2024 Adjudicators
Dustin Anderson – Intermediate Piano (Prince George, BC)
Dustin has taught piano for 17 years and has worked with students of all ages and levels from Preparatory through to ARCT. Although classically trained, Dustin enjoys teaching a wide variety of styles that also include jazz, film / anime music, video game music and popular music arranged for solo piano. Dustin regularly prepares students for recitals, festival performances, piano examinations and theory examinations. His personal teaching style is rooted in patience, encouragement and discovery while maintaining a high standard of performance and artistry at all stages in the learning process.
Having recently moved to Prince George, British Columbia, Dustin is gradually building up a new studio of students while supporting the many goals of both his wife, Christine, and daughter, El. Although most of his time goes to playing and teaching piano, Dustin’s additional interests include books, video games, board games and running (sometimes reluctantly). Both he and his family are ardent supporters of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community as well as any person in need of support, love or inspiration.
Dustin’s academic credentials include a Master of Arts degree in Musicology and Piano Performance from the University of Victoria as well as ARCT diplomas in both Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from the Royal Conservatory of Toronto. He is also a certified RCM teacher and is a member of the BC Registered Music Teachers’ Association.
Robert (Bob) Bailey – Bands, Woodwinds & Brass (Camrose)
Robert (Bob) Bailey has taught band for forty years, working with students from grade five through twelve. The last thirty five years were spent building and maintaining his thriving music program in Camrose. Bob’s bands have consistently earned Superior Awards at the provincial level, and have received other high accolades over the years. In addition to concert bands at each grade level, his music program also includes choral, jazz and chamber ensembles.
He has acted as guest conductor and clinician at Sifton Summerfest, Grande Prairie Regional College Summer Band Camp, Adventures in Summer Music at Red Deer College, and MusicCamp Alberta and is in demand as a clinician, as well as an adjudicator in music festivals throughout Alberta. Bob was invited by the Alberta Band Association to conduct the 2007 Southern Alberta Junior High Honour Band. In 2009 he was a recipient of the inaugural University of Alberta Fine Arts Achievement Award (Augustana Campus) for contributions to the fine arts.
He has also received an Excellence in Teaching Award. Bob was awarded the Alberta Band Association (Elkhorn) Band Director of the Year Award in 2015. He recently received the David Peterkin Memorial Award in recognition of outstanding contribution to Band and Band Music from the International Bandmasters Fraternity, Phi Beta Mu (Alberta Chapter), and an Award of Merit from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #57. He is a member of the Alberta Choral Federation, the International Bandmasters’ Fraternity Phi Beta Mu, and the Alberta Band Association for which he served on the Board of Directors for several terms.
Bob plays trumpet in various ensembles in his free time – the Camrose & District Community Band, the Battle River Big Band, and the Simply Brass Quintet. He has served on the executive of the Camrose and District Music Festival Association as well as the Camrose & District Community Band, as President and in other capacities. Bob believes that music is necessary to a well-rounded education, and that participation in music changes lives, promotes community, and benefits students intellectually, socially, and emotionally.
Adele Bosse-Morgan – Strings & Orchestra (Edmonton)
Adèle Bossé-Morgan began lessons at the age of 5 and went on to complete
examinations with the Western Board of Music in both cello and piano. She
holds a B. Mus. in cello performance from the University of Alberta, and upon
completing her B.Mus. degree served a 10 year term as a strings and piano
examiner for Conservatory Canada. She has adjudicated festivals in strings,
junior piano, and band since 2009, and also maintains a busy private studio in
cello, piano, and theory. She regularly has students participate in local music
festivals and exams.
As a teacher, she is a member of both ARMTA (Alberta Registered Music
Teachers’ Association) and the S.A.A. (Suzuki Association of the Americas),
and is enthusiastic about professional development. Mrs. Bossé-Morgan has
been teaching with the Society for Talent Education since 1989, regularly
teaching private cello lessons, cello group classes, and coaching chamber
music, as well as serving as an accompanist for many STE concerts and
events, and serving as music director from 2016-2020.
In 2010 she also joined the staff of the Suzuki Charter School where she teaches pre-
instrument kindergarten music classes, cello, double bass, piano, and mixed-
instrument chamber music classes.
As a performer, Mrs. Bossé-Morgan mostly freelances as her teaching and
adjudicating schedule allows, but regularly plays with Quartette des Muses for
a variety of functions, and has also been very active over the years playing in
pit orchestras for many local musical theatre companies, as well as playing
with the Edmonton Metropolitan Orchestra. For several years Mrs. Bossé-
Morgan has also been involved with the music ministry at her home church,
where she sings alto and plays both cello and piano.
