Barbara Anhang

  • Barbara Anhang’s teaching experience lies within and beyond the world of music. She began her career in 1968 teaching English literature and composition at Kelvin High School in the Winnipeg School Division for several years. After she and her husband raised a family, Barbara returned to her childhood love of music in 1992-93, earning both ARCT Piano Performance and Teachers’ Diplomas from the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto. She has been teaching privately ever since and is competent at all levels.

    Anhang has performed and participated in numerous workshops and masterclasses, notably with the late Leonard Isaacs, Kendall Taylor, John Melnyk, Dr. Lorne Watson, Jean Broadfoot, Professor Charles Reiner (McGill), and Peter Vinograde. In addition, she has led masterclasses for the Division of Preparatory Studies, encompassing baroque, classical, romantic, and contemporary (20th and 21st century) music.

    Anhang has also served on the Associated Manitoba Arts Festivals Syllabus Selection Committee for piano, has been an active member of the Manitoba Piano Club, and has contributed articles to “Take Note,” the Manitoba Registered Music Teachers' Association newsletter. She holds a bachelor of arts degree and a certificate in education from the University of Manitoba. She teaches students of all ages, with a particular interest in advanced students.

    Instructs: piano

Tadeusz Biernacki

  • Tadeusz Biernacki piano and theory instructor.
  • Tadeusz Biernacki was born in Czestochowa, Poland where he began his music education at the age of four. He won the Karol Szymanowski competition in Warsaw in 1976 and earned his master of music degree in piano performance from the Conservatory of Music in Katowice in 1978. He has performed as a soloist in many European countries. Biernacki settled in Canada in 1978 and continued his piano studies with Marek Jablonski at the University of Manitoba and Banff School of Fine Arts. He studied conducting with Stanislaw Skrowaczewski in Minneapolis.

    As a winner of the 1980 Young Artist’s Competition, Biernacki has toured Canada extensively in solo and chamber music recitals. In 1983 he began his association with the Manitoba Opera and in 1988 with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

He made his conducting debut with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in 1992 and has since conducted orchestras in Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon, Toronto, Windsor and Montreal. He has conducted the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa, Cleveland Orchestra, St Paul Chamber Orchestra, Grand Forks Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Virginia Symphony Orchestra (USA), Tessaloniki State Orchestra (Greece), Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan) and Hong Kong Sinfonietta. He also conducted the world premieres of the RWB’s Nutcracker, Moulin Rouge, Wonderland, Svengali, The Princess and the Goblin, The Handmaid’s Tale, Going Home Star and Vespers.

His last CD recording, the soundtrack to Going Home Star with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra was awarded a 2017 Juno Award as the Best Classical Album of the Year – Large Ensemble. Biernacki has branched out into composition with his one-act opera, Happy Campers, composed for the Manitoba Opera School Tour, Charlies Kreuzfahrt, a ballet commissioned for the Stadtische Theater Chemnitz in Germany as well as numerous symphonic arrangements and orchestrations for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre, SSO, Memphis Ballet, Memphis Opera, Pittsburg Ballet Theatre and Atlanta Ballet. In addition to his position with the RWB, Biernacki is an Assistant Music Director, Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master of the Manitoba Opera.

Instructs: piano and theory

Linda De Pauw

  • Linda De Pauw voice instructor.
  • Linda De Pauw, mezzo-soprano, received her bachelor of music degree from the University of Manitoba and completed her graduate studies in Vocal Performance at the Guildhall School of Music in London, England. She has sung with New Sadlers’ Wells Opera, Buxton Opera, World of Gilbert & Sullivan and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. De Pauw was a member of London Voices and The Stephen Hill Singers. This enabled her to perform and record with most of London’s leading orchestras and with top international conductors. Linda played Miss Philips in the London West End production of Call Me Madam, sang in the BBC series of musicals for Radio 2 and on the DG recording of Bernstein’s On the Town with Michael Tilson Thomas. In Winnipeg, she has performed as a soloist with the Manitoba Opera Association, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, MusikBarok Ensemble and the Little Opera Company.

