many techniques, teaching methods and a vast practical background in order to promote development in her students all while keeping the joy of music making forefront to their experience.
Kathrin actively researches new teaching methods, building on the foundation of the university courses she took in vocal pedagogy, choral conducting, diction and elementary pedagogy. She takes a specific interest in: vocal technique in choral singing, the specialized approach of teaching prepubescent singers; preparing adolescents and young adults for higher education in the music field; as well as guiding avocational adults in expanding their musical skills and appreciation. Ms. Welte is a member of the New Brunswick Registered Music Teacher Association.
American-born bassoonist Yvonne Kershaw has a wide range of performance experience in both Canada and the U.S. She played with the Cascade Symphony in Washington and has participated in the Sandpoint, Idaho and Bayview, Michigan music festivals. Her extensive teaching experience includes instructing instrumental music in Seattle area music schools and working as a graduate instructor of bassoon at Indiana University.
Yvonne now resides in Fredericton, where she adjudicates music festivals and teaches bassoon, flute and oboe at the UNB Centre for Musical Arts. She teaches courses in music theory and music appreciation at UNB. She is a regular faculty member of UNB’s Summer Music Camp and she performs regularly with Symphony New Brunswick.
Yvonne released a CD of bassoon and guitar music with guitarist Stephen Peacock, which was nominated for ECMA Classical Recording of the Year in 2005. Kershaw also performed at the International Double Reed Society’s 2006 Convention in Muncie, Indiana and she attends the Glickman Popkin Bassoon Camp in North Carolina every year.
Yvonne lives with her husband, John, and children, Hannah and Jacob.
Keegan Manson-Curry is a doctoral candidate in Ethnomusicology at the University of Toronto. His dissertation investigates sound, silence, music, and sense of place along the Wolastoq (St. John River) on the unceded territory of the Wolastoqey Nation.
He works collaboratively with Wolastoqey leadership to ensure that his research is respectful of and beneficial to both Indigenous and settler communities in the region.
He is also an active performer and researcher with interests in settler music traditions in Canada. He is currently involved in the first large-scale study of Scottish pipe bands in Canada.
Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Christian David Bérubé graduated with a Bachelor of Music from the University of Alberta, where he studied piano, voice, and composition. He completed a Master of Music in instrumental composition under the supervision of Denis Gougeon at the Université de Montréal. He has composed the music for several stage musicals, and has performed professionally as a choral singer and rock pianist.
His large-scale choral work Goats on the Left won a SOCAN Award for Young Composers; and his film scores have won two awards for Excellence in Music Composition at the Silver Wave Film Festival (2014 and 2017). His original soundtrack for the video game Noxia Somnia was released in 2022. He lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where he teaches piano, theory, and composition through the University of New Brunswick's Centre for Musical Arts.
For more information on his compositions for film and video games, visit christianberube.com.
Conor Britt is a recent cello performance graduate of McGill University’s Schulich School of Music under the direction of Brian Manker of the New Orford String Quartet and Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal. A native of Saint John, Conor has won numerous top prizes and awards at provincial and local festivals and was a 3rd place winner at the National Music Festival.
As a chamber musician, Conor has performed at the Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival, Domaine Forget International Chamber Music Festival, Classikfest Chaleur- Bathurst Chamber Music Festival and in numerous chamber ensembles in Montreal throughout his years at McGill. Currently a member of Tutta Musica, Conor has performed with Symphony New Brunswick, McGill Symphony Orchestra, Youth Orchestra of the Americas, and was principal cellist with the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, performing throughout Canada and Europe. Currently based in Fredericton, Conor is a teaching artist at Sistema NB.
Natalia Delacroix has had an international career as a performer and pedagogue. Natalia was educated at the Central Music School for Talented Children and at the Moscow State Conservatory of Tchaikovsky in a Viola class. There, she received an honors degree in teaching, orchestral music, solo and chamber music.