Derek Zhi Guang Chiu – Senior Piano (Calgary)
Derek Zhi Guang Chiu is a highly acclaimed Canadian pianist and music educator who has gained international recognition for his work. He is renowned for his versatility as a performer, music educator, clinician, adjudicator, and consultant. Chiu has garnered numerous awards and accolades throughout his career, including the prestigious Steinway & Sons Top Piano Teacher Award in Calgary on three separate occasions. His accomplishments in the field of music education have earned him a highly respected position within the industry. As a performer, Chiu has presented solo and chamber music recitals in Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United States.
His orchestral engagements have encompassed performances with the Windsor Community Orchestra, Briercrest College Orchestra, Rockland Symphony Orchestras, The Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra, and the Simon Fraser University Concert Orchestra. He has collaborated onstage with esteemed partners such as Roberto Cani, David Lakirovich, John Lowry, Laszlo Mezo, Sean Wang, and Dara Lynn Zusko. In 2021, Chiu collaborated with Canadian composer Vince Ho on his composition “The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 1.” In 2022, he gave the world premiere performance of the pieces in Canada, followed by subsequent performances in Germany, Italy, and the United States.
Chiu’s expertise in online music education has been invaluable during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly when many music teachers faced the challenge of transitioning to remote teaching. He was sought out by other music teachers interested in establishing a virtual teaching presence. Chiu provides personalized consultations to teachers and demonstrates various online programs, resources, and apps that can enhance e-learning. He has also led professional development workshops to assist music teachers in adapting to online teaching. Chiu is a dedicated piano pedagogue who has conducted pedagogical workshops on the use of technology in the teaching studio, cognitive practice, aural skills development, sightreading, Baroque performance practice, and music memorization. His academic lectures have delved into the music of Bach, Chopin, Liszt, and Mozart.
Chiu has presented at the Colorado State Music Teachers’ Conference, The Colburn School, The University of Windsor, and Lakehead University, among others. Additionally, he serves as a clinician for The Royal Conservatory of Music and has conducted workshops in both Canada and the United States. Chiu is a member of the online teaching team at Virtuosity.Online, where the mission is to cultivate curiosity and inspire personal exploration for musicians’ practice, shared online. He has led lectures on piano technique, motivating teenagers, and a four-part series on teaching, studying, and performing the keyboard works of Mozart. In Calgary, Chiu maintains a private studio where his piano students have earned scholarships to attend undergraduate and graduate music schools. They have also received gold medals from The Royal Conservatory of Music and have won prizes at local, national, and international piano competitions.
Beyond Calgary, he is on the Faculty of the Cremona International Music Academy (Italy) and the Vancouver Island Music Academy. Chiu is sought after as a master class clinician, ensemble coach, and guest teacher. In November 2013, he was honored with The Odyssey Award by the University of Windsor Alumni Association. The award recognizes alumni who are in the early stages of their career path, having distinguished themselves through successes in career endeavors, notable achievements in their local community, or through significant or innovative achievements in their professional or personal lives. Chiu’s performance that evening was hailed as the “highlight” of the Alumni Association’s annual awards night. His extensive training includes mentorship with notable Canadian teachers Dr. E. Gregory Butler and Joel Hastings at The University of Windsor. While in Windsor, Chiu pursued additional studies in piano pedagogy with Dr. Thomas Green, Chief Examiner Emeritus of the Royal Conservatory of Music. Under the guidance of Solomon Mikowsky (featured in Benjamin Saver’s book “The Most Wanted Piano Teachers in the USA”) and Donn-Alexandre Feder at The Manhattan School of Music in New York, Chiu graduated with a Master of Music degree in 2003. During his studies at the Manhattan School of Music,
Chiu was mentored in chamber music by pianist Daniel Epstein of the Raphael Trio and engaged in rigorous studies in Baroque and Classical performance practices with the late Kenneth Cooper, one of the world’s foremost music specialists in the music from those eras. Chiu has participated in master classes in Canada, Europe, and the United States, with instructors such as Janina Fialkowska, Robin Harrison, James Howsmon, Lorrin Hollander, Ramzi Yassa, Cecilio Tieles, and Jesus Angel Rodriguez. He is an Ambassador for the Royal Conservatory and a member of their College of Examiners. Chiu is featured on CBC Music’s website, discussing the topic of teens and piano lessons. To connect with Derek Chiu, please visit his website www.derekchiumusicstudio.ca and his Instagram: @derekchiupiano.
