UNB Music Camp Faculty
2013 Faculty & Staff
Instructor Instrument/Ensemble
Richard Hornsby Wind Ensemble
Richard Hornsby is an active performer, educator, arts administrator and arts advocate. Professionally, he has performed with the Toronto Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, and New Music Concerts of Canada as well as frequently recording for C.B.C. Radio of Canada. He continues performing as a recitalist, soloist and chamber musician. Currently he is Director of Music at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.
Julian Smerdon Symphonic Band
Julian has been teaching at UNB camp since its inception in 1993. From 2003 until June 2011, Julian taught at The York School in downtown Toronto. His bands and small ensembles performed at the Kiwanis Music Festival and Music Fest in Toronto; a TEDx conference at the Science Centre in Toronto; and they have also performed at the Ontario Music Educators’ Association Conference. Julian has organized and taken trips for Concert Band, Jazz Band and Choir to France, Austria, Czech Republic and Italy. He also organized a trip to London and Paris for York School students in February 2012. Since coming to Trafalgar Castle School in Whitby, Ontario in September, 2011, Julian has been re-building the music programme there. He has introduced a Concert Band in the school and had a very exciting trip to the Kiwanis Music Festival in April where his groups earned a Silver and two Gold ratings.
TBA Symphonic Orchestra
Aida Tisler Youth Strings
Aida Tisler obtained her bachelor degree in violin teaching and performance with distinction from Music Academy of the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1980. She accepted a violin teaching position at “Mladen Posaic” elementary music school in 1978 and held it until 1983, when she took a position of a violinist with the Sarajevo’s Symphony Orchestra. In addition to performing and recording music with the Symphony Orchestra, Aida performed regularly with the Sarajevo’s Philharmonic Orchestra and Sarajevo’s Chamber Orchestra until her departure for Canada in 1994.
After 18 month of language schools, violin teaching and one university course in Toronto, Aida arrived to Fredericton with her husband Hrvoje and 2-year old daughter Sabina. Since then, Aida has obtained B.Ed with distinction from UNB, has taught violin to close to one hundred private students and has coached chamber groups and student orchestras at UNB Music Camp, New Brunswick Conservatory and several elementary schools. Since becoming a member in 1997, Aida performed over 150 concerts with the Symphony New Brunswick. In addition, Aida performs regularly with Fredericton Chamber Players and Atlantic Sinfonia.
TBA Choir
Bjorn Runefors Flute
The Swedish conductor, flutist and singer Björn Runefors relocated to New Brunswick in 2003. Björn is actively involved in the Fredericton music life as a teacher, singer, flutist and conductor. Björn is currently conducting the UNB Chorale and the UNB Concert Band. He teaches Music Theory at UNB, and gives private flute lessons. Björn is also the Music Director of the Fredericton Choral Society. Björn is a multi-faceted musician. He has performed in professional orchestras and choirs both in Sweden and in Canada. He has written music for and performed as an actor at theatres in Sweden. As a teacher, Björn has been on faculty at music colleges in Sweden and in Stockholm he was the founder and director of a youth orchestra that toured extensively across Europe.
Simon Docking Piano
Australian-born pianist Simon Docking has performed both as a soloist and chamber musician throughout North America, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Europe. He studied piano in Australia with Ransford Elsley, and holds a doctorate in piano performance from SUNY Stony Brook, where he worked with Gilbert Kalish, and upon graduation was awarded New York State’s Thayer Fellowship for the Arts. Simon has appeared as a soloist for Toronto’s Soundstreams, the Winnipeg New Music Festival, the Scotia Festival of Music, Australia’s Aurora Festival, the new music group Stroma in New Zealand, the MATA Festival in New York, and with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Toronto Philharmonia and the Toronto Wind Orchestra. Simon’s career has focused on the music of our time; he has presented premiere performances of dozens of new works by composers in many countries, and his repertoire includes works by key figures of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Simon has been a founding member of several chamber groups, including the Toronto-based ensemble Toca Loca, with pianist Gregory Oh and percussionist Aiyun Huang. In late 2009 they released their debut CD and their second album, SHED, comes out later this year.
Yvonne Kershaw Oboe/Bassoon
American-born bassoonist Yvonne Kershaw has a wide range of performance experience in both Canada and the U.S. She played with the Cascade Symphony in Washington and has participated in the Sandpoint, Idaho, and Bayview, Michigan music festivals. Her extensive teaching experience includes instructing instrumental music in Seattle area music schools and working as a graduate instructor of bassoon at Indiana University. Yvonne now resides in Fredericton, where she adjudicates music festivals and teaches bassoon, flute and oboe at the UNB Centre for Musical Arts. She teaches courses in music theory and music appreciation at UNB as well. She is a regular faculty member of UNB’s Summer music Camp. She performs regularly with Symphony New Brunswick.
Scott Marshall Saxophone
Charles MacKinnon Trumpet
Trumpeter Charles MacKinnon has performed throughout Canada and the United States with the National Ballet Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, the Confederation Centre Orchestra, Charlottetown, and many touring shows. Charles has also performed in Scotland with various orchestras in and around Edinburgh, including the Scottish Opera Company. He performs frequently with Symphony Nova Scotia and Nova Sinfonia. Charles is in demand throughout Nova Scotia as a teacher, coach and brass clinician.