She began teaching viola at the Moscow State Conservatory at the age of 19 as an assistant of Professor Galina Odinets. She also taught as a violin teacher at a Central music school in Moscow. In addition to teaching, she performed concerts as a soloist and chamber musician. She also secured a job as Artist of the State Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Evgeny Svetlanov.
After graduating from the conservatory, Natalia moved to Germany where she continued teaching and performing. Natalia is the founder and director of the children's cultural festival Ostern & Classic in Hamburg (Germany), Artistic Director of Musica Classica Lanzarot in Spain. Furthermore, she was the director of the organization Classical Music and Culture for Children, and a member of string groups Magdalenen Trio and Hamburger Camerata.
She has also been a guest at numerous music festivals, such as Schleswig Holstein in Germany, Finca Festival in Spain, and Renaissance in Armenia as a performer, teacher and jury member. Her students are recipients of numerous prizes and actively participate in concerts and festivals in Germany and Europe. Natalia has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Asia, Russia, Europe, Scandinavian, Africa, Turkey and Canada.
Natalia's first book on playing the violin for young children, My Magic Violin, was published in 2019. In 2020, Natalia moved to Fredericton with her family. She is a violin and viola instructor at UNB Conservatory, Teaching Artist of Sistema NB, Director of Fine Arts Association of New Maryland and Candlelight Classix Concerts Inc.
Pianist Zyrene L. Estallo has performed as a soloist and collaborative artist in Asia, Europe, the U.S., and Canada. She has held performance fellowships and scholarships at the Brevard Music Institute and Festival for piano solo and chamber music (USA, 2012), the Adam Gyorgy Piano Academy for piano solo (Hungary, 2013), the Talis Music Festival and Academy for chamber music (Switzerland, 2014), and was a piano scholar at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (Singapore, 2014).
Her training as a pianist and educator began as a secondary student at the Philippine High School for the Arts (2010), followed by an honors Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the National University of Singapore (2014), and most recently, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of New Brunswick (2024).
With over 8 years of experience in education, Zyrene has taught elementary music classes, piano lessons, and directed music learning programs for culturally diverse groups in international schools in Asia. In addition to music teaching and piano accompaniment, Zyrene has been involved in education consulting and instruction, curriculum development, and research in equity, DEI, and social justice within education.
Zyrene provides piano accompaniment and teaches piano lessons. She can help in preparing for recitals, auditions, or RCM exams (subject to availability) for all ages (minimum age 4 years old) and levels.
Jason Flores graduated from the University of Idaho where he attended the Lionel Hampton School of Music as a Hampton Scholar. He has toured the world playing bass onboard cruise ships for Celebrity Cruise Lines and Crystal Cruise Lines. There he had the opportunity to play with musical greats like Shoshana Bean and Debbie Gibson. He has also opened for Kenny Baron at the Boise State University Jazz Festival.
Born and raised in the state of Idaho Jason has played and recorded with many bands in the capital region of Boise. He currently resides in Fredericton, NB where he holds an arts degree in psychology from the University of New Brunswick. Along with his degree in orchestral performance on the double bass he hoped to someday work in the field of music therapy.
Ian Gibson, based in Rothesay, New Brunswick, is a percussionist whose skills have been honed by studying under world renowned instructors like Russell Hartenberger, Robin Engelman, John Rudolph, Beverley Johnston and Alan Abel.
In 2004, Ian completed his Master of Music in Performance from the University of Toronto, following the completion of his Bachelor's degree in Music-Performance in 2002, also from the University of Toronto.
Between 2005 and 2017, Ian contributed significantly to music education at Cambrian College, Laurentian University, and the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, holding positions as Head of Percussion Studies, Classical Percussion Instructor, and Principal Percussionist/Timpanist.
Ian currently works as the Percussion Teaching Artist in Saint John with Sistema New Brunswick. He is also the Percussion Section Coach for both the Saint John Youth Orchestra and the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra.
Some noteworthy performance highlights include:
Ian proudly endorses Sabian Cymbals, Pearl Drums, Adams Percussion, and Innovative Percussion.
