The International Music Festival and Competition is an annual event that provides musicians of all ages with opportunities to perform, to conduct and to write music while receiving professional guidance by leading experts in the classical music industry.
GOLD MEDALLIONS
Aaron Dutta
Allyssa Talledo
Angélique Erry
Chantal Luo
Clarisse Lin
Daniel Yu
Emma Kang
Hanyu Zhang
Jaden Thomas
Jason Chen
Kelly Chen
Nicole Huang
Ryan Lam
SILVER MEDALLIONS
Aaron Dutta
Allyssa Talledo
Catherine James
Hanyu Zhang
Jaden Thomas
Kelly Chen
Lucy Zhao
Nicole Huang
BRONZE MEDALLIONS
Aaron Dutta
Giancarlo Montanaro
Hermes Chan
Jashvir Rathore
Jason Chen
Kevin Guo
Kyle Guo
Louis Chan
Reena Tamaran
Renjing Li
Congratulations to all students for their amazing achievement!
The Royal Conservatory of Music January session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Savannah Dunberry |
Level 8 Theory |
92 |
Ms. Marina Grigorian |
Felix Yu |
Level 1 Piano |
91 |
Ms. Winnie Hsieh |
Elle Zhou |
Level 1 Piano |
87 |
Ms. Winnie Hsieh |
Jonathan Wong |
Level 1 Piano |
86 |
Ms. Marina Grigorian |
Priyanka Ragunathan |
Level 8 Theory |
86 |
Ms. Antonia deWolfe |
Hayden Chin |
Level 2 Piano |
85 |
Ms.Winnie Hsieh |
Catherine James |
Level 1 Piano |
84 |
Ms. Antonia deWolfe |
Chantal Luo |
Level 7 Piano |
83 |
Ms. Antonia deWolfe |
Elijah Gao |
Level 1 Piano |
82 |
Ms. Galyna Anno |
Jackson Zhu |
Level 3 Piano |
82 |
Ms. Elena Eremeeva |
Avni Prabhu |
Level 1 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Marina Grigorian |
Aashika Eswarapatham |
Level 3 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Elena Eremeeva |
Bethany Tse |
Level 3 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Antonia deWolfe |
Thea Duggal |
Level 3 Guitar |
80 |
Mr. Ramon Taranco |
Esther Lam |
Level 4 Violin |
80 |
Mr. Arpad Josephson |
The Royal Conservatory of Music August session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Ryan Lam |
Preparatory A Piano |
93 |
Ms. Dianne Hughes |
Andrei Talledo |
Preparatory B Piano |
91 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Jonathan Wang |
Level 5 Flute |
91 |
Ms. Leonid Sprikut |
Nicole Huang |
Level 1 Piano |
89 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Janessa Puyo |
Level 2 Piano |
85 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Clarisse Lin |
Level 5 Theory |
84 |
Ms. Dianne Hughes |
Angelique Erry |
Level 4 Voice |
84 |
Mr. Paul Williamson |
Connor Lau |
Preparatory Violin |
84 |
Mr. Arpad Josephson |
Angelina Kostantin |
Level 2 Piano |
83 |
Ms. Galyna Anno |
Clarisse Lin |
Level 8 Piano |
83 |
Ms. Dianne Hughes |
Allyssa Talledo |
Level 1 Piano |
81 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Edwin Dong |
Level 5 Piano |
81 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Theesik Aravinthan |
Level 5 Piano |
81 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Reena Tamaran |
Level 1 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Winnie Hsieh |
Arianna Jean Lagunzad |
Level 2 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Karina Shnayder |
ADaniel Yu |
Level 4 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Karina Shnayder |
Brandon Yin |
Level 1 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
Jason Chen |
Level 8 Theory |
80 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
The Royal Conservatory of Music June session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Thivya Jeyapalan |
Level 8 Theory |
92 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Isabelle Dasgupta |
Level 1 Piano |
90 |
Ms. Galyna Ammo |
Emily Jong |
Level 8 Theory |
89 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Priyanka Ragunathan |
Level 7 Theory |
88 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Louis Chan |
Prep B Piano |
86 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Thea Duggal |
Level 1 Guitar |
85 |
Mr. Ramon Taranco |
Hermes Chan |
Prep B Piano |
84 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Jessica Wang |
Level 6 Voice |
81 |
Mr. Paul Williamson |
Linda Liu |
Level 4 Oboe |
80 |
Mr. John Mills |
The International Music Festival and Competition is an annual event that provides musicians of all ages with opportunities to perform, to conduct and to write music while receiving professional guidance by leading experts in the classical music industry.
GOLD MEDALLIONS
Aaron Chen
Carter Kawabata
Hayden Chin
Peter Morcos
Reese Bi
Rex Hakimi
Thea Duggal
SILVER MEDALLIONS
Aaron Dutta
Alex Reyes
Allyssa Talledo
Catherine James
Chris Wei
Derek Price
Huy Luong
Kelly Chen
Kyle Guo
Reese Bi
BRONZE MEDALLIONS
Renjing Li
Aaron Dutta
Alec Dong
Edwin Dong
Jason Chen
Kevin Guo
Kyle Guo
Kyra Sophie Oszlai
Nicole Huang
Reena Tamaran
Reese Bi
Renjing Li
Theesik Aravinthan
Congratulations to all students for their amazing achievement!
The Royal Conservatory of Music April session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Aaron Dutta |
Level 3 Piano |
88 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
Jerry Wong |
Level 3 Piano |
84 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
Ethan Wong |
Level 1 Piano |
82 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
Bethany Tse |
Level 2 Piano |
81 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Reese Bi |
Level 5 Piano |
81 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
Henry Zheng |
Level 2 Piano |
81 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Jonathan Wong |
Prep B Piano |
80 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
This year there were over 1,000 young musicians performing at the GTA Kiwanis Music Festival. Competitive as ever, the Festival was a great opportunity for our students to receive feedback on their studies from internationally renowned artists
Three of the International Music Academy (Markham) students have received the highest recognition and has been awarded First Place in the following categories:
Aaron Chen 1st place (Clarinet Grade 9)
Patrick Hu 1st place (Clarinet Grade 8)
Jeffrey Su - 1st place (Clarinet Grade 6)
Jonathan Wang 3rd place (Flute Grade 3)
Jalen Yang 3rd place (Clarinet Grade 8)
Jaffrey, Patrick and Aaron have also been selected to compete at the Ontario Provincial Finals in June. Congratulations to them all and many thanks to their teacher Mr. Leonid Sprikut for his continued dedication.
