2012 Festival Adjudicators
Paula Rockwell - Musical Theatre
Since returning to Nova Scotia after completing her graduate studies at University of Toronto, Paula Rockwell, mezzo-soprano, has been steeped in musical projects, performances and music festivals in her home province and beyond. She teaches Voice, Diction for Singers, Scene Studies and the Singing Actor at her alma mater Acadia University and creates productions for Acadia's Singing Theatre Ensemble where she is the artistic and music director. She has been featured on several recordings and co-produced her debut CD entitled Fleeting Melodies.
Paula's recent performances include the role of Baba the Turk in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress with Opera Nova Scotia. She sang the role of Dulcinea in ONS's Informoperal in Massenet's Don Quichotte as well as Donna Elvira with Maritime Concert Opera's production of Mozart's Don Giovanni. She performed a Spanish Concert Program at The Music Room in Halifax with guitarist Eugene Cormier and pianist Jennifer King and performs for many fundraisers, including Music for Haiti, Women Only at Pier 21 and ONS's Opera Valentine.
Paula is heard every summer giving masterclasses, vocal warm-up morning sessions and a recital in Lyman, New Hampshire at the Sir David Willcocks Choral Symposium. She also adjudicates music festivals throughout Canada.
Her upcoming schedule includes directing Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors for Acadia's Singing Theatre Production Ensemble, November 18 & 19; two Christmas concerts; music director and performer for Opera Nova Scotia's fundraiser Opera Valentine; The Second Lady in Maritime Concert Opera's production of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte in June; and the vocal coach for Halifax Summer Opera Workshop's production of Bizet's Carmen in July 2012.
Doris Mason - Pop & Jazz/Blues
Doris Mason, a native of Pictou County, is a well known performer on the East Coast music scene, and has successfully juggled a busy solo career, work as Musical Director for the hit touring show "DRUM!", and starred in Denny Doherty's "Dream a Little Dream"- the nearly true story of the Mamas and Papas.
Doris grew up in a big musical family and was playing piano before her feet could even touch the pedals, and even wrote her first song at age seven. Her training continued with the Royal Conservatory of Music, and she participated in Kiwanis Music Festivals in New Glasgow and Halifax. She formed a Pop/Jazz band and recorded a self-titled album "The Mason Chapman Band". "Photograph", her solo CD, garnered an ECMA nomination. She was MC and co-producer of the Dutch Mason Blues Bash CD and Concert, honouring the "Prime Minister of the Blues" 60th Birthday.
Ms. Mason has been a featured artist with Symphony Nova Scotia as part of their Pops Concert Series, along with singer/songwriters Ron Hynes, Terry Kelly, Gordie Sampson and Ian Janes. She paid tribute to Dutchy, Denny and John Allan Cameron on the 2008 ECMAs with J.P. Cormier, Charlie A'Court, George Canyon, Gordie and Shea. Doris has been fortunate to have a multi-faceted backround of Celtic, folk, blues and jazz which has afforded her a rich and diverse career throughout Nova Scotia, Canada, Europe and the United States.
Mabel Doak - Voice
Mabel Doak is recognized throughout Eastern Canada for her expertise in training of young singers. Her former students include the celebrated, well-known New Brunswick sopranos, Wendy Nielsen and Measha Brueggergosman. Many young singing teachers in New Brunswick study with her and learn teaching skills as wells as singing technique. Her value as a music festival adjudicator is also highly rated. Mrs. Doak has been in demand for master classes and workshops; recently, she conducted master classes for Opera New Brunswick and the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg where she also taught individual lessons.
Rebekah Maxner - Junior Piano
Rebekah Maxner has an independent piano studio in Hantsport, Nova Scotia, where she lives with her husband and growing children. She attended Acadia University ('95) where she studied piano with John Hansen, and completed her music degree with a major in composition under Owen Stephens. In her youth she won provincial and national composition contests, and now her students are doing the same.
Rebekah has been invited to give workshops throughout the Maritime Provinces, both before teacher's groups and in music stores. She is a member of Red Leaf Pianoworks and has published a number of solo and duet books for piano students. Several of her compositions have been published in Canadian collections, including several by the Canadian National Conservatory of Music. Rebekah's music can be heard in festivals and recitals throughout Canada and the United States.
Family life keeps Rebekah quite busy these days, but she has been deeply involved in the executive of the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers' Association, as well as with the music festival movement in Canada from the local to the national level. Her writing has appeared in the NSRMTA's "Arabesque", as well as the "Keyboard Companion" (2007). Her "Notekidds" teaching materials are being used in studios across three continents, and she enjoys getting in touch with teachers who share her enthusiasm for teaching music to children.
