2023 Faculty

Taras Pivniak recently settled in Winnipeg where he has being performing with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, as well as teaching with Sistema Winnipeg. Before moving to Canada, Pivniak performed with various orchestras in Ukraine, including the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, where he had the opportunity to play under the direction of many conductors; accompanied by such world soloists like Luciano Pavarotti, Montserrat Caballé, Andrea Bocelli; toured in the USA, China and many European countries. Pivniak enjoys arranging and composition for orchestras and ensembles, and likes to share his creations with his students in class.

Lori Klassen has been an active teacher in Winkler since 1991. Enjoying teaching students of all ages, her studio to date includes piano (beginner to grade 10), flute (beginner to grade 8), beginner violin (Suzuki method), theory, and harmony. Along with maintaining her studio, Lori is active as a performer and accompanist. Playing in church, accompanying soloists and various groups and choirs over the years have provided many opportunities to enjoy making music together with others.

After having completed an ARCT degree in piano teaching, piano performance, and flute performance, Lori decided to pursue learning the violin. This has expanded the opportunities to learn and collaborate with others in string groups, and to learn new styles of music such as fiddling. Lori believes that music and lessons should always be enjoyable, and that everyone is capable of making music. It is her theory that teachers should never stop learning, this is why she is actively involved in discovering and learning new teaching methods such as Music Learning Theory (MLT) so as to make the learning process for her students easier and more tailored to their individual needs. Lori currently resides in Winkler with her husband Wayne and 2 daughters.

Agape is 17, she is a youth leader Morden Alliance Church and enjoys getting to know kids. She played the piano when she was younger but hasn’t touch it since. She attended Cadenza for several years, her favourite part about Cadenza was getting to learn with friends. She takes voice lessons with Alyssa Hildebrand. Her favourite song to sing is Piece by Piece by Kelly Clarkson.

Amie has been playing violin since she was two years old, starting on a box violin made by her mom. She also plays piano on one of the three pianos in her house, takes voice lessons and plays the drums. She’s been taking dance classes since she was six and has competed in Winnipeg in Ballet, Modern, Irish, and Jazz. Her favorite dance style is Modern.  She also helps lead little kids ballet classes at DanceWorks in Morden. Growing up with Cadenza as a large part of her life, she has attended every once since the beginning.  She’s been helping with admin and planning since the start and this is the second time she's been officially part of the Cadenza admin staff.

I started playing classical guitar when I was 5 and ever since I have enjoyed picking up new instruments including electric bass, drums, trumpet and the double bass. I have been playing the double bass for 7 years now and I am primarily a jazz bassist now (although I still love playing classical bass when I get the chance!). I am a student at Cornell University double majoring in music and sociology, with plans to go into counseling after graduating. I love playing music with new people and forming communities through the practice of music.

Sophie Reimer-Epp has been playing the violin since age 7. She studied in the Suzuki Method with Laurel Howard, and with WSO Concertmaster Gwen Hoebig. She has now begun her post-secondary education in Violin Performance at the University of Ottawa, studying with Timothy Chooi, and Jean-Hee Lee. An avid performer, Sophie has competed in many festivals, winning awards from the Winnipeg Music Festival, the Winnipeg Youth Orchestras scholarship competitions, the MRMTA, and the University of Ottawa Music Students Association. She is a five times winner of the Highest Mark in Manitoba on a RCM Exam.

Sophie has had a passion for orchestral performance from a young age, sparked by her eight years playing in the Winnipeg Youth Orchestras system. In that time she had the privilege of being Concertmaster and section leader multiple times, most notably serving as Principal Second Violin and then Concertmaster for the Youth Symphony Orchestra under conductor Andrea Bell. Sophie has continued to pursue her love for ensemble in the University of Ottawa Orchestra.

Sophie discovered a passion for teaching through her violin studio at Groove Academy School of Music in Winnipeg. As a student of both the RCM and Suzuki methods herself, she uses a blend of approaches to nurture her students interests and learning styles.

Elias first made her mark as an artistic force as a concert pianist with performances across Canada, frequent broadcasts on CBC’s Radio Two and the recording of three CD’s. She earned the sobriquet ‘Piano Woman’ during New Music Festival performances with Maestro Bramwell Tovey and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO), taken from a spirited piano concerto written for her and the WSO, that had her playing two pianos at the same time.