The Royal Conservatory of Music January session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Kevin Guo |
Level 10 Theory |
95 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Jonathan Wong |
Level 8 Theory |
93 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Daria Pryymak |
Preparatory A Piano |
90 |
Ms. Dianne Hughes |
Angela Liang |
Level 1 Vioce |
88 |
Ms. Sara Chen |
Jason Chen |
Level 8 Piano |
88 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
Clarisse Lin |
Level 7 Piano |
84 |
Ms. Dianne Hughes |
Avni Prabhu |
Preparatory B Piano |
83 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Clara Kim |
Level 8 Piano |
83 |
Ms. Dianne Hughes |
Thivya Jeyapalan |
Level 8 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
The Royal Conservatory of Music August session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Renee White |
Level 8 Theory |
98 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Jonathan Yu Sing Wong |
Preparatory A Piano |
88 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Bethany Tse |
Level 1 Piano |
88 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
Rida Aftab |
Level 5 Piano |
87 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
Esther Lam |
Level 2 Violin |
87 |
Mr. Arpad Josephson |
Reena Tamanan |
Preparatory B Piano |
86 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Janessa Puyo |
Level 1 Piano |
86 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Carter Kawabata |
Level 7 Piano |
85 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
Jenny Wang |
Level 2 Piano |
84 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Eva Montanaro |
Preparatory Violin |
84 |
Mr. Arpad Josephson |
Daniel Yu |
Level 3 Piano |
83 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Alec Dong |
Level 8 Piano |
81 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Isabelle Dasgupta |
Preparatory B Piano |
80 |
Ms. Galyna Anno |
Anujan Kandasamy |
Level 5 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
The Royal Conservatory of Music June session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Emily Jong |
Level 7 Theory |
94 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
Arianna Lagunzad |
Preparatory B Piano |
93 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Thivya Jeyapalan |
Level 7 Theory |
92 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
Jonathan Wong |
Level 7 Theory |
92 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Avni Prabhu |
Preparatory A Piano |
89 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Priyanka Ragunathan |
Level 5 Theory |
88 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Savannah Dunberry |
Level 7 Theory |
88 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Shaelin Baldsing |
Level 2 Piano |
86 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Jason Chen |
Level 7 Piano |
85 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
Jeffrey Su |
Level 4 Clarinet |
84 |
Mr. Leonid Sprikut |
Nitin Raj |
Level 2 Piano |
83 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Jerry Wong |
Level 2 Piano |
83 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
Jatynne Raj |
Level 4 Piano |
83 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Rohin Furchner |
Preparatory B Piano |
80 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
The Royal Conservatory of Music April session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Aryan Ihsan |
Level 2 Piano |
94 |
Ms. M. Grigoryan |
Ava Ford |
Prep B Piano |
93 |
Ms. M. Grigoryan |
Reena Tamanan |
Prep A Piano |
92 |
Ms. M. Grigoryan |
Christina Tarla |
Prep B Piano |
92 |
Ms. M. Grigoryan |
This year there were over 1,000 young musicians performing at the GTA Kiwanis Music Festival. Competitive as ever, the Festival was a great opportunity for our students to receive feedback on their studies from internationally renowned artists
Three of the International Music Academy (Markham) students have received the highest recognition and has been awarded First Place in the following categories:
Aaron Cheng – Clarinet (RCM Grade 8)
Patrick Hu – Clarinet (RCM Grade 7)
Jeffrey Su – Clarinet (RCM Grade 4)
Patrick and Aaron have also been selected to compete at the Ontario Provincial Finals in June. Congratulations to them all and many thanks to their teacher Mr. Leonid Sprikut for his continued dedication
The Royal Conservatory of Music January session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Alex Reyes |
Level 8 Theory |
100 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
Jonathan Wong |
Level 6 Theory |
94 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Theesik Aravinthan |
Level 2 Piano |
88 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
April J Wei |
Level 9 Piano |
85 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Jenny Wang |
Level 1 Piano |
83 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Nancy Peter |
Level 8 Theory |
83 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
Thivya Jeyapalan |
Level 7 Piano |
82 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
Renee White |
Level 7 Theory |
82 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
Carter Kawabata |
Level 8 Theory |
82 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
Edwin Dong |
Level 3 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
The Royal Conservatory of Music August session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Christina Tarla |
Preparatory A Piano |
95 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Nancy Peter |
Level 6 Theory |
92 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Adela Hua |
History Level 10 |
91 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Daniel Yu |
Level 1 Piano |
91 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Alec Dong |
Level 8 Theory |
90 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Ava Ford |
Preparatory A Piano |
90 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Rohin Furchner |
Preparatory A Piano |
90 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Shaelin Baldsing |
Level 1 Piano |
88 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Kyra Sophie Oazlai |
Level 5 Theory |
86 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Jatynne Raj |
Level 3 Piano |
83 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Nitin Raj |
Level 1 Piano |
81 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Holden Boutros |
Level 3 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Logan Boutros |
Level 3 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
The Royal Conservatory of Music June session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Deejesh Subramanian |
Theory 8 |
94 |
Mr. Arpad Josephson |
Savannah Dunberry |
Theory 6 |
91 |
Ms. Marina Gregorian |
Aryan Ihsan |
Level 1 Piano |
91 |
Ms. Marina Gregorian |
Jashvir Rathore |
Level 1 Clarinet |
91 |
Mr. John Mills |
Bernice Chung |
Level 5 Theory |
88 |
Mr. Arpad Josephson |
Alexandra Lavric |
Prep A Piano |
88 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Rex Hakimi |
Prep A Piano |
88 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Henry Zheng |
Prep B Piano |
87 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Carter Kawabata |
Level 6 Piano |
86 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
Theesik Aravinthan |
Level 1 Piano |
84 |
Mrs. Suzanne Marfise |
Alexandra Lavric |
Level 1 Voice |
81 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Navid Pahlwan |
Level 4 Piano |
80 |
Mrs. Suzanne Marfise |
Chloe Ip |
Level 8 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Antonia DeWolfe |
Emily Jong |
Level 6 Theory |
80 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Garrett Kawabata |
Level 9 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
Rex Hakimi |
Level 1 Voice |
80 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
The Royal Conservatory of Music January session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Alec Dong |
Theory Level 6 |
94 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Deejesh Subramanian |
Theory Level 6 |
90 |
Mr. Arpad Josephson |
Emma Grace Ortiz |
Level 3 Violin |
90 |
Ms. Salome Legemaate |
Alex Reyes |
Level 10 Piano |
84 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Anya Pooran |
Level 1 Violin |
84 |
Ms. Salome Legemaate |
The Royal Conservatory of Music August session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Emma Grace Ortiz |
Grade 1 Violin |
90 |
Ms. Salome Legemaate |
Aryan Ihsan |
Prep B Piano |
86 |
Ms. M. Grigoryan |
Jatynne Raj |
Grade 2 Piano |
86 |
Ms. M. Grigoryan |
Shaelin Baldsing |
Prep B Piano |
85 |
Ms. M. Grigoryan |
Dailiang Chen |
Grade 2 Piano |
83 |
Ms. M. Grigoryan |
Nitin Raj |
Prep B Piano |
82 |
Ms. M. Grigoryan |
James Au |
Prep B Piano |
82 |
Ms. M. Grigoryan |
Jonathan Wong |
Grade 1 Guitar |
81 |
Mr. Ramon Taranco |
Celina M Mekhail |
Grade 5 Voice |
80 |
Mr. Justin Walsh |
The Royal Conservatory of Music June session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Alec Dong |
Theory Basic |
97 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Olivia Maveal |
Theory Basic |
97 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Rhea Pai |
Theory Basic |
97 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
Savannah Dunberry |
Theory Basic |
95 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Linda Gu |
Theory Basic |
95 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
Bernice Wu |
Theory Advanced |
92 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Aaron Chen |
Grade 6 Clarinet |
89 |
Mr. Leonid Sprikut |
Evelyne Jurca |
Theory Intermediate |
87 |
Ms. Antonia De Wolfe |
Jackie Xu |
Grade 8 Clarinet |
80 |
Mr. Leonid Sprikut |
The Royal Conservatory of Music April session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Darius Bonakdar |
Grade 3 Piano |
87 |
Ms. Katherine Cao |
Carter Kawabata |
Grade 5 Piano |
85 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
Teresa (Yuxuan) Peng |
Grade 9 Piano |
83 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
Mutian Liu |
Grade 7 Piano |
82 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Consumer Choice Award was established in 1987 and is considered to be the most distinguished award for business excellence in Canada.