De Pauw began teaching voice in 1986. She established a busy studio in Winnipeg when she returned to the city in 1997. She is a member of the Manitoba Registered Music Teachers' Association (MRMTA) and the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). In addition to private voice lessons, Linda teaches theory, lyric diction courses for singers, a popular summer singing course and often adjudicates and facilitates workshops.

Instructs: voice

Ruth Douglas

  • Ruth Douglas has dedicated her entire life to educating her students. After completing her Associate of The Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT) Performer, and then BSc and BEd at the University of Manitoba, Ruth educated high school students in math and chemistry for five years until she became a full time mother.

    It was during this time she taught piano and theory part time to contribute to the family income. She turned it into a full-time career in 1977. Since then, Douglas has completed the Associate of The Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT) Teacher’s certificate and has taken music courses at the University of Manitoba in 16th century counterpoint and topics in harmony, 18th century counterpoint, orchestration, modern topics, composition, keyboard harmony and choral. She is a longstanding member of the Manitoba Registered Music Teachers' Association (MRMTA) and the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Associations (CFMTA), and has taught for the Preparatory Division, both piano and theory, for over 20 years.

    During her career, Douglas has prepared many students for piano exams and Music Festivals from grades one to ARCT Performers. In the many classes of theory she has taught through the years, she has had many students receive top marks in the advanced theory courses, including all three levels of harmony, counterpoint, analysis and three levels of keyboard harmony.

    Instructs: piano and theory

Megan Dufrat

  • Megan Dufrat Piano and theory instructor.
  • Pianist Megan Dufrat is currently studying under the tutelage of Dr. David Moroz at the Desautels Faculty of Music, where she is the recipient of the prestigious Katherine May Quilliam Scholarship, an award reserved for a top undergraduate piano student. A frequent performer, Dufrat has been invited to perform as part of the Musical Offering and Music and Mavens Concert Series and as part of the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg Concert Series. She has performed in masterclasses for Jon Kimura Parker, Dr. Thomas Green, Rei Hotoda, and the Gryphon Trio and was recently awarded a Holtby Scholarship from the Manitoba Registered Music Teachers Association. In 2014, she was a prize winner in the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg scholarship auditions.

With a passion for chamber music, Dufrat has been a guest artist in the Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and has worked with the Manitoba Underground Opera Company as a répétiteur. She is currently the accompanist for the Women of Note Choirs and frequently performs with instrumentalists and vocalists. Dufrat currently maintains a teaching studio within the Division of Preparatory Studies working with pianists of all ages and abilities. She also instructs the Theory Entrance Exam Course.

Instructs: piano and theory

Lorilee Glenat

  • Lorilee Glenat piano and theory instructor.
  • Born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada, Lorilee Glenat has her Associate of The Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT) Teacher’s certificate as well as bachelor of music from the University of Manitoba. She has been blessed to study with several pedagogues including Charles Horton, Anne Lugsdin, Sydney McInnes and Francis Sanderson, to name a few. She is a contracted instructor with the Prep Studies division at the Desautels Faculty of Music, where she teaches piano and all theoretical subjects including harmony and history. She has given masterclasses and workshops at the university and was the piano adjudicator at the Meridian Music Festival in 2017.

Along with her musical interests, she enjoys gardening, hiking, studying and cooking. She and her husband both enjoy scuba diving and have traveled to and enjoyed the undersea life in places such as Fiji, Cozumel, South Africa, Western Australia and the Galapagos Islands.

Instructs: piano and theory

Ian Hodges

  • Dr. Ian Hodges guitar, electric bass, composition, songwriting and music theory instructor.
  • Ian Hodges is one of Canada’s most versatile musicians, performing professionally on classical and jazz guitar and in commercial music settings. His professional career began in the 1980s as an electric guitarist with jazz, fusion, rock, blues and country bands. Ian has performed all over Canada and the US and is still an active performer. His academic credentials are of the highest order, a rare combination that offers students the best of real world experience and extensive musical training.

    Hodges holds multiple degrees in guitar performance, including a doctor of musical arts (University of Minnesota), master of music (Florida State University), bachelor of music (University of Manitoba), and is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, America's National Honorary Musical Society.

