Originally from Toronto, Silvia Knapp has 40 years of experience as a highly trained dance teacher and choreographer, specializing in Jazz, Ballet, Tap and Musical Theatre. Highlights of her dance training include the National Ballet School, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and Florida Ballet Arts, Sarasota. She’s a recipient of an Honours Graduate Diploma for completing the dance training program at George Brown College, Toronto. Experiencing a diverse and extensive professional career, Silvia has literally performed around the world. Her TV credits include singing in the chorus of The Rita McNeil Show, dancing in Chasing Rainbows with Jeff Hyslop and appearing in various TV commercials. Some of her musical theatre choreography credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, My Fair Lady, High School Musical, Chicago, Addams Family, Hairspray and many more.
Upon graduation, Justine received a scholarship at the Alonzo King Lines Dance Centre in California. Since completing her studies, she has gone on to perform with multiple contemporary and classical ballet companies throughout North America. In 2016, Justine founded Reforming Art Productions – a Contemporary Dance company that provides innovative training, networking, scholarship, and performance opportunities, to Canadian dance students. She is thrilled to be welcomed by the Kamloops Festival of Performing Arts and looks forward to sharing her passion for dance with this year’s festival participants.
Steve Powrie has been an educator in Kamloops for many years in School District #73 and at Thompson Rivers University. Steve has pursued his passion for music through teaching band, playing in a variety of musical organizations, and as a former musical director of KISSM. He considers it a privilege to be an adjudicator in the Festival that he has participated in for many years.
For over 20 years, actor and pianist Eric Nyland has worked professionally in theatre, film, music, and music pedagogy throughout Canada, (and briefly in Italy!). Eric runs a private teaching studio in Calgary. He studied with Dr. Lillian Upright, Dr. Irena Kofman, and Linda Kundert, and has taken masterclasses from Dr. Jennifer Snow, Dr. Jacques Despres, Dr. Ludmilla Lazar, and Roman Rabinovich. Eric developed and taught two courses for the Conservatory at Mount Royal University, has served as the musical director for the theatre improvisation company The Kinkonauts and for the long-form theatre improvisation duo One Lions (winner, Best Show at Vancouver International Improv Festival, 2016). In 2019, Eric served as clinician for the Alberta Piano Teachers’ Association annual teacher conference, where he presented his workshop From the Private to the Public: An Actor’s Approach to Piano Practice, Performing, and Teaching.
Joe resides in Kelowna, BC, where he teaches piano and theory at the Kelowna Community Music School. He has a BMus from UBC and an MA in Music from Western Washington University. He has been involved with Carl Orff Canada for 30 years having served as president of the BC Chapter and the National organization. He has worked at many universities and adjudicated festivals throughout BC, in piano, voice, choral and ensembles. For five years he worked for the BC Ministry of Education as they prepared the Fine Arts Curriculum. Joe co-authored the Windsong Recorder series with Birthe Kulich and completed a Teacher's Guide for Books 1-4 in the series available through Empire Music. He and his wife co-authored 12 music stories for a three-season series with Orange County's Pacific Symphony. Joe received the award of Honorary Life Member from both the BC Chapter of Music for Children, and Carl Orff Canada. Other honours include Professional Teacher of the Year in North Vancouver and in BC.
Susan is Adjunct Professor at UBC teaching acting and performance and also conducts numerous creative initiatives with schools through ArtStarts, a government funded agency. She has performed at many venues including: PuSh International Performance Festival, Arts Club Theatre, Western Canada Theatre, Firehall Theatre and Richmond Gateway. More on Susan and her work at: www.susanbertoia.ca
Calvin has been concertmaster for the Vancouver Island Symphony in Nanaimo since 2000, and is also the director for the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra. He has played concerts in over 15 countries and is in demand as a producer, teacher, conductor and adjudicator. Although a collage aptitude test recommended a career as a tug boat captain, Calvin finished a DMA in Violin Performance at USC with minors in music education, choral conducting, and music history. Some of his former students are studying at universities across Canada, and several are professional musicians. Calvin was awarded the queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for service to the community. He has also been awarded an honorary Doctor of Humanities by Trinity Western University. In these unusual times he is grateful to have some musical opportunities along with part-time employment as a farmer and a delivery driver.
Fiona studied at UBC where she earned a Bachelor of Music in voice performance, a Bachelor of Education in secondary music, and a Master of Music in choral conducting. Professionally, Fiona performed, recorded and toured for 13 seasons with the Vancouver Chamber Choir; for five seasons, she sang with Vancouver Opera in the chorus and in numerous comprimario roles. Fiona’s solo work also included performances with Canadian orchestras including the Vancouver Symphony, Vancouver CBC Orchestra and Symphony Nova Scotia, to name a few. She has two Celtic CDs to her credit. Fiona has taught music from kindergarten to university. In 2004 she founded the British Columbia Girls’ Choir, where she serves as the choir’s artistic director. In July 2018, the girls were awarded the coveted ‘Children’s Choir of the World’ trophy – the highest honour at one of the world’s most prestigious competitions, the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Wales.