Faculty 

Katrina Lam BMUS (Violin, Musicianship group class, Music Theory) 
Born in Vancouver, Katrina began learning the violin at the age of 8 winning multiple competition awards in Kiwanis Festivals and earned first class honors with distinction grades in all practical Royal Conservatory of Music examinations. Graduated from the University of British Columbia School of Music bachelor of music, Katrina studied under the tutelage of Dr. Eugenia Choi (Julliard), Nancy DiNovo (University of Toronto), and David Gillham (University of Indiana). She has been an active player in numerous ensembles including the UBC Symphony Orchestra, various quartet, chamber groups, and the Early Music Ensemble performing on a baroque violin with Marc Destrubé (pupil of Sandor Végh). Katrina is a music and violin educator in the lower mainland with over a decade of experience teaching a wide range of preschoolers in kindergartens of musicianship to individual and group violin students of all ages and levels. ​Expertise experience at German Kodaly and Orff method for musicianship.

Elaina Moreau BMUS MMUS (Voice) 
Canadian soprano Elaina  has been praised for “Executing vocal lines with ease, ...[and] demonstrating solid technique and maturity through her performances,” (Vernon Morningstar). Most recently she was a member of the Vancouver Opera Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program for the 2017/2018 season. Moreau has won numerous awards including being a three-time district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (Western Canada District in 2016 & Western Washington/Alaska District in 2011 and 2014). Most recently, Elaina was named a 2017 laureate of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques. She was also selected by the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques to represent Canada at the 2017 Riccardo Zandonai Concorso Internazionale per Giovani Cantanti Lirici, in Riva del Garda, Italy, where she was named a finalist. Moreau also represented Canada in the prestigious Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition in Helsinki, Finland in 2014. Recent performances include Gianetta in Vancouver Opera's L'elisir d'amore in January 2018, and The Mother in the Vancouver Opera Festival's Requiem for a Lost Girl in May 2018. 

Edmundo Gonzalez PHD (Piano for Advanced students)
Edmundo has success performing solo concerti with the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, the Querétaro Symphony, and the Coyoacán Symphony. Mr. Gonzalez also won acclaim for performing a wide range of repertoire in his solo and chamber recitals in Mexico, USA, Canada, Italy, Austria, and Cuba. Mr. González holds a Doctor of Musical Arts the University of British Columbia, where he studied with professors Sara Davis Buechner and Jane Coop. He received his Artist Diploma in Piano Performance and Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at the Southern Methodist University Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, Texas. At this school, he had the privilege of working under renowned artists Joaquín Achúcarro and Alessio Bax. He earned his bachelor’s degree and graduated with top honours at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico. Mr. González gained his teaching experience while running various classes as a teaching assistant at the University of British Columbia and the Southern Methodist University Meadows School of the Arts. Mr. González is an avid reader and a film enthusiast.

Satoko Nagashima BMUS (Piano, Flute, Japanese)
Satoko is a performing musician in the Vancouver area. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of British Columbia, where she studied with the renowned musician of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, Brenda Fedoruk. Following her degree, her participation in the Oxford Summer School lead her to study in Germany with Robert Winn at the Cologne University of Music and Dance. A passionate performer and teacher, Satoko has participated in performances with various ensembles such as the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Quindtuplet Wind Quintet, and the Canada Corea Symphony Orchestra, and has lead clinics for young musicians at the Whistler Cantando Music Festival as well as for visiting and local high school bands. She hopes to share all that she has learned from her mentors to cultivate enthusiasm for music and flute playing.

       

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Charlene Lee BMUS (Piano, Violin)
Charlene Lee is an alumni from University of British Columbia for the Bachelor of Music performance for Piano and Violin. She has studied under David Gillham and Erin Dorfer. As a pianist, she has achieved the piano ARCT first class honors and has furthered piano education under Dr. Ronald Morgan and Sarah Bowker. Charlene, along with Caroline Chu, is the co-founder for the string quartet 16 Strings (Vancouver).  As an musician in Vancouver, she has performed in various weddings, receptions, and concerts, both in classical and pop genres. As a teacher, Charlene is enthusiastic and strives to motivate students.