Performances as a classical guitar soloist, chamber musician and guest soloist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and other top professional ensembles led the Winnipeg Free Press to hail Hodges as “Manitoba’s Premiere Classical Guitarist” (November 2001). CBC Radio featured many of his live performances in national broadcasts, and the CD “Canciones” (with soprano Charlene Pauls) received airplay across North America.

Hodges composes music for the concert stage, film and theatre, including National Film Board documentaries (the Peabody award-winning Fat Chance in 1994; And So to Bed in 1999), independent films (Haunts of the Black Masseur - the Swimmer as Hero in 2004), and shows for the Prairie Theatre Exchange (The Birds & The Bees in 2017, Butcher in 2015, The Valley in 2014, December Man in 2011).

A highly successful teacher for over 35 years, Hodges has taught at the University of Minnesota and the Canadian Mennonite University, and currently teaches for the Preparatory Division of the Desautels Faculty of Music, University of Manitoba. His students have won a great number of scholarships, medals and trophies in competitions and exams, and have been accepted at music schools across Canada and the US. Many have gone on to professional careers in music.

Instructs: guitar, electric bass, composition, songwriting and music theory

Laura Kolisnyk

  • Laura Kolisnyk musical theatre instructor.
  • Laura Kolisnyk is a Winnipeg-based performer, choreographer, director and educator. An honours graduate of the University of Winnipeg theatre department, she has performed locally and internationally. Specializing in theatre for young audiences, she spent 10 years with Koba Entertainment. Most notable credits with the company include Max and Ruby, performed on Broadway; Caillou, performed in Korea and the United Arab Emirates; and Franklin, performed in France.

    In Winnipeg she has performed with Rainbow Stage and the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre and has written, produced and performed shows for the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. Her favourite being Ordinary May’s Extraodinary Ways, a play for kids about self-worth and acceptance.

Kolisnyk has voiced many cartoon characters for Dacapo Productions and was the voice director on Balloopoo. She is the singer/front person for the funkiest kids band in Winnipeg, The Fun-Key Ducks.

When she is not on stage, she is sharing her passion for performing arts and yoga. As an educator she has over 20 years experience, having taught dance, musical theatre, drama and kids' yoga at many schools and studios in Winnipeg.

Instructs: musical theatre

Elena Levina

  • Elina Levina piano and theory instructor.
  • Elena Levina completed her BA in piano at the Rostov College of Arts and went on to obtain her MA in piano from the Rostov State Rachmaninoff Conservatory (Russia). An active teacher and accompanist with more than 30 years experience, Levina has worked as a collaborative pianist with the Rostov Olympic Gymnastics team (Russia), the Rostov College of Art (Russia), the Winnipeg Youth Chorus and John Black Memorial United Church (Winnipeg). Her piano students regularly participate in the Winnipeg Music Festival, and in both provincial and national competitions.

    In addition to her work teaching and accompanying, Levina is also an experienced theory instructor, teaching all levels of theory and harmony. She has been an instructor with Prep Studies for over 15 years.

    Languages: English and Russian
    Instructs: piano and theory

Xueyan (Laura) Liu

  • Xueyan (Laura) Liu piano instructor.
  • Xueyan (Laura) Liu graduated from Shenyang Conservatory of Music (China) with her master’s degree in piano performance. A certified piano teacher and examiner with over 20 years of experience, Liu has dedicated her professional life to spreading her passion for piano to her students, students' parents and friends.

    Lui enjoys working with students of all ages and levels, tailoring lessons to meet the individual goals of each student. She encourages her students to participate in piano exams and competitions to advance their piano skills and performance abilities. Many of her students have achieved excellent rankings in provincial and national piano contests in China, and more recently, in the Winnipeg Music Festival.

    Languages: English and Mandarin
    Instructs: piano

Rod Machovec

  • Rod Machovec guitar instructor.
  • Rod Machovec studied classical guitar performance with Canadian classical guitarist Norbert Kraft at the University of Toronto and later at the Aspen International Music Festival (Juilliard school of music’s summer program) with Sharon Isbin. Isbin is the founder and head of the guitar department at the Juilliard school. There, Machovec was chosen by Isbin to perform in front of an international audience in the Distinguished Artist Masterclass Series in the historic Wheeler Opera House.