Christine Donkin – Junior Piano (Victoria, BC)
Christine Donkin is a composer and music educator based in Victoria BC. Her music for students is used by several international music exam systems, such as the Royal Conservatory of Music, which includes over 100 of her pedagogical compositions and arrangements for piano, violin, and other instruments in its syllabi and repertoire books.
Christine also composes chamber, choral, and orchestral music which is performed across North America and beyond. She currently teaches music theory, harmony, and composition at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and engages students in short-term non-competitive projects such as Creativity Out Loud (hosted by Pacific Opera and a local theatre school), in which students have five days to create a short musical theatre production from scratch.
Mame Helise Goehner – Musical Theatre (Calgary)
Mame Helise Goehner, a lyrical soprano has been performing and studying music since the age of six. Studying under the expertise of Opera Nuova’s founder Kim Mattice Wanat and Canada’s top baritone Peter Barcza, she has won several major scholarships and festivals throughout Canada and Europe. Mame is currently the conductor of Victoria Children’s Choir, Past President of Choir Alberta and owns and runs two thriving music schools in Victoria, BC and Calgary, AB.
She is highly sought after to do workshops, masterclasses and adjudicating across Alberta and British Columbia. Not only was Mame ranked Alberta’s top Musical Theatre performer in 2001, her students are also ranked at the top receiving Provincial Festival placements and Gold Awards for the Royal Conservatory of Music. Mame Goehner was a prominent figure on many stages in Alberta until she made her move to Vancouver where studying at the University of British Columbia, she completed her BMus and MMus under the tutelage of Bruce Pullan and Nancy Hermiston. Mame was the lead soprano at West Point Grey United Church, and a lead member of the UBC Opera Ensemble.
Mame has toured throughout Europe, personally sang for the Queen of England and has showcased many private recitals and performances in Canada. Mame has produced and directed multiple productions across Alberta and British Columbia, including several productions for Victoria’s Saltwater Theatre Company. Mame is experienced in lieder, opera, 20th Century art song, musical theatre, pop and jazz. Her ability to combine these genres in her performances and teaching technique is extremely unique and sought after. When not singing and teaching, she can be found camping and surfing with her husband and two children.
Tyson Oatway – Guitar (Edmonton)
Tyson Oatway has been teaching and performing for over 25 years, playing everything from rock concerts, musicals and solo and duo classical guitar recitals. He has a Masters of Music with Honours with distinction from the University of Alberta and is accredited by both the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Suzuki Association of the Americas as a teacher and is a member of the Alberta Registered Teacher’s Association.
He has won numerous awards as a music arranger. Tyson runs the guitar program at Suzuki Charter School while also maintaining a full music studio teaching individuals and groups. Tyson Oatway has been busy performing in musicals, solo and ensemble recitals. Currently he is performing as soloist, with Marek Orszulik in the Double O guitar duo and with Flautist Dorie Gold in the Northern Lights duo.
Frances Roberts – Choral, Vocal and Speech Arts (Vancouver)
Frances Roberts spent thirty-two years teaching choral music at Argyle Secondary, North Vancouver where she directed 2 concert choirs, a chamber choir, 2 vocal jazz ensembles and a strings ensemble. She recently retired from public school teaching and now directs VOX PANACEA a women’s physician’s choir and CHORISMA an adult mixed Jazz choir.
Her school choirs toured extensively: North America, Central Europe, the Baltics, China, and the U.K. Her Senior Vocal Ensemble and alumni singers workshopped with “Rajaton” from Finland, “The Idea of North” from Australia and the “Swingle Singers” from U.K. As a result of her outstanding work, Frances is in demand as a clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor and has presented workshops for BCMEA, the Alberta Choral Federation, the BC Choral Federation and the Association of Canadian Choral Communities. Mrs. Roberts conducted the BC Youth Choir at ChorFest 2013 in Nanaimo.
She returned to UBC in 2014 to complete her Masters in Choral Conducting. In 2017 she received a District of North Vancouver “Outstanding Supporter of Youth” award. In 2018 she received the “Most Inspiring Conductor” award from Vancouver Kiwanis Festival, and then was honoured by her music teaching colleagues when she received the BC Music Educators Association Outstanding Professional Music Educator Award – Secondary in 2020.
Frances feels very blessed and fortunate to have had all these experiences and is really looking forward to returning home to Grande Prairie, where she found her musical inspiration as a student at GPCHS and the Regional College. She is very excited to be working with local musicians at the music festival this spring.