Valhalla fine arts

Valhalla Summer School of Music

Registration is now open!

Classes and lessons will take place August 12-16, 2024
Registration takes place the afternoon of Sunday August 11 at the Lucerne School Library. An orientation session will be held at 7 pm on Sunday August 11 at Silverton Memorial Hall.

The VSSM program will again feature the three-hour morning core class (9am-12pm) and a range of optional afternoon classes: chamber music, orchestral excerpt class, composition class, piano collaborative artist coaching, private lessons with faculty members, and an instrument care and repair class with luthier Ross Hill.

A VSSM faculty concert will be held Tuesday, August 13. Final concerts showcasing student ensembles are planned for Friday, August 16.

REGISTRATION
The $30 registration fee is payable upon registration, with the balance of tuition due by June 1st. A limited bursary fund is available to students in need. The application may be found here.

2024 Faculty

click for bios

2024 classes, options and TUITION FEES

Morning core classes, three-hour daily sessions focusing on technique and solo repertoire, $400
Chamber music, one hour daily sessions​, $100
String instrument care and repair class, with luthier-in-residence Ross Hill of Aeolian Strings, $100
Private lessons and/or collaborative artist coaching sessions (45 minutes), $75 each
Composition class: This course will introduce principles of music composition through writing, music theory and analysis. Students will develop their skills and their musical language by writing their own sketches or short pieces. The class will run Monday to Thursday for 4 sessions, one hour each. Students will have the option to have a composition performed at one of the concerts on Friday August 16th. Instructor: Noel Fudge, $100
Orchestral Excerpt class: An opportunity to work on commonly required orchestral excerpts. Excerpts will be provided, and students are also encouraged to bring a couple of their own choosing. This class is open to advanced violinists, violists and cellists only. The class will run Monday to Thursday for 4 sessions, one hour each. Instructor: Gwen Hoebig, $100


William van der Sloot
vioiln

William van der Sloot has established a reputation as a leader in the development of young artists. His students have won international acclaim, having won top prizes in many major national and international competitions. His students are heard on concert stages throughout Canada and abroad and have performed often as guest soloists with many major symphony orchestras. He is in demand as a visiting professor and judge at music schools and international competitions in North America, China, and Europe. He is co-artistic director of the Valhalla Summer School of Music in New Denver, BC. The Royal Conservatory of Music recognized him as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Conservatory for his outstanding contributions to music education in Canada and internationally. A member of the Oberlin faculty since fall 2018, he also holds teaching appointments at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and Mount Royal University in Calgary.

Michael van der Sloot
cello

Michael van der Sloot is a versatile Canadian musician who has collaborated with world-renowned artists and ensembles as both a composer and a cellist. A former student of cellists Hans Jørgen Jensen, Andrés Díaz, and John Kadz, Mr. van der Sloot holds graduate degrees from prestigious music schools in both cello performance and composition. Alongside his engagements as a performer and composer, Mr. van der Sloot also enjoys a busy teaching career. Currently based in Calgary where he is a member of the faculty at Mount Royal University Conservatory, Mr. van der Sloot is a dedicated and sought-after instructor in a variety of musical disciplines including cello, advanced music theory, and composition. During the summers, he is a member of the faculty at the Valhalla Summer School of Music in the West Kootenays along with Mount Royal Conservatory’s Summer Strings. Mr. van der Sloot has also taught and performed as a guest at festivals throughout western Canada and regularly teaches with MRU Conservatory’s Academy Program for Gifted Youth.

Lauren Eselson
flute

Lauren Eselson is an Instructor of Flute at Mount Royal University Conservatory. She has been a regular extra musician in the flute section of the Calgary Philharmonic since 1987. During the seasons of 2003-2006, she was Acting Assistant Principal Flute with the orchestra. Ms. Eselson has also performed with the National Ballet Orchestra, Royal Winnipeg Ballet Orchestra, Calgary Bach Society, Kensington Sinfonia, Chicago Civic Orchestra, the American Wind Symphony, and in pit orchestras for Theater Calgary and Broadway touring productions. She has appeared as a concerto soloist with the Calgary Philharmonic, Calgary Bach Society, Kensington Sinfonia and the Calgary Chamber Ensemble, and has been recorded in recital by CBC Radio. At Mount Royal University Conservatory, Ms. Eselson is also the Woodwind facilitator for the well-known Academy program for gifted young musicians. She is a Woodwind-Brass examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music and is in demand as an adjudicator across Canada.