    Machovec later furthered his study of musical interpretation with violinist Dr. Konstantin Krechler who mentored him for an intense period of time.

Machovec holds an Associate of The Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT) in guitar performance from the Royal Conservatory in Toronto and studied music pedagogy (the art of teaching guitar) there as well. He has been a member of the Manitoba Registered Music Teachers Association since 1996. Outside of his teaching commitments, he is currently sought after as a performer, composer and arranger and an adjudicator throughout Manitoba.

Since his years as a student, Machovec has performed for two decades in recitals, on radio and TV and has recorded three CDs of solo classical guitar music. His most recent release is an album of Christmas music arranged for solo classical guitar over a 25-year span.

Machovec also enjoys playing jazz and world music on the side using various types of guitars.

His parents were both professional musicians who also taught their respective instruments (piano and clarinet and sax) and they guided him early on in the art of instruction.

Machovec has been teaching guitar full time since 1989 and serves on the faculty at the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts and the Desautels Faculty of Music’s Prep Studies program teaching all styles of guitar. He also currently has a busy guitar studio in River Heights, Winnipeg.

Instructs: guitar

Colin Mehmel

  • Colin Mehmel, feldenkrais practitioner and clarinet instructor.
  • Colin Mehmel is a Guild Certified Feldenrkais practitioner and professional clarinetist. Colin currently teaches clarinet and Feldenkrais in the Desautels Faculty of Music Prep Studies program and the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Art. He also teaches a weekly "Awareness Through Movement" class at the Rady JCC.

    Mehmel first became interested in the Feldenkrais Method after sustaining a shoulder injury which, in addition to being very painful, caused many difficulties in his clarinet playing. Once he found how much and how fast he could learn and change from Feldenkrais lessons, he enrolled in Feldenkrais teacher training. He now uses his knowledge of the Feldenkrais Method and music to help his students learn quickly and discover how movement can be a foundation for learning and achievement.

Mehmel graduated from the Feldenkrais teacher training program at the Institute for the Study of Somatic Education, in Chicago Illinois, and holds music degrees from Michigan State University (MM) and the University of Manitoba (BMus).

Instructs: Feldenkrais and clarinet

Tetyana Novytska

  • Tatyana Novytska an English, Ukranian and Russian piano instructor.
  • Tetyana Novytska graduated from the National University of Music and Arts (Ukraine) with a master’s degree in piano performance and education. Novytska has more than 25 years experience teaching in the National Academy of Culture in Ukraine. There she performed with orchestras and was a highly sought-after accompanist.

    After moving to Canada in 2006, Novytska established her practice as a music teacher and accompanist. She teaches students from beginners to university advanced levels. Her students have won various awards for provincial and national competitions. Her personal piano performances are also warmly received at various Winnipeg community events.

    Languages: English, Ukrainian and Russian
    Instructs: piano

Jane Petroni

  • Jane Petroni piano instructor.
  • Jane Petroni is a graduate of the University of Manitoba with a bachelor of music. She was awarded many scholarships at UM including the Mrs. James Richardson scholarship and many Western Board of Music scholarships. These scholarships encouraged her to continue her studies in Aspen, Colorado, at the Banff School of the Arts and in the classical musical program in Vienna, Austria.

    Petroni has studied under Thelma Wilson, Garth Beckett, John Melnyk and Ken Adams, and continued in masterclasses with Marek Jablonski, Leonard Isaacs, Paul Badura-Skoda, Hans Kann, Williard Schultz and Boris Roubakine.

Her students have been honoured in Royal Conservatory examinations and many have won gold medals both provincially and nationally. In the Winnipeg Music Festival, some have received first place, have been trophy winners, or have placed in the top of their class with several continuing to the provincial competition on recommendation from the festival. Having auditioned for and won scholarships for their age and grade level in both solo repertoire and concerto competitions, many of her students have been selected for the Prep Studies Enrichment Program of the University of Manitoba.

Several of Petroni's students have played with the Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra. She has had many finalists in the Canadian Music Competition, which is a national music competition and one in Virtuose, a Canadian competition based in Montreal. Several students have been finalists in the American Competition: Young Keyboard Artists Association. One of her students placed second in her age group worldwide in the international online piano Great Composers Competition.