Like her stage persona, Elias’ incarnation as a painter delivers an equally energetic and bold voice, with vibrant colours and lines. Her unique style has led to a high demand for her work, having completed over 500 paintings to date, including over one hundred private and corporate commissions. Elias is represented by Canadian galleries coast to coast and her paintings are found in private, corporate, and government collections in 8 countries around the world, including every province in Canada, USA, India, Italy, England, Sweden, Mexico and Australia.

“Most people are lucky if they have one artistic skill, and luckier still if they’re able to pursue it professionally. Shirley Elias has been lucky a few times over: her first success was as a concert pianist, and now she has found another calling as a painter.

Music is the heart of Elias’ paintings… (she) works with a vivid palette of colours. Fusing elements of pop art, modern and cubism, marigold-coloured swirls trumpet off the canvas, as one could imagine sound resonating from an orchestra. Black and cobalt details anchor the paintings, while glints of metallic paint add light and interest.” – Passion for music inspires bold visual work, Edmonton Journal

Since beginning piano lessons at a young age, Helena has always found music to be the perfect vehicle for expression. She discovered her passion for teaching piano during her undergraduate studies at Brandon University, where she completed her Bachelor's Degree in Piano Performance with emphasis on collaborative piano. Inspired by the professional musicians she encountered there she began taking students of her own, teaching at the Eckhardt-Gramatté Conservatory of Music while completing her Master's Degree at Brandon University.

When she moved to Winkler she built her own independent piano studio, desiring to pass on her love for classical music, and striving to equip students with a complete range of skills and techniques, so that they also may experience the joy of expressing themselves freely through music.

Her training also included singing in choirs as well as directing choirs, which she continues to do in the Winkler community as choir director at her church.

Ever since she was little, Tayah has loved making music. Strumming an old mandolin and singing her own made-up musicals, Tayah upgraded her musical pursuits when she was seven by starting to take piano and cello lessons. She studied both instruments at the Winnipeg Conservatory of Music for several years before moving to private teacher’s Leanne Regehr Lee, Karen Erhardt, and Natalie Dawe to further advance her skills. Throughout high school, Tayah was part of the Winnipeg Youth Symphony Orchestra with conductor Andrea Bell and was also part of Pembina Trails Voices’ choirs with conductor’s Valdine Anderson and Michael Dueck. She has been a student at multiple summer camps including Cadenza Summer Music Week, and she currently pursues her passion for music education through her growing collection of private piano students. In her last year of high school, Tayah performed with Toronto based composer, sound designer, and music director Michael Doherty in Winnipeg Jewish Theatre’s production of The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk. Tayah plans to work in the field of Music Therapy after graduating from university, and she is looking forward to continuing to make music with others in many different contexts.

Josephine Moellenbeck is a private vocal teacher through Eckhardt-Gramatte Conservatory in Brandon, MB teaching students from across Westman. She began taking vocal and piano lessons from a young age and has, since then, gone on to complete her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Studies and Bachelor of Education Early Years from Brandon University.

Alongside her active voice studio, Josephine has created a toddler music class which gives toddlers the opportunity to explore music through singing, playing instruments and creative and structured music. Josephine has been a lifelong choral singer, singing mostly recently with Konektis and as a workshop leader and soloist with Neelin High School. Through the Eckhardt-Gramatte Conservatory she has started the BCC Choir Camp to engage young choristers for a lifeline love of singing.

Rachel makes her home along the Red River with her husband, four children, two dogs and three cats. She enjoys cross country skiing in winter, kayaking in flood seasons, and gardening in the summer. Her musical contributions include teaching a studio of violinists, directing choirs, leading worship music, and fostering musical skills in young children. She is a member of the MRMTA and holds Bachelors degrees in Music and Education.

Natalie Dawe began playing cello at the age of 7. In 2007, she travelled to Beijing, China with the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra to perform and record a CD that won an East Coast Music Award for Best Classical Recording. After moving to Winnipeg in 2007, Natalie studied with Yuri Hooker, principal cellist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. In 2011, she toured Sweden and Finland in collaboration with the University of Manitoba Singers. She was the winner of the the Holtby Scholarship and the Madeline Gauvin Scholarship through the Women’s Musical Club Annual Scholarship Competition. During her time at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music, she was a prize winner in the Genser Competition, as well as a winner of the Concerto Competition. In 2013, she graduated with a B. Music degree in cello performance from the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music where she studied with Dr. Minna Rose Chung. In the summer of 2014, she performed with Rod Stewart at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. She also performed at the Government House of Manitoba during the Royal Tour for The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Natalie has attained a M. Music degree in cello performance at the University of Western Ontario's Don Wright Faculty of Music where she was studying with Thomas Wiebe. She currently enjoys collaborating with other local artists of various genres and teaching young aspiring cellists.

