Our commitment to quality instruction sets the standard for similar programs throughout Canada. We are proud of the accomplished and acclaimed faculty of professional performers and pedagogues who contribute so much to achieving this goal. Instructor information is arranged by program type or instrument. Wherever possible, direct e-mail links to individual instructors have been included.
Director of The Conservatory
Terry Clark joined The Conservatory at Mount Royal University in 2022. Clark has deep ties to the Calgary community and is excited to return to the Conservatory after spending a number of years abroad. Like his grandfather, he studied at The Conservatory as a youth before going on to the University of Calgary where he earned a Bachelor of Music in flute performance.
Clark joins MRU from the Royal College of Music in London, England where he obtained his PhD. Since then he has been researching and teaching at the College, in addition to managing its Performance Simulators. Clark brings a unique expertise to MRU having dedicated much of his time to performance development and psychology, and he is looking forward to exploring the potential of The Conservatory.
“The Conservatory has always had a very illustrious place in my mind and I am overjoyed to be returning as director,” he says. “The Conservatory is home to some of Calgary’s most talented musicians and I am looking forward to further developing their skills, while also bringing in some of my knowledge around performance psychology.”
Quicklinks to Faculty
Collaborative Pianists | Accompanists: General Programs | Accompanist: Choirs | Band Programs | Brass | Chinese Classical Music Studies | Choral Programs | Early Childhood Programs | Guitar | Harp | Jazz | Music Theory, History & Composition | Orchestral Program | Organ | Percussion | Piano | Speech Arts & Drama | Strings | Voice | Woodwinds
Collaborative Pianists
- Susanne Ruberg-Gordon, Artistic Facilitator, Academy Collaborative Pianists
- Ami Longhi
- Kathy Dornian
- Rachel Kreyner
Accompanists: General Programs
- Kenneth Murdoch
- Chrstine Sul
- Oksana Yaremchuk
- Sylvia Zavzavadjian
Accompanist: Choirs
- Melissa Ko
- Mary Buckley
- Zixin (James) Chen
Band Programs
- John Roggensack (Facilitator, Custom Band Workshops)
Brass
- Laurie Matiation, Facilitator, Academy Brass: General Program Brass
- Natalie DeJong, Suzuki Trumpet
- Nikki McCaslin, Tombone, Euphonium
- Tom McCaslin, Tuba
- Andre Wickenheiser, Trumpet
Chinese Classical Music Studies
- Jiajia Li , Dizi
- Jeffrey Chao, Erhu
- Wei Chi Vicky Su, Guzheng
- Xue Jia (Shana) Yang , Voice
Choral Programs
- John Morgan, Kantorei Choir Director
- Elizabeth Paynter, Arioso/MRU Youth Choir Director
- Lori Follis, Arietta Children's Choir Director
- Jocelyn Paynter, Ariel Children's Choir Director
- Shana Yang, Calgary Zhi-Yin Choir Director
- Andrea Ciona, APP Choral Conducting
- Mary Buckley, Kantorei Accompanist
- Claudia Istvanffy, Mount Royal Choral Association Manager
- Melissa Ko, Arioso Accompanist
- Zixin James Chen, Calgary Zhi Yin Accompanist
Early Childhood Programs
- Lori Anderson-Doering, Suzuki Guitar
- Kim Aull, Suzuki Guitar
- Marg Caspell, Suzuki Piano
- Suzanne Derbecker, Co-Facilitator, Early Childhood Kodály Music Instructor
- Marissa Feria, Suzuki Piano
- Marc Houde, Suzuki Piano
- Amanda Massey, Early Childhood Kodaly Music Instructor
- Elsie Ng , Suzuki Piano
- Jocelyn Paynter, Early Childhood Kodaly Music Instructor
- Beth Root Sandvoss, Early Childhood Cello
- Oshadhee Satarasinghe, Co-Facilitator, Early Childhood Kodály Music Instructor
- Barbara Smith, Early Childhood Kodaly Music Instructor
- Judit Szanto, Early Childhood Kodaly Music Instructor
- Crystal Tan, Early Childhood Kodaly Music Instructor
Guitar
- Lori Anderson-Doering, Suzuki Guitar
- Kim Aull , Suzuki Guitar
- Brett Gunther Facilitator Guitar, Facilitator Academy Guitar
- Benjamin Lahring
Harp
Jazz
Music Theory, History & Composition
Orchestral Program
- Edmond Agopian, Artistic Director, Calgary Youth Orchestra
- Jeffrey Chao, Artistic Director, Calgary Chinese Orchestra
- Jay Michalak, Conductor, Woodwind and Brass Ensemble
- Chris Sandvoss, Conductor, Conservatory Sinfonia
- Christina Visy, Conductor, Junior Sinfonia
- Susanna Walker, Conductor, Debut Strings
Organ
Percussion
Piano
- Rolf Bertsch, Facilitator, Academy piano
- Barb Carruthers Piano Facilitator
- Kathy Dornian, NMC Facilitator
- Janna Banman, Piano Instuctor/ Program Facilitator
- Bonnie Bi
- Marg Caspell, Suzuki Instuctor/Program Facilitator
- Emilio de Mercato
- Han Ding
- Marissa Feria
- Ariel Gonzalez
- Susan Hlasny
- Marc Houde
- Patricia Huck
- Juliana Jorge
- Ivan Kharlamov
- Linda Kundert
- Ken Murdoch
- Scott MacIsaac
- Katherine Mihyun Kim
- Elsie Ng
- Lihn Nguyen (On Leave)
- Ariana Rodriguez
Speech Arts & Drama
- Jennifer Orr, Program Facilitator
- Cheryl Abma
- Susan Duska
Strings
- Edmond Agopian, CYO Artistic Director
- Eric Auerbach, Facilitator, Academy Intermediate/Associate Violin
- Sheila Garrett, Facilitator, Academy Double Bass
- Chris Sandvoss, Facilitator, Academy Viola, Violin
- Beth Root Sandvoss, Facilitator, Academy Cello
- Fabiola Amorim, Vioin, Viola
- Andrea Case, Cello
- Arnold Choi, Cello
- Nigel Edmonton-Boehm, Cello
- Tobi Jurchuk, Violin
- Olena Kilchyk, Cello
- Diane Lane, Violin
- John Lowry, Violin
- Bonnie Louie, Violin
- Ben Neumann, Violin
- Vladimir Rufino, Violin
- Liza Scriggins, Violin & Viola
- Donovan Seidle , Violin
- Magdi Szebenyi, Cello
- Maria van der Sloot, Violin, Facilitator, Academy Senior
- Michael van der Sloot, Cello
- Corinne Visscher, Violin
- Susanna Walker, Violin
Voice
- Andrea Hill
- Leon Leontaridis, Facilitator
- Amanda Massey
- Winston Noren
Woodwinds
- Lauren Eselson, Flute
- Stan Climie, Clarinet
- Mark DeJong, Saxophone
- Rachael Flatt, Flute
- Kristine Gray, Saxophone
- Jiajia Li, Flute, Dizi, Facilitator Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion
- Lucie Jones, Flute
- Sarah MacDonald, Academy and APP Woodwinds Facilitator
- Keith O'Rourke, Saxophone
- Emily Phernambucq, Flute
- Dustyn Richardson, Clarinet
- David Sussman, Oboe