Piano: Dr. David Sharp

Voice: Caroline Schiller

An artist equally at home in concert, opera, and music theatre repertoire, Caroline Schiller has participated in the creation and performance of opera and concert works with companies that include The Banff Centre, The Tanglewood Music Center, The Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, Festival of the Sound, The Charlottetown Festival, and The Indian River Festival. Of her concert and theatre work, some highlights include performances with L’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal; the American premiere of Alexander Goehr’s Sing Ariel with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, and her performances in the role of Christine in the original Toronto cast of Phantom of the Opera. She has worked with conductors and directors including Charles Dutoit, Joachim Herz, Oliver Knussen, Harold Prince, Brian Rintoul, and Kelly Robinson and is former winner of the prestigious Young Singer of the Year Award in Llangollen, Wales and the Canadian National Music Festival in Voice.

Dedicated to the training of young singers, she is Professor of Voice and Director of Opera at Memorial University of Newfoundland; one of the founding faculty members of the MUN Song Academy, a week-long summer intensive program in song repertoire for high school age singers; an Assistant Editor of the Opera Journal for the National Opera Association; past District Governor and President of the Canadian Atlantic Region of the National Association of Teachers of Singing; frequent recitalist, director, adjudicator, and clinician internationally.

Woodwinds: Dr. James Kalyn

James Kalyn is a diverse and highly experienced musician. He is a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician on both clarinet and saxophone, a conductor of orchestra, band, and jazz ensemble, and an arranger and composer. An Associate Professor at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada, Kalyn has performed throughout the world with groups such as the Cleveland Orchestra. He is the clarinetist and arranger  for the highly successful woodwind quintet Ventus Machina (www.ventusmachina.com).

Strings: Danielle Sametz

Danielle Sametz grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan where she began her musical studies on both violin and piano. During her time in Regina, Danielle was a member of the Regina Symphony Orchestra and also completed her Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto certification studying with Dr. Jamie Syer. She successfully completed her Bachelor of Music from Brandon University (BU) in 2009, studying with Kerry DuWors and Mark Rudoff. Danielle was a member of the string quartet-in-residence at the Centre for Opera in Sulmona, Italy, has collaborated with Winnipeg rock band “From the Moon” on their album, The Cyclist, was a Saskatchewan representative at the National Arts Program of Canada during the 2009 Summer Games and travelled to Palestine and Israel for a concert series and tour with faculty of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music. After finishing her Masters degree at the Aaron Copland school in New York City she spent 18 months in South Africa placing with the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra. Danielle is currently principal violinist with the Saint John String Quartet and concertmaster of Symphony New Brunswick.

Composition: Rebecca Maxner


Choral: Christopher Lane

Mr. Lane is Director of Music and Administration at Saint David’s United Church and is in demand as a vocal teacher, coach, adjudicator, conductor, accompanist, and clinician.  A graduate of Western University, he is Artistic Director of the Sussex Choral Society, director of the Carleton Choristers and Harbour View Choral Ensemble, and the director of the FCMF National Music Festival award-winning Harbour View Chazz.  Since 2012, he has been Music Director of the Kennebecasis Valley Players.  He has been an active member of the Juno-nominated Canadian Chamber Choir since 2002.

He currently serves as Treasurer for the New Brunswick Federation of Music Festivals, the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals, the New Brunswick Competitive Festival of Music, and Portland United Church.  From 2006-2010, he was the Executive Director of Opera New Brunswick.  

In 2008, he was named one of New Brunswick’s 21 Leaders for the 21st Century.

Musical Theatre: Marion Abbott

Marion Abbott is a proud graduate of the Musical Theatre Performance Program at Sheridan College. Upon graduating, she was immediately hired to teach for the program and was later named one of the top twenty graduates of the program. She has her A.R.C.T. in Piano Performance and Grade 10 Voice from The Royal Conservatory of Music. Marion has produced over 400 productions in Toronto and other cities. Of the many (many!) shows Marion has worked on, some of her favourites include The Scarlet Pimpernel, All Shook Up, Anne And Maud, No Safe Harbour, Ragtime, Streetcar Named Desire and Passion. As a private teacher, Marion has taught voice, piano and acting for 35 years to students of all ages. From festivals to recitals to performances in Disney World, Marion cherishes dearly the memories of her time with her students. Marion has uploaded over 1000 accompaniment tracks on her YouTube Channel for Singers and Voice Teachers to utilize: www.youtube.com/MarionAbbott Marion has written two musicals - Artsy Girls and Upward Climb: The Life Story of Lucy Maud Montgomery. Marion is married to a Visual Artist and is the mother of a Special Effects Artist; the three of them are addicted to movies. Marion LOVES Walt Disney and would live in Walt Disney World if that were possible. marionabbott.com - @msmarionabbott

Brass: Curtis Dietz, Trumpet
A native of Hanover, Ontario, Curtis Dietz has been a member of Symphony Nova Scotia since 1996. He is a graduate of the University of Montreal and also studied at the University of Toronto and the Banff Center for the Arts. Curtis has performed and recorded with some of Canada’s finest orchestras including the Montreal Symphony, the Canadian Opera Company and the National Arts Center Orchestra. He is a frequent collaborator with Grammy winning Composer Paul Halley and is a founding member of the Maritime Brass Quintet.