Dr. Gillian MacKay

Dr. Gillian MacKay is an Associate Professor of Music of the University of Toronto, where she conducts the Wind Ensemble and teaches conducting and trumpet. She is also Associate Dean of Graduate Education.

An award-winning teacher, Gillian has an active professional career as a trumpeter, conductor, adjudicator and clinician. She has conducted honour bands throughout Canada and the United States, including the National Youth Band of Canada. Dr. MacKay has adjudicated Canadian band festivals at local, provincial, and national levels, as well as competitions in Singapore and Thailand.

Dr. MacKay has presented clinics and workshops at provincial and state conferences in Canada and the United States, and is known for her work on the relationship between conducting and mime. Also recognized as a conducting pedagogue, Gillian leads the University of Toronto Wind Conducting Symposium each July, and has been the guest instructor at other symposia in Canada. As a trumpeter, she has a particular interest in the French solo trumpet and cornet music of the 19^th century.

Gillian holds degrees and diplomas from the University of Lethbridge, McGill University, the University of Calgary, and Northwestern University. Previously she served as Instructor of Brass at Medicine Hat College, and Director of the School of Music at the University of Windsor.

Kim Mattice Wanat

Kim Mattice Wanat holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta with a major in drama and an ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. She is a performer, teacher and director. In addition to her formal degrees she has studied at Banff, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Chiari, Italy.

Her professional credits include lead roles in The Fantastics, Oliver, South Pacific, and Passion. For 10 years she performed as a freelance artist in touring productions across Canada; Backstage Broadway, a touring production of Broadway Musicals Through the Decades and Wind, Women & Song, a female classical quartet consisting of two sopranos, a piano and French horn. In 2000 this quartet released a CD entitled La Dolce Vita.

Ms. Mattice Wanat is well known as a voice teacher, adjudicator and pedagogue clinician, conducting workshops for teachers and choral directors across Western Canada. In 2005 she published a book for teachers entitled Unleashing the Expressive Resonant Voice.

For the past 21 years she has taught voice to the professional acting students in the Drama Dept. at U of Alberta and has acted as voice coach and musical director for several of the Bachelor of Fine Arts productions.

In 1998 Ms. Mattice Wanat founded Discovery Playhouse, a youth music theater company in Edmonton. The company produced two productions in the city; You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown and Once Upon A Mattress for the Fringe festival and toured the shows throughout Alberta. In 1999 she founded Opera Nuova. She has directed several of the NUOVA mainstage productions including Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Aaron Copland’s The Tenderland, Mark Adamo’s Little Women, Offenbach’s La Perichole, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte; Smetana’s The Bartered Bride and Rossini’s Cenerentola.

Her commitment to sharing her expertise with young singers, actors, teachers and choral directors has earned her extensive recognition including Global Television’s Woman of Vision Award, The City of Edmonton’s Salute to Excellence in the Arts Award and the YWCA’s Woman of Distinction in Arts and Culture Award. She was one of 100 Albertans chosen by the Alberta Centennial Celebrations committee who recognized her significant achievement and contribution as a voice teacher and artistic director.