Beckettfest 2023

Jarred Dunn won first prize and concerto award at the 7th Lithuanian International Chopin Competition (Vilnius) and was a finalist and prizewinner at the 1st Jan Hoffman International Competition (Kraków). He also won piano and chamber music prizes at the D. Vitti, Verona Zinetti, and Rome Premio International Competitions. Mr. Dunn has been praised by critics as “a piano sound-colour magician” (Muzikos Barai, Vilnius), “evocative and mystical” (New York Classical Music), “a brave interpreter of Mozart with fresh ideas,” (OperaProms), and “technically perfect” (Belarus First Radio). His playing has been heard on CBC/Radio-Canada, New Classical 96.3FM, WWFM, WQXR New York, Belarusian First Radio, and Madison Freethought Radio/Television. His albums include Chopin and Debussy and Brahms in Solitude; in 2023-24 season he will record and perform the complete Chopin Mazurkas.

Mr. Dunn’s performances of Chopin have been heard at Yamaha Performance Centre, Isabel Bader Centre (Kingston), Young Talents Series in Warsaw (NIFC), NOSPR Katowice, Dvorana Hall (Bratislava), Klavierhaus Göttingen (Germany), Juilliard School, Vilnius Town Hall, and F. Liszt Hall (Budapest). His playing of Chopin is critically acclaimed for its “Polishness is audible in every note…elegance and noble - not excessive - sensitivity, passion - without being pathetic - beautiful piano and powerful forte, melodious - but not sugary - cantilena, broad phrasing and very rich, nuanced range of sounds” (Warsaw Arts Review). In his repertoire are over 40 concertos, the major solo and chamber works of Chopin, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Liszt, Mozart, Schubert, Ives, Ravel, Debussy, Scriabin, and complete Górecki piano and chamber music works.

He serves as a juror in national and international piano competitions, recently the Global Musical Arts Competition (Jury Co-Chair), Lithuanian International Chopin Competition, Classicalia International Competition, and CFMTA National Piano Competition, numerous provincial competitions (CFMTA), and competitive festivals in Canada and the USA. In 2022, he hosted Competition Studio TV at the 12th International Paderewski Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz following a tour of master classes, recitals, and concerto appearances in Lithuania.

Noted as a “revered pedagogue” (Tonebase Piano), Mr. Dunn has taught master classes, lectures, and research at the Academies of Bydgoszcz and Katowice, Vilnius Academy Pre-College, Szymanowski Secondary Music School, Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy, and the universities of Toronto, Carleton, McGill, Ottawa, Queen’s, and Puget Sound (Seattle). He is published in Clavier Companion, Canadian Music Teacher, and CMEA Journal. Based in Montréal, he was invited to teach piano at McGill University Schulich School of Music while pursuing his Doctorate. He is the recipient of awards, grants, and scholarships from Canada Arts Council, FRQSC, Aspen Music Festival, McGill, and CFMTA for his pianistic, scholarly, and pedagogical achievements.

He is a graduate of Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music where he studied with Prof. Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń. He completed his Master’s degree and Performance Diploma with Distinction at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, where he studied piano with Prof. Anna Górecka (later becoming her assistant) and chamber music Prof. Urszula Stańczyk. He took Professional Studies at The Juilliard School with Jacob Lateiner and Yoheved Kaplinsky. He continued his studies with Maria João-Pires, Andrei Gavrilov, Andrzej Jasiński, Robert Levin, Dorothy Taubman, and David Dubal. He is a Yamaha Artist.

Mariette Stephenson is a Canadian classical guitarist who has performed in numerous recitals as a soloist and chamber musician. She has premiered works by Canadian composers William Beauvais, Patrick Power, Boyd McDonald, Glenn Buhr, Ivana Quehl (Jokic), Alfred Kunz, Andrzej Tereszkowski, and Brazilian composer Jonatas Batista-Neto. Performances include recitals for the Guitar Society of Brantford, Guitar Society of Toronto and the Organix Festival.

Chamber music collaborations include performances with soprano Brooke Dufton, Stephanie Pesant (flute), Bonchiku Hoshi (shakuhachi), Tom Fitches (organ), Katalin Puscas (soprano). Mariette is a member of Duo Calixa with flutist Kelly Williamson, which has released a CD featuring South American music (Caminos). She is also a member of Ekleipsis Guitar Trio (with Lukas Bouda and Andrew Laughton).

