Dr. Stanford Cheung is a Yamaha Artist who has cultivated a distinguished reputation as a Canadian concert pianist, making notable contributions to classical and contemporary music. Stanford’s multifaceted performing career spans the globe, encompassing the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.
Stanford seamlessly integrates his classical expertise into cross-disciplinary projects, creating innovative synergies. His artistic endeavors have been showcased at esteemed institutions, including Osaka University, the University of Toronto, the University of Edinburgh, York University Crossroads Festival, Christ Church University Winter Sound Festival, Toronto Metropolitan University, Orpheus Institute, and the Banff Centre for the Arts.
An avid collaborator, Stanford works with a wide assemblage of Grammy Award-winning musicians to broaden the ontology of contemporary music. He is recognized for his collaborations with Richard Reed Parry, Shahzad Ismaily, Morgan Fisher, Nobuo Kubota, and William Brittelle.
Stanford earned his doctorate and master’s degrees in piano performance from McGill University, where he studied under the guidance of Professor Kyoko Hashimoto. He received his bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the University of Toronto, where he studied under Marietta Orlov.
A highly sought-after teacher, Dr. Cheung’s students have gone on to win many prestigious awards and scholarships in festivals and competitions. Dr. Cheung also adjudicates at many piano competitions and music festivals. In addition to his performance and teaching commitments, he is deeply dedicated to community service. He serves as the concert curator for “In Concert for Cambodia” and on the artistic committee of the CCC Toronto International Music Festival.

Diane Clarke retired in 2025 following a distinguished thirty-year career teaching band and music within the Musquodoboit Rural Family of Schools. A passionate advocate for rural music education, Diane is the founding chair of the Rural Youth Band Summit and has dedicated decades to the Nova Scotia music community. Her leadership extends across the province, having served on the executives of both the Nova Scotia Band Association (NSBA) and the Music Educators Association. Notably, Diane chaired the Nova Scotia Junior Wind Ensemble committee for ten years before later returning as its guest conductor.

A highly decorated educator, Diane holds degrees from Memorial University and Acadia University. Her contributions have been recognized with the NSBA Distinguished Band Director Award and the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys attending Broadway musicals and playing traditional Irish folk music.

"Warm sensitive sound and strong rhythmic delivery." - This is Classical Guitar

Simon Farintosh is an award-winning guitarist, composer, and educator based in Victoria, British Columbia. Named one of CBC’s ‘30 Under 30 Classical Musicians’ in 2023, he is known for his unconventional programming choices, connecting with audiences by integrating the classical guitar with more contemporary musical forms such as ambient electronica. His debut album Noctuary (2023) features an extended original composition for solo eight-string guitar. Amassing over 2 million streams on Spotify, his first EP Aphex Twin for Guitar (2021) features transcriptions of pieces by British electronic artist Richard D. James, fusing two seemingly disparate types of music. His second EP Seascapes (2021) consists of original compositions inspired
by the captivating landscape of the Pacific Northwest, combining solo guitar with atmospheric synth textures. Many of Simon’s arrangements and compositions are published by Les Productions d'Oz, Bergmann Edition and Musicnotes.com.

Simon began his guitar studies in 2004 at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Dr. Stephen Lochbaum, Bradford Werner, and revered pedagogue Dr. Alexander Dunn. Simon continued to study with Dr. Dunn at the University of Victoria, where he earned his Bachelor of Music Degree in 2018. Simon's musical pursuits later took him to Milwaukee, WI, where he completed a Master's Degree at The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2020. Here, he was a student and teaching assistant to Rene Izquierdo, a renowned Cuban virtuoso and one of North America’s most sought-out guitar instructors. Currently, Simon is in the finishing stages of a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Toronto, where he is a student of Jorge
Caballero and Dr. Jeffrey McFadden. He has also studied Alexander Technique privately with Nancy Sicsic. His doctoral thesis is centred around devising an effective sight-reading curriculum for undergraduate guitar students.

Simon's performances have garnered him top awards in various national and international competitions. He was the 1st Prize winner of the 2018 Northwest Guitar Festival in Spokane, WA, and has been a finalist in the Canadian National Music Festival, GuitarLab International Competition, Wilson Center Guitar Competition, and the Twisted Spruce Guitar Competition. As a composer, he was recently awarded First Prize in the 2022 Ottawa Guitar Society Composition Competition for his original piece 'Distant Light.' He is a six-time recipient of the British Columbia Arts Council Award, and has been a featured performer or visiting clinician for organizations such as The Classical Guitar Society of Tri-Cities (Washington), Madison Classical Guitar Society, Ottawa Guitar Society, the Guitar Society of Toronto, Chemainus Classical Concerts, and more. He has adjudicated festivals such as the London Kiwanis Music Festival and the Canadian National Music Festival.