Instructs: piano

Mikhail Pokhanovski

  • Mikhail Pokhanovski is a violin, viola and chamber music teacher with over 20 years of teaching experience. A graduate of the legendary Moscow Conservatory, he was a member of the McGill Chamber orchestra, Virtuosi de Montreal and Joachim Quartet, performing all over Canada, the United States and Europe.

    Pokhanovski is often asked to adjudicate music festivals and competitions in Canada. Hi students have achieved the highest honours in competitions and provincial festivals. His students have been recipients of gold medals in Royal Conservatory of Music examinations and many have been awarded full scholarships to study at major universities all over Canada.

    Instructs: violin and viola

Oleg Pokhanovski

  • Oleg Pokhanovski violin instructor.
  • Oleg Pokhanovski began his career as a violinist at the age of six, giving his first performance with the Kuybyshev Symphony in Russia. At 10, he was accepted into the renowned Special Music School for Gifted Children in Moscow and later studied at the Moscow State Conservatory with Professor Valery Klimov. Pokhanovski cites his most influential teachers to be his uncle, violinist Lev Zaides, and pianist Svetlana Vorobyova. Invited to move to the United States, he received full scholarships at The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Dorothy DeLay, Pinchas Zukerman and Ani Kavafian, and he took part in the Solisti dal Mondo program under Taras Gabora. Pokhanovski was also awarded a doctor of music degree at the University of Montreal.

Oleg Pokhanovski is a top prizewinner of eight prestigious international violin competitions including the Paganini in Genova, Sarasate in Pamplona and CIEM in Geneva among others, and was First Prize Winner of the 1990 Scheveningen International Violin Competition. He is also a two-time recipient of the prestigious Canada Council National Career Development Grant, as well as a multiple recipient of Conceil des Arts du Quebec and Manitoba Arts Council grants.

Pokhanovski has performed in the US, Canada, Europe, Israel and Russia, giving over 1,000 concerts in total. He has been presented in the Carnegie Recital Hall, the Grand Hall in Moscow, the Concertgebouw, Knight Hall in Prague, Place des Arts in Montréal and others. His solo appearances with orchestra include the Moscow Philharmonic, Moscow Virtuosi, The Hague Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Montréal Symphony and Winnipeg Symphony orchestras. His concerts brought rave reviews claiming him “Russian Paganini” and describing his playing as “brilliant", “phenomenal", “outstanding” and “extraordinary". He has also been invited to perform on national television and radio in Russia, Serbia, Poland, Canada and the Netherlands. Oleg is active as a chamber musician and has appeared in the International Virtuosi Series in Germany, Domaine Forget in Quebec, Centara New Music, Agassiz Summer Chamber Music, Orford and Pender Harbour music festivals in Canada. He is a founder and artistic director of the “Oleg and Friends” concert series in Winnipeg.

Pokhanovski is also in much demand as a pedagogue and presently holds the position of associate professor of violin at the Desautels Faculty of Music, having previously held the same position at the Lake State Superior University in Michigan. He can be heard on three released CDs, entitled Solo Violin, The Mirror Image, and La Valse.

His deep admiration for the great musicians of the past, Heifetz, Menuhin, Milstein, Kreisler and others is evident in his sensitive, passionate style of playing. “Pokhanovski’s high-energy performances are characterized by an unmistakably genuine passion for the music. Urgent, serious and heartfelt – all words that aptly describe Oleg Pokhanovski’s playing.” (Gwenda Nemerofsky, Winnipeg Free Press.)

Instructs: violin

Shirley Rayner

  • Shirley Rayner piano instructor.
  • Shirley Rayner has been teaching piano for nearly 15 years. She has completed her Associate of The Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT) piano teacher's diploma and is a member of the Manitoba Registered Teacher's Association.

    Rayner teaches all ages from young children to adults and beginner to early advanced levels and can prepare students for either Royal Conservatory of Music or Conservatory Canada exams.

    In addition to the piano, Rayner enjoys studying both the ukulele and the five-string banjo.

