Angela Cavar, Piano, Voice

Angela Cavar holds a Bachelor of Performance in piano from the University of Calgary, performance degrees in both voice and piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music, and a Diploma in Piano Performance from Mount Royal University. She has performed classical and contemporary music and worked in theatre as an actor and music director. In addition to directing choirs and collaborating as a pianist with singers and instrumentalists, she teaches voice, piano, theory, and musicianship. She has been a member of the Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA) for 28 years.

Angela is passionate about finding ways to help people of all ages and levels develop their skills and express themselves through music.

Read More

Heather Henderson, Voice

Heather Henderson B.Mus, M.Mus, Graduate Diploma in Voice Performance

Heather Henderson has been a teacher, soloist, performance coach/director, choral director and clinician, in the Southern Alberta Region for over 30 years. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, a Master of Music degree from the University of Houston and a Graduate Diploma from the Saint Louis Conservatory of Music. She studied voice with W. Stephen Smith, John Glen Paton, Carol Ann Hill, Philip May, Elaine Case, Selena James and vocal pedagogy with Barbara M. Doscher. Performance coaching with preeminent vocal coaches Martin Isepp, Martin Katz, Richard Boldrey and Nico Castel and further studies in Acting, Dance, Alexander Technique, Languages and Martial Arts.

A Lyric soprano, she performed with St. Louis Opera Theatre, Opera East, Boulder Festival, Calgary Opera, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Banff Festival, Folks Opera, Gift of Music Recital Series, Storybook Theatre, Stampede Stage and Calgary Theatre Singers. She was a coach/director for Cow Town Opera Summer Academy for several years and a past facilitator and current faculty for the Mount Royal Vocal Academy. She is an active member of the Calgary NATS Chapter (National Association Teachers of Singing) and a busy adjudicator at music festivals across Canada.

Her students receive positive and experienced preparation for local music festivals, and examinations at all levels, (Royal Conservatory of Music, Conservatory Canada and the London College of Music) as well as auditioning for music schools and theatre companies. Her students have attained several gold medals for their examinations and have attended top schools including Mannes School of Music, Berklee School of Music, Dalhousie, Western University, Randolph College and the University of Toronto. “I am dedicated to helping singers of all ages and levels achieve their goals by building a strong understanding and confidence in their technique, musicianship and interpretation to meet the challenge of performing with authenticity, vitality and creativity”.

Read More

Katie Filson-Lau, Voice, Piano

Katie Filson-Lau is a soprano soloist and choral singer from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She is a graduate of the University of Calgary and received a Bachelor of Music degree majoring in vocal performance. She has performance and training experience in classical, musical theatre, choral, pop, and jazz singing. As a soloist, Katie has been awarded the WorldStrides OnStage Maestro Award, at a choral competition in Montreal, and the Don Wright Prize from the University of Calgary. She also has been awarded the Anthony G. Petti Memorial Scholarship in Music and the Norman J. Kennedy Memorial Scholarship for Choral Performance, both from the University of Calgary. She has performed as a soloist with Juno award-winning group Rosa Barocca. She has competed as a soloist in the Karaoke World Championships, in which she placed top 20 in Canada and the NATS Southern Alberta Songfest. Katie also has 12 years of experience playing piano as a soloist and accompanist for choirs and accompanying her own performances. She hopes to share her knowledge of these experiences with her students while fostering a passion for music. In the future, Katie plans to pursue a master's in choral conducting and vocal performance. When she isn’t making music, she can be found baking yummy sweets or knitting.

Read More

Meaghan Schulz, Voice, Piano

Meaghan Schulz has a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance, and an LLB from the University of Alberta. She is on the roster with Cowtown Opera Company, and is a member of the Calgary Opera Chorus. Meaghan has trained in early childhood music education and she also developed and taught a baby sign language program called Nursery Signs. She is so excited to play and explore at Chinook School of Music with Music Kids!

Read More

Sarah Nearing, Beginner Piano, Voice, Group Ukulele

Sarah is an actor, singer, and emerging playwright born and raised here in Calgary. She is a passionate teacher and artist who strives to inspire compassion and joy through her work in opera, theatre, and even TV (if you’re a fan of The Last of Us, you may have spotted her at the very beginning of Episode 5)! She was recently nominated for a CAT Award for her performance as Mercutio in Full Circle Theatre’s Riverona. Other recent performance credits include Calgary Opera’s Arias and Ales (soloist), as well as The Elixir of Love, The Marriage of Figaro, Macbeth, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (Canadian Premiere), and Carmen with Calgary Opera’s Chorus. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in both Theatre and Music from Dalhousie University, and is so excited to begin her second year teaching at Chinook School of Music!

Read More