Mariette Stephenson studied with Dr. Jeffrey McFadden, having received her B.Mus from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario and her ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music. She also earned a Masters of Music (performance) from the University of Toronto. She is the recipient of the Eli Kassner Guitar Scholarship, a University of Toronto Fellowship, and a Bernice Adams Memorial Bursary. Mariette has arrangements for guitar available at Strings By Mail and the Austin Guitar Curriculum. She is also the Music Director for the Kitchener-Waterloo Guitar Orchestra.

Soprano, voice teacher, lecturer, and adjudicator Dr. Katy Clark has 

Jennifer Stephen is the Principal Tuba of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. She grew up in Yellowknife, NT, where she began playing the tuba in grade 11 at Sir John Franklin Territorial High School. With an immediate passion for the instrument, she pursued her studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland, under the direction of bass trombonist Kenneth Knowles, before attending Bowling Green State University, where she studied with renowned tubist and trailblazer Velvet Brown. Upon returning to Canada, Jennifer furthered her education at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where she studied with Sasha Johnson.

In addition to her work with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Jennifer is an active freelance tubist in Ontario and across the country, performing with ensembles such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, National Ballet Orchestra of Canada, the Calgary Philharmonic, the Esprit Orchestra, and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. She is a member of the Hannaford Street Silver Band, the Canadian Women’s Brass Collective, and a founding member of the Toronto Brass Quintet. She is an accomplished brass arranger with many of her works performed by brass ensembles in and around the GTA. Jennifer is a highly sought after chamber and session musician in Ontario, prolific in a wide variety of styles and genres. She has recorded for film and television, and appeared on Cris Derksen’s Juno-nominated Orchestral PowWow project. She has also recorded for such artists as Danny Michel, Owen Pallet, and others. With a passion for teaching, Jennifer has a busy private studio, is an in-demand clinician and has coached at the University of Toronto, University of Calgary and the Glenn Gould School. She has been on faculty at the National Music Camp of Canada since 2009.

Known for his versatility, pianist Connor O’Kane is a highly sought-after soloist, chamber musician, vocal coach, conductor, and pedagogue. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony under the baton of Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, and is a prizewinner at several competitions and festivals, including the CMC Stepping Stone in 2022. He has been featured at Ottawa’s Chamberfest, Lyon’s Tempo Vivace Festival, Western University’s Faculty Concert Series, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society.

Amber Morphy is the owner of Morphy Music; a music school established in Cambridge, ON and providing virtual lessons across North America. Amber is a recognized pedagogue throughout Canada, having taught all levels of piano and voice. She is a vocalist, pianist, a versatile performer, accompanist, teacher, examiner and adjudicator.

Joseph Resendes is a Lecturer at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario where he conducts the Concert Band, Orchestra, and teaches courses in conducting, music education, theory, and woodwind methods. Joseph has an active and diverse professional career that has earned him a reputation as a leading conductor and educator through his experience conducting student, community, and professional wind ensembles and orchestras. As an adjudicator and clinician, Joseph has worked with many Canadian band festivals at the local and provincial levels, while giving clinics and workshops to elementary and secondary schools across Canada.

Pamela Van Weelden graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Music in music education. She taught elementary school music for a number of years before completing a Masters degree in piano performance from the University of Toronto. She holds the Licentiate and Fellowship diplomas in piano performance from Trinity College, London, England.

Before retiring she taught piano at McMaster University and Mohawk college and was a piano examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Pamela works with students at all levels and ages, including piano teachers who want some professional development. As a teacher of the Alexander Technique she works particularly with students who are experiencing pain caused by poor body use and practice habits. The Alexander Technique is a valuable tool for such students. She has presented many Alexander Technique workshops for singers and pianists in Mississauga, Milton, and Hamilton.

In the past Pamela performed regularly at the Menachem Pressler Piano Master Class in Adamant, Vermont. This five day intensive piano event always inspired her to continue teaching and performing.

She has adjudicated music festivals in Chatham, Niagara Falls, Milton, Kitchener, St Catharines, Burlington, Walkerton and Brantford.

Besides performing many summers in Vermont, Pamela has given solo piano recitals at McMaster University and Mohawk College and in various churches in the Mississauga area. Pamela has been a church musician for over 50 years. She started as an organist but in recent years has enjoyed being a member of the Praise Team.

See here for bio.

See here for bio.