2026 Clinicians

Senior Piano – Linda Kundert
Junior Piano – Ina Dykstra
Voice – Jennifer O’Donnell
Creative Music – Andriy Talpash
Guitar – Tyson Oatway
Strings – Ewald Cheung
Brass – Nancy Stepney
Winds – Matthew Robinson
Organ – TBA

Senior Piano – Linda Kundert

Linda Kundert holds a Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Southern California. She has an Associate Teachers’ Diploma from Mount Royal University and an ARCT Teacher’s Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto (RCM.) These mentors guided her education: Willard Schultz, Charles Foreman, Priscilla King, Peter Turner, James Bonn, Adam Wibrowski, Donald Bell, Dr. Marienne Uszler and Dr. Jean Barr. Ms. Kundert is a successful independent studio teacher, RCM senior examiner, Frederick Harris editor & reviewer, festival adjudicator, collaborative artist, and she is a master class and workshop clinician. In addition, she is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Cassa Musical Arts, which celebrated its 30th year in 2023.

Ms. Kundert was honoured with the Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA) Recognition Award in 2006, was Chair of the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association (CFMTA) Peak Performance Conference, held in Calgary in 2005, and in 2011 was presented with the CFMTA Hugheen Ferguson Distinguished Teacher Award. Ms. Kundert was also honoured with the City of Calgary 2015 Community Achievement Arts Award, and was awarded Teacher of Distinction by the RCM in 2016.

Ms. Kundert is currently a piano instructor at Mount Royal University, and she teaches from her home studio in Okotoks, Alberta, in-person and online. Her students continue to receive many awards and scholarships in both performance and composition. Ms. Kundert loves to teach, and she has nurtured many students of all ages and levels. With her guidance, more than 50 students have achieved their ARCT and Licentiate diplomas.

Junior Piano – Ina Dykstra

Ms. Ina Dykstra received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at the University of Alberta, where she studied with Dr. Ernesto Lejano, Dr. Helmut Brauss.and Isobel Rolston. She also went on to complete Graduate Degree courses in Art Song, Collaborative Piano, Chamber Music and Solo Performance.

Ms. Dykstra holds a degree in Music Therapy from Capilano College in Vancouver, and has worked with a wide variety of students of all ages and all abilities, from the very gifted to those with various special needs.

She is also a composer, and has written many solo piano works for all levels. Her compositions are can be found in the “Let’s Play” series of books (Preparatory to Advanced), as well as other piano solos for all ages. Ina’s piece “Leafy Sea Dragon’ is featured in the 2022 Level 7 Etudes book affiliated with the Royal Conservatory of music.

Ina has given workshops and Master Classes for teachers and students on a variety of topics, some of which include:

• Duet/Duo-Piano music
• Canadian compositions
• An Introduction to Student Composition
• Piano Teaching: Where do we begin?

She has also been active at “Summer Sizzle”, a young composers’ music camp created by the Canadian National Conservatory of Music, as well as “Strings and Keys”, a summer camp in Alberta.

Ina is a member of the College of Examiners with the Royal Conservatory of Music and conducts both remote and in-person RCM exams across the country.

While living in Victoria for 10 years, Ina was concert chair for the Victoria Branch of the BCRMTA, as well as involved in Canada Music Week preparations and concerts each year. Presently she is a member of ARMTA in Alberta, and has an active studio back in her home community of St. Albert, Alberta.

Ms. Dykstra has a deep commitment to furthering musical education, creativity, and artistry. She has over 50 years of experience as an accompanist, performer, clinician, examiner, adjudicator, composer and inspiring teacher.

Strings – Ewald Cheung

Violinist Ewald Cheung has performed as soloist with orchestras around Canada, including the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec. He has also performed in recital series in Trois- Rivieres, CAMMAC, Edmonton and Muzewest with pianists Philip Chiu, Henry Mokken, and Michael Massey. In 2015, Ewald and pianist Philip Chiu were featured in a 34-concert tour with Jeunesses Musicales Canada and also recorded their album, “A Tribute to Fritz Kreisler.” He is currently a member of the first violin section of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

Ewald is the recipient of the 2010 Golden Violin Award from McGill University, where he also received his Bachelor of Music and Artist Diploma. He recently obtained his Masters’ degree from The Juilliard School. His teachers include Daniel Phillips, Felicia Moye, André Roy, Jonathan Crow, James Keene and Valeria Kalinak. Other awards include First Prize in the Shean Strings Competition in 2009, First Prize in the Trois-Riviéres Competition in 2010 and Second Prize in the Standard Life OSM Competition in 2007. Ewald gratefully has been supported by the Anne Burrows Foundation, the Winspear Fund and the Victoria Foundation throughout his studies.

As an avid chamber musician, Ewald was a founding member of the Roddick String Quartet and Geistrio. With the Roddick String Quartet, he competed at the London International String Quartet Competition and performed at the Montreal Chamber Music Festival. Ewald, additionally has competed at the Fischoff National Chamber Competition with Geistrio. He has also collaborated with many prominent musicians including Robert Uchida, Rafael Hoekman, Axel Strauss, Patricia Tao and Peter Wiley. Ewald has previously attended the McGill International String Quartet Academy, studying with members of the Alban Berg, Cleveland and Guarneri String Quartets. Currently, Ewald is currently a member of the High Level Trio, with violist, Ethan Filner and cellist, Julie Hereish.

Brass - Nancy Stepney

Bio coming soon...

Winds - Matthew Robinson

Bio coming soon...

Voice – Jennifer O'Donnell

Bio coming soon...

Creative Music – Andriy Talpash

Andriy Talpash is an active composer, conductor, and educator based in Edmonton, Canada. He has composed works for numerous ensembles and soloists, including Calgary’s Ensemble Resonance, The Rubbing Stone Ensemble, Continuum Contemporary Music, Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal, Ensemble KORE, Trio Fibonacci, Kathleen Supové, William Street, Roger Admiral, Viktoria Reiswich-Dapp, Vincent David, Nicolas Prost, Mathieu Gaulin, among others. His works have been performed throughout Canada and the United States, Europe, and the People’s Republic of China.

Since 2005, Dr. Talpash has been teaching music composition, theory, and orchestration at the University of Alberta, and is also the music department’s New Music Coordinator.

Guitar - Tyson Oatway

Bio coming soon..

Organ - TBA

Bio coming soon...