Maria Gusarova began playing piano at her age four. She graduated from St. Petersburg State Music School with Diploma of Excellence in piano, and then she completed her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Pedagogy and Performance under the supervision of Michael Lebed from St. Petersburg Conservatory (Russia).
While studying she demonstrated exceeding curriculum expectations in piano teaching. After completing her degrees in 1995, she began her career as a private music teacher, piano performer and accompanist.
Maria is excited to apply her 26 years' experience in teaching music to patiently guide students through piano learning. As an accomplished teacher she uses a wide range of teaching methods, and always strives to find the perfect approach for every student regardless their age and level.
Currently offering lessons online only, Maria prepares students for taking RCM exams and for performing in festivals. She also offers recreational piano lessons.
Besides piano teaching, Maria participates in Maritime events as a solo concert pianist and accompanist. She's eager to share her mastery and tips with the young performers.
Emma Johnson is an emerging music teacher with a deep passion for nurturing the musical talents of her students. Hailing from New Brunswick, Canada, Emma recently graduated with an Honours in Music from St. Thomas University’s Fine Arts program, where she had the privilege of learning from composer and Arts Director Martin Kutnowski. While in University, she participated in ensembles, composed new works, and tutored other students.
Emma's approach to music education is marked by her commitment to fostering a love for classical music and helping her students unlock their musical potential, actively contributing to programs like Sistema and the UNB Summer Music Camp. She is also passionate about supporting contemporary music lovers through her work with Girls Rock Camp, and performances for local festivals such as Harvest Jazz, Flourish Fest, and Folly Fest.
She currently offers private cello lessons through the UNB Conservatory, and performs with the Fredericton Symphony Orchestra.
Veronica Kallos is a Cum Laude graduate of University of the Philippines, Bachelor of Music, Major in Piano Performance under the Marianne Gancayco Scholarship.
She is a no stranger to the stage as she has been performing and has fared well in various national competitions from age seven and started accompanying choirs at the age of 14 as well. She was a sought-after accompanist and had collaborated with soloists, choirs, and has performed with professional musicians in the Philippines, Indonesia, Hongkong and Singapore.
Veronica and her family just arrived in Fredericton last year with a vast experience as a performer and a teacher. She has been teaching for more than 20 years and will continue what she has started in the Philippines, make children, teens and adults love playing the piano with high standards and be an inspiration to her students and fellow musicians.
American-born bassoonist Yvonne Kershaw has a wide range of performance experience in both Canada and the U.S. She played with the Cascade Symphony in Washington and has participated in the Sandpoint, Idaho and Bayview, Michigan music festivals. Her extensive teaching experience includes instructing instrumental music in Seattle area music schools and working as a graduate instructor of bassoon at Indiana University.
Yvonne now resides in Fredericton, where she adjudicates music festivals and teaches bassoon, flute and oboe at the UNB Centre for Musical Arts. She teaches courses in music theory and music appreciation at UNB. She is a regular faculty member of UNB’s Summer Music Camp and she performs regularly with Symphony New Brunswick.
Yvonne released a CD of bassoon and guitar music with guitarist Stephen Peacock, which was nominated for ECMA Classical Recording of the Year in 2005. Kershaw also performed at the International Double Reed Society’s 2006 Convention in Muncie, Indiana and she attends the Glickman Popkin Bassoon Camp in North Carolina every year.
Yvonne lives with her husband, John, and children, Hannah and Jacob.
Phyllis Knox teaches and supports beginning adult singing students and professional level singers and actors. Her expertise in the Alexander Technique enhances vocal health, responsiveness, expressive freedom and technical stability.
Ms. Knox has concertized with orchestras and ensembles across Canada and is a favourite of Canada’s summer music festivals.
Charles MacKinnon, trumpet, is a native of Kentville, Nova Scotia. While still a teenager, he toured Europe as a member of Canada’s National Youth Orchestra. Upon receiving a Canada Council grant, he moved to New York to study with Mel Broiles, (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra), Ray Crisara (NBC Symphony), and Vince Penzarella (New York Philharmonic).
