2019 Adjudictors

2019 Adjudicators

Concert Band

Dr. Robert Taylor
Robert Taylor is Professor of Music and Director of Bands at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, where he conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting, and serves as Chair of the Woodwind Brass and Percussion Division. With a career in music education spanning over twenty years, previous appointments include the University of Puget Sound in the state of Washington and Eureka High School in northern California, where ensembles under his direction earned recognition by Downbeat Magazine, the Selmer Corporation, and Grammy Signature Schools.
Dr. Taylor received the Master of Music and Doctor of Music degrees in conducting from Northwestern University and the Bachelor of Arts degree in Trumpet and Music Education from Humboldt State University. He maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor, with past engagements including performances with the Vancouver Brass Project, Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and Chicago-based contemporary music group, the Maverick Ensemble, in addition to collaborations with a wide range of international artists—from brass virtuosi Allen Vizzutti, Gail Williams, Jeff Nelsen, and Daniel Perantoni; to composers Jodie Blackshaw, Michael Colgrass, John Corigliano, David Maslanka, Joel Puckett, Alex Shapiro, Frank Ticheli, and Dana Wilson; to jazz and pop performers Ingrid Jensen, Manhattan Transfer, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. As a passionate advocate of music in the schools, Dr. Taylor is in high demand as a festival adjudicator, rehearsal clinician, and guest conductor throughout North America and internationally.

Dr. Wendy McCallum
Dr. Wendy McCallum is the Instrumental Music Education Specialist and director of the Symphonic Band at Brandon University where she teaches courses in music education and conducting. She has conducted junior high and high school regional, provincial and state honor bands, presented at provincial and international music conferences, and has worked as a solo and ensemble adjudicator and clinician for concert and jazz ensembles in Canada and the United States. She is an Educational Clinician for the Conn-Selmer Division of Education. McCallum, active as a conductor and clinician, investigates areas related to teaching and learning, conducting, and instrumental literature as curriculum in the music classroom.

Dr. Emily Moss
Dr. Emily A. Moss is the Director of Bands and Director of Instrumental Music Education for the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance at California State University, Los Angeles. Her duties include direction of the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, teaching undergraduate and graduate conducting, and instruction in instrumental music education methods. Her previous appointment (2008-2011) was at the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York where she served as Director of the Conservatory Wind Ensemble and Coordinator of Music Education.
Originally from Seattle, WA, Dr. Moss earned her Bachelors’ degrees in music and music education at the University of Washington, studying conducting with Timothy Salzman and bassoon performance with Arthur Grossman. She taught middle school band and private bassoon lessons in Chandler, AZ and Seattle, WA for six years where her bands received honors and awards from regional and state festivals. While serving as a teaching assistant with the University bands at the University of Northern Colorado, she earned her Master’s degree in Wind Conducting and the Doctor of Arts in Music Education and Bassoon Performance, studying with Kenneth Singleton, Richard Mayne and Charles Hansen.
As a conductor and clinician, Dr. Moss has been invited to guest conduct at middle schools, high schools and universities in Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and California and regularly gives band clinics throughout Southern California. She is also an accomplished bassoonist, actively performing during her degree programs in Washington and Colorado, with the Conservatory Orchestra and other ensembles at Brooklyn College, and for faculty recitals at Cal State L.A.
Dr. Moss is passionate about music education and effective teaching. As a member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Effective Teaching and Learning (CETL) at Cal State L.A., she is actively involved in exploring and finding ways to improve student learning. She was recently awarded a planning grant from the Lipton/Modarres Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching and Learning to develop a Pre-Service Teaching component within the B.M. in Music Education program at CSULA. She can be seen presenting at conferences across the United States on topics ranging from effective rehearsing and good ensemble tone to practical tips for non-percussionist band directors. Her professional memberships include College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), National Association for Music Educators (NAfME), California Band Directors Association (CBDA), National Band Association (NBA), and the National Honor Society Phi Kappa Phi.