This is the second time the International Music Academy has won the Consumer Choice Award for best private music school, within the past 5 years.
In his congratulatory letter to the International Music Academy Faculty and Staff, Mr. Marcl Sbrollini, President of the Consumer Choice Award wrote:
“… the consumers and the business in your community have selected you as the top-ranked organization in your industry. You are now part of a very select group of business owners and entrepreneurs recognized for their business excellence in the GTA.”
Official Announcement of the Award was made on February 4, 2016 in Le Parc Centre in Richmond Hill.
Warmest thanks to our students, their parents and all clients for their confidence in the International Music Academy. Congratulations to all teachers and staff for their dedication and work at the highest international standards.
The Royal Conservatory of Music January session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject |
Mark |
Teacher |
Emily Jong |
Harmony I |
97 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Joy Wu |
Theory III |
95 |
Ms. Katherine Cao |
Michael Lee |
Theory III |
88 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Labros Spandonidis |
Grade 4 Piano |
84 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Celina Mekhail |
Grade 3 Voice |
81 |
Mr. Justin Welsh |
The Royal Conservatory of Music August session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject, Grade |
Mark |
Teacher |
Jatynne Raj |
Grade 1 Piano |
86 |
Ms. Lili Imastounian |
Mishani Tan |
Preparatory Violin |
81 |
Mr. Arpad Josephson |
Adela Hua |
Basic Harmony |
80 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
The Royal Conservatory of Music June session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject, Grade |
Mark |
Teacher |
Kyra Sophie Oszlai |
Grade 2 Piano |
93 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Kyra Sophie Oszlai |
Grade 1 Guitar |
86 |
Mr. Ramon Taranco |
Adela Hua |
Grade 5 Trumpet |
83 |
Mr. Leonid Sprikut |
This year there were over 1,000 young musicians performing at the GTA Kiwanis Music Festival. Competitive as ever, the Festival was a great opportunity for our students to receive feedback on their studies from internationally renowned artists.
Three of the International Music Academy (Markham) students have received the highest recognition and has been awarded First Place in the following categories:
Richard Zhang – 1st Award (RCM clarinet, Grade 7)
Jackie Xu - 1st Award (RCM clarinet, Grade 6)
Katherine Lee – 1st Award (RCM clarinet, Grade 3)
Garrett Kawabata – Silver Award (RCM piano, Grade 8)
Garrett Kawabata – Silver Award (RCM piano, Grade 7)
Karter Kawabata – Bronze Award (RCM piano, Grade 4)
The Royal Conservatory of Music January session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject, Grade |
Mark |
Teacher |
Anjali Mistry |
Music Theory II |
93 |
Ms. Suzanne Marfise |
Michael Lee |
Music Theory II |
92 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
David Yap |
Grade 2 Violin |
92 |
Ms. Marina Grigoryan |
Alena Parkinson |
Grade 6 Piano |
84 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Kyra Sophie Oszlai |
Grade 1 Piano |
83 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
Kyle Omari Miller |
Grade 1 Piano |
80 |
Ms. Antonia de Wolfe |
The Royal Conservatory of Music January session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject, Grade |
Mark |
Edward Tang |
Theory Advanced |
93 |
Labros Spandonidis |
Grade 1 Piano |
91 |
Rida Aftab |
Grade 1 Piano |
87 |
Kayvon Najibzadeh |
Grade 1 Piano |
83 |
Matthew Finn |
Grade 2 Piano |
81 |
Jackie Xu |
Grade 4 Clarinet |
80 |
Tiger Zhao |
Grade 8 Saxophone |
80 |
The Royal Conservatory of Music June session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject, Grade |
Mark |
Brenda Liu |
Theory Basic |
93 |
Rishi Bhuwan |
Grade 3 Trumpet |
86 |
Garrett Kawabata |
Grade 4 Violin |
80 |
Noah Mathew |
Grade 2 Piano |
80 |
The Royal Conservatory of Music January session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject, Grade |
Mark |
Tiger Zhao |
Theory Advanced |
93 |
Garrett Kawabata |
Theory Intermediate |
91 |
Carter Kawabata |
Grade 3 Piano |
87 |
Matthew Finn |
Grade 1 Piano |
83 |
Garrett Kawabata |
Grade 6 Piano |
82 |
David Yap |
Grade 1 Violin |
80 |
Ethan Jong |
Grade 2 Piano |
80 |
The Royal Conservatory of Music August session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject, Grade |
Mark |
Edward Tang |
Theory Intermediate |
99 |
Rishi Bhuwan |
Grade 1 Trumpet |
90 |
Sharon Cheung |
Grade 2 Flute |
87 |
Tiger Zhao |
Grade 6 Saxophone |
86 |
Olivia Xu |
Grade 4 Violin |
86 |
Chloe Cheung |
Grade 2 Flute |
85 |
Noah Mathew |
Grade 1 Piano |
80 |
Rachel Tang |
Grade 7 Piano |
80 |
The Royal Conservatory of Music June session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject, Grade |
Mark |
Anjali Mistry |
Theory Basic |
99 |
Odosa Obasuyi |
Grade 1 piano |
89 |
Michael Lee |
Theory Basic |
88 |
Zahra Mustansir |
Grade 1 piano |
84 |
Niral Mistry |
Grade 2 Clarinet |
83 |
Michael Cheng |
Grade 2 Flute |
81 |
Janis Cheng |
Grade 2 Flute |
81 |
Vincent Poon |
Grade 4 Violin |
80 |
The Royal Conservatory of Music April session examination results have been announced. Congratulations to the IMA students achieving considerably higher than the Provincial average marks, with distinction.