David Sussman
oboe

David Sussman has served as Assistant Principal Oboe and English horn in the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra since 1981. Calgary audiences know him for his expressive playing on all the members of the oboe family (oboe, oboe d’amore, and English horn). He has appeared as soloist with the Alberta Baroque Ensemble, the Kensington Sinfonia, the Calgary Bach Festival Society and of course, on many occasions with the CPO. He has performed with the Mount Royal Wind Quintet and the chamber groups Rosa Selvatica, Aubade and Land’s End. He has commissioned a new work for oboe and been heard many times on CBC Radio Two. David is a dedicated and enthusiastic educator. He has taught oboe students of all ages and coached chamber music at the Mount Royal University Conservatory, the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge. For several years, he taught the adult education course entitled ‘Symphony Anyone?’ for the Calgary Board of Education. During the past decade, he has been known as a friendly voice from the orchestra through his dozens of articles in CPO’s Prelude magazine.

Noel Fudge
composition

Born in Maple Ridge, BC, composer Noel Fudge now raises his family in beautiful New Denver, BC. Noel enjoys writing and arranging pieces for specific ensembles and chamber groups, including his commissioned work “Memory and Reflections” for the 75th Anniversary of the WWII Japanese Canadian Internment, and “One Legged Waltz” for esteemed performers, Johanne Perron and Martine denBok. Current commissions and compositions are focused on String Quartets, Duets, Trios and Chamber groups. During his early years, Noel became involved in rock bands where they performed his original music and received multiple scholarships to pursue his passion of music and composition. After twenty-five years of running a successful teaching and recording studio, Noel moved to New Denver BC and focused his abilities on writing for film, ensembles and for various
performers including his notable duo “Freya” with partner Martine denBok (violin/viola), “Klezmeridian“, a Klezmer and ethnic band based out of Nelson BC and “Vanir”, a rock-band where Noel performs his original songs with Jay Buttle (bass), Dean Spankie (drums) and Martine denBok (violin/keys/vocals).

Maria van der Sloot
violin

Maria van der Sloot enjoys a diverse career as a performer and educator. She has been a grand prizewinner in chamber music at the Canadian Music Competition and a finalist in the National Music Festival, and she has appeared as soloist with the Calgary Philharmonic and National Arts Centre Orchestra. She has performed extensively throughout North America, including for Music for Food, NPR’s From the Top, the Boston Symphony Prelude series, the Virginia Arts Festival, the Berkeley Piano Club, and the Calgary Philharmonic Emerging Artists series, and she has participated in the Banff, Orford, Tanglewood, and Morningside Music Bridge summer festivals. She has worked with contemporary groups and composers, including Land’s End Ensemble, Mark-Anthony Turnage, and Vivian Fung. In 2019, she joined the first violins of the Calgary Philharmonic and in 2020 was appointed concertmaster of the Calgary Civic Symphony.

Gwen Hoebig
violin

Recognized as one of Canada’s most outstanding violinists, Gwen Hoebig has spent several seasons as Concertmaster of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. She joined the orchestra as Concertmaster in 1987, having been awarded the position as the unanimous choice of the audition committee. Gwen Hoebig has performed all the major violin concerti with orchestras across Canada, the United States and Europe. Gwen has been a member of the Hoebig/Moroz trio with her husband, pianist David Moroz, and with her brother, cellist Desmond Hoebig for over 40 years. She is a founding member of the Clearwater Quartet which in addition to performances for the Winnipeg Chamber Music Society has been Ensemble-in-Residence of the University of Manitoba since 2019. Teaching is an integral part of Gwen’s life. She maintains a private studio in Winnipeg, and has students performing and teaching across North America. As founding Co-Artistic Director of the elite Morningside Music Bridge programme, she teaches and coaches young violinists from around the world in preparation for their international performing careers.

