Competitive Adjudicators
Thomas Davidson
Competitive Piano
Thomas Davidson is a graduate of Queen's University, The Royal College of Music in
London, England, and McGill University. Hailed for his "impressive command of the
instrument", he is a frequent performer as a soloist, accompanist, and chamber musician both in Canada and abroad, and on CBC radio. Responsible for the commissioning and première performances of many Canadian works, he is also the founding Artistic Director of Trio Chanteclair (soprano, clarinet, and piano) and continues to enjoy collaboration with many composers and fellow musicians.
Associate Professor in the Dan School of Drama and Music at Queen's University from 1984 until his retirement in 2021, he served as a coordinator for the Performance and Keyboard areas. Davidson also taught at McGill's Schulich School of Music for over 30 years and took on several administrative responsibilities there, including the position of Chair of Musicianship Studies. He also taught a large number of students at the McGill Conservatory and Marianopolis College (CEGEP) in Montréal where he continues to reside.
Tom has been an executive committee member of the Quebec Music Teachers' Association and President of the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicators' Association. He is at present the Québec Provincial Administrator and a member of the Board of Governors for the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals and is in demand as a workshop animator, examiner/jury member, and adjudicator across Canada and the United States.
Tristan De Borba
Competitive Brass, Woodwinds, and Bands
Tristan De Borba is a classical and contemporary saxophonist and conductor and is quickly gaining a reputation as an innovative and engaging musician.
He is Assistant Professor at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia where he teaches saxophone, conducts the Acadia University Symphonic Band and String Orchestra, and teaches musicianship.
Tristan has a strong interest in the music of our time. He is a member of the Alkali Collective, a Halifax-based new music ensemble dedicated to the creation, performance, documentation, and educational outreach of 21st century music. Tristan also performs with the Strum-De Borba duo with fellow saxophonist Nicole Strum. Tristan is a founding member of the Brogue Saxophone Quartet which has performed extensively throughout the maritime provinces since 2013.
As a soloist, Tristan's recording of Derek Charke's Wired and Wound with pianist Simon Docking can be found on the ECMA nominated recording "Live Wired" (Centrediscs, 2015). He also appears as saxophone soloist on "In the Wide Awe of Wisdom" featuring the choral music of Paul Halley (Pelagos, 2017). In 2021, Alongside pianist Mary Castello, Tristan released a video recording of Fernande Decruck's Sonata and William Grant Still's Romance. As a conductor and
educator, Tristan is increasingly in demand as a clinician and adjudicator of bands and
orchestras.
Dr. Tristan De Borba earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Toronto and a Master of Music degree from the University of British Columbia. When taking a break from a busy performing and teaching career, Tristan can be found alongside his wife Sara and their dogs Lua and Sasi exploring beautiful Nova Scotia.
Christopher Lane
Competitive Voice / Choirs
A native of Saint John, New Brunswick, baritone Christopher Lane has appeared in both concert and opera presentations throughout New Brunswick and Southwestern Ontario. He made his professional operatic debut with Opera New Brunswick in the 2000 production of Carmen. He appeared on numerous occasions with Orchestra London Canada, in St. John's Passion and Rigoletto, both under the baton of celebrated Canadian conductor Timothy Vernon. He sang the roles of Robin Oakapple in Ruddigore and Sir Joseph Porter in HMS Pinafore with Musical Theatre Productions in London. He has performed as bass soloist in Handel's Messiah on numerous occasions. Music Director credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Disney's The Little Mermaid, Shrek, The Addams Family, Fancy Nancy, The Buddy Holly Story, Sister Act, Newsies, Jesus Christ Superstar, Disney's Frozen Jr., Something Rotten, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Hello Dolly! (The Kennebecasis Valley Players), Mamma Mia, May We All, Little
Women (Kennebecasis Valley High School) and Nunsense (Saint John Theatre Company).
Mr. Lane is Director of Music and Administration at Saint David's United Church and is in demand as a vocal teacher, coach, adjudicator, conductor, accompanist, and clinician. A graduate of Western University, he is Artistic Director of the Sussex Choral Society, director of the Carleton Choristers and Harbour View Choral Ensemble, and the director of the FCMF National Music Festival award-winning Harbour View Chazz. Since 2012, he has been Music Director of the Kennebecasis Valley Players. He has been an active member of the Juno-nominated Canadian Chamber Choir since 2002.
He currently serves as Treasurer for the New Brunswick Federation of Music Festivals, the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals, the New Brunswick Competitive Festival of Music, and Portland United Church. From 2006-2010, he was the Executive Director of Opera New Brunswick. In 2008, he was named one of New Brunswick's 21 Leaders for the 21st Century.