Student |
Subject, Grade |
Mark |
Chloe Tam |
Grade 3 Piano |
85 |
Adit Krishnan |
Grade 3 Piano |
82 |
Jessica Facchini |
Grade 2 Piano |
82 |
Alexander Nielsen |
Grade 2 piano |
80 |
Mariah A Brown |
Grade 5 Piano |
80 |
Gligor Djogo (clarinet) has won a first place in the category of ARCT Performance at the North York Music Competition for playing Mozart’s Concerto for clarinet and orchestra. His younger brother, Novak Djogo (flute), has won a first award and Radomir Djogo (trumpet) has won a first award as well. All three boys are students of Mr. Leonid Sprikut. Congratulations on their excellent performances and all the best in their future music-related endeavours.
May 2012. North York Music Festival was created in 2010 and has quickly gained popularity due to its professional adjudicators and non-competitive environment. Nicole Lazarovsky (voice) and Deven Chakravorty (voice) have won second award at the 2012 North York Music Festival.
April 2012. Eighteen IMA students took part in this prestigious event, held on April 7, 2012 at Ricoh Coliseum 9,500-seat stadium. To our pleasure, the Marlies have won the game, 45 seconds into overtime with 3-2. To watch a short documentary in HD, click on the image below.
April 2012.The Markham Music Festival is also known as the Euromusic Piano Competition. It has been created in 1994 and is sponsored by TD Canada Trust. The competition is for young pianists only and is based on the Royal Conservatory of Music curriculum. It is also one of the most serious piano competitions in the GTA. Congratulations on excellent performances to:
Gwyneth Poon (Second Award in RCM Grade 7 class)
Parthee Bala (Second Award in RCM Grade 3 class)
Warmest thanks to their teachers for inspiring our young pianists and guiding them to the highest achievements as well as to their families for their continuous support.
March 2012. Six students from the International Music Academy have competed with hundreds of participants from the Greater Toronto Area at the 2012 Kiwanis Music Festival. All have won prestigious awards in various categories. Congratulations on their outstanding performances to:
Marcel Short (Gold Award in RCM Grade 2 clarinet class)
Radomir Djogo (Gold Award in RCM Grade 2 trumpet class)
Novak Djogo (Gold Award in RCM Grade 6 flute class)
Garrett Kawabata (Gold Award in RCM Grade 4 piano class)
Carter Kawabata (Gold Award in RCM Grade 2 piano class)
Matthew Wong (Gold Award in RCM Grade 7 violin class)
Gligor Djogo (Silver Award in RCM Grade 9 clarinet class)
Mihai Lungu (Silver Award in RCM Grade 2 trumpet class)
Warmest thanks to their teachers for inspiring our young musicians and guiding them to the highest achievements as well as to their families for their continuous support.
February 2012. An international leader in the fields of music education and performance training, The Royal Conservatory is celebrating its 125th Anniversary this year with the introduction of the combined Convocation and Gold Medal Awards Ceremony. Gold Medals are awarded each academic year, September 1 to August 31, by province or region, to candidates who have obtained the highest marks for practical examinations in each discipline, Grades 1 through ARCT. In order to be eligible for these awards, recipients must have obtained a minimum mark of 80% on their practical examination and have completed the theory requirements for their grade.
On behalf of The Royal Conservatory, we cordially invite you to the 2011 Ontario and Quebec Convocation and Gold Medal Awards Ceremony in Toronto to celebrate excellence in music with the community of Gold Medal Teachers and Medalists this year. The 2011 Ontario and Quebec Convocation and Gold Medal Ceremony wil take place on February 12, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. at Koerner Hall, The Royal Conservatory, The TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning at 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1W2.
Matthew Wong (grade 7 violin)
Edward Tang (grade 4 piano)
Mary Christidis (grade 3 harmony)
Katryna Durfy Weir (grade 2 rudiments)
Madura Muraleetharan (grade 2 voice)
Samantha Fung (grade 1violin)
Niral Mistry (grade 1 piano)
Timothe Noche (grade 1 violin)
Olivia Xu (grade 1 violin)
The Kindred Spirits Orchestra under the Honorary Patronage of Mayor Frank Scarpitti of Markham is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Broadway Kids Live! Auditions. Broadway Kids Live! is a new programme created by the Kindred Spirits Orchestra that is designed to provide children with opportunities to acquire important skills in singing, acting, dancing, working with conductor, and performing in front of a large audience. From 115 applications received, 55 children from York Region were invited to audition live in Markham and another 23, in Toronto. During the live auditions, a panel of judges led by Maestro Kristian Alexander, Music Director of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra, looked for a particular blend of vocal, acting, and dancing skills, as related to a pre-determined list of characters that will later be included in the show. A final cast of 14 children was selected to perform live on stage of Markham Theatre for the Performing Arts on May 6, 2012:
- Aneesah Bari (Stouffville)
- Ayla Neumann (New Market)
- Candace Santos (Mississauga)
- Celeste McGill (Maple)
- Deven Chakravorty (Markham)
- Faith Rauen (Unionville)
- Glenn Edward Montera (Toronto)
- Isabelle Duchene (New Market)
- Leya Herschel (Markham)
- Lia Luz (Scarborough)
- Luka Mihajlovi (Markham)
- May He Tessoro (Unionville)
- Nicole Lazarovski (Markham)
- Samantha Waller (Richmond Hill)
16 students from the International Music Academy have competed with thousands of participants from the GreateToronto Area at the 2011 Kiwanis Music Festival. All have won prestigious awards in various categoriesCongratulations on their outstanding performances to:
- Stella Schneckenburger (Piano solo RCM Grade 3) - Gold Award and Best in Class
- Garrett Kawabata (Piano solo Sonatinas) - Gold Award and 1st place
- Celia Tang (Clarinet solo RCM Grade 10) - Gold Award and 1st place
- Sharon Wong (Piano solo RCM Grade 7) - Gold Award and 2nd place
- Ryan Xu (Piano solo RCM Grade 1) - Gold Award and 2nd place
- Carter Kawabata (Piano solo RCM Grade 2) - Gold Award and 3rd place
- Marina Wai (Piano solo RCM Grade 6) - Gold Award and 3rd place
- Michael Xu (Piano solo RCM Grade 4) - Gold Award
- Gwyneth Poon (Piano solo RCM Grade 5) - Gold Award
- Daniel Joanes (Piano solo RCM Grade 2) - Gold Award
- Julie-Anne Boucher (Violin solo RCM Grade 7) - Gold Award
- Hansel Lui (Violin solo RCM Grade 3) - Silver Award
- Daniel Joanes (Piano solo RCM Grade 2) - Silver Award
- Garrett Kawabata (Piano solo RCM Grade 3) - Silver Award
- Johnson Zheng (Piano solo RCM Grade 2) - Silver Award
- Martin Tuzin (Piano solo RCM Grade 6) - Silver Award
- Katherine Lee (Piano solo RCM Grade 4) - Silver Award
- Jobert Sevilleno (Voice solo) - Bronze Award and 2nd place
Three voice students from the clas of Ms. Helena Holl have won a
Silver Award at the 2010 Richmond Hill Music Festival. Congratulations
to:
- Leya Herschel (Italian Art Song)
- Nicole Lazarovsky (Broadway Musical)
- Jobert Sevilleno (Open class)
Through a collaboration with AYNI, the International Music Academy has assisted 4 children in Peru with the purchase of books and educational materials required for one year of studies. Watch a video about this exciting partnership in gallery.