Nadia Francavilla Violin
Violinist Nadia Francavilla is an accomplished recitalist and chamber musician. She was a member of both Quatuor Arthur-LeBlanc and Quatuor Bozzini with which she made frequent tours in Canada, the United States and Europe. A graduate of McGill University, she received solid musical training under the direction of Mauricio Fuks, Raphael Druian and Joseph Silverstein. She is a member of Motion Ensemble and Moineaux d'Entendre where she explores new horizons in improvisation, electronics, aleatory music and multimedia. During the 2011-2012 season, Mrs. Francavilla will be Musician in Residence at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton where she will perform recitals, give lectures and masterclasses and will also teach violin at the Université de Moncton.
Chris Buckley Viola
Christopher Buckley grew up in Quispamsis and is presently a member of Saint John String Quartet, Symphony New Brunswick, Atlantic Sinfonia, a Musician-in-Residence at UNB Saint John and a member of the coaching faculty with New Brunswick Youth Orchestra. The Saint John String Quartet has 3 CD's with two nominations and one ECMA win. SJSQ has traveled to Japan and China. "We've been to Maine but not Mexico". Chris lives in Saint John with Elizabeth and their son, Seth.
Sonja Adams Cello
Before earning her Bachelor of Music in Performance degree from the University of Toronto in 1985, Sonja Adams was actively involved in the flourishing Vancouver music scene. She has incorporated the same interest in her new home in New Brunswick with an impressive private studio province wide, coaching youth orchestras, faculty at summer music camps and extensive in-school concert programs.
Her current activities include artist in residence at the University of New Brunswick Saint John, playing cello with the Saint John String Quartet and Principal for Symphony New Brunswick and Atlantic Sinfonia.
Sonja is often heard on regional and national CBC radio programs as a chamber musician and has released three compact discs with the Saint John String Quartet the second of which won “Best Classical Album of the Year” at the East Coast Music Awards. The Saint John String Quartet has toured Canada, the United States, Japan, Hong Kong and China.
Along with her active performing schedule Adams teaches privately, performs in school concerts, and coaches youth orchestras. Mrs. Adams has received the New Brunswick Merit Award for her contribution to Arts and Culture.
Greg Harrison Percussion
Gregory Harrison graduated from Acadia University and the University of Toronto, and now performs as a freelance percussionist in the GTA. He has worked with a variety of artists/groups such as R. Murray Shaffer, Fred Penner, Mark Duggan, David Braid, Beverley Johnston, Brampton Symphony and Motion Ensemble to name a few. As an accompanist, Greg plays regularly for the dance studios of the Toronto Dance Theatre, DanceTeq (National Ballet), Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, and Ballet Jorgen (George Brown College).
As an active educator, Greg is on faculty for the Acadia Summer Music Academy and teaches privately at his home studio in Toronto. Greg has recently released a debut album with his electronic project, Falcon Punch.
Recipient of many awards, Greg Harrison was granted the SABIAN/PASIC award, granted to one promising Canadian university percussion student.
Steven Peacock Guitar
Classical guitarist, composer and choral conductor Steven Peacock, based in Fredericton, NB, has performed as a soloist and accompanist in concert and recording engagements throughout Canada, and has just released, with flutist Sally Wright, "The Green Bushes: Dances, Airs & Lullabies" (Blue Milo, 2010). "The Calico Road," a varied collection of short works for solo guitar, appeared in 2007. Keenly interested in ensemble work, he has performed extensively with Ms. Wright ("Cantilena: 20th-Century Works for Flute and Guitar" appeared in 2001) and, in the United Kingdom, flutist Jane Coulcher-Stoltenberg ("Encuentro," 2000); sopranos Paula Hébert, Angela Birdsell, and Wendy Nielsen; and guitarist Gerry Van Wart, with whom he released "Milonga" in 2003 and "El Elegante: Dances for Two Guitars" in 1997. Mr. Peacock adjudicated at the 2003 National Festival of Music and currently teaches at the University of New Brunswick and at St. Thomas University.
Bob Nicholson Low Brass
Winner of 2 East Coast music awards with the Jive Kings, Bob Nicholson is enjoying a varied and successful career. Bob recently completed three years as tubaist with the Calgary based Foothills Brass Quintet and is now playing tuba and bass trombone with Maritime Brass Quintet. Bob performed for 5 years with 'The Phantom of the Opera' in Toronto and for 14 summers in the pit orchestra of 'Anne of Green Gables' at the Charlottetown Festival. As an orchestral musician Mr. Nicholson has performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, CBC Toronto Jazz Orchestra and the National Ballet Orchestra among others. Theatre work 'in the pit' includes Toronto productions of Beauty and the Beast, Showboat, Crazy for You, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables and numerous productions at the Charlottetown Festival. Bob studied at the University of PEI, the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, the University of Toronto and at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California.
Eileen Walsh Clarinet
Clarinetist Eileen Walsh has played Second Clarinet and Bass Clarinet with Symphony Nova Scotia since October 2007. Formerly the associate principal and E-flat clarinet with the South Bend Symphony, Eileen earned her master of music degree and performer diploma from Indiana University in the studio of Eli Eban. Eileen grew up in Vancouver, where she completed her bachelor’s degree at UBC in the studio of Wesley Foster, and she was the recipient of the Aspen Music Scholarship and Mathilda Heck Woodwind Award at the WAMSO Young Artist Competition in 2006. She has been a semifinalist at the International Clarinet Association’s Young Artist Competition twice.
Eileen has attended many festivals and masterclasses, including summers at the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Aspen Music Festival, National Academy Orchestra of Canada, Orford Arts Centre, and Domaine Forget Academy of Music and Dance. Her solo performances with orchestra include the Nielsen and Copland Clarinet Concertos. Other pursuits include performing on period instruments, and a two-year term as Associate Instructor of Music Theory at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