Violinist and Composer River Sawchyn was born in Winnipeg in 2003. He studied violin with WSO concertmaster Gwen Hoebig and now attends the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Participating in local festivals and competitions since he was eight, River is a five time trophy winner at the Winnipeg Music Festival and has taken the stage twice as a Virtuosi Young Artist of the Virtuosi concert series. Also busy writing music, River has studied composition with Canadian composer Michael Van der Sloot and had an original orchestral composition premiered by the Winnipeg Youth Orchestras in 2021. As well as an accomplished classical musician, River is a frequent collaborator with a variety of folk ensembles, choral and instrumental groups and is a skilled fiddle player. Also experienced on the technical side of music production, River has produced many collaborative music and video projects, both self-organized and in collaboration with organizations such as Rosamunde Music Academy, the Back to Bach Project and Sopilka Ukrainian Dance School. River appreciates music in all forms and enjoys performing in a wide range of venues.

Cellist Leanne Zacharias is an interdisciplinary artist whose dynamic practice crosses genres and geographies. She curates Music for Spaces, reimagining public and natural sites with sound, with work featured in the International Cello Festival of Canada, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Winnipeg Design Festival and Warming Huts Art & Architecture competition. She received a ‘Best Performer’ nomination by the Austin Critics Table for River Measures, a solo series along the Colorado River in Texas, and residency awards in Iceland and Churchill’s Northern Studies Research Centre. Her project Listening Booth: solo recitals for solo audience member, was presented by the Agassiz Chamber Music Festival and she was soloist in the Portal Zero installation at the Winnipeg Symphony New Music Festival. Numerous premieres and recordings include Pat Carrabre’s Prairie Sky concerto, Concerto Laguna by Travis Weller (performed from a boat on a Texan lake), the premiere recording of Rand Steiger’s Elusive Peace for cello and percussion with Ben Reimer, sound artist Steve Bates, percussionist Eric Platz, songwriter John K Samson, The Mountain Goats, and her longtime collaborator Christine Fellows.Her first solo recording, featuring modern works in unique sites across rural Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, arrives this fall.

On faculty at Brandon University’s School of Music, Leanne adjudicates across Canada and has also taught at Domaine Forget International Academy, the Cadenza and Rosamunde Festivals, Prairie Cello Institute, and given lectures at Parsons School of Design in New York, the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s 10x20x20 series, and Banff’s Research In Culture workshop. She co-directs two unique art programs for emerging artists: A Wild Studio: Excursions in Art, Sound and Performance in Canadian National Park, and the Hybrid Intensive interdisciplinary workshop in San Francisco.

Southern Manitoba born, Violinist Jason Vanwynsberghe holds a Bachelors of Violin Performance from the Brandon University School of Music, as well as Minors in Music Composition and English Literature. Since his studies, he has been actively involved in the southern Manitoba music community.

Jason enjoys performing in a wide variety of settings and styles. He has played as Concert Master of the Brandon Community Orchestra and Brandon University Orchestra, as well as performing with the Manitoba Underground Opera Company, the Grande Prairie(AB) Symphony and Singing Concert series, and Numerous Musical Theatre shows with CandleWick Productions. Additionally Jason has performed both as a solo act and as a freelance/session musician, often featuring the Electric Violin, his Voice, and a loop pedal.

Equally interested in Music Education, Jason also operates a large violin Studio in and around the communities of Manitou, Morden and Winkler. As a conductor, Jason is the current Director of DKSM string ensemble Post Road Strings. He has served as guest conductor and clinician of the Brandon Community Orchestra, and Music Director for the Manitoba Oak Valley Passion Play.

As a composer, Jason has also written several commissioned or frequently performed Compositions. Notable among these: ‘A Prairie Sunset’ (Brandon Community orchestra, 2018), ‘Impromptu’ for Solo Violin (2015), and ‘Mass of Kenosis’ (2019).

Theresa Thordarson’s insatiable creative drive stems from a lifetime of  musical risk-taking. Whether writing original compositions, playing  piano in traditional settings, or collaborating with artists across genres  and disciplines, she thrives in the imperfections and questions inherent  in performance practices. 