The North York Music Festival (formerly NYCO Music Festival) has brought another wave of great success to our students, especially those who competed in the vocal classes. Congratulations to:
Stephanie Commarasana – GOLD Award (saxophone)
Leya Herschel – GOLD Award (voice)
Philip Huynh – GOLD Award (voice)
Charina Alducente – SILVER Award (voice)
Nicole Lazarovski – SILVER Award (voice) and BRONZE Award (voice)
Nicole Jaskot – SILVER Award (voice)
Garett Kawabata – SILVER Award (piano)
Aneesah Bari – BRONZE Award (voice)
Special thanks to their teachers Ms. Helena Holl (voice), Ms. Mao Ke (voice), Ms. Priscila Coelho (voice, piano), Mr. Leonid Sprikut (woodwinds), and Ms. Lili Imastounian (piano).
The Markham Music Festival is well known as the Euromusic Piano Competition. It has been created in 1994 and is sponsored by TD Canada Trust. The competition is for young pianists only and is based on the Royal Conservatory of Music curriculum. It is also one of the most serious piano competitions in the GTA. Congratulations on excellent performances to:
Gwyneth Poon (First Award in RCM Grade 3 Sonatina class)
Sindu Karunaharan (Second Award in RCM Grade 3 contemporary piece class)
Katherine Lee (Third Award in RCM Grade 3 contemporary piece class)
Warmest thanks to their teachers for inspiring our young pianists and guiding them to highest achievements. Best regards to the families for their continuous support.
Congratulations to the following students:
Gligor Djogo (GOLD Award), clarinet RCM Grade 8
Cameron Lee (GOLD Award), violin RCM Grade 8
Matthew Wong (GOLD Award), violin RCM Grade 6
Maggie Chie (GOLD Award), saxophone RCM Grade 6
Amanda Mac (GOLD Award), piano RCM Grade 5
Novak Djogo (GOLD Award), flute RCM Grade 4
Ameen Meshkat (GOLD Award), saxophone RCM Grade 4
Tiger Zhao (GOLD Award), saxophone RCM Grade 1
Jeffrey Li (GOLD Award), Guitar RCM Grade 1
Michael Xu (GOLD Award), piano RCM Introductory Grade
Michelle Yu (GOLD Award), voice Musical theatre
Andrea Wong (SILVER Award), violin RCM Grade 6
Martin Tuzim (SILVER Award), piano RCM Grade 5
Jamal Virani (SILVER Award), voice Musical theatre
Cathy Shen (BRONZE Award), voice Grand Opera
Congratulations on successful performances to:
Lucy Yi (double bass) - 1st place (class DB5)
Nicole Jaskot (voice) - 2nd place (class VO3)
Michelle Yu (voice) - 3rd place (class VO5)
The International Music Academy has won the 2008 Consumers' Choice Award for best music school in the GTA. We have won in all categories of "consumers satisfaction", "quality of education", "programmes and services", "learning and teaching environment", "management", "music festivals and competitions", and overall "business excellence". The official award ceremony was recorded on June 2, 2008 by CTV for future release.
The Consumers' Choice Award is considered the seal of excellence. For recipients the award not only constitutes the crowning achievement of their efforts, but more importantly it also represents the most valuable reward of all, the knowledge that they have earned the trust and loyalty of consumers.
The International Music Academy Faculty, Staff, and Management would like to thank all students and their families for their continuous support and for voting us the best music school in the Great Toronto Area.
Xianxin Du was selected to represent the GTA at the Ontario Provincial Competition (in the category of brass instruments). He competed with other candidates from all major cities in Ontario and has won the Second Award. This has been very fruitful year for Xianxin. He has also won a SILVER medal from the Royal Conservatory of Music and a Second Award from the Kiwanis Music Competition. Congratulations on your great achievements!
The International Music Academy Faculty and Staff congratulate the following students on their outstanding performance:
Ryan Ip (violin) – First Award (RCM 9 Violin sonata)
Ryan Ip (violin) – First Award (RCM 9 Violin concerto)
Renée Ly (piano) – First Award (RCM 4, List A)
Diane Tam (violin) – First Award (RCM 3, List C)
Xianxin Du (trumpet) – Second Award (RCM 9, List B)
Ryan Ip (violin) – Second Award (Bach solo sonata)
Clemence Tam (violin) – Second Award (RCM 4, List A)
Renée Ly (piano) - Second Award (RCM 4, List B)
Diane Tam (violin) – Second Award (RCM 3, List A)
Ranjith Ranganathan (guitar) – Second Award (RCM 1, List A)
Anna Wong (violin) – Second Award (RCM 2, List A)
Daniella Pisciola (piano) – Second Award (RCM i, List A)
John Mamatis (piano) – Second Award (RCM 1, List B)
Clemence Tam (violin) – Third Award (RCM 4, List C)
Aaron Wong (piano) – Third Award (RCM 4, List B)
Matthew Wong (violin) – Third Award (RCM 4, List A)
Maria Pin (violin) – Third Award (RCM 4, Violin Studies)
Stanley Yeung (trumpet) – Third Award (RCM 4, List B)
Amanda Mac (piano) – Third Award (RCM 2, List B)
Serena Sgandurra (piano) – Third Award (RCM 1, List A)
Ganesh Santhananthan (saxophone) – Third Award (RCM 2)
Congratulations go also to the following students for their excellent performance. They all have put a lot of time and energy and have achieved great results: Cameron Lee (violin), Hayson Ko (violin), Stanley Yeung (piano), Sunny Yeung (piano), Chelsea Dumasal (piano), Ellie Mamatis (piano).
We would also like to thank the teachers Mr. Leonid Sprikut, Mrs. Svetlana Koroleva, Mrs. Irina Pechkina, Mrs. Olga Polikarpova, and Mr. Rizgar Al-Timary for their professionalism and dedication.
