Baritone and diction coach Jason Nedecky has appeared as soloist with many Canadian concert series and opera companies, and has recorded with the Aradia Ensemble on the NAXOS label. Since 2005, Nedecky has been a member of the Canadian Opera Company chorus, and has also performed and covered many comprimario roles for the company.

 

Jason Nedecky is sought after for his expertise in lyric diction. He has acted as a language coach at the Canadian Opera Company, the Luminato Festival, Société-Radio-Canada, the Toronto Children’s Chorus, Opera NUOVA (Edmonton), and the Mountain View Summer Festival (Calgary). He is the English diction specialist for The Diction Police website.

 

Nedecky is instructor of diction courses at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, and is language coach for its opera division. At the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, he is instructor of French diction and repertoire courses. Nedecky is author of French Lyric Diction: A Singer’s Guide, published by Oxford University Press.

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The Executive Director and Co-Owner of Chinook School of Music, Carrie Kalmakoff obtained her Bachelor of Music degree from Brandon University. At Chinook School of Music, Carrie focuses on implementing new and innovative programming to engage students in self-expression through music. Her commitment to fostering a lifelong love and enjoyment of music for students and their families is reflected in both her teaching and involvement in the musical community. Carrie is a passionate teacher and dynamic leader who inspires and encourages her students to be creative-minded, independent thinkers. Her students achieve top marks in music examinations and frequently win festival scholarships and awards; many have gone on to pursue music as a career. ­

 

Carrie is an active masterclass clinician and festival adjudicator in Alberta and British Columbia. She is the Past President and General Manager of Cowtown Opera, past Chairperson of Calgary Contemporary Showcase, a retired member of the Alberta Registered Music Teacher Association and Alberta Piano Teachers’ Association. One of the benefits Carrie enjoys in her role at Chinook School of Music is the opportunity to form relationships with families and witness the musical growth of the students.

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Born and raised in Calgary, Canada, Andrea Hill has had the honour of singing on stages that include the Metropolitan Opera New York, l’Opéra National de Paris, Covent Garden London, Teatro alla Scala Milan, and at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.  Operatic roles include Carmen (Carmen, Bizet), Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Rossini), Varvara (Janaček’s Katia Kabanova), Judith (Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle), and Mélisande in Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande.  Andrea also has the distinction of having been selected by Kurt Masur himself to sing Octavian in a concert of excerpts from Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier under his baton at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, and was an original cast member of Patrice Chéreau’s brilliant final production, Strauss’ Elektra.

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Having lived in Paris, France for twelve years, she is fluent in French and highly proficient in German, as well as having a strong basic grasp of Italian.  Transitioning to soprano repertoire, she is learning and studying new roles and works that include Puccini's Tosca, Liu, and Mimi, Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, Mozart's Fiordiligi and Countess, Floyd's Susannah, and various recital and concert works.

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Olena Kilchyk, a native of Odessa, Ukraine, graduated from the Odessa State Music College and the Odessa State Conservatory. Since the age 14 Olena was the winner of numerous concerto competitions. While in Ukraine, she was a principal cellist and soloist of the Acedemia Odessa Chamber Orchestra and Virtuosi of Odessa Chamber Orchestra. She also worked for the Odessa State Philharmonic and Odessa Opera.

 

After immigrating to Canada, Olena received Master of Music Degree in Cello Performance from the University of Calgary. In 2000 she was the winner of the Department of Music Concerto Competition and performed with the U of C String Quartet. She had the opportunity to study with such renowned cellist as Shauna Rolston, George Nikrug, Tania Prochazka, Raphael Wollfish, Aldo Parisot and Amanda Forsyth. Olena was invited to perform at the Banff Summer Festival, Resound Festival, Enbridge Festival, Orford Summer Festival, U of C Chamber Music Festival, Mountain View Festival and Bach Festival.

Olena has been a member of the Prince George, Okanagan, Red Deer and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as well as Sinfonia Alberta Chamber Orchestra, Baroque Modern Chamber Orchestra, Players Chamber Ensemble and Saint Crispinis Chamber Ensemble.

 

Ms. Kilchyk toured extensively throughout Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Canada and China. She is a co-founder of Sempre la Musica Chamber Ensemble, Helia Chamber Ensemble, Denali Duo and Bel Canto Strings. Many of her performances have been broadcast on CBC and other radio and television networks.

 

Presently Olena is the principal cellist for the Calgary Bach Festival Society. Over the past three years, she has performed the complete cycle of Bach’s Cello Suites for the Bach Society. In addition to her performing schedule, Olena has a very busy teaching studio. She is a Branch instructor and faculty member of the Conservatory at Mount Royal University.

 

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Anita Dusevic has performed as soloist & chamber musician throughout Canada, the United States, Europe & Australia & has been the winner of numerous international & national prizes. Ms. Dusevic began her studies in Calgary at the age of three, studying primarily with Dr. Lise Elson. While in her teens, Anita studied with Professor Lorand Fenyves in Toronto & at the Banff Centre for the Arts. Subsequent studies were completed with Joel Smirnoff, Chairman of the Violin Department at the Juilliard School in New York, and first violinist of the Juilliard String Quartet. Anita also studied privately with Isaac Stern and participated in master classes with Ruggiero Ricci & Zakhar Bron, amongst others. At the age of 10, Anita made her concerto debut with orchestra and at the age of 13, she debuted with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra performing the Brahms Violin Concerto. Other concerto performances followed throughout Canada, including performances with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Banff Centre Summer Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Dusevic made her National Arts Centre recital debut in Ottawa in 2000, which was broadcast on CBC National Radio 1’s In Performance.

 

In 1997, she was named as the winner of the Royal Overseas League Prize, which included a concert tour of England with engagements at St. James’-Piccadilly & St. Martin’s-in-the-Field. As second violinist in Calgary’s Beau Quartet, Ms. Dusevic contributed to the recording of the Quartet’s debut CD on the Arktos label. Along with her sister, Tanya Witek, Anita was named as one of the 100 Young Canadians to Watch by MacLean’s Magazine in 2000. Ms. Dusevic completed a degree in law at the University of Calgary and then began a career in the corporate world during which she has been a senior executive at a midstream company and is now an operating partner in an investment organization. One her most favorite activities is playing chamber music with Kathleen and Olena, as well as spending time with her family taking part in the next generation of musical activities with her two daughters.

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