John Kadz
cello

John Kadz’s career as chamber musician and teacher spans more than 50 years and includes extensive touring throughout Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan. Mr. Kadz began his professional career at age 17 as a member of the Houston Symphony under the baton of Sir John Barbirolli. His other professional activities have included serving as the principal cellist with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and performing with the chamber music groups Aubade and the Lyric Chamber Players. Mr. Kadz maintains a large private student cello class. Previously he was a cello instructor with Mount Royal University Conservatory and managed its Academy Program and Summer Strings Academy. He was also co-artistic director for Morningside Music Bridge at Mount Royal University from its inception until 2015. In 2017, Mr. Kadz was made a Fellow at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto in recognition of his contribution to the music scene in Canada. He is the founding artistic director of Valhalla Fine Arts in British Columbia’s Slocan Valley and co-artistic director and cello instructor for the Valhalla Summer School of Music.

David Harding
viola

David Harding has an extensive solo and chamber music career, having
performed throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, Central America and Australia, in such renowned venues as Berlin’s Philharmonie, the Beethovenhaus in Bonn, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as music festivals around the world. The depth of David’s musical experience and knowledge make him perfectly placed to help the next generation of musicians. As a devoted and sought-after teacher, David is currently Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh. He has given masterclasses throughout North America, at institutions such as the University of Michigan, Oberlin Conservatory, Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity. David was formerly Associate Professor of Viola at the University of British Columbia, and with the Chester String Quartet.

Brenda Fedoruk
flute

Brenda is at the centre of the most acclaimed ensembles in the Lower Mainland: Principal flute with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, a frequent performer with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and first-call for touring orchestras and Disney film scoring sessions. She is at home on the symphonic stage and in the recording studio — whether she’s working with the city’s international award-winning vocal ensembles, exploring avant-garde repertoire with Vancouver’s renowned Turning Point Ensemble or recording her own magical recitals. She loves the awesome responsibility of being a positive force in a young musician’s life. Brenda maintains a busy private studio and draws students from across the country to her classes at UBC, Douglas College, Capilano University, and the Vancouver Academy of Music. Many of her students occupy positions with major Canadian orchestras, teach in the public school system and carry on her legacy as private instructors. Brenda treasures a life grounded in collaboration, artistic excellence and a commitment to the healthy “musical ecology” of the community.

Katarzyna Sądej
vocal studies

Mezzo-Soprano Katarzyna Sadej was born in Wrocław, Poland. Her international, eclectic career spans concert, opera, chamber music, oratorio, recital and voice-over performance. Katarzyna has also performed numerous world premieres and has had over a dozen new works composed especially for her. She holds two Masters degrees in vocal performance, which she earned at the University of Toronto and Bard College respectively. As a classical recitalist, she regularly appears in Canada and abroad. Highlights of her solo appearances include the National Arts Center Orchestra (Ottawa, Canada), L.A. Opera, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Industry Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Philharmonic, Festival Mozaic, the National Theater in Taipei, the Nuits Blanches Festival of Toronto, San Diego Opera, the Ravinia Festival as a Steans Fellow, the 2012 London Olympics, the Ojai International Music Festival, the Montenegrin National Theater, the Lviv (Ukraine) and Banatul (Romania) Philharmonic, the Music Biennale Zagreb, the Bard Summerscape Music Festival, the Cartagena International Music Festival, Saskatoon Opera, the Berkshire Bach Society, Harvard University, and numerous other notable venues.

Susanne Ruberg-Gordon
collaborative artist

Susanne Ruberg-Gordon is a highly regarded and sought after chamber-musician and collaborative pianist. She is recognized for her artistry, nuance and interpretation, and has performed in Canada, the US, China and UAE. Susanne is the pianist and core member of the Juno nominated Land’s End Ensemble in Calgary, a piano-trio that is dedicated to excellence in performance and recording of Canadian and International new music, and to enriching collaborations with eminent composers and artists. As a passionate educator, Susanne is a faculty member at the Mount Royal University Conservatory Academy and APP Programs where she teaches Piano, Chamber Music and is the Artistic Facilitator of Collaborative Pianists. She also teaches at the Valhalla Summer School of Music. Her piano students have pursued University degrees and careers in music and her chamber music coaching have seen her students win Regional and Provincial level music competitions as well as being recommended to the National level competition for CMC. Since 2001, she has been a Collaborative Artist for the prestigious and acclaimed Morningside Music Bridge program in Canada, US, China and Poland.