Diana Torbert - Senior Piano
Diana Torbert received her Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Converse College in South Carolina and her Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music in New York, with further studies at Aspen Music School in Colorado. Her musical career has encompassed a wide range of solo and ensemble performances with orchestras, chamber groups, instrumentalists and vocalists, choral groups and opera.
Since moving to Halifax in 1987, she has become well known as a pianist, teacher and adjudicator. Ms. Torbert has performed frequently with Symphony Nova Scotia and on many concert series in the region, including Scotia Festival of Music and the St. Cecilia Concert Series. She is well known as a collaborative pianist in the musical community of Nova Scotia and at Dalhousie University's Department of Music. She is the pianist for Rhapsody Quintet, who have released five CDs: "The Melody Lingers On", "Café Chantant", "Kiss of Fire", "Rhapsody in Red", and "Rhapsody by Request". "Rhapsody in Red" won the Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia's Best Classical Recording Award in 2005, and was also nominated for Best Classical Recording at the East Coast Music Awards in 2006. Their latest CD "Rhapsody by Request" also won the 2009 Classical Recording of the Year from the Nova Scotia Music Awards. Rhapsody Quintet has performed twice as guest artists with Symphony Nova Scotia, and in many concert series in the Atlantic Provinces and in Ontario.
Ms. Torbert has taught hundreds of students from beginning to professional levels during her 30-year teaching career and continues to maintain a large private studio in Halifax. She is currently the President of the Halifax Chapter of the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers Association. Ms. Torbert is delighted to be here in Truro for this exciting music festival.
Monique Richard - Choral
Trained as a pianist and music educator, Monique Richard completed her Bachelor of Music in piano performance (1985) at l'Université de Moncton and a second speciality in Music Education (1986). Coming from a long tradition of choral music, she completed her Master's Degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Illinois in 1994. Monique Richard was a music teacher and also the Arts and Music Coordinator in School District 01 in New Brunswick for seventeen years. She has adjudicated many music festivals, given choral workshops in Canada and in Europe, and presently conducts two ensembles, the Beauséjour Choir and the Choeur Louisbourg, which specializes in early music.
Monique Richard has been professor at l'Université de Moncton's Music Department since 2005 and teaches courses in Music education methods, conducting and is also director of the vocal ensembles and the orchestra for the opera project at the Department. She is presently completing her doctoral studies in Education for minorities at l'Université de Moncton.
Jason Caslor - Band
Described as "a refreshingly talented young Canadian conductor", Dr. Jason Caslor currently serves as Assistant Professor of Instrumental Conducting at Memorial University in St. John's, NL where he conducts the Wind Ensemble and teaches conducting. He recently completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts (Conducting) at Arizona State University where his principal conducting teacher was Professor Gary Hill, Director of Ensemble Studies. Other mentors include Dr. Dale J. Lonis, Dr. Wayne Bailey and Dr. Fraser Linklater.
Prior to earning a Master of Music (Conducting) degree from the University of Manitoba, Jason earned his Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education degrees from the University of Saskatchewan where he studied with Marvin Eckroth. During this time, he was a member of the Scherzo Quartet, winner of the Chamber Music category at the 2000 National Music Festival.
In 2004, Jason became the first ever Resident Conductor with Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet, working with Music Director and Conductor Earl Stafford. A position supported by the Saskatchewan Arts Board, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the University of Manitoba Faculty of Music, Jason's professional debut was made with the RWB and the WSO in their production of the Nutcracker.
From 2005-2008, Jason was Resident Conductor with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, a 30-member professional ensemble. During his tenure with the TBSO, he conducted over 75 concerts (including a CBC Radio broadcast), designed and implemented a myriad of education and outreach initiatives, was instrumental in helping secure numerous local, provincial, and national grants, and recorded a full-length, internationally-distributed CD with Canadian blues artist Rita Chiarelli. Described as "the lushest-sounding set of blues ever recorded in Canada", it received two Canadian Folk Music Award nominations.
As an educator, Jason spent several years teaching in the public school system as both an instrumental and choral instructor. At the post-secondary level, he directed the Lakehead University Wind Ensemble for the 2007-08 academic year. He is increasingly active as a clinician, adjudicator, and conductor for festivals, honour bands, and music camps across Canada. Jason is also a faculty member with the annual Canadian Wind Conductors Development Program.
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