Simon is currently an instructor at The University of Victoria, where he runs the guitar department. He is also the owner and operator of ReVamp Guitar Academy, which offers virtual lessons to students across Canada and beyond. His students regularly receive top prizes in local and provincial music competitions, as well as excellent scores on RCM examinations. In addition to teaching and performing, Simon is currently president of the Victoria Guitar Society, an organization dedicated to promoting the guitar through outreach and an international concert series.

Simon plays a 2025 double-top guitar by Martin Blackwell and a 2021 8-string guitar by Jeff Sigurdson.

Grace Ho holds a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Southern Methodist University, a Bachelor of Music Degree in General Studies Secondary Education Stream from the University of British Columbia, and Associate Diplomas in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Grace did her teaching practicum at the SMU Piano Preparatory Department, teaching private lessons, group piano, and undergraduate class piano under the guidance of faculty supervisors. She previously performed in Canada and the United States, including highlight performances atthe Atlantic Music Festival, Orford Musique, solo recital at Ernest Balmer Studio, and piano masterclasses with renowned artists Sergio DeSimone and Robert Weirich. Grace has also served as a collaborative pianist for school choirs at music festivals and competitions in British Columbia and abroad.
Originally from Vancouver, Grace resides in Toronto where she maintains a full private piano studio, focused on nurturing students’ musical growth and appreciation. She values building community through music and currently serves as the President and Piano Auditions Convenor of the ORMTA North York/York Region Branch. Her students have achieved great success in their practical and theory examinations, performed at provincial competitions, and received
numerous scholarships and awards from music festivals within the GTA and Vancouver. She has adjudicated at local music festivals, including ORMTA auditions at the Central Toronto, and Scarborough and Pickering branches. Her teaching is inspired by principal piano mentors Carol Leone, Alice Enns, Edward Parker, as well as pedagogy mentors Catharine Lysinger, Susan Hamblin Dennis, and Mary Tickner.

Kyra Millan is an arts educator, singing teacher, and performer with over 25 years of experience in arts education. Her career began with the Canadian Opera Company, where she led opera workshops and served as Musical Director of the Summer Youth Intensive program. From 2020–2021, she was Interim Artistic Director of the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, supporting the artistic growth of young performers.

As an artist educator, Kyra has facilitated workshops for the Royal Conservatory of Music, Opera Atelier, Kiwanis, Soundstreams Canada, Roy Thomson Hall, Massey Hall, and the Canadian Opera Company. Her commitment to inclusive and accessible arts education is reflected in her work with Workman Arts (CAMH), Xenia Concerts, and Abilities Arts.

Kyra is the creator of Gleesical, an innovative after-school program where students collaboratively created and performed original musicals. She is also a touring performer as half of the opera comedy duo Millan & Faye whose performances were included at The Four Seasons Centre, Hugh's Room, Harbourfront,  Chamberfest, and the Elora Festival.

Kyra enjoys adjudicating at local and provincial festivals across Ontario and maintains a private voice studio in Toronto.

James Pinhorn is a native of St. John’s, Newfoundland where he appeared frequently on stage and on CBC Radio and Television as a boy soprano and actor.  As a young performer James, or ‘Jamie’ as he was known, was a successful competitor in the local St. John’s Kiwanis Music Festival, where he won many trophies as awards.  These successes led to an audition for a local CBC Television talent show entitled ‘Step To Stardom’ where he went through many elimination rounds and eventually won the ‘Runner Up’ award in this competition.  He was even eventually nominated for ‘Citizen of the Year’ for the city of St. John’s.  Jamie was asked to appear in a Christmas TV Special written especially for him as a child called “Jamie’s Old Fashioned Christmas’ which aired on the local CBC and also enjoyed several repeats.

James has been invited many times over the years as a presenter at the Ontario Music Educators Association Conference, where he has given presentations on the state of music education in our public schools, on warming up the voice and rehearsal techniques for young singers, and also on issues of intellectual and artistic copyright in today’s music. James also had the honour of conducting the Massed Choir for 15 seasons at the Ontario Educational Leadership Centre in Orillia for the Intermediate Arts Emerging Leadership Course and also served as a Course Administrator for this course for five years.

James is recently retired as Curriculum Leader of Music at Agincourt Collegiate Institute in the Toronto District School Board where he taught both Vocal Music and Computers and Music courses.  His school choirs won numerous awards in the Ontario Music Festival Association festivals.  From 2017-2020 James took the post as conductor of the Bach Chamber Youth Choir in Toronto, now on hiatus.  In his very first season, the choir (also known as the BCYC) competed a ‘clean sweep’, winning first place in each Provincial category they entered in the recorded competition of the Ontario Music Festival Association, and also won first place in each class they entered at the National level.  They were awarded the ‘Diane Loomer Choral Award’ for Best Overall Performance by a Choir in the festival.  