David Moroz
piano

A graduate of the Juilliard School, Winnipeg-born pianist David Moroz enjoys a career as one of Canada’s most versatile artists. As a soloist he has performed in every major Canadian city, and as a collaborative artist he appears regularly in recital with Canada’s most distinguished musicians. Twice nominated for Manitoba’s Artist of the Year, he is a frequent guest of CBC Radio and is a veteran performer at Canada’s most important music festivals. In addition to his work as Artistic Director of The Winnipeg Chamber Music Society, Dr. Moroz appears regularly in recital with his wife, the outstanding Canadian violinist Gwen Hoebig, and has been a member of the Hoebig/Moroz Trio since 1979, with whom he has performed much of the significant music written for piano trio. Dr. Moroz has been Artistic Director of the Winnipeg Chamber Music Society since 1987. In 2000, he began his long association with the Morningside Music Bridge program as Coordinator of the Piano Faculty. MMB is an International summer program which gathers together the finest young violinists, cellists, and pianists from across China, Canada, the United States and Europe.

Johanne Perron
cello

An internationally known cello artist, Johanne Perron presently pursues a career as chamber musician, solo performer and educator. As soloist she has played with orchestras including the Montreal, Mexico and Lisbon Symphonies. She has presented recitals in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, and Europe and has collaborated as a chamber musician on the American stage. She has been featured numerous times on radio and television broadcasts in Canada. She has won several awards including the Prix d’Europe as well as first prize in strings at the Tremplin International des Concours de Musique du Canada. Johanne Perron has served on the faculty of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro and at the Lynn University Music Conservatory at Boca Raton, Florida formerly known as the HARID Conservatory. She has taught and given master classes at festivals in Brazil, Canada, and the United States. She has also been on the faculties of Domaine Forget, Morningside Music Bridge and the Valhalla Summer School of Music in British Columbia.

Akiko Tominaga
collaborative artist

Born in Japan and raised in the United States, pianist Akiko Tominaga has been hailed by critics and audiences across North America, Europe and Japan. She began her studies at the age of 4, and made her solo debut in 1992, playing the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Her solo and chamber performances have been broadcast on CBC Radio. She has performed with the Bridgeport Symphony, Reading Symphony, Interschool Orchestra of New York, as well as Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, she has collaborated with many notable musicians. A resident of Calgary since 2007, she has appeared in numerous concerts with the Instrumental Society of Calgary and the Faculty and Friends series. She has also collaborated on projects with the Land’s End Ensemble. She has been invited to give master classes, lectures and adjudicate festivals in Alberta, B.C. and Ontario, and was on the faculty of University of Lethbridge. She is currently on faculty at the Mount Royal University Conservatory in Calgary, teaching for the Academy and Advanced Performance Program.

Ross Hill
luthier

Luthier Ross Hill has been working on string instruments for over 50 years and is well known throughout Canada for his outstanding knowledge and craftsmanship. At age 10, Ross made his first violin under the tutelage of Ragnar Helin. Ross made 7 instruments under Helin’s direction and won awards for each of these instruments. He has made in excess of 400 instruments: violins, violas, cellos, classical and steel string guitars. Ross has also made 6 Baroque violins, 1 Baroque viola, 1 Baroque cello, 2 Baroque Bows and assisted with the making of a Viola da Gamba. Ross has a Bachelors Degree in Education from the University of British Columbia and taught at the secondary level for thirty years. He also has a thriving business – Aeolian Strings – specializing in string instrument repair and restoration as well as instrument sales and rentals. Ross is a part-time resident of the Slocan Valley and has served as luthier-in-residence at VSSM for 15 years.