    Instructs: piano

Laurel Ridd

  • Laurel Ridd is active as a freelance flutist, performing with the Winnipeg Symphony and many other ensembles. As a soloist she has appeared with MusikBarock in works by Bach, Vivaldi, Devienne, Cimarosa and others. Playing the Baroque flute, she participates regularly on the Musical Offering series, while her interest in contemporary music has led to numerous performances in the Groundswell series. A founder of the Syrinx Flute Festival, she teaches privately and at the International Music Camp, as well as at the University of Manitoba.

    Instructs: flute

Amjad Sabir

  • Amjad Sabir, East Indian music instructor.
  • Amjad Sabir is a versatile artist on the tabla, harmonim, sitar and Indian banjo however, he is best known on the Winnipeg scene as a vocalist. Amjad has studied classical and semi-classical styles, as well as folk music. He has received a collection of awards for his rendition of Geet, Gazal and Raga throughout his musical career.

    Sabir has been a music teacher at the India School of Dance, Music and Theatre Inc. since 1994, and with Prep Studies since 1996. He began teaching at Seven Oaks School Division in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 2013. He has produced two DVDs on learning tabla and harmonium at home, which are designed to help to those who have no access to a teacher.

Sabir has performed for many communities in Winnipeg. He also had the opportunity to perform with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in 2009. He is now experimenting to create a new sound by blending East Indian and Western music.

Instructs: East Indian music

Skender Sefa

  • Skender Sefa guitar, ukelele and mandolin instructor.
  • Skender Sefa teaches classical and electric guitar performance and music theory at the Desautels Faculty of Music through the Prep Studies program. He has recorded four classical guitar CDs on the GFI Masterworks, Uncontrollable Records and Marquis Classics labels.

    As a student, he completed the bachelor of music (performance) and master of music (performance) degree programs at the University of Manitoba under Ryszard Tyborowski. He also completed a bachelor of arts (advanced) degree and was a scholarship student at the prestigious Domaine Forget Music and Dance Academy in Quebec, where he studied under renowned classical guitar pedagogues Bruce Holzman (USA), Jean Vallieres (Quebec) and Patrick Roux (Ottawa). In addition to performing, teaching and recording, Sefa is an active adjudicator.

    Instructs: guitar, ukulele and mandolin

David Troya

  • Davis Troya piano instructor.
  • Ecuadorian pianist David Troya began his musical training with his mother. He continued his studies with Armenian pianist Angela Artugnan, Bulgarian pianist Toshko Stoyanov and Ecuadorian pianist Celia Zaldumbide. Troya went on to obtain a BA in business at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. While completing his business degree, he continued his piano instruction with Ecuadorian pedagogue Bertha Brito.

    In 2002, Troya moved to Pamplona, Spain, where he studied for three years at the Pablo Sarasate Conservatory under the instruction of Francesca Croccolino and Maite Ascunce. He also collaborated with the Pablo Sarasate Symphony Orchestra and performed at Palacio Euskalduna, one of the largest venues in Spain. In 2003, he won second prize at Santander’s Chamber Music Competition (Spain).

Troya moved to Italy in 2005, where he continued his musical studies with American pianist Steven Kramer in Rome, and with Italian pianist and composer Luca Garbini in Terni. In 2007, he was awarded a fellowship from Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he studied with maestro Timothy Steeves. Troya has given a few recitals in St. John’s, and in June 2011 he performed as a young artist at ScotiaFest in Halifax, one of the largest festivals in Atlantic Canada.

Troya is a very enthusiastic piano teacher, and many of his students have succeeded in festivals, exams, recitals, and competitions. He completed a Post- Baccalaureate Diploma in Performance at the University of Manitoba in May 2014 under the instruction of David Moroz and Charles Horton.

Languages: English, Spanish and Italian
Instructs: piano

Ryszard Tyborowski

  • Ryszard Tyborowski completed his master's degree of music performance at the Faculty of Music at the State University of Music in Wroclaw, Poland in 1981. His advisor was Tadeusz Wybraniec. After graduation, Ryszard studied with many highly recognized guitarists in Europe including Costas Cotsiolis. Ryszard was awarded with grants and scholarships from different Canadian Arts Councils.