Jennie Such
Competitive Voice / Folk
How does one develop a calling in life? For Jennie Such, formative musical experiences sculpted her identity as a singer, and she was called to pursue that truth on a learning journey that still continues today.
Such graduated with a BMus with Honours in Performance (Voice) from the University of Western Ontario and obtained Postgraduate Diplomas in Opera and Concert Singing from the Royal College of Music in London, England. As an emerging artist, she completed further postgraduate training at the Banff Centre for the Arts (Canada), The Franz Schubert Institut (Austria), and The Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies (England). Such's first professional contracts were with the Vancouver Opera Touring Ensemble and the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble. Over two decades, her performing career has featured experience in a wide variety of musical genres. She has performed on national and international stages in operatic and musical theatre roles, and as a concert soloist and recitalist. Such has also created recordings with Naxos and CBC Records, and broadcasted live performances on CBC, BBC, and MDR (Germany).
Such's first coaching contract was with the Canadian Company of Billy Elliot for Mirvish Productions in 2011. This career-defining moment served as the perfect gateway into the vocation of teaching and coaching. Since 2014 her work as a teacher and coach has been anchored at The Stratford Festival of Canada where she is the resident singing coach for the musical and acting companies. During her ongoing tenure at North America's leading repertory theatre, Such has coached vocal music in 37 productions. Since 2016, she has also worked as the singing coach at the Birmingham Conservatory. This is an elite training programme for a nationally selected group of young artists at the Stratford Festival.
Since 2017 Such has been a member of the voice faculty at Wilfrid Laurier University where she is a voice instructor in classical and contemporary vocal streams of study. Such has a special interest in combining classical and CCM singing techniques when working with young singers at the university level.
Such's work with theatre performers and practitioners has greatly influenced her teaching style and philosophy. Through this work in the professional coaching world, she has witnessed many interesting parallels between the art of acting and singing. Such is interested in incorporating ideas about text, sound, physicality, and authenticity, which she has gleaned from working with professional actors, into her work with singers. Likewise, much of Such's work as a singing coach for actors is built upon the benefits that singing brings to the speaking voice.
Wendy Woodland
Competitive Musical Theatre
Wendy Woodland is a graduate of Memorial University's School of Music, and completed Musical Theatre training at Holland College and Dalhousie University. While based in Corner Brook, she has worked artistically throughout the province as singer, actor, director, writer, conductor, and adjudicator. Working with Terra Bruce Productions, Camber Arts, Gros Morne Summer Music, Perchance Theatre, Gros Morne Theatre Festival, Theatre Newfoundland Labrador, Stage West Theatre Festival, The Stephenville Festival, Wintertide Chamber Music Festival, and Bay of Islands Musical Arts has provided opportunity for varied performance experiences and repertoire. Named Artist of the Year (Corner Brook) in 2018, she has performed in concert and cabaret with well-known NL artists Brian Way, Bob McDonald, Kelly Ann Evans, David Pomeroy, Duo Concertante, Shirley Montague, Louis McDonald, and Jonathan Monroe. She has also performed with The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra; the 2023 Music of the Night event and was soprano soloist for Schubert's Mass in G with The Philharmonic Choir. Selected credits include No Change in the Weather (Terra Bruce Productions) Tell Me On a Sunday (Rotary Arts Center), Phantom of the Opera (Opera on the Avalon), The Power of One (Perchance Theatre), Lucy Duhart's Westside Saloon and King of Broadway (Gros Morne Summer Music), Into the Woods, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, I Do I Do, Oliver, The Music Man (TNL), Nunsense (Stephenville Festival). She worked for many years in television, having produced and hosted programs on ROGERStv for seventeen seasons, most notably being Corner Brook Café, and appeared in seasonal productions by both NTV and CBC.
As a music educator and conductor for 35 years, Wendy is passionate about choral music and has worked with individuals and groups of all ages. From being musical director of Joseph Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang and Fiddler on the Roof, to conductor of the Bay of Islands Musical Arts Chorus and rehearsal conductor for Handel's Messiah, she works to instill the joy of singing with every opportunity that presents itself. She was part of the artistic teams of both the Atlantic Boychoir and Atlantic Girls Choir from 2016-2022, as a soloist and west coast rehearsal conductor.
Valerie Gordon
Competitive Strings
Toronto based violinist Valerie Gordon is an avid performer and teacher. She currently
has her own private studio in Oakville, ON. As a teacher, Valerie strives to instil a sense of wonder in her students. She believes that learning is best done through a positive and nurturing environment, surrounded by tools and information to support a child's musical development. Valerie has taught on the faculties of the Kingsway Conservatory of Music and the String Academy at Laurier University in Waterloo. Valerie is a Suzuki certified teacher, and has taken pedagogy courses with Brenda Brenner and Mimi Zweig during her time at Indiana University.