Theresa performs traditional, remixed, and contemporary repertoire as  a soloist and collaborative pianist, with recent engagements including  concerts for Nuit Blanche Winnipeg, Lethbridge’s Centric Festival and  masterclasses with Edgar Meyer, Libby Larsen, and Angela Hewitt. She  also sings, synths, and writes pop music as one half of the duo Bicycle  Face with guitarist Ava Glendinning. 

Theresa has served as a sessional instructor and staff collaborative  pianist at Brandon University and the State University of New York,  Fredonia. She currently makes her home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. 

Manitoba-grown mezzo soprano, Meagan Reimer, returned to southern Manitoba in late 2020 after almost ten years performing as a classical vocalist in Toronto, southern Ontario, and Europe. Meagan holds a Bachelor of Music from Canadian Mennonite University, and Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Vocal Performance from the University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music.

Meagan has been a featured soloist in a broad range of repertoire, her performance has been primarily as a classical soloist. Oratorio works have covered the music of composers such as Duruflé, Fauré, Händel, Mozart, Haydn, Allegri, a host of Bach cantatas, Saint-Saëns, and Pergolesi/Durante. Opera and operetta credits include the core repertoire of the lyric mezzo soprano with Toronto-based companies such as Opera by Request, Toronto Operetta Theatre, Voicebox Opera in Concert, Opera Sustenida, Tapestry Opera, Windsor Symphony Orchestra, York University and the Talisker Players.

Meagan was a finalist of the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra Clifford Poole Vocal Competition in Toronto, and a semi-finalist of the Doris MacLellan Competition in Winnipeg. She made her European musical debut in Berlin, Germany at the Knutson Studio presenting favourites of the French and Canadian art song repertoire.

She was scheduled return to Weimar, Germany to sing the title role of Angelina in Rossini’s La Cenerentola before the pandemic, having previously appeared as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Lyric Opera Studio Weimar. Meagan was an invitee to the Grandi Voci vocal competition at the Oper im Berg Festival in Salzburg, Austria, and after attending, subsequently spent time in Vienna in masterclass with Maestro Maurizio Scardovi. This spring she again joins Opera by Request as Desdemona in Rossini’s rarely performed Otello.

Meagan comes to the DKSM Admin Team this year with extensive experience in music school administration in the Toronto area. She’s delighted to be reconnecting with her hometown music community and to be joining the great work DKSM does in bringing music to all. During regular work hours, Meagan can be found in your friendly neighbourhood law office, in the subdivisions and development department.

Dianna Neufeld has a Bachelor of Music (Major in Piano performance) and Bachelor of Education (Major in Elementary Music) from the University of Manitoba, and is currently completing her Graduate studies at the Brandon University as a Collaborative Pianists. She has taught Elementary music and high-school chorale in the school system for several years before switching primarily to private piano teaching.

She enjoys accompanying various soloists, choirs, chamber groups, and performing with a women’s vocal trio. Dianna is a published composer within the Northern Lights CNCM Piano Repertoire books, a graded educational series that features primarily Canadian composers. She writes duets and solos for students of all levels, and also composes chamber works. She resides in Margaret, Manitoba, and teaches privately from her music studio located at the Arts Hall in Boissevain, MB. She is on staff at the Eckhardt-Gramatté Conservatory within the Brandon University as a private piano instructor, and as the STEP piano educator. Currently, she has taken on the position as President of the Manitoba Registered Music Teachers Association of the Brandon and Westman Branch. She enjoys adjudicating, creating musical opportunities for piano, voice, violin, Suzuki-piano, and composing music for performance and educational

purposes.

Born and raised in Morden, MB, Ainsley's upbringing was rich with musical experiences,

starting violin at age 4 under the instruction of Lilian Toews. She started performing regularly at

a young age, both solo and in all levels of the Winnipeg Youth Orchestra’s. She received the

Loreena McKennit scholarship and trophy for her years of outstanding achievements in the

Morden Festival. She received her ARCT Diploma in Violin Performance from the Royal

Conservatory of Music, as well has her Grade 8 Piano. She continued her studies at the

University of Manitoba, studying with Karl Stobbe and Oleg Pokhanovski. While studying she

maintained a large teaching studio and was the founder, manager and performer for Hesed

String Quartet, a professional ensemble for hire in Winnipeg. She graduated with a Bachelor of

Music and Bachelor of Education in 2012. Her love for teaching lead her to complete her

Suzuki Book 1 Teacher Training, as well as the Orff teaching method for Early Years. She enjoys

teaching all levels, using a variety of material, and has prepared many students for RCM exams

and had several students be awarded medals for their high achievements. She has experience

as a festival adjudicator and clinician for string players and ensembles. After taking time off to

raise her young family, her husband, three boys and dog are now settled in Winkler.

