JVL SUMMER SCHOOL
FOR PERFORMING ARTS

Welcome from the Director

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the ninth season of the JVL Summer School for Performing Arts. As you browse through these pages, you will discover the breadth of our musical offerings. Our Preparatory, Intermediate and Advanced Studies program is carefully designed to provide an enjoyable musical experience and a thorough musical training for those students who are at the onset of their musical journey through to students who will become the next generation of young performers. The course offers its participants a wonderful opportunity to combine their intensive music studies and concert performances with recreational activities. The aim of the SSPA is to develop an appreciation of music that will last through their lifetime and ability for them to receive greater enjoyment of a musical performance through that knowledge and understanding.

The program of the School will include instrumental and voice private lessons, master classes and workshops, chamber music classes, orchestral and ensemble classes, concert performances, solo performances with the SSPA orchestras and seminars. Individual instruction is only one part of the JVL curriculum. By placing special emphasis on chamber music, JVL SSPA gives students the opportunity to work in small groups where their individual contributions can be appreciated and critiqued. Opportunities for performance are given to many chamber groups throughout the season. All that helps to create a rich tapestry of learning and exploration for children. JVL SSPA's remarkable faculty — gifted and creative master teachers and musicians dedicated to the fine art of teaching, supports all of this musical activity.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce Dr. Oleg Pokhanovski, a prizewinner of numerous international violin competitions, Associate Professor of Violin, String Area Coordinator at the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, who will join the Faculty this season, and will no doubt bring a wealth of experience and fresh ideas to our violin and chamber music departments. Also from Winnipeg, I’d like to welcome Prof. Mikhail Pokhanovski, a member of the viola faculty of the Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba, Artist-in-Residence at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and one of the leading Canadian musicians. We are proud to welcome Ms. Clayton Scott, one of the foremost Canadian pianist and music educator; she developed the highly acclaimed lecture/performance series, Music Through the Ages, a course in music history for the young music student, now consisting of over 75 titles. In 2006 she joined the faculty of Queen's University (Kingston, ON) as Adjunct Professor in the music department, teaching pedagogy to undergraduate music students. She is an accredited Teacher Trainer for the Bigler ~ Lloyd-Watts Mastering the Piano pedagogy and works with the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto) for the Royal Diploma Program. She adjudicates piano festivals, conducts piano master classes, presents opera and ballet workshops, gives professional development lectures for teachers and delivers motivational lectures for teachers, parents and students throughout North America. I also would like to introduce Mr. Dimitre Atanassov, an outstanding pedagogue, violinist and chamber musician. Mr. Atanassov performed with some of the most esteemed artists such as: Misha Maisky, Shlomo Mintz, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Ingrid Heabler, Antonio Meneses, Boris Belkin, and Regis Pasquier. He was a member of the State Philharmonic Orchestra in Sofia in his native Bulgaria, as well as a member of the Sao Paulo State Orchestra, in Brazil. David Lakirovich does not need an introduction. In all these years, his involvement, first as a student, then as faculty assistant, very positively influenced his artistic growth and development into a first class musician, and now he is joining us for the first time as a faculty member. After a number of years of absence from JVL SSPA, I would like to extend a very special welcome to Mr. Mischa Lakirovich, who finally made it possible to find the time in his very busy schedule in California as a soloist, a recording artist and a teacher to once again marvel us with his wonderful wit, great musicianship and excellent teaching. And of course I would also like to welcome back our outstanding cellist, Mr. Peter Cosbey, our very dear friends and very respected musicians Mary Fisher and Julian Fisher, Toronto School for Strings, Mr. Tymur Melnyk, Austrian virtuoso violinist, who in 2009 season captivated both students and faculty alike with his great performances, teaching style and conducting, Alina Mirzoev and Mikhail Mirzoev who are taking care of our preparatory division, Ms. Sharon Prater, internationally acclaimed soloist and chamber musician, Principal Cello of the Toronto Philharmonia, and a member of Ensemble Vivant, Mr. David Stone, a wonderful bassist and composer, hugely popular Ms. Tina Torlone, Head of the Vocal Department and Director of the highly successful “Sing Out!” program, and finally Mr. Marc Widner, one of the foremost Canadian pianist and pedagogue. Dr. Lee Joiner, Associate Professor of Violin, Wheaton College, Illinois, USA, and Mr. Paul Zafer, Concertmaster of the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, USA, are both taking a sabbatical this year from JVL SSPA, however hopefully they will be back in the 2011 season.

And we certainly will continue using the facilities of Canadore College on Lake Nipissing in North Bay, Ontario, with large air-conditioned rehearsals spaces, our own Auditorium, very comfortable accommodation and excellent recreational facilities, and the food, as usual, promises to be something special.

These are the things that you must come to JVL SSPA to experience for yourself. I extend to you a warm welcome, and hope to see you at our Camp. Thank you for your interest in the JVL Summer School for Performing Arts.

Jacob Lakirovich, Director