Valerie has adjudicated for Toronto's Kiwanis festival, and has been part of the adjudicating team for the Ontario Music Festival Association Provincial Finals.
Recent activities include performances and recordings with Tafelmusik, Handel and Haydn Society (Boston), Opera Atelier, Holland Baroque Society (The Netherlands), Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, Bourbon Baroque, and concerts with Elixir Baroque Ensemble- of which she is a founding member.
Valerie has completed a Bachelor's Degree from McGill University in Montreal, an
Artist's Diploma from The Glenn Gould School in Toronto, and a Master's Degree in
Early Music from Indiana University.
Non-Competitive Adjudicators
Annie Corrigan
Non-Competitive Brass and Woodwinds
Annie Corrigan (she/her) is the Principal Oboe of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and an Adjunct Professor of Oboe at Memorial University. Prior to moving to Newfoundland in 2016, Annie served as Principal Oboe of the Carmel Symphony Orchestra and Second Oboe in the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. In addition to performing, Annie teaches private oboe lessons to young musicians. Thanks to a couple of especially energetic young oboists, she has expanded her teaching to include reed making. (Yes, oboists make our own reeds!)
In addition to her musical life, Annie has an extensive background in radio and audio thanks to twelve years of work at Bloomington, Indiana's NPR affiliate WFIU. She served as the daily host of NPR's Morning Edition and the producer and host of the weekly syndicated program Earth Eats. Her duties also included interviewing guests from a variety of backgrounds, including percussionist Evelyn Glennie, comedian Tig Notaro, author Michael Pollan, and conductor Leonard Slatkin.
Annie is excited to once again hear the Non-Competitive Brass and Woodwinds classes at the Kiwanis Music Festival.
Dominic Greene
Non-Competitive Strings
A native of St. John's, NL, violinist Dominic Greene completed a Master of Music degree in violin performance at the University of Toronto, in the studio of Erika Raum. While in Toronto, Dominic performed with various ensembles, including the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the University of Toronto Baroque Ensemble, and the Sneak Peek Orchestra. During his final year of study at U of T, Dominic was privileged to have been given the opportunity to play as concertmaster of the University of Toronto Symphony, Opera, and Baroque Orchestras, under the direction of Uri Mayer, Sandra Horst, and Ivars Taurins, respectively. His time at U of T also gave him the opportunity to perform in masterclasses with Jonathan Crow, Jeanne Lamon, David Stewart, Tim Ying, and Marie Berard. In addition, Dominic has been an active freelance performer and teacher across the Greater Toronto Area.
Prior to his studies in Toronto, Dominic attended Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance with Nancy Dahn. During his time at Memorial, Dominic played violin and viola with the Memorial University Chamber Orchestra, assuming roles of concertmaster and principal viola, and was a regular member of the first violin section of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, sitting as assistant concertmaster for the 2011-2012 season. During his studies at Memorial, Dominic was the inaugural recipient of the Dorothy and David Peters Scholarship for Music Performance at Memorial University. He has participated in summer music programs, including the Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival, the Scotia Festival of Music, the Orford Festival, and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute. Dominic is also a regular member of the orchestra for the Opera on the Avalon Festival in St. John's, for which he has played as concertmaster. Dominic currently serves as the assistant concertmaster and personnel manager of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and serves as a string coach/assistant conductor for the Calos Youth Orchestras, of which he is the former assistant concertmaster.
Dominic also enjoys a dynamic teaching career, maintaining a busy private violin studio, is an active instructor with the Suzuki Talent Education Program of St. John's, and has also taught music classes at the Kings Bridge Montessori School. In addition to orchestral performance and teaching, Dominic enjoys freelancing around the city of St. John's and surrounding areas and can be seen performing as half of the Saltwater Strings Duo, along with friend and colleague, Brett Vey. Saltwater Strings performs in a variety of styles including classical, folk, pop, rock, and jazz. They can be found on both Facebook (Saltwater Strings) and Instagram (@saltwaterstringsduo).
Jacinta Mackey Graham
Non-Competitive Voice / Musical Theatre
Jacinta Mackey Graham has been immersed in the St. John's music and theatre
environment for over 50 years. She is a proud graduate of Memorial University's School of Music and Eastern Michigan's Theatre program. As an educator, Jacinta found her passion in the instruction and development of performing arts in the schools. This quest resulted in many high-quality Musical Theatre productions where students developed their skills and their love of performance. Throughout her career, Jacinta has had the opportunity to mentor young artists who have gone on to successful careers on Broadway, at Stratford, Shaw, and Drayton Theatre Festivals, and throughout Europe.