Solmaz Moussavi MFA (Fine Art, Visual art） 
Solmaz is a Persian/Filipino artist whose passion for art and painting started when she was in first grade and did drawings of cartoon characters and everyone would gather around her to watch, which she realized later,  that it was her very first experience of doing workshops. She studied Fine Arts major in painting in her both undergraduate and graduate studies and won best thesis award for her painting, While studying at graduate school she worked as a part-time college instructor for computer graphic arts, drawing, and photography. After she accomplished her MFA degree she started working as a full-time artist and had private classes and workshops for kids and adults. She loves to teach painting,  it’s the best feeling to be able to share her knowledge and experience of painting with others. Other than painting she loves making papier mache sculptures.  She is also Artist instructor at PaintNite events.

​​Thassana Asoksiri BMUS MMUE (Guitar, Ukulele, Thai, Music Theory） 
Thassana is a guitarist form Thailand. After graduated in 2005, he worked as guitarist, sound engineer and touring musician around Thailand. In 2012, he released his first album called Everlasting Beyond Forever with the band Breathless (metal genre). Breathless was spotlighted on the show Thailand Got Talent in 2010. Since then, he has worked in the music industry as a sound engineer, guitarist and producer. Thasanna has a Master’s degree in Guitar performance and Ethnomusicology.

​​​​Mario Has BMUS  (Guitar, Ukulele, Banjo, Mandolin, Theory, Portuguese)
Mario Silva began to study music when he was 8 years old at the Music Conservatory in Sao Paulo, Brazil. His first instruments were piano and acoustic guitar, but he quickly became interested in the electric guitar as well. Eventually, he decided to study jazz guitar at Capilano University in Vancouver, Canada. 
​Mr. Silva has been teaching instruments such as the ukulele, bass, banjo, electric guitar and classical guitar since 1999. He has performed across Canada and Eua playing variety of styles such as jazz, Latin and pop. He is also very experienced in collaborating in different situations as guitar duos, soloist, trios and bands. When he is not teaching, Mr. Silva performs frequently in the Vancouver area.

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​Lina Han MMUS BMUS (Violin)
​Lina has been an orchestral violinist since a young age, performing in BC orchestras such as the Chilliwack Symphony orchestra, Prince George Symphony Orchestra, Kamloops Symphony orchestra and the Fraser Valley Symphony orchestra. She holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Violin Performance from the University of British Columbia studied under Canadian soloist Jasper Wood, Juno award winner Andrew Dawes and Eugenia Choi. She is a Certified Suzuki violin teacher from Hartford Connecticut, a registered RCM violin teacher and member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Most of her students receive first class honours in their RCM violin exams. She is fluent in both English and Mandarin Chinese and teach all levels of violin. 

Vinny BMUS MMUS (Guitar/Electric Bass, Ukulele, Music theory, Spanish & Portuguese)
​Vinny is a classical guitarist born in Brazil and based in BC since 2015. He Has been active as a music teacher and performer for over 15 years in countries such as Canada, the USA, and Brazil. Vinny holds a bachelor's and a master's degree in music granted by the Universidade Federal de Goiás (Federal University of Goias) Brazil. In this same city, he was laureated with the first prize at the National Competition for Classical Guitar of the 25th International Music Festival of School of Music and Performing Arts of Federal University of Goias, in 2004; and recently was a special guest for playing as a soloist the "Concerto No.1, op.99", by the Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, along with the Symphonic Orchestra of Goiania during his tour in Brazil in July, 2018. Vinny had participated in dozens of music festivals, seminars, symposiums, and others, where he had classes with worldwide-renowned guitarists, highlighting Paul Galbraith, Eduardo Fernandez, Fabio Zanon, Eduardo Isaac, João Luiz Lopes (Brasil Guitar Duo), and many others. Vinny is an active member of Vancouver Classical Guitar Society (VCGS), as well as a guitar duo with his VCGS fellow Joel Thomson with whom is preparing an interesting program consisted of traditional (renaissance, baroque, romantic...) as well as 20th and 21st centuries Brazilian compositions.

