PAULA QUICK (vocal) (B.Mus. Theory & Composition, M.Music Vocal Performance) was, until 1997, Ottawa-based and now lives in Chilliwack BC. In the course of her now long performance career, Ms. Quick has received consistent critical acclaim for her creativity within the contemporary music idiom and for her stylistic versatility. She has welcomed and enjoyed solo vocal assignments from all periods of notated music as well as opportunities for improvisation. She is currently the Voice Department Head at the Chilliwack Academy of Music.
A compilation compact disc of her vocal work entitled Ensemble Girigonza, which features vocal repertoire spanning six centuries and five languages, is available through most music distributors and the Canadian Music Centre. Recent solo work is posted on the Academy's website, at http://www.chilliwackmusic.com/private-lessons/voice.
Ms. Quick's performances are heard frequently on both the CBC and Radio Canada.
JANIS SMITH (piano) began her musical training at a young age with the Sisters of St. Ursuline in Engelfeld, Saskatchewan, and received her Associateship in Piano Teaching from the Royal Conservatory of Music and her Licentiate in Piano Teaching from Trinity College of London under the tutelage of Jean Harach.
Janis began teaching in 1982 and joined the faculty at the Conservatory of Performing Arts, University of Regina in 1990. For several years she was Head of the Piano Department. In addition, she sat on the Scholarship Committee and for a time was interim assistant co-ordinator, served on the Faculty Advisory Committee, and produced the "Tune into the Conservatory" TV series.
Janis has served on the executive of the Regina Musical Club, Art School Sask and on the Board for OSAC. She is a member-at-large of the Sask. Registered Music Teachers' Association. She has judged competitions for Regina Musical Club, sat on the OSAC selection committee, and has also been a member of the Music Selection Committee for the Provincial Syllabus of the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association.
Janis continues to live and teach in Regina.
BOB NICHOLLS (choir) received his B. Mus. Ed. Degree from the University of Regina.
He taught elementary and high school for 31 years, mostly as a music teacher (choral, general music, guitar, and band), though he taught English and drama for the last part of his teaching career.
He was presented with the Pro Musica Award from the Saskatchewan Choral Federation for his contributions to choral music in Saskatchewan. Among other activities, this includes many seasons with Regina Summer Stage where he was music director for numerous musical theatre productions and musical revues, most recently Little Shop of Horrors in the summer of 2011. He is the choral conductor of St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral Choir in Regina. He has sung in many choirs over the years and is currently a member of the Regina Philharmonic Chorus.
Mr. Nicholls is also a long-time member of the Regina Symphony orchestra, playing timpani and percussion. In addition, he has freelanced considerably, playing in orchestras for Broadway musicals, oratorios, and the National Ballet of Canada. He has backed up pop performers including Petula Clark, Colin James, Cleo Laine, and Buffy Sainte-Marie, plus many classical artists of note.
His performing has included orchestras, percussion ensembles, contemporary music ensembles, wind ensembles, and steel band. He has a long list of percussion clinics and teaching to his credit, and has had various percussion articles published.
He also has a strong interest in theatre and has directed over 40 musicals, one-act plays, full-length plays, and revues. Adding in his roles as music director, pit musician, production manager, and sound designer, among others, he has been involved in well over 100 theatre productions in one capacity or other.
As someone committed to the arts, Mr. Nicholls has been a member of many boards, including the Sask. Music Educators' Association, Canadian Music Educators' Association, Regina Symphony Orchestra Players' Association, Saskatchewan Choral Federation, Regina Summer Stage, and Regina Performing Arts Centre.
GRAHAM BRUCE (band ensembles, bands) At seven years old Graham Bruce began playing cornet in brass bands in England. From that early beginning, he went on to play euphonium with the Yorkshire Brass, the National Youth Brass of Great Britain and the City of London Brass.
Graham holds degrees in Music from the University of London, England and a Masters Degree from the University of Manitoba. He has taught in England, France, Newfoundland and Manitoba where his musical ensembles have won numerous awards, provincially, nationally and internationally. Graham has taught elementary, junior high and high school students as well as adults in the University of Manitoba Concert Band (which he founded). His teaching skills have been recognized with an award of Teaching Excellence from the University of Manitoba.
After many years teaching music, he moved into school administration and has been a Principal of two schools and a Director of Curriculum. Currently, Graham is Assistant Superintendent in Pembina Trails School Division in Winnipeg where he is responsible for all Kindergarten to Grade 12 programming including the Fine Arts.
Graham founded the Rupertsland Brass Band fifteen years ago and has conducted the group since its inception. The 36 piece British-style brass band regularly perform six to eight concert yearly in Winnipeg and the surrounding area as well as the annual Prairie Brass Band Festival. He is an active educator, conductor, adjudicator and arranger.
KAREN FINNSON (woodwinds, strings, band) is currently Associate Professor of Music and Head of the Department of Music at the University of Regina where she teaches saxophone, music history, woodwind techniques and coaches a variety of saxophone chamber ensembles. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Victoria in saxophone performance and completed a Master of Music degree at North Texas State University majoring in saxophone performance/woodwinds.
Ms. Finnsson has played soprano saxophonist with the Regina Saxophone Quartet since 1987 and most recently with the Saskaphones Saxophone Quartet. The quartets perform frequently in Saskatchewan and have also performed throughout Western Canada and in Quebec. Ms. Finnsson has recorded for CBC radio both with quartet and as a soloist. She has played clarinet, bass clarinet, alto, tenor, and soprano saxophones with the Regina Symphony Orchestra.
GEORGE CHARPENTIER (brass, band and percussion) is the Coordinator of Arts Education and Social Studies for the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools. He conducts the Saskatoon Concert Band and the Saskatoon Philharmonic Orchestra.
He received his Bachelor of Music and Certificate of Business Administration from the University of Saskatchewan. He holds a Diploma from the Kodaly Institute of Music Pedagogy in Hungary and a Masters Certificate in Orff Schulwerk Methodology from Jos Wuytack. He is a student of the Saito method of conducting. He has studied piano, clarinet, voice and violin.
He is a charter member of the Saskatchewan Band Association. He is a Past President of the Saskatchewan Music Educators Association, and has served on many of that organization's committees. He has served two terms on the Saskatchewan Arts Board, and sat as a volunteer on the funding committee for the cultural sector of the Saskatchewan Lotteries. He has been a volunteer for several major Saskatoon events, including the Jeux Canada Games, World Junior Hockey, and the Labatt Brier.
He has taught instrumental, choral, and classroom music from Kindergarten through Grade 12, and has lectured at the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Alberta. He was the Associate Conductor of the Saskatoon Youth Orchestra for many years.