The Kiwanis Music Competition is the oldest in Canada and is a member of the Kiwanis International that was founded in 1915 with the goal to "change the world one child and one community at a time".
Arts Richmond Hill was founded in 1979 as a community based Arts Council whose mandate is the advancement of arts and culture through promotion, awareness, and education. Every year hundreds of students participate in a Music competition based on the Royal Conservatory of Music curricula and examination requirements. During the last weekend of November 2007 iMA students competed in several classes for piano, violin, trumpet, flute, and voice. The winners of this year Richmond Hill Music Competition are:
Aaron Wong, GOLD medal (piano, P13)
Alexander Volkov, GOLD medal (violin, VN25)
Alexander Volkov, GOLD medal (violin, VN27)
Hayson Ko, GOLD medal (violin, VN19)
Serena Sgandurra, GOLD medal (piano, P4)
Stanley Yeung, GOLD medal (trumpet, TU3)
Xianxin Du, GOLD medal (trumpet, TU5)
Aaron Wong, SILVER medal (piano, P11)
Alexander Volkov, SILVER medal (violin, VN24)
Alexander Volkov, SILVER medal (violin, VN26)
Anna Djalilvand, SILVER medal (violin, VN9)
Anna Djalilvand, SILVER medal (violin, VN11)
Deanna Rudiak, SILVER medal (violin, P18)
Diane Tam, SILVER medal (violin, VN9)
Hayson Ko, SILVER medal (piano, VN18)
Serena Sgandurra, SILVER medal (piano, P3)
Anna Djalilvand, BRONZE medal (violin, VN10)
Anna Wong, BRONZE medal (violin, VN6)
Diane Tam, BRONZE medal (violin, VN10)
Diane Tam, BRONZE medal (violin, VN11)
Hayson Ko, BRONZE medal (violin, VN20)
Jonathan Matta, BRONZE medal (piano, P2)
Every academic year the Royal Conservatory of Music awards SILVER medals to students who have achieved the highest marks on their combined practical and theory examinations. Only one student per grade (1 through 10) would receive the SILVER medal award in the province of Ontario. The GOLD award is given only to accomplished students at the Artist Diploma (ARCT) level.
We are proud to announce that this year the Royal Conservatory of Music has awarded SILVER Medals to two iMA students:
Alexander Volkov, a 12 years old violinist who has achieved 94% on his Grade 7 violin and 99% on his Theory 2 examinations; and
Xianxin Du, a 18 years old trumpeter who has achieved 92% on his Grade 8 trumpet and 99% on his Theory 2 examinations.
The International Music Academy is thrilled that Alexander and Xianxin are both the only students from the province of Ontario who have been awarded the RCM SILVER Medal this year.Congratulations and warmest thanks to their families and to the devoted IMA teachers for this great achievement. The Award Ceremony will be held on Sunday, November 25, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at The Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front Street in Toronto.
The Markham Music Festival is well known as the Euromusic Piano Competition. It has been created in 1994 and is sponsored by TD Canada Trust. The competition is for young pianists only and is based on the Royal Conservatory of Music curriculum. It is also one of the most serious piano competitions in the GTA.
The iMA Faculty and Staff would like to congratulate the following students for their spectacular success at the Euromusic Piano Competition:
Aaron Wong, winner of two BRONZE Awards in groups of 12 and of 9 competitors;
Sarika Chakravorty, winner of the BRONZE Award in a group of 16 competitors;
Suzette Marie Cameron and Rochelle White for their outstanding performance.
iMA student Xianxin Du has won the prestigious Kiwanis Music Foundation 2007 Scholarship. He has competed at the Kiwanis Music Competition and is the only trumpeter in the GTA who has been given this award. In a personal letter to Xianxin, Ms. Pan Allen, General Manager of the Kiwanis Music Festival, wrote:
“Congratulations on your outstanding performance at the 2007 Kiwanis Music Festival of Greater Toronto! In recognition of your talent and hard work, our team of adjudication has chosen to award you with the Kiwanis Club of Toronto Foundation Award. The Kiwanis Music Festival of Greater Toronto hopes that you use this award toward the further development of your talent.”
The iMA Faculty and Staff are very happy of Xianxin’s success. He is currently preparing for his RCM Grade 8 examination in June. You can hear him playing at one of the iMA students’ recitals in May and at the iMA Annual Concert on June 24th.
World famous conductor and Music Director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Maestro Benjamin Zander, came to Toronto on January 19th, 2007.
In the morning, Mr. Zander gave a speech on “The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Live” at the Toronto Hilton Convention Centre. Later in the afternoon Maestro Zander conducted a special concert at John Bassett Theatre in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and presented his highly acclaimed concept of the orchestra as a metaphor for leadership. After the concert Maestro Zander signed copies of his world bestseller “The Art of Possibility”, presented by Harvard University Press.
Benjamin Zander’s work as a conductor and motivational speaker has been awarded the highest attention on five continents. His leadership view is unconventional and its impact is without boundaries. His teaching transforms entire lives through “The Art of Possibility” in ways that are nothing short of magical with results that are nothing short of exemplary. According to Fortune 500, “Ben Zander is the hottest property on the management guru circuit”. According to Boston Globe, “Zander is one of the finest conductors in the world”.
Both the speech and the concert were presented to a very interesting multifaceted audience: executives from leading Canadian companies; conductors and music directors converging in Toronto from five continents for the Conductors Guild International Conference; high school and university students and professors; seniors.
The event was presented by Classical 96.3 FM and sponsored by the International Music Academy.
Congratulations to our students for their excellent performance!
Cameron Lee (violin, first award)
Stephen Yu (violin, first award)
The iMA teachers and staff extend their warmest wishes to our students' families. Thank you for your continuous support!
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Year MMXXI, No. 1 (January 2021)
Manash Mathan, violin
Harshika Mathan, violin
Jayden Yang, Jadyn Yang, James Au, Steven Leung, Deeksha Yelamanchi, Lucy Zhao, Athena Du Gauthier, Abigaelle Du Gauthier
January 1. New Year’s Day. IMA is closed.
January 6. Christmas (Orthodox).
If you are ready to purchase a high quality pre-own piano through one of the IMA commercial partners, 3 of your lessons at the IMA will be free. Call our Office or e-mail Office@InternationalMusicAcademy.ca for more information. Pre-own piano is a great investment that comes at an attractive price, with a free tuning and delivery.
We have been very pleased with the continuous success of our students. They have improved a great deal and we share their excitement with their families, friends, neighbors, and schoolmates. We appreciate your interest towards our programs and services. We are always very happy to welcome new students of all ages, levels, and instruments to the iMA. Please tell your friends about your experience with the International Music Academy.
Do you know someone who is thinking of taking music lessons or who has children who may be interested in getting their hands on a musical instrument or singing? Do you know a teenager who needs a high school OAC credit? Do you know an adult who has wanted for a long time to learn how to play a musical instrument but has never had the time or inclination? Please tell them about the IMA.