Also while in New York, Charles played in broadway shows and toured the American east coast with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. Charles left New York for Toronto, where he was a founding member of the Canadian Brass Quintet, and played with the National Ballet and Canadian Opera Company Orchestras. He also worked with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. In the late 1990s Charles spent several years in Scotland, performing with the Royal Scottish Opera Orchestra.
Here in the Maritimes, Charles has been a member of the Atlantic Symphony, and has performed with Symphony New Brunswick, Symphony Nova Scotia and the Charlottetown Festival Orchestra throughout his professional career.
Charles is a member of the Fredericton Symphony Orchestra, several chamber groups, and teaches at the Fredericton Conservatory of Music.
Maksim Osipau is a professional and accomplished guitar player, teacher, composer, and music producer who draws inspiration from a diverse range of sources, including his passion for nylon guitar and his drive to create unique and memorable music. With a focus on blending traditional elements with contemporary production techniques, Maksim's music is at once both familiar and fresh, resulting in a sound that is truly his own.
After graduation from Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts in 2010 with a degree in music he was then offered to stay on and teach electric guitar. At the same time, he also taught classical guitar at Minsk State Arts College, where he graduated in 2005.
Maksim has had successes with his own bands and projects on both TV and radio in Belarus and surrounding European countries, where he co-wrote and co-produced for established artists number of albums and singles. Toured within and outside Belarus. He has worked as a music producer and arranger for the National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus, where he was recruited to work on various music arrangements.
Particularly working with folk music heritage to adapt it to contemporary artists while preserving all the traditional aspects, where completed over 40 TV shows. While at university, he got the Diploma of Laureate of the State Contest “Young Talents of Belarus” Nomination in Instrumental music with his own composition. In 2017 he moved with his family to Canada to challenge himself and to discover a new world of music. Maksim is a guitar instructor at UNB Conservatory.
After working as a band member and music producer/mixing engineer for New Brunswick band "No Name Road," Maksim embarked on a new adventure as a solo artist and content creator, writing and producing his own music with captivating melodies and intricate arrangements. In addition to composing, producing, and mixing music for local commercials, short films, and collaborations with various artists and clients, Maksim began releasing his solo works in 2022.
His contemporary and innovative approach has garnered widespread attention, particularly for his own music, and music videos, which have received thousands of views on his official streaming platforms and YouTube Channel. Tracks like “New Dawn”, “Hideaway”, “Nova”, "Nylon Nights," "Summer 22," "Anticipation," "Time" and much more showcase his unique style, which blends elements of various genres to create an unmistakable sound that stands out from the crowd.
In 2022, Maksim received an award for Excellence in Music Composition in a NB Short Film ("The Staredown") at the Silver Wave Film Festival.
Overall, Maksim's music is a testament to his talent and creativity, and he continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the world of music production and performance.
Aida Tisler obtained her bachelor’s degree in violin teaching and performance with distinction from Music Academy of the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1980. She accepted a violin teaching position at “Mladen Posaic” elementary music school in 1978 and held it until 1983 when she took a position of a violinist with the Sarajevo’s Symphony Orchestra. In addition, to performing and recording music with the Symphony Orchestra, Aida performed regularly with the Sarajevo’s Philharmonic Orchestra and Sarajevo’s Chamber Orchestra until her departure for Canada in 1994.
After 18 months of language schools, violin teaching and one university course in Toronto, Aida arrived in Fredericton with her husband Hrvoje and 2-year old daughter Sabina. Since then, Aida has obtained B.Ed with distinction from UNB, has taught violin to close to one hundred private students and has coached chamber groups and student orchestras at UNB Music Camp, New Brunswick Conservatory and several elementary schools.
Since becoming a member in 1997, Aida performed over 150 concerts with the Symphony New Brunswick. In addition, Aida performs regularly with Fredericton Chamber Players and Atlantic Sinfonia.
