2026 ADJUDICATORS
Classical Vocal - Phillip Addis
Canadian baritone Phillip Addis is best known as the ideal Pelléas of his generation, a role he sang with opera companies and orchestras in Modena, Piacenza, Parma, Luxemburg, Cincinnati, Dresden, Bochum, Hamburg, Paris and London. He is as renowned for his Count Almaviva Le Nozze di Figaro whom he has portrayed in over a dozen different productions world-wide.
Current season engagements include Sharpless Madama Butterfly at Calgary Opera, his home company, Messiah in his return to Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, Count Almaviva at Manitoba Opera and both Messiah and Carmina Burana with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Recent season highlights include the title role Don Giovanni, Malatesta Don Pasquale and Marco GianniSchicci at Calgary Opera, Zurga Les pêcheurs de perles with Vancouver Opera; he made role debuts as Don Alfonso Così fan tutte with Pacific Opera Victoria and as Sharpless with Opéra de Québec; other recent engagements include Count Almaviva at Calgary Opera as well as his first Malatesta at Vancouver Opera. Orchestral engagements took the artist to Calgary Philharmonic (Carmina Burana) and Orchestre Classique De Montréal for Messiah.
In 2022-23 he performed Handel’s Messiah with the Orchestre Classique de Montréal, Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, Early Music Voices Concert Society in Calgary and Orchestre Symphonique de Trois-Rivières; as well as Bruckner’s Te Deum/Stephanie Martin’s Water with the Grand Philharmonic Choir.
In 2021 Mr. Addis appeared as the Count Le nozze di Figaro at Opéra de Lausanne and Opéra Royal de Versailles. He also starred in the Rai5 live broadcast of the new Barbe&Doucet production of Pelléas etMélisande from Teatro Regio di Parma.
Additional leading roles include the title roles in Eugene Onegin at Calgary Opera and Don Giovanni at Edmonton Opera, where he also appeared as Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, as well as Papageno DieZauberflöte and Marcello La Bohème with Canadian Opera Company. Notable successes in the French repertoire include the title role Werther at l’Opéra de Montréal, as Jaufré L’amour de loin at Festival d'Opéra de Québec and Vlaamse Oper, as Zurga with Vancouver Opera and l’Opéra de Montréal, and as Frère Léon in the award-winning St. François d’Assise with the Yomiuri Nippon Orchestra.
Mr. Addis balances his operatic career with extensive concert experience. He was the baritone soloist in Carmina Burana with Toronto Symphony Orchestra, in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, in Britten’s War Requiem at Cincinnati May Festival and at the Britten LA/100 Festival, as well as the world premiere of Scott Good’s The Sleepers with London Sinfonia. He has appeared with eminent conductors such as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, James Conlon, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Seiji Ozawa, Kent Nagano, Carlo Rizzi, and Sylvain Cambreling.
With a passion for the art song repertoire, Addis has given recitals with his accompanist, Emily Hamper, at l’Opéra National de Paris, the Canadian Opera Company, Brisbane Music Festival, Orford Arts Centre, Vancouver International Song Institute, and Canadian Art Song Project.
CHORAL - BRUCE CABLE
Bruce studied composition at MacEwan University before earning his education degree from the University of Alberta. After eight years as the Musical Director for St. Albert Children’s Theatre, he embarked on his dream job, teaching choir, musical theatre, and vocal jazz to Grades 7-12 students at Victoria School of the Arts in Edmonton. He dedicated an impressive 25 years to this role, during which he served as the musical director for 23 musicals. In recognition of his significant contributions to education, he was honoured with a Prime Minister's Excellence in Teaching Award in 2017.
Bruce holds a Master's degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Miami, where he studied under Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe. His extensive musical background includes singing with Pro Coro Canada, singing in the a cappella group VOCE, directing the MacEwan University jazz choir, serving as the assistant conductor for the youth choir Korora, and acting as a Musical Director for the Citadel Theatre’s A Christmas Carol.
