Dr. Araxie Altounian holds a "Médaille dor" in piano performance from the Ecole national de musique et dart dramatique de Val de Maubu France, and a Ph.D. in Musicology from the Universit Saint-Esprit Kaslik, Lebanon. Her musical activities include performances both as soloist and as accompanist, as well as several lectures. She is also the author of several articles. Her first book, "Boghos Gélalian, l'homme, le musicien, l'oeuvre" will be published shortly. Since 1992 Araxie Altounian has been living in the Toronto area. She maintains a private piano studio in Thornhill, and is a staff member at the Euromusic Centre of Music Studies in Markham. She is the past president of the North York Branch of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers' Association.
Mr. John Bailey holds an ARCT diploma from The Royal Conservatory of Music. He studied with Slavka Nikolova, Wilhelm Kempf, and Madeline Bone, and has attended master classes with Leon Fleisher and Karl Ulrich Schnabel. Mr. Bailey has served as a festival adjudicator and conductor of workshops across Canada. He is a contributor to Royal Conservatory of Music publications and has been a member of the College of Examiners since 1962. He was a faculty member at Toronto Associated Conservatory of Music until 2001. He also serves as an honourary advisor for the Markham Music Festival.
Mr. Kwok-Wai Chan studied and graduated from McGill University in Montreal. He has many years of teaching experience and is the author of a number of textbooks. His cultural sociological approach to teaching Music History makes his lectures interesting and effective. In class his multimedia teaching environment the use of audio, video, paintings and electronic sound and images (in classes where computer systems are available) provides the students with an all round, unique, and satisfactory learning experience. His detailed and comprehensive sets of Music History Notes are student-orientated. They effectively help students understand the lectures as well as prepare for the RCM Examinations. His philosophy in education is that learning itself is enjoyable and rewarding, and in his classes the students always reap the bonus receiving excellent results in the RCM Examinations, obtaining first class honours with distinction.
Mrs. Lina Chan graduated from McGill University studying Music and Psychology. She also holds the LRSM Diploma in Music Theory and LTCL Diploma in Piano Teaching. She has been on the board of directors for the Music Scarborough Festival since 1989. Mrs. Chan is a very experienced teacher; she has taught high school music and prepared students for both piano and theory courses for RCM examinations for over 20 years. She places great emphasis on the application of theories, and problem solving in her lecture. Her unique academic background, diverse teaching experiences and practical approach in class make her teaching effective even in classes of diverse student background. Her teaching is result-oriented, and her students have always achieved excellent standings in the RCM Examinations.
Ms. Ada Chen a music graduate from the Hong Kong Baptist College, was a prize student of Prof. Yuen-Shun Shiu. As a teacher, Ada has produced many top performers, and her students have always achieved first class honours with distinction on RCM Examinations. Her teaching method is a blend of patience, affection and energy with a great deal of fun and high expectation. In addition to her teaching, Ada is greatly involved with community music activities; she is one of the founding members of the Markham Music Festival.
Mr. Tony Chong a member of the College of Examiners of the Royal Conservatory of Music, is a graduate of the University of Toronto, majored in music theory. He studied piano with Clifford Poole and composition with Samuel Dolin. He is actively involved with many musical events and performances especially with the North York Board of Education, The Gilbert and Sullivan Society and Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Chong has joined the Euromusic teaching staff since February 1994. His superlative teaching and careful preparative for the theory examinations are reflected in the high standing of the students in all theoretical courses. His method is direct, precise, responsible and highly organized.
Ms. Joanne Chou holds an ARCT from The Royal Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. While at the RCM, she studied with Pauline Leung and George McElroy. She has performed as a soloist and is an active accompanist for violinists and choirs. Ms. Chou is an examiner of the College of examiners at the Royal Conservatory of Music Examinations.