"Shotgun Jimmie" is the stage name of Jim Kilpatrick, a Canadian singer-songwriter. Formerly associated with the band Shotgun & Jaybird. Since that band's breakup, he has released several albums as a solo artist.

His 2011 album Transistor Sister was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize.

On March 24, 2017, a 30-track tribute album to Kilpatrick and his songwriting was released via bandcamp.com, by a fan-driven label known as “Comin’ Around Records".

Everett Hopfner is not a harmonium player. However, if you need a harmonium player, you’re in luck: he’ll probably say yes. An enthusiastic explorer of the piano (or whichever keyboard instrument happens to be nearest), Everett’s performances exude joy and intention, qualities he translates to his roles as teacher, administrator, advocate, and life-long learner.

Everett’s reputation as a generous, thoughtful, and brilliantly skilled player continues to grow. His openness and penchant for musical risk-taking has led to many collaborations with composers and artistic peers. Delighted audiences have found him strumming piano strings surrounded by whale skeletons in Frankfurt’s Senckenberg Museum, tinkling away at the jeu de timbres on tour with the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, performing on cathedral steps under the stars as a collaborative pianist for Casalmaggiore International Music Festival in Italy, touring across Canada as a winner of the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition, and illuminated by a pulsating light installation alongside the Assiniboine River as part of Winnipeg’s Nuit Blanche.

As a private piano teacher and sessional instructor at Brandon University, he facilitates meaningful experiences by asking questions, embracing challenges, and developing goal-oriented, student-centred learning processes. Everett lives for the “lightbulb moments”, instants where his students find clarity or realize a musical wish. As Director of the Eckhardt-Gramatté Conservatory of Music, he aims to build adaptive structures that think differently, breaking down the barriers to musical participation and understanding still enduring in traditional educational models. Everett serves on the boards of Associated Manitoba Arts Festivals and the Manitoba Registered Music Teachers' Association, and is in high demand for workshops, masterclasses, adjudication, and summer festivals.

Alyssa has been teaching for several years, and works with students of many different levels and abilities. She works as a private voice teacher independently in Winkler, through the Steinbach Arts Council, and the Community School of Music and the Arts (CSMA) at Canadian Mennonite University. At CSMA she has had the opportunity to teach individual voice students, group classes, and lead a voice masterclass in February of 2020.  Prior to the pandemic, she worked at Providence University College as an instructor of music.  She returned to Manitoba after completing her Master of Music degree in Literature and Performance at Western University, studying with Jackalyn Short. Prior to this she attended Canadian Mennonite University where she received a Bachelor of Music with a concentration in vocal performance, studying with David Klassen.  Throughout both of these degrees, Alyssa had the opportunity to take courses on vocal pedagogy and early music education.  

Throughout her studies, Alyssa has had several performance opportunities, which included various recitals and concerts.  She has also had the opportunity to perform operatic roles including; the role of Oscar in Handel’s Alcina at the Halifax Summer Opera Festival, Barbarina in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro through Accademia Europea Dell’Opera in Italy, and Josephine in HMS Pinafore (CMU), Bastienne in Bastien und Bastienne (CMU) and understudying the role of Anne Page in the Merry Wives of Windsor.   She has been the finalist in several music competitions, including the Verna Mae Janzen Competition and Winnipeg’s Tudor Bowl.  

Originally from Morden, MB, Candace Hamm's instructors have included Dr. Darryl Friesen, Barbara Cornish, and Cameron Friesen (piano) and Dr. Charles Horton and Dr. Karen Sunabacka (theory). Her education has included the completion of degrees with the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music (University of Manitoba) and the Royal Conservatory of Music as well as pedagogical studies with Dr. Edmund Dawe, Gregory Chase, and Irina Gorin among other notable instructors.