Jacinta brings to this Kiwanis Music Festival a wealth of experience as a voice teacher, vocalist, actor, stage and choral director, clinician, and adjudicator. Her choirs have toured Ireland, performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and for Pope Jean Paul in Rome, Italy. As Co-Artistic Director of Atlantic Light Theatre Jacinta has directed Les Miserables, Spamalot, Guys and Dolls, A Call to Arms, Billy Elliot, Sister Act, and 9 to 5 The Musical.
Jacinta believes that music is a lifelong passion and she is always looking for new
musical challenges and enrichment. Her latest passion is directing the Basilica of St.
John The Baptist Church Choir, which has more than doubled in size under her
leadership!
Jacinta loves adjudicating and is so delighted to be working, once again, with the young artists of this year's St John's Kiwanis Music Festival.
Susan Quinn
Non-Competitive Piano
Susan Quinn is from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, where she is the Artistic Director of the Quintessential Vocal Ensemble (QVE) and Choral Director at St. Bonaventure's College, and recently retired after nearly 30 years of leading the award-winning choirs at Holy Heart of Mary High School. Susan received her early musical education from the Sisters of Mercy, and has degrees in Music and Music Education from Memorial University of Newfoundland, with a major in violin, and a Master's degree in choral conducting from the University of Maine. She is a recipient of the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence and the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council Arts in Education Award. Her choirs have received numerous national awards and honours at international competitions in Austria, Wales, Ireland, and France, and recorded six CDs. In 2010 she conducted Vivaldi's Gloria at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and returned in 2014 to conduct QVE in a solo performance.
Jeffrey Taylor
Non-Competitive Piano / Voice
Jeffrey Taylor, Tenor, was born and raised in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. He holds a Master of Music in Vocal and Opera Performance from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, and earned his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Jeffrey operates a busy private music studio in St. John's where he teaches both voice and piano to children and adults of all ages. Jeffrey is the Music Director at King's Bridge Montessori School, an examiner with Conservatory Canada, and an adjudicator for local festivals.
Jeffrey's performing career spans both Canada and the United Kingdom performing in operas, opera galas, oratorio, recitals, concerts, and musicals. He has performed many times with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (NSO) as the Tenor soloist for Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ, NSO's annual "Big Ticket" benefit concert, and most recently was the Tenor soloist in the Masterworks 4 concert, "The Armed Man".
Jeffrey is thrilled to be adjudicating at the 2025 St. John's Kiwanis Music Festival. He wishes all participants the best of luck and looks forward to hearing them perform.
Erin Winsor
Non-Competitive Musical Theatre / Folk
Erin Winsor of St. John's, NL, began her musical journey under the guidance of Peter MacDonald, whose mentorship sparked her love for performing and the importance of creating a supportive space for young artists. She studied Music Theatre at Sheridan College, where she performed in the original workshops of Come From Away and spent her summers performing with Rising Tide Theatre. After graduating in 2013, Erin landed the role of Mary Poppins with Theatre St. John's. She has since appeared in productions such as The Little Mermaid, Into the Woods (Toronto); Les Misérables, Divas, The Addams Family, Kinky Boots (St. John's). Erin is an active performer at Spirit of Newfoundland (10+ years) and with her band (The Singles).
Erin is the Executive Director of The Arts and Aging Network; this organization is fully incumbent of all her passions and diverse background: arts, administration, child and youth care, home care, music coordination in long-term care, and her training as a Certified Dementia Care Provider and soon-to-be End of Life Doula. Arts and Aging's mission is to enrich the lives of older individuals through creative expression, fostering empowerment and intergenerational connections. They offer innovative arts programs and performances that promote inclusivity, enhance understanding, and celebrate the transformative power of the arts in addressing the challenges of aging and dementia.
Erin has adjudicated the Provincial Drama Festival for the past two years and is excited to offer feedback, encouragement, and support to participants in the 2025 St. John's Kiwanis Music Festival.
A note to performers…
"By stepping onto the stage, you're taking a bold step and showing incredible
courage—something many people find difficult to do. Remember, what happens in that moment will not define you; what will truly matter is the effort, determination, and growth that brought you there. Always strive to do your personal best, and know that no matter the outcome, it will be a moment to be proud of and a moment to learn from. It will help you grow both as a performer and as a person. Have fun!" - Always, Erin that moment will not define you; what will truly matter is the effort, determination, and growth that brought you there. Always strive to do your personal best, and know that no matter the outcome, it will be a moment to be proud of and a moment to learn from. It will help you grow both as a performer and as a person. Have fun!" - Always, Erin