As an appreciation for your referral, we will give you a $30 credit for each new student who registers at the International Music Academy as a result of your referral. As we value your friends as much as we value you, we will offer to each referred student a $30 credit as well.
Stay in touch and follow the IMA latest news on Facebook. Visit Facebook and become a friend of the International Music Academy.
The IMA offers personalized Gift Cards that could be used as thoughtful birthday, holiday, bar/bat Mitzvah, graduation gift or for any other occasions as well as to encourage someone to start learning a musical instrument or singing. The card can be used for any products or services.
The gift card is available for any amount. As cards are personalized with the name of the person who will receive it as well as with the name of the person who purchase it, requests have to be made 1 day in advance. Cards can be ordered in person, by phone at 905.489.4620 or by e-mail at info@InternationalMusicAcademy.ca. At the time the card is ordered, a non-refundable $5 deposit is required. The full value of the card is paid upon pick-up (and the deposit is credited towards the purchase price). Payments can be made by any major credit card, cheque or cash as well as through the accounts of the IMA Clients.
4, 1710 PERGOLESI, Giovanni Battista
4, 1874 SUK, Josef
6, 1838 BRUCH, Max
6, 1872 SCRIABIN, Alexander
7, 1899 POULENC, Francis
25, 1913 LUTOSLAVSKI, Witold
27, 1756 MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus
31, 1797 SCHUBERT, Franz Peter
Where you born or do you know someone who was born on the same day as these famous composers? Drop us e-mail at info@InternationalMusicAcademy.ca to let us know.
The Royal Conservatory of Music presents
21C Music Festival
The 21C Music Festival returns to Koerner Hall in January 2021! Today’s most fearless musicians bring us fresh new sounds and ideas. The eighth edition of the festival will feature online performances by Eve Egoyan, Morgan-Paige Melbourne, and the Glenn Gould School New Music Ensemble.
Piano Studies, Music Theory
Born in Japan, Ms. Der Avanesian earned Bachelor of Fine Art from Osaka College of Music. She continued her study in Paris, France at Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris for Diplome Superieur d’Execution (6eme division professionelle, piano performance). She has performed numerous concerts, recitals and also appeared as a concerto soloist in Japan, France and Canada. She participated in several music festivals such as the International Keyboard Institute and Festival (New York), the Toronto Summer Music Academy and Festival (Toronto), Scotia Festival of Music, Academie International d’interpretation de Piano (France) and Flaine Musique Festival (France). Among her teachers were world-renowned pianists Alicia de Larrocha, Menahem Pressler (Beaux ArtsTrio), Peter Frankl and Andre Laplante. As a piano teacher, she has more than 25 years of experience and successful in teaching any level of students at any age. She has a great ability of communication with students to tailor the lessons to fit each students needs, goals and skills. Her passion and love of music transforms any music lesson to a joyful musical experience filled with beautiful artistic moments and fun challenge. Any student will find her/himself to be a motivated self-learner. Ms. Der Avanesian is a registered teacher with the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Ms. Der Avanesian was happy to answer a few questions for our students and parents:
1. What do you like most about teaching? Music is a universal language. Teaching music for me is talking about it regardless of any difference as human. That gives me the joy of sharing something very precious we all have in our heart. That's what I love.
2. How do you inspire students to practice more? I set a small goal to reach each students dream. A little step makes a big difference. I want to them to feel it. A little victory leads you a real achievement. Achievement gives you a satisfaction. Happy feeling equals to the motivation.
3. What roles does performance play in student’s development? When I teach, performance is in my mind always. For me, practicing means preparing for the performance. I assess what need to be done to make her/his performance better at each student’s current developing stage. This is what I teach at each single class. From another angle, I absolutely know what the students will go through to preparing performance and experiencing real performance so it makes me possible to prepare each student in the best possible condition.
4. Who are your favourite composers? There are a lot! Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Albeniz, Mozart, Beethoven, Scriabin, Brahms, Ravel, Debussy, Faure Falla, Scarlatti, Bartok, Dutilleux, Franc, Berg, Shoenberg on and on and on and on...... :)
5. What was the last piece of music (sheet music or a recording) you purchased for yourself? Bach The Cello Suites by Yo-Yo-Ma.
• What instrument do you play? I play the piano.
• How long have you taken lessons? I have been taking piano lessons at the IMA since I was 4 years old.
• Who are your favourite musical artists? My favourite musical artist is Jeremy Zucker.
• What are your other hobbies, besides music? My other hobbies are playing basketball and video games.
• Favourite food? Sushi!
• What is the coolest thing you’ve learnt in your lessons in the past three months? The coolest thing I have learned playing songs with different emotions.
• Do you have any performance coming up? Nothing yet but I hope to be able to perform in public over the summer.
E-mail to info@InternationalMusicAcademy.ca a photo of yourself (or your child) together with the answers of the questions above. The deadline for submissions is the 15th of every month. We will feature you in one of the next issues of the newsletter.
COVID-era problems put pressure on teachers to work creatively, while fearing for the future
EMILEE LINDNER | GRAMMYS
Those living in Kingsman, Arizona, shouldn’t be surprised if they hear 30 kids yelling simultaneously from Lee Williams High School. That’s just Shannon Bascombe’s marching band letting out their COVID-19 frustrations.
"The kids were like, ‘Hey, Ms. B, can we, like, scream into the void for 10 seconds at the beginning of practice?'" Bascombe recalled. "'Yeah, sure, I’ll give you guys 10 seconds to just yell it out.' … Then they’ll start learning drill."
The coronavirus pandemic has made returning to school this fall a touchy debate. With each district whipping up its own tentative plan, students are either attending school armed with masks, learning virtually from home or doing a half-and-half schedule. They’ve pushed start dates, altered schedules and introduced new technology. Several schools contacted for this story set a date in September or October to reassess and adjust, aiming for in-person instruction by 2021. Needless to say, a little scream therapy is warranted—not just for students, but for teachers, parents and administrators as well.
So how does music education fit into the new school plans? Unlike math or history, which can rely on individual study, collaborative ensembles like band, chorus and orchestra cannot. With social distancing measures in place, getting a band of 50 students placed six feet apart in one room is, well, impossible. Not to mention the whole aerosol concern with kids blowing on their horns. Online group rehearsal doesn’t work either, due to latency issues.
With those difficulties in mind, districts across the country have already cut arts programs. And those teachers who still have their jobs are feeling the pressure to keep them by proving their worth.
"[Parents are] OK with the core teachers being at home and being able to give assignments," says Jake Olimpi, marching band and orchestra director at Marple Newtown High School in Pennsylvania. "But what is the art teacher doing, what is the music teacher doing? They’re getting paid and where’s the result?"