Candace is a member of the Manitoba Registered Music Teachers Association, the Southeastern Manitoba Music Teachers Association, a Royal Conservatory of Music certified Piano and Theory specialist at all levels, and is privileged to be on faculty with the Cadenza Music Week affiliated with the Douglas Kuhl Foundation. In heavy demand for her creative, invested teaching style, Candace maintains a piano and theory studio of over sixty students. Her students have met with success in competition, auditions for post secondary music studies, and in other performance opportunities at a local, provincial, and national level. Former students have gone on to study piano performance, music education, music theory, music therapy, and composition at various schools across Canada.

Candace lives in Steinbach with her husband and son, where she spends her spare time gardening, working a search and rescue dog, and reading as many books as possible! 

After a childhood immersion in choral singing and piano, a teenaged Tatiana picked up a viola and became friends with it. She earned a Bachelor of Music from Canadian Mennonite University and a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Music from the University of Manitoba, both under the instruction of Daniel Scholz. She participated in Tafelmusik's Baroque Summer Institute three times, then acquired a Master's in Early Music from McGill University. During the course of Master's studies she worked with Hélène Plouffe, Hank Knox, Olivier Brault, Adrian Butterfield, Stefano Montanari, and Rodolfo Richter, as well as taking baroque dance classes from Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière. She is a founding member of Winnipeg period-instrument Baroque ensemble Musica Poetica, and generally a huge early music geek.

Tatiana has been on faculty at CMU’s Community School of Music and the Arts, the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and the Arts, Cadenza Summer Music Week, International Music Camp, and Sistema Winnipeg, in addition to teaching out of her home. In her work as a player and teacher she seeks ways to recognize and diffuse the physical and mental blocks that hinder healthy, enjoyable musicmaking.

A Florida native, Mr. Filsaime began playing the violin at the age of seven before switching to the cello at the age of nine. He earned his Bachelor of Music in cello performance at the University of North Florida, studying with Dr. Nick Curry. He completed his Master of Music Degree at the University of Tennessee where he served as Professor Wesley Baldwin’s teaching assistant. In 2017, Bery was a finalist in the University of Tennessee Symphony Concerto Competition and for the New World Symphony. He was also a member of the National Repertory Orchestra the summer of 2017 in Breckenridge Colorado. Bery just graduated with his Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Music Performance at the University of Manitoba, studying with Dr. Minna Rose Chung. He was also selected as a winner of the University of Manitoba Concerto Competition in 2018.

Rochelle has enjoyed teaching violin, piano and music theory in Winkler since 1993, with one year spent teaching music in Loma Plata, Paraguay.  Her musical involvements have also included directing student strings ensembles, conducting children’s choirs, piano accompanying and playing violin or viola in various string ensembles.  She is the founder and director of Winkler’s Homeschool Harmony Choir (since 2009) and has directed community string ensembles and violin group classes in Winkler since 2009.  She is also the founder and program director of Cadenza Summer Music Week (since 2013). Rochelle and her husband, Kevin, have lived in Winkler since 1993 and have three daughters; Kayla, Hannah and Amie.

Born in Winnipeg, Andrea Bell holds Bachelor Degrees in Music and Education from the University of Manitoba and a Masters Degree in Cello Performance from the University of British Columbia. Andrea is the founding member and cellist of the Rembrandt String Quartet. A passionate music educator, Ms. Bell is the Director of the String Orchestra Program at Westgate Mennonite Collegiate. She maintains a large and vibrant private cello studio and is the Director of the “Mini-Rosie” program at the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy. Andrea has taught cello, conducted youth and adult amateur orchestras and adjudicated music festivals across Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and in Australia. Andrea is the Conductor of the Winnipeg Mennonite Community Orchestra and  the conductor of the Winnipeg Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Sarah-Lynn Bergen began playing the violin here in the Pembina Valley at the age of 7. She performed with the Winnipeg Youth Orchestra for 4 years while taking lessons with Simon MacDonald and Karl Stobbe. She continued her studies at the University of Ottawa where she completed a Bachelor of Music under the tutelage of Yehonatan Berick, Jean-Hee Lee and Micheal van der Sloot. While in university, Sarah had the pleasure of performing with the University of Ottawa Orchestra, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, the Ottawa Pops Orchestra, and the Manitoba Underground Opera. Sarah discovered a passion for music education through volunteering with Ottawa’s El Sistema program, Orkidstra, and teaching violin and piano at a local music school. Sarah-Lynn has had the honor of being a student teacher at Cadenza Summer Music Week since 2013 and is excited to be back teaching in Manitoba! In her spare time, Sarah enjoys baking bread, knitting, and cross-country skiing.