Jazz Band

Hans Verhoeven
Hans Verhoeven has lived and worked in many vibrant music scenes in Canada and abroad. Recognized for his authenticity, playfulness and creativity, he has performed with an array of artists from Oscar Stagnaro, Ingrid and Christine Jensen, to Brad Turner, Phil Dwyer, PJ Perry and Brandi Disterheft.
Hans holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from McGill University where he studied with Chris McCann, and a Master of Music in Orchestral Percussion Performance from the University of Victoria where he studied with William Linwood. He currently works as the drum instructor at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

Choral

Brian Tate
An award-winning composer, as well as an accomplished and versatile musician, choir director, and educator, Brian attributes the success of his multifaceted career to a love of working with people and a passion for the arts.
Brian received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of British Columbia, and went on to further music studies in London, England; Toronto; Ghana; Cuba; Oakland and New Orleans. His love for music of many kinds has led to a diverse career that includes orchestral and choral conducting and performing, musical theatre, and composing music for film, television, stage, and the concert hall. Brian has twice received Vancouver's Jessie Richardson Award for original theatre music, and his choral music is performed worldwide.
As a vocalist, Brian performs with his jazz quartet at festivals, clubs, and in concert. He also performs with Dawn Pemberton and Karla Mundy in the vocal a cappella trio, TriVo.
In 2010, Brian founded and is currently the music director for Vancouver's vibrant, 100-voice City Soul Choir. He is known internationally for his lively choir workshops, excellent conducting skills, gift for bringing out the best in choirs, and for his exhilarating and inspiring choral compositions / arrangements.
As an organizational speaker, educator, and facilitator, Brian takes the elements of creativity, intuition, and improvisation from the performing arts and transforms these elements into powerful, interactive group experiences that develop leadership, innovation, and team-building. His programs include groundbreaking work such as using musical improvisation to enhance leadership and teams, and using the voice as a tool for personal development. Brian brings spontaneity, humour, and originality into all of his presentations. Participants experience growth not only in their work, but in all areas of their lives.

Gail Suderman
Gail Suderman began her musical training studying piano, accompanying extensively for choirs, instrumentalists and singers. She went on to study voice and was accepted into the School of Music at the University of Victoria in Voice Performance. Gail’s teachers of note were Jean Letourneau and Bernard Turgeon. Gail was awarded a Fellowship for Graduate Studies at UVic in Voice Performance and Orchestral Conducting, as well as a Teaching Assistantship conducting the University Orchestra and Chorus. After singing professionally in both Opera and Oratorio, Gail focused on a teaching career, developing an award-winning Choral and Voice program at Gladstone Secondary School in Vancouver. During her time at Gladstone, Gail was featured in a Vancouver Sun series on Music Education in British Columbia as one of the top music educators in the province.

In 2001, Gail began teaching at Kwantlen Polytechnic University where she is currently Director of Voice and Choral Studies. In addition to teaching at Kwantlen, Gail is Artistic Director of Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir. Gail’s voice students have gone on to sing on Opera and Concert stages in North America and Europe and her choirs have performed with Barbra Streisand, David Foster, Josh Groban and Shania Twain and have been featured in performances on CBC Radio and Television, Global TV, City TV, Bravo Network, the Knowledge Network and Vision TV. Gail continues to be in demand as a voice teacher, singer and collaborative pianist, voice and choral festival adjudicator/clinician and guest conductor.

Drum line

The Victoria Music Festival is pleased to welcome the Canadian Drum line Association to our festival this year.

Mike Michalkow
Mike Michalkow has been performing, recording, and teaching drums for more than 20 years, with a storied career that has seen him brush shoulders with some of the most recognized drummers in the industry.
As a firm believer in drum education, Mike has studied privately with Mitch Dorge (Crash Test Dummies), Dom Famularo, Jim Chapin, Chuck Silverman, John Fisher, Peter Magadini, and Virgil Donati - while also taking classes with the Drummers Collective in New York City, and graduating at the top of his program while majoring in Latin and Jazz under Brian Thurgood at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton.
His passion for drums and percussion has earned him a name in the business. This led him to be the Orchestra Drummer on a popular cruise line, heading up the drum department for the USA West Coast for the “National Guitar Workshop”. Mike has also performed and recorded with songwriters and bands with a range of styles including progressive rock, latin, jazz, blues, pop, funk, celtic, country, metal, and R&B.
Mike has taught on various drum instructional DVDs including “Moeller Method Secrets”, “The Jazz Drumming System”, “The Latin Drumming System”, and the world-famous “Drumming System” which has sold nearly 20,000 copies. Mike is also an ongoing instructor for the online drum lessons community at www.Drumeo.com.
Mike’s goal as an outgoing performer and enthusiastic teacher is to excite and motivate others about the drums and music.