Since retiring from full time teaching, James has presented numerous workshops and clinics for schools in Ontario.  In March 2023, James was asked to travel to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories where he adjudicated the Yellowknife Music Festival and also gave two presentations on choral techniques for the Yellowknife Teachers Association.  In April 2023, James was the adjudicator for Choirs at the Kiwanis Music Festival in Guelph, Ontario, culminating in an evening workshop for the Guelph Youth Singers.  In March 2024 he was asked to adjudicate at the Ontario Vocal Festival in Oshawa and in Brampton Ontario and was subsequently on the panel of adjudicators at MusicFest Nationals in Toronto in May 2025.  In February 2026 James conducted the Huron Arts Honour Choir in a Massed Choir performance of High School and Elementary students which took place in Newmarket, Ontario.

Dr. Marnie Van Weelden enjoys a versatile career as a pianist and devoted teacher.  After completing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Michigan, she joined the faculty of Wilfrid Laurier University in 2007 where she teaches studio piano and piano pedagogy.  She has also been teaching piano privately for over thirty years!  She is in demand as a festival adjudicator, workshop clinician on choreography and injury prevention, and she is a member of the Royal Conservatory’s College of Examiners.  Marnie strives to pursue a meaningful connection between teaching, performing, and community engagement.  She is currently serving as  Past-President for the KW-ORMTA branch and is passionate about pursuing excellence in teaching through networking opportunities, professional development, and recitals with her teaching colleagues in the community.  She has performed as both a soloist and with orchestra and she regularly performs in her duo, Blondes on 88, with pianist Rebekah Jordan-Miller in various concert series and charity events to support the arts and other community initiatives.

Michelyn Wright received her Honours Bachelor of Music Education, and an Artist's Performance Diploma from the University of Western Ontario then her Master of Music in Voice Performance at the Mannes College of Music in New York City. Through these years she studied with such great teachers as Bernard Diamant, Lois Marshall, Dr. Darryl Edwards and Ruth Falcon. In 1997 she worked with Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge at the Britten Pears School. Michelyn has performed as a soloist with the Guelph Chamber Choir, the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Operetta Theatre, and was a chorister with the Canadian Opera Company Chorus from 1998-2008.
Michelyn has been an active Voice Teacher in Markham since 1997. She has been a member of ORMTA since 2017, and is the Markham Stouffville Branch President. A member of the National Assoc. of Teachers of Singing since 1999, she was on the Ontario Chapter executive board for 15 years. In 2001 she was selected as one of 20 applicants to attend the NATS Intensive Program, a teacher training program for young voice teachers. Michelyn has been an Artist Educator with the Canadian Opera Company Education Department, Vocal Music Director for the Unionville Theatre Company and a Vocal Instructor for the Bach Children's Chorus.
Currently, Michelyn has a large private voice studio in Markham and is a Sessional Lecturer at the University of Toronto, teaching Voice Education to undergraduate instrumental music education students. This past summer of 2025 she was the Volunteer Chair of the International Congress of Voice Teachers in Toronto.
Michelyn’s students have been finalists at the OMFA Provincials, NATS Regional Auditions, NATS Ontario Vocal Showcase, Pickering GTA Music Festival, Newmarket Lions, Toronto Kiwanis, and North York Music Festivals and as well as 1st Place winner of the 2021 and 2022 ORMTA Vocal Provincials. Her students have been Silver and Gold Medal Royal Conservatory of Music Winners, and many have continued in music after high school at the University level, attending such schools as, McGill University, University of Toronto, Western University and Wilfrid Laurier University.

Dr. Clara Haneul Yoon is a violinist, educator, and researcher whose work bridges performance, pedagogy, and scholarship, with a strong focus on equity in music education and community engagement. Trained at the Juilliard School and Columbia University, her research examines how cultural perceptions and social contexts shape artistic value, particularly stereotypes and genre hierarchies in music. Her contributions have been recognized by organizations such as the NAMM Foundation, which awarded her the 2022 President’s Innovation Award for advancing accessible music education initiatives. A dynamic performer and sought-after strings clinician and adjudicator, Dr. Yoon regularly appears as a guest artist and lecturer at institutions and festivals across North America and Asia. She has collaborated with the Juilliard School, Columbia University, the University of Toronto, Western University, and the Royal Conservatory of Music, working closely with students and faculty to foster the development of emerging musicians and educators. Dr. Yoon is also the founder of "Saloon Yoon: A Lecture-Concert Series." Launched in 2022, the Saloon Yoon series brings classical music directly into everyday community spaces, reaching various neighborhoods throughout New York, Toronto, and South Korea. The series was first created to counter the traditional barriers often associated with classical music, ranging from highly formal venues, cost, and unfamiliar conventions, by placing music where people already gather and by presenting it with clarity, warmth, and context. Each program weaves together performance, storytelling, and open conversation, giving audiences the chance to encounter classical works in a setting that is approachable and welcoming.