    Tyborowski is very well known across Canada for his music video Hora by Stepan Rak, recorded by Bravo TV. His first CD, entitled Romantico, has been praised by music critics in Canada and overseas. It was also singled out for its excellence on the CBC program Sound Advice. Ryszard's second CD, Homage a Chopin, has been described as a "magnificent recording." His CD Pearls and Yarn (April 2005) has been awarded five stars by the Winnipeg Free Press. Ryszard has performed numerous recitals in Canada and Europe.

    Ryszard is frequently heard on national CBC Radio in Canada, and various classical music stations in the USA. One of the most recognized Canadian composers, Sid Robinovitch, dedicated his new concerto Ports of Call to him and clarinetist Milan Milosevic (premiered in May 2005 in Belgrade). In 1996 Ryszard became a faculty member at the Desautels Faculty of Music, where he teaches classical guitar. He is also President of the Winnipeg Classical Guitar Society.

    Instructs: guitar

Tianhao Wang

  • Tianhao Wang piano and violin instructor.
  • Tianhao Wang

    Upon entering the Desautels Faculty of Music, he received the Val Simanavicius Memorial Scholarship, which is given to the most deserving undergraduate violin major. Wang is currently an active accompanist, member of the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra, and enjoys teaching private music lessons at his home studio and at the University of Manitoba Prep Studies program.

    Instructs: piano and violin

Caron Whitlaw

  • Caron Whitlaw Hiebert piano and piano pedagogy instructor.
  • Caron Whitlaw  has been teaching for Prep Studies at the Desautels Faculty of Music for over 20 years. She holds both an Associate of The Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT) Teacher's Diploma as well as an ARCT Performer's Diploma, and is a current member of the Manitoba Registered Music Teachers’ Association (MRMTA). In addition to being an examiner for Conservatory Canada, Whitlaw Hiebert is in demand as a clinician for Prep Studies, the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts, MRMTA, music festivals, Music for Young Children® workshops and teaching studios throughout Canada.

Whitlaw Hiebert enjoys teaching talented students from young beginners to the University level. Her students excel in both the Winnipeg Music Festival and the Provincial Music Festival, regularly winning classes, trophies and scholarships. Every year she has students participate in the prestigious Canadian Music Competition, with students frequently advancing to the national level.

One of Whitlaw Hiebert's greatest passions is teaching pedagogy. She teaches a large class in her home studio and at the University of Manitoba for Prep Studies. Her pedagogy students have frequently earned the highest marks in the province for their Royal Conservatory of Music pedagogy exams. Many of her students have gone on to become respected teachers in Manitoba and across Canada.

Instructs: piano and piano pedagogy

Tiffany A. Wilson

  • Tiffany A. Wilson voice and piano instructor.
  • Tiffany A. Wilson is a successful singer, pianist, accompanist and adjudicator. She earned her bachelor of music in vocal performance and theatre at the University of Manitoba, Desautels Faculty of Music and acquired an AMM in piano from the Western Board of Music. Further vocal studies brought her to New York and then abroad to England, France and Italy where she studied with this century’s vocal masters: Gianni Raimondi, Mary Thomas and Jean Giraudeau. In Europe, she performed, studied and perfected Italian and French, in which she is fluent and loves to teach.

Known affectionately as "Miss Tiffany" to her many voice and piano students, she has her own successful home-based music studio in Winnipeg, Canada. She teaches for the Prep Studies program and for the St. John’s Ravenscourt private school music program in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Wilson is constantly at the piano accompanying and encouraging her students, at their private lessons, for festivals, concerts and exams. Students graduating from her studio are acclaimed artists across Europe and North America, starring on the stages of Broadway, the West End and European television.

Wilson is president-elect of the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Association and the past president of the Manitoba Registered Music Teachers' Association (MRMTA). She is very dedicated to her volunteer work on both executives and excels in this role. Her knowledge and expertise in music lead her to also be heavily involved with adjudicating and giving workshops or masterclasses around Manitoba and Ontario.

Acknowledged as an excellent disciplinary and exacting educator, Miss Tiffany inspires both young and old to follow their passion for music. She shares her vast knowledge and experience with her students to lead them to become accomplished artists.

Instructs: voice and piano

Additional instructors