Elation Pauls

Violin

Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy and Festival, Elation Pauls has served as Assistant Principal Second Violin with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra since 2009. Following studies at the University of Toronto, Pauls obtained the Solo Performance (Konzertexamen) degree from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Rostock, Germany.

Shirley Elias

Piano

Shirley Elias has toured and performed coast to coast, recorded numerous CBC broadcasts and CD's, and premiered nine new music concertos with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Shirley's paintings deliver the same bold, colourful energy as her performances and can be found in private collections in eight countries. She has taught both at Canadian Mennonite University and the University of Manitoba, and has been Arts Consultant and Jury Representative for the Federal Recording Program.

Kurt Tittlemier

Guitar

Kurt Tittlemier has appeared as both a soloist, chamber musician and side man. Past collaborations include performances with west coast guitar virtuoso Dr. Alexander Dunn, multi-media artist Freya Olafson and with singer songwriter Dan Frechette at The Brandon Folk Festival. Tittlemier holds a Masters of Music degree from the University of Victoria (2004).

Aaron Shorr

Guitar

Aaron Shorr has been an active member of Winnipeg's jazz scene for nearly a decade. He has studied at Humber College in Toronto and at the University of Manitoba. In addition to his formal studies, he has learned from some of the biggest stars in the international jazz scene, including Jonathan Kreisberg Peter Bernstein, Miles Okazaki, and Ben Monder. He's an active performer in the Winnipeg jazz community, and a sought after teacher.

Katy Hedalen-Shariff

Voice

Katy Hedalen-Shariff has a Bachelor of Music from the University of British Columbia in voice performance and a Masters degree in Vocal performance and pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Originally from Vancouver, Katy has a varied performing history (jazz, blues, pop, opera, classical, and musical theatre) and loves learning new repertoire. She is dedicated to teaching efficient, easy vocal technique in a variety of vocal styles.

Natalie Dawe

Cello

Natalie Dawe is a cellist based in Winnipeg. Her students have won awards at local and provincial festivals. Recent performances include the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and the WSO. She has toured the US, Ecuador, China, and Scandinavia. Natalie completed a masters at Western University, studying with renowned artist-teacher Thomas Wiebe.

Helen White

Vocal Jazz, Voice

Helen White is a regular at all the main jazz venues in Winnipeg and has been a guest artist with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra five times. Having attained a Masters in Jazz Performance (Canada) and a BA Hons in Creative Music Sound Technology and Performance (Cambridge), White has recorded three full-length studio albums (two of originals) and in 2018 will be recording her next jazz album.

Richard Klassen

Clarinet

Richard Klassen, a native of Winnipeg, holds a music performance degree from the University of Toronto. He has studied clarinet in Chicago, USA with Larry Coombs and in Paris, France with Yona Ettlinger under a Canada Council grant. Klassen played clarinet in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra for 40 years, and has been active in the Manitoba music community for decades.

Ross Brownlee

Trombone

Ross Brownlee studied at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Northern Illinois University, and at McGill University in Montréal, QC. There, he performed with the McGill Cornett and Sackbut ensemble, Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, and the FACE Symphony Orchestra. He currently directs the band program at Westgate Mennonite Collegiate in Winnipeg, MB. Ross is an active clinician, adjudicator, singer, and trombone performer in Manitoba.

Sean Irvine

Woodwind

Saxophonist and woodwind specialist Sean Irvine has quickly developed a reputation as a first call sessional and studio musician across the prairies. Irvine also works avidly as an educator, having taught in the Winnipeg School Division and Sistema education programs for a number of years.

Dawn Bruch

Voice

Dawn Bruch completed her Bachelors of Music in voice at McGill University, followed by her Masters of Music degree at The University of Manitoba where she studied with Tracy Dahl. Dawn has appeared with Manitoba Opera, The Little Opera Company, Groundswell, The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera Studio Weimar and Opera on the Avalon and is excited to share her passion for vocal technique and repertoire with her Canadian Mennonite University students.

Judith Oatway

Voice

Judith Oatway's, performances have been described as "polished and dramatic... she can seemingly do anything with it, always at the service of the music." She has performed with The Little Opera Company, Opera NUOVA, Kitchener Opera, among others. Judith holds a Bachelor of Music (Brandon University) and Masters of Music (University of Western Ontario).

She serves as Co-Artistic Director of Flipside Opera and is in demand as an adjudicator.

Laurel Ridd

Flute

Laurel Ridd is a freelance flutist who plays regularly with the Winnipeg Symphony. She has appeared as soloist in several concerti with MusikBarock, and also performs with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and on the GroundSwell series. Teaching is an important focus, including her affiliations with Canadian Mennonite University and the International Music Camp.

Cheryl Ferguson

Concert Band

Cheryl Ferguson holds a BMus (French Horn) and BEd from University of Mary, Bismarck, ND, and also a MEd (Music) from Acadia University in Nova Scotia. She has been a band director for 20 years in North Dakota and Manitoba and is currently the Director of Bands at Fort Richmond Collegiate (Winnipeg), and Director of the Concert Band at CMU. Cheryl is active as a clinician, adjudicator, and public speaker throughout Canada and the USA.

Darryl Fergusson

Trumpet, Brass Techniques

Darryl Ferguson holds a BMus (Trumpet) from Brandon University, a MMus (Performance) from the University of South Florida, and a BEd from the University of Manitoba. He is active as an adjudicator, guest conductor, clinician, and freelance trumpet player. He is the director of bands at Acadia Junior High School. Ensembles under his direction have received numerous awards for their performance. He also is the conductor of the Rupertsland Brass Band.

Willie Wiebe

Guitar, Guitar Ensemble

Willie Wiebe has performed extensively in both solo and chamber settings. His varied performances have been aired nationally on both radio and television. His solo recording, Time Travel, was featured on CBC's The Music Room. and he was featured in the Governor General's Christmas concert playing his own arrangements for guitar, voice and choir. He has been teaching classical guitar at Canadian Mennonite University since 1992.

Brendan Thompson

Percussion, Percussion Techniques

Percussionist Brendan Thompson performs regularly with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. An enthusiast of musical theatre, Brendan has been the pit drummer/percussionist for over 30 musical theatre productions with companies such as Rainbow Stage and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. He also serves as the current Musician-in-Residence at Charleswood United Church. With a strong interest in music education, Brendan is active as a clinician and educator throughout Manitoba.

Danny Carroll

Electronic/Computer Music Applications

Danny Carroll holds Bachelor of Music (Composition), Certificate in Education and Master of Education degrees (UM), plays jazz piano and works with Rainbow Stage. Selected Theatre Composing credits include: RMTC: A Christmas Carol, Gone With the Wind, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest; MTYP: Jungle Book, Peter Pan; PTE: The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble; WJT: Lenin's Embalmers, Death of a Salesman, Einstein's Gift.

Robert (Brady) Gill

Jazz Band, Jazz Techniques