Mr. John Graham holds an ARCT Diploma in Piano Performance from The Royal Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. Mr. Graham has studied with well-known teachers such as Madeline Bone, Karl Ulrich Schnabel and Leslie Kinton. He has given numerous solo recitals and currently is involved in many Duo Piano Concerts and also acts as an accompanist. In 1990 he performed in a Royal Conservatory of Music Monster Concert at Massey Hall. Mr. Graham has been a faculty member of The Royal Conservatory of Music since 1984 where he taught piano and pedagogy classes. Currently, Mr. Graham is a member of both the RCM Academic Council and the RCM Faculty Association. He has also contributed to the revision of RCM Syllabi and publications. Mr. Graham has been active as an adjudicator for music festivals and auditions throughout Ontario and was also an active member of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers' Association. Mr. Graham is currently a member of the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicators' Association.
Mr. John Gaspar holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, majoring in Music History and an ARCT diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music. He was a faculty member of The Royal Conservatory of Music from 1974 to 1993 and has been a member of the College of Examiners for RCM Examinations since 1985. He has been a contributor to a number of RCM publications including the New Piano Series Student Guides. He is a member of Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association and serves on the executive of the RCM Alumni Association. He taught music history and appreciation through the Toronto District School Board and has prepared students for RCM Examinations in piano, theory and history with high standing.
Dr. Thomas Green has received a Bachelor of Music from McGill University, a Masters of Music from Universite de Montréal, and a PhD from Brandeis University. His piano teachers included Clifford Poole, Lucille Brassard and Yvonne Hubert. He also received a Diplôme d'accompagnement from the École Vincent d'Indy in Montreal following studies with John Newmark.
Dr. Green has taught music history at McGill University, the University of Toronto, and the University of Windsor. For several years he served as senior editor at the Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited. He has also adjudicated at music festivals across Ontario and has presented RCM Examinations workshops across Canada. Currently he maintains a large class of piano students and teaches music history and harmony at the Academie Ste. Cecile and at his private studio in Windsor. Dr. Green was recently appointed to Chief Examiner of the Royal Conservatory of Music, College of Examiners.
Mr. Samuel Ho holds a Music Masters Degree in Performance from the University of Toronto and a Diploma from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China. He studied with David Zafer, Lorand Fenyves, Robert Levine, Rennie Regehr and Andrew Dawes. A former faculty member of the RCM and teaching assistant to Professor David Zafer at the University of Toronto, Mr. Ho has performed for the Kingston Symphony Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, U of T Symphony Orchestra & Chamber Orchestra and Festival Symphony Orchestra, Courtenay, B.C..
Ms. Mimi Kam holds diplomas in both ARCT Piano Performer and ARCT Piano Teacher with the Royal Conservatory of Music. She graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Toronto, followed by a Bachelor of Education degree at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto. She has enjoyed a productive teaching career in classrooms, while maintaining a busy private piano studio. Mimi believes the journey of education should be rewarding and enjoyable, her method of instruction is designed with young students in mind, blending patience, affection and humour with a sense of excellence.
Mr. Kevin Lau holds an ARCT diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Music (Hon.) from the University of Toronto. He is currently pursuing his Masters degree in Music Composition under the tutelage of Christos Hatzis. Already an accomplished composer, he has been commissioned by Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Mississauga Symphony Orchestra, University of Toronto Opera, etc.. He also wrote music for video games and over 15 films. His musical "Box Office" is premiered at the Toronto Fringe Festival in Summer of 2006. Kevin possesses great enthusiasm and an extensive knowledge of music theory. He can convey musical concepts with ease, clarity and accuracy in his teaching.
Mr. James Lawless is a graduate of the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, and the Royal Conservatory of Music. He has been a faculty member of the Royal Conservatory of Music since 1964 and teaches in both the community school and the Glenn Gould Professional School. From 1992-1998 he served as Chief Examiner of RCM Examinations and now holds the title of Chief Examiner Emeritus. Mr. Lawless has traveled throughout Canada and the United States as an examiner, adjudicator, public speaker and workshop clinician, and has served on the executive of the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicators Association. Through his years of experience and dedication, James Lawless has earned a growing respect from colleagues and fellow musicians across North America.