Known for his emphasis on storytelling and bringing the music to life, Bruce is a sought-after choral clinician and educational session presenter. Over the last year, Bruce has adjudicated at several prestigious events, including the Ontario Vocal Festival, Whistler’s Cantando Festival, Edmonton’s Cantando Festival, and the Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival. Additionally, he led the adult choir at Naramata Music Week in British Columbia, led choral camps in Red Deer and Edmonton, and presented music education sessions at the Saskatchewan Music Conference in Regina.
Through his varied musical experiences, Bruce emphasizes the importance of music in building community. He values the connections and conversations that arise between conductors and singers, celebrating their shared passion for the arts and its potential to inspire and effect change.
JUNIOR PIANO - LYNNE DALCIN
Lynne received her ARCT from the Royal Conservatory in 2002 and now operates a busy studio, teaching piano from beginner to ARCT and all levels of Theory, Harmony, and History. She began to play the piano at 7 years old and did her senior grades and ARCT as an adult – studying in Alberta with Michelle Wheatley-Brown and Linda Kundert.
Lynne was honoured in January 2017 with the award of Art Educator of the Year in Airdrie. This award is given for promoting arts and culture in the community through education. Lynne strongly believes that children should be encouraged in art and music. It's so important for all of us to help raise this generation of children in an environment that nurtures creativity, inspires imagination and celebrates beauty. Art and music is our legacy. It's what tells our story. We must all encourage this generation to have a wonderful story to tell!
Additionally, Lynne is an active member of Music Coterie in Calgary and also a founding Director of the Airdrie Rotary Festival of Performing Arts. She also sings with the Airdrie Community Choir. One of Lynne’s greatest pleasures in recent years is adjudicating local Festivals in Alberta.
Lynne was recognized in 2025 with the Amazing Woman Award in Airdrie. She was nominated in the Amazing Heart category for opening her home and hosting a family of refugees from Ukraine attempting to escape the war. This family lived with Lynne and her husband for one year and have stayed in Airdrie for three years now. They are very good friends to this day!
In her free time, she especially enjoys volunteering with the Airdrie Foodbank and acting as a Penguin Host at the Calgary Zoo. Of course, Lynne also adores spending time with her six beautiful grandchildren who all live in Alberta!
ACCORDION - LOUISE DIONNE
Louise Dionne is a student at the University of Calgary, pursuing a Music Performance degree in the Piano Accordion discipline. She has been playing and competing locally and internationally for nearly three decades. She has collaborated in group performances ranging from duets to full ensembles with accordion and more recently at the University with a variety of instruments and musical genres in the World Music Ensemble. Outside of the accordion-sphere, she sings Barbershop-style acapella with the Rhythm of the Rockies chorus as well as a quartet formation, both under the Sweet Adelines banner, competing annually in the Canadian circuit. When she is not rehearsing, she enjoys gardening, caring for her two Cocker Spaniels, and getting out of the city to go camping.
PERCUSSION - MATT GROENHEIDE
Matt Groenheide is a percussion performer and educator from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Matt loves the variety that comes from being a percussionist and is well-versed in classical percussion, world drumming, and drumset.CONTEMPORARY COMMERCIAL VOICE - SCOTT HENDERSON
Scott Henderson is a writer, arranger, performer, and producer. He has contributed to 5 top-20 hits, 2 Juno nominations, and numerous other awards. As a vocal and performance mentor, Scott was an on-camera vocal coach for 2 seasons of Global TV’s Canada Sings, and has coached over 5000 singers in his career. He is also an in-demand music director, leading musicians and singers for many events and arts organizations, including the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show, Juno awards, CCMA awards, Michael Buble, the North American tour of Queen’s We Will Rock You, National Music Centre, as well as his main creative project, funk/soul group, Souls In Rhythm. To read/see/hear more, please visit www.soulsinrhythm.com
HANDBELLS - ANNIE HERGOTT
Annie Hergott (BMus, BEd), a retired Music Specialist teacher with the CSSD, is a passionate music educator and handbell conductor, dedicated to sharing her love of music and fostering vibrant ringing communities. Through her extensive leadership, volunteer work, and commitment to inclusiveness and musical excellence, Annie continues to inspire handbell musicians at all levels and ages in Calgary and beyond.