Charis Chung BMUS MMUS
(Voice/opera, beginner piano, BC curriculum English(K-12) ESL Cantonese language )
Professional performing Artist and Singer (specialize in Western Art Song & Opera); Certified Music Instructor; and Certified ESL Instructor. Graduate of UBC Master’s of Education (in Music); UBC Bachelor of Music; VCC TESOL Diploma; VCC PID (in Music); Charis has done extensive Solo and Choral performances with Vancouver Opera Associaton; Western Concert Opera; Vancouver Chamber Choir; Vancouver Bach Choir; and numerous Professional Choirs and Ensembles. Her performances has been broadcasted trough CBC Radio and Television throughout Canada. Charis was the Provincial Senior Voice Competition Representative in 1997, and she made her Live Interview Debut with CBC Radio on Western Art Song and Opera. A member of Canadian Actors’ Equity (signed in by the Vancouver Opera Association), Charis has won numerous awards and scholarships in competitions; music studies; and music camps. Charis’ coaching young singers in Taipei, and her students will be traveling round the world and sing in major concert halls; museums and parliaments. Her students also got into the 15 Finalists to attend the 2016 International Miami Jazz Festival.

Kathy Han ARCT (Piano, rudiments, Mandarin)
​For Kathy, music is life; and she wants to let the children experience the same joy that she has been experiencing since the age of four; that's why she became a music teacher. Kathy also loves kids and is patient with them. Kathy specializes in teaching piano from beginner and intermediate levels because she is exhilarated by the potential to instill the love for music in someone for a lifetime. Academically, Kathy is a graduate of Simon Fraser University and holds Piano ARCT. In her teaching career, what Kathy values most is the lasting relationships that she has built with her students because it is extremely rewarding for her to see her students flourish under the influence of music, a language that's commonly spoken across the world.  

Christine Seo BMUS MMUS
(All level Piano, Choir, Piano Ensemble, Music Theory, Korean)
Christine is a passionate and enthusiastic piano teacher who graduated from Seoul Korea Sook Myung Womens University with Bachelor of Music in 1982 and Master of Music degree in 1984. She has been teaching piano for 40 yrs since 1978. She gave numerous concerts as a soloist, duet, trio, accompaniment, 2 piano 4 & 8 hands concerts as well as being the children’s choir accompanist and conductor. In 1982 she performed Chopin fantasy f minor op.49 at Sejong cultural centre in downtown Seoul. She had taught at Sook Myung Womens University as piano faculty member. Also she accomplished RCM ARCT Piano Pedagogy Certified Elementary Specialist, ARCT Performer Certificates. She is acting as a director of Allegro Major Ensemble (AME). AME was awarded 1st place 3 consecutive times. She has lots of experience teaching RCM exam & BC Music Festival Competition students who has been awarded. She is the President of Vancouver Artist Society.

Julie Kim BMUS B-ED (Beginner Piano, Flute)
Julie is a Calgary-based musician who started her classical studies at the age of 10. She performs regularly in many classical to contemporary ensembles. She is a Kiwanis festival gold winner and had masterclasses with renowned musicians in Canada. Julie has dual music degrees, Bachelor of music in  performance and Bachelor of Music Education from the University of British Columbia studying with Lorna McGhee and Brenda Fedorux. She has performed with the Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, West Coast Symphony Orchestra, UBC Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and Calgary Youth Orchestra. Julie has experience teaching private lessons with students of all ages and is eager about sharing her passion of music. Julie believe in making music together with the students, striving for students to connect with the music personally by encouraging creative interpretation of music in the lessons. ​