That pressure, atop the duty to keep students safe, healthy and engaged has become the new challenge for teachers, who are also haunted by the pandemic’s long lasting effects on music education.
The spread of aerosols, a.k.a. air and saliva, forced the Centers for Disease Control to recommend the six-feet social distancing rule months ago. But when it came to the performing arts, there was little scientific evidence on how singing and instrument playing contributed to aerosol spread. A study from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), published without peer review in July, gave music teachers some answers.
Conducted by the University of Colorado Boulder, the study found that instruments released fewer aerosols if they were masked at the bell. They found even fewer aerosols when the player wore a slitted mask. In order to return to in-person ensembles, authors of the study also suggested these points:
With the scientific guidance, teachers got to work crafting what fall 2020 would look like… and now that school’s back in session, music classes certainly don’t look like they did before. At Bascombe’s school in Arizona, they’re following the NFHS guidelines nearly to a T.
The students at Tarpon Springs Leadership Conservatory for the Arts stick to their cones and try out their new bell covers.Credit: Anna Ottens
"When they come into the room, they have to wash their hands, drop their stuff off," Bascombe says. "We go through the symptom checker from the Mayo Clinic every day when they walk into the room… All of the doors are propped open so the kids have minimal touch. There's hand sanitizer everywhere. Mouthpiece cleaner everywhere."
Bascombe's woodwinds, brass, percussion and colorguard all get their own room. Every Friday, she spends an additional hour and a half disinfecting each room, including the bathroom her students use.
At the Southern Nevada Homeschool Performing Arts, program director Bonnie Buhler-Tanouye says brass players wear slitted masks, akin to "boys' underwear," and flute players wear shields. She says parents are willing to do even more in order to get their nearly shutdown Las Vegas music scene rolling again.
The students at Southern Nevada Homeschool Performing Arts wear face shields and slitted masks on the first day of band practice. Courtesy: Bonnie Buhler-Tanouye
"One of the parents I was talking to the other day, because I was reminding her of masks for her trumpet player, she said, ‘You know what, put me in a hazmat suit, if you have to. Whatever we have to do to get back to playing music together,'" Buhler-Tanouye recalled.
The NFHS study deemed outdoor rehearsal better for dispersing aerosols. Summer band camps served as positive test runs for the rest of the school year, with students respectively keeping their distance. Water and sunscreen breaks are frequent and essential. In Pinellas County Schools in Florida, humidity plagues practices, but kids are happy to endure sweating for a chance to play together, says Jeanne Reynolds, performing arts specialist for the district.
"If you teach in Florida and you're a band teacher, you become a meteorologist," Jeanne said. "'Cause it’s not just hurricanes; we’ve got pretty good thunderstorms, so you have to know when to get out of harm’s way. Which we all do."
What happens when the temperature drops? When playing outside is no longer an option, bands will be forced to limit the size of their ensembles, based on dimensions of their rooms and state guidelines. Some schools have already taken band class off the schedule completely, exchanging it for smaller groups, broken up alphabetically or by instrument.
Smaller ensembles introduce two problems, though. First, smaller groups equate to more classes, meaning teachers' course loads have increased. Music programs like the one at Bergenfield High School in New Jersey rely on a large staff, which allows them to assign one teacher each to virtual and in-person classes for all of their ensembles. Bergenfield’s band director, Brian Timmons, considers his program lucky; not all schools have the resources.
Second, teachers must find music for a ragtag chamber ensemble. For example, if groups were split numerically by students' names, a director might end up with a flute, three trombones, five bass clarinets and a french horn in a class, and music for a combo like that is rare. Thankfully, publishers like Alfred, Hal Leonard and RWS Music Company have flexible arrangements that can be split into a few basic parts, and have become more available during COVID.
The supply of cleaning materials Shannon Bascombe uses to disinfect the band rooms at Lee Williams High School. Courtesy: Shannon Bascombe
But will the music ever get performed? State guidelines vary, but indoor maximum capacity has been limited to as few as 25 people per room. Gathering an audience would be infeasible.
Perhaps concerts aren’t even necessary. According to Timmons, it’s time to shake up the dusty format anyway.
"Music education has been so performance-driven all the time," Timmons says. "And we never take time to explore the other things like the chamber playing or the composition or just ear training in and of itself or theory."
Students taking virtual band obviously don’t have to deal with these new precautions and guidelines, but they also don’t get to play together. As Timmons says, they’re working on individual assignments, like learning music production, which allows them to sew together an ensemble, piece by piece. Timmons' students will work on a shared online workspace to record music. It gives students the power to collaborate remotely, he says.
"They can listen to each other’s part and say, ‘OK, our articulation is not punching there. We’re going to have to rerecord this section,'" Timmons says. "I have three teenagers of my own. I watch them killing it on TikTok. If you can do that, there’s no reason why I can’t teach you how to do this."
And then there’s the fact that some schools are taking little to no precaution. Music teacher Nathan Smith says he was fired from Oakdale Academy in Michigan after expressing his concern over the safety of students and staff. The private Christian high school is not requiring masks this fall, per a letter sent home to parents. "I had so many plans for this school year," Smith said. "I certainly wasn't ready to leave without seeing any of my kids again."
It’s a struggle to keep current music students engaged, but it’s a completely new challenge to get more kids involved. Recruitment requires getting instruments into the hands of fourth graders and presenting the allure of a polished, performing ensemble—hurdles made higher by COVID. Lackluster recruitment will have damaging effects on the future of music education, says Robert W. Smith, a composer, arranger and professor at Troy University, who has written hundreds of works for high school-level ensembles. "We cannot have a lost generation of musicians, and we’re about to have it," Smith says.
If too few young musicians join band, orchestra and choir programs, the ensembles will see dwindling numbers in each subsequent year, all the way up to college groups. "This is like aftershocks of an earthquake or second and third waves of a tsunami," Smith says. Current music students also face the loss of competition and adjudication—third-party feedback that lends itself toward improvement. Many in-person music competitions have been canceled for the fall. On the upside, some organizations have offered virtual adjudication, where students and ensembles can send in their performances for assessment. But the long-term effects aren’t all bad. Timmons insists that it’s only shifting focus for COVID-era students to prepare for a more viable music career—one that isn’t totally based on performance (though still valuable), but digital skills.
"If you’re going to be successful in music, you have to have a basic understanding of how digital audio works, even if you’re a classical-style player," Timmons says. "You gotta have an understanding. If we can teach them how to use a digital audio workstation, even if it’s some kind of cloud-based thing, recording themselves and then as a chamber ensemble recording their own product, we’re kind of unlocking skills." All of this means that music educators are getting even more creative than before, out of necessity. "Music teachers by nature are problems solvers. It’s what we do," Timmons says. "Listen, troubleshoot, feedback, adjustment, listen, troubleshoot, does that sound good? This is just another problem to solve. It’s just a little more problematic than fixing the intonation of a chord."
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