Currently Annie directs seven local Handbell teams of all ages and levels of ability (Bell Époque, Elbow River Bells, Alpine Ringers, Tributary Bells, Cascade Ringers, Belles Angels and Shepherd Bells). She is the current Chair of the Handbell Musicians of Canada, Vice Chair of Classic Bronze and Founder and Past Chair of the Bow River Handbell Musicians Society. She is a former Board member and President of the Alberta Guild of English Handbell Ringers (ALGEHR) and has helped organize a variety of local Calgary bell workshops, and major events (such as Classic Bronze, ffortyssimo, Alberta Rings and the national HGC Ringing Link). Annie has a long history of organizing Youth Bell events with the Calgary Catholic School Division, such as many past “Ring and Sings”, “Handbell Youth Festivals” and many “Bell Explosion!” events. Annie has also offered numerous workshops throughout her career as educator for local teachers. She enjoys adjudicating teams in Music festivals and enjoys adjudicating handbell composition competitions as well. Annie has also been responsible since 2014, for the servicing and maintenance of the Calgary Catholic School Division’s 17 handbell and 17 chime sets.
BAND & INSTRUMENTAL - ADAM MAILMAN
Adam Mailman is a dedicated music educator and conductor at the Centre for the Performing and Visual Arts at Central Memorial High School and as the music director at Cochrane Music Society. With both groups under his direction, he has cultivated award-winning ensembles known for their excellence in musical performance.
With a leadership style focused on guiding his students towards discovering their fullest potential through music, Mailman has established himself as a mentor and advocate for young musicians. He believes in nurturing not only their musical talents but also their personal growth and development.
Mailman is renowned for his commitment to new music, having commissioned, premiered, and championed numerous works throughout his career. His passion for expanding the repertoire and pushing musical boundaries has earned him recognition within the musical community.
In addition to his roles as an educator and conductor, Adam has been actively involved in shaping music education in Alberta. He has previously served on the board of the Alberta Band Association and the Calgary Association for the Development of Music Education, contributing his expertise to advance music education initiatives in the region. Adam Mailman's contributions to music education and his commitment to artistic excellence make him a respected figure in the musical community, inspiring generations of musicians to strive for greatness.
MUSICAL THEATRE - JOSLIN ROMPHF DENNIS
Joslin is the studio owner and lead teacher at JRD Voice Studio in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, where she lives with her husband and their Chihuahua, Gus.
She is obsessed with helping singers of all ages and abilities find THEIR unique voice, in whatever genre fills them with joy - and will dispense plenty of unicorn sparkle and encouragement along the way!
Joslin is the author of The Singers’ Aural Skills Drill Book For Teachers, a how-to ear training book specifically designed for teachers of singers. She is a member in good standing of the BC Registered Music Teachers Association, Chilliwack Branch (BCRMTA) and The Speakeasy Cooperative (SECO). She was a faculty member at the Vancouver Academy of Music from 2015-2024, where she taught private voice lessons and college-level diction classes. She is a certified teacher of the Neuro-Vocal Method, Level 1, in popular microphone styles, as well as Vocal Function 101 and Mechanics of Mix and Belt. Joslin received her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music from The Curtis Institute of Music and was a Young Artist in the Lindeman Program at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
An avid performer and recitalist, more recent performances have included soprano soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and Verdi's Requiem with Leslie Dala conducting the VAM Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver Bach Choir. Joslin is currently working on a one-woman cabaret show, set to debut sometime in 2026/2027.
Joslin is a sought-after adjudicator and clinician at various Canadian music festivals, including the Richmond Music Festival, the Port Coquitlam Music Festival, the Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival, the Pacific Northwest Music Festival in Terrace, BC, the Cowichan Music Festival, the Squamish Community Music Festival, the Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Arts Festival in Lethbridge, Alberta, and the Alberta Provincial Music Festival. She has been a member of the panel to adjudicate the McLellan Competition for the Winnipeg Women's Musical Club multiple times and has served as a judge for the Juno Awards.
In 2025/2026, Joslin is thrilled to return to adjudicate the Musical Theatre section at the Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Arts Festival.
