Julia Nolan is someone I have admired from a distance. The first occurrence was twenty-six years ago, six rows back and eighteen seats in. I saw her perform the Heiden Sonata on the stage of Pollack Hall at McGill University for the Hommage à Gerald Danovitch concert. In Canada, a country of regions, Julia is […]
Great Teachers
Old Souls
YAPPA BABA: Those were the Ukrainian words, hand-drawn in large letters on the front of the card. Translation: OLD WOMAN. Me, an old lady? It was my birthday, you see, and I was turning the grand old age of…23. In the moment, I laughed. On further reflection I realized—it’s true! Old souls…wise beyond their years […]
William Street
Art has the provinces in its blood. Art is provincial in principle, preserving for itself a naive, external, astonished, and envious outlook. Andrei Sinyavsky, In Gogol’s Shadow “The final round of the competition is in Edmonton.” I said. “Then you should get in touch with my saxophone professor.” said Andriy. Thus began my western odyssey […]
Bobbi Thompson
Sound the trumpets saxophones: Now presenting the Queen of saxophone professors, Her Royal Majesty, Bobbi Thompson! Presiding over her subjects—saxophone majors—with an aura of competence and kindness, this beloved teacher leads the largest saxophone studio in Canada at the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University. Friends, Romans, countrymen: She owns this role, going […]
Barbara Lorenz
Today, in honour of UNESCO World Teachers’ Day, we celebrate the tremendous impact of one of Canada’s finest saxophone instructors. Here we have a pedagogue who maximized every resource and opportunity at hand to establish professional standards amongst her disciples. Great teachers help their students to love music, but it takes a SPECTACULAR teacher to […]
Charles Stolte
True Confessions It was my first quartet rehearsal. I was already in the room when he arrived. Messy blond curls, worn-down Birkenstocks, crinkly eyes, warm smile. Introductions followed and I could tell he was the real deal. I was completely at ease; it was like I had known him my entire life. From that point […]