Ms. Grace Lin holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Western Ontario, studying with Professor John Paul Bracey. She teaches piano, theory and history from beginner to ARCT level. In 1994, she founded the Euromusic Centre for Music Studies, where she works as an administrator, principal and teacher. She heads the Markham Music Festival as well as the Ars Prima Music Foundation. She serves on the board of directors for Music Scarborough, Canadian Music Competition and is currently the Centre Representative for the Royal Conservatory of Music in Markham, Ontario.
Mr. George McElroy began his musical studies in New Brunswick with Thelma Smith. Later in Toronto, he studied piano with Gordon Hallett, organ with Clifford McAree, voice with Ruth McAree, and violin with Barnett Taylor. Mr. McElroy is a former faculty member of The Royal Conservatory of Music and served as administrator of the Scarborough branch from 1965 to 1973. He has been a member of the College of Examiners since 1966. He was a founding member and teacher at the Toronto Associated Conservatory of Music. Mr. McElroy is an active festival adjudicator and lecturer on piano pedagogy; he is also an honourary advisor for the Markham Music Festival.
Mr. Reginald Miller holds Associate, Licentiate and Fellowship diplomas from the Trinity College of Music, London, England, a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music from the University of Toronto and has completed three years of study in Paris with Nadia Boulanger in Fontainebleau. Mr. Miller is active as a festival adjudicator and has performed extensively in Canada and France. He has also taught theory at the University of Toronto along with classes on Piano Literature. Mr. Miller has also coached singers in the performance of lieder. Currently, Mr. Miller maintains a busy class of private piano students, and is a member of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association. Mr. Miller is also on the faculty of Royal Conservatory of Music Summer School teaching Harmony courses.
Dr. Dany Nachman holds a Bachelor of Music from McGill University in Montreal, a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the renowned Manhattan School of Music in New York. He has studied with Arkady Aronov, Dorothy Morton and Raymond Lewenthal, and has performed in masterclasses of Menahem Pressler, Anton Kuerti, Gary Graffman and John Browning. He has participated in the summer music festivals of Orford, Quebec and Parry Sound, Ontario. Dr. Nachman has performed numerous solo and chamber music recitals in New York City, Montreal (including Pollack Hall), Northern Ontario, Michigan and recently, Indiana University in Bloomington. He has a featured soloist with the Sault Symphony Orchestra on a number of occasions, including performances of Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, conducted by Dr. Elmer Iseler.
Since 1991, he has been an adjunct professor of music at Algoma University College and a full time faculty member of the Algoma Conservatory of Music in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, teaching piano and courses in theory, history and music appreciation. He has given a number of masterclasses and has lectured in Algoma University's Colloquium Series. He was the piano division coordinator for the Kiwanis Music Festival of Sault Ste. Marie from 1998 to 2001.
Mr. Yaroslav Pugach holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance with distinction and a Masters of Music in Piano Performance with distinction from the Glinka State College of Music and Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia respectively. His many accomplishments include performances with various orchestras in Canada, Europe, Russia and Republic of Korea, 2nd prize in International Competition in Liguria, Italy, CD recordings of piano works by Scriabin and Prokofiev and St. Petersburg TV's music program "Miaskovsky and Prokofiev". Yaroslav has taught extensively in St. Petersburg, Russia, Seoul, Republic of Korea and Canada, and consistently produced high calibre pianists, many of whom have won in national and international competitions in Russia, England, Italy, Korea and Japan.
Ms. Christine Turgeon holds ARCT Teacher's and Piano Performance diplomas from the Royal Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto. She has studied with well-known teachers such as G. Seim, George McElroy and Boris Berlin. Ms. Turgeon has taught at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Scarborough Branch, and was former co-director and past president of the Toronto Associated Conservatory of Music. She has been a member of the Royal Conservatory of Music Alumni Committee and a former member of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers' Association.
At