SENIOR PIANO - SUSANNE RUBERG-GORDON
Quoted by the Chronicle Herald as “A superb musician”, Swedish-born pianist Susanne Ruberg-Gordon is a highly regarded and sought after chamber-musician and collaborative pianist. She is recognized for her artistry, nuance and interpretation, and has performed in Canada, the US, China and UAE with artists such as Dame Evelyn Glennie, Frans Helmerson, Andras Diaz, Ron Leonard, Ian Swensen, James Campbell, Timothy Chooi, Nikki Chooi, Desmond Hoebig, John Kimura Parker, Josh Jones, Luka Coetzee and Sydney Lee.
Susanne is the pianist and core member of the Juno nominated Land’s End Ensemble in Calgary, a piano-trio that is dedicated to excellence in performance and recording of Canadian and International new music, and to enriching collaborations with eminent composers and artists.
Calgary composer Allan Gordon Bell’s Juno winning composition in 2014 (Field Notes) was written for and recorded by the Land’s End Ensemble and James Campbell (clarinet). The ensemble has premiered over 130 new chamber works and is featured on 8 commercial recordings including it’s latest Naxos release in 2024 to critical acclaim. www.landsendensemble.ca
As a passionate educator, Susanne is a faculty member and artistic facilitator at the Mount Royal University Conservatory Academy and Advanced Performance Program where she teaches Piano and Chamber Music. She is an active adjudicator at the regional levels of the Alberta and British Columbia Music Festivals.
Since 2001, she has been a Collaborative Artist for the prestigious and acclaimed Morningside Music Bridge program in Canada, US, China and Poland. https://mmb.international She also teaches at the Valhalla Summer School of Music in British Columbia.
Susanne is the producer of the Canada’s Rising Stars concerts in Canmore, Alberta. This annual concert project was created in order to nurture and promote extraordinary young classical musicians from - or with a connection to Alberta and just celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024. It has truly turned out to be an incredible representation of some of the most well known Canadian classical artists such as Jan Lisiecki, Timothy Chooi, Nikki Chooi, Luka Coetzee, Kevin Chen, Isabella d’Eloize Perron, Jacques Forestier, Arlen Hlusko, Anna Stube to name a few.
“This was only one work of many in which Ms. Ruberg-Gordon achieved the finest balance acting as both the core sound and the glue of Land’s End Ensemble, absolutely ideal playing all night”
-Calgary Herald
“Everything the composer could wish for”
-Calgary Herald
STRINGS & CHAMBER MUSIC - DR. EDUARDO SOLÁ
Eduardo Solá Chagas Lima is a Brazilian-Canadian violinist, composer, scholar, and educator. He works as Associate Professor of Music and Chair of the Department of Music at Burman University, where he teaches violin/viola, music history, advanced music theory, and directs the Burman University Symphony Orchestra (BUSO).
Besides his work in the post-secondary setting, Dr. Solá is passionate about musical development, having worked extensively in the K-12 environment as instructor and adjudicator. Dr. Solá holds a Ph.D. from Andrews University (United States), an M.A. from the University of Toronto (Canada), and B.Mus. degrees from the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag (The Netherlands) and Paraná State University (Brazil). He specializes in Baroque violin and has worked as a concert violinist and violist extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas in concerts, projects, and recordings, performing alongside renowned artists.
Dr. Solá’s research interests focus on music education, systematic and historical musicology, music theory, and curriculum theory. He holds several scholarly publications and appears internationally as speaker at research conferences. Recently, Dr. Solá published the first Portuguese translation and commented edition of F. Geminiani's The Art of Playing on the Violin (PACO Editorial, 2021) a book on eighteenth-century fugal counterpoint, Fugue Analysis: A Practical Guide (Peter Lang, 2023).
SPEECH - JILLIANE YAWNEY
Jilliane Yawney is a storyteller and coach who has spent the past twenty years helping people find confidence and connection through story. With a background in performing arts and communication, she has guided more than a thousand speakers, students, and professionals in shaping their ideas into meaningful presentations.
Jilliane holds an Associate’s degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and a Master’s degree, all focused on storytelling and performance. Her academic research explored the motivational power of story, and her own creative work has appeared on CBC Radio and in publications such as Worn Fashion Journal. She founded and ran Calgary Story Slam for over a decade and has also brought storytelling into corporate contexts, helping scientists and engineers share their work through story.
Based in Calgary, Jilliane is passionate about nurturing expressive voices and believes that storytelling builds empathy, courage, and community.
GUITAR - DARREN YOUNG
Multi-instrumentalist, composer, sound designer, music director, and educator Darren Young is an exciting artist with a diverse palette. His music spans a wide array of genres, including classical, post rock, prog, shoegaze, electronic, noise, and jazz. A classically trained guitarist and double bassist, Darren’s music has received international press coverage from Prog Magazine, Metal Hammer, Classic Rock Magazine, and the CBC.
Darren’s busy concert schedule has taken him across Canada, the UK, US, and France. He has been a featured performer with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, New Music Edmonton, New Works Calgary, Kensington Sinfonia, Instrumental Society of Calgary, Theatre Calgary, Calgary Opera, and Calgary ProArts Society. A passionate advocate of new music, Darren is a core member of the experimental music collective Timepoint Ensemble and with them has given premieres of many new compositions. He also performs and records regularly as a member of the bands Diatessaron, Jung People, Lucky Sonne, and Emily Triggs.
As a composer and sound designer Darren works frequently across artistic disciplines, collaborating with dancers, theatrical performers, and visual artists. In February 2025, the Banff Centre for the Arts premiered “Exile”, a 60-minute dance performance choreographed by Meghann Michalsky with a score composed and recorded by Darren. Shortly after “Exile," in April 2025 he worked as the sound designer and composer for “The Da Vinci Code” at Vertigo Theatre (Calgary, AB), for which he earned a Calgary Theatre Critics Award nomination. Other recent works include a soundtrack for the dance film “Odeon” (Meghann Michalsky) in May 2024, sound design for the world premiere of “Heist” (Vertigo Theatre) in February 2024, and composition for the immersive digital gallery “Impossible Geometries” (The Museum, Kitchener, ON) in February 2023. “Impossible Geometries”, created with AZMA Digital (Laura Anzola and Matthew Waddell), transports guests through multiple digital spaces through the use of clever projections and real-time mapping software, and is now part of the permanent collection at The Museum.
Other compositions by Darren include a work in collaboration with dance soloist Alèn Martel as part of “SHED | knowing each other as different and the same” (Pam Tzeng, Dancers’ Studio West), as well as the soundtrack and sound design for “Se Pa Ra Ti Sm” (Swallow-A-Bicycle Theatre), which premiered in December 2021. In 2018 he premiered “PARTNERS”, a 50-minute song cycle for 12 musicians, comprised of short, character-based fragments that explore different aspects of human interaction and connectivity. “PARTNERS” was written for Diatessaron & Timepoint Ensemble and had its debut performance in February 2018 as part of the 2017-18 Timepoint Ensemble Season. Darren also created the music for “Know The Rules, Win The Game” (Cloudsway Dance Theatre), which was presented at the CanAsian Dance Festival in Toronto, ON (September 2018) and was filmed by the National Arts Centre of Canada in early 2021 for a streamed event. Darren has also composed incidental music for the dance production “Deep END” (Project InTandem, March 2020), which has now been performed on tour in various locations across Canada.On September 10, 2021 Darren released a single under the name Dmfyoung, a remix for the band FORQ on the GroundUp Music label.
In 2015 Darren co-wrote the soundtrack to the film “Empyrean” with his band Jung People, for which they won an AMPIA Award for Best Original Score (Drama, Over 30 Minutes). The film premiered at the 2015 Calgary International Film Festival, and the soundtrack was officially released in September 2017.
Darren is the President of the Classical Guitar Society of Calgary, an organization that promotes guitar and arts education, and brings internationally acclaimed classical guitarists to Calgary for concerts and Masterclasses. He has twice attended the prestigious Aspen Music Festival and School, holds degrees in performance from the University of Calgary and the University of Toronto, and is currently on faculty at the Mount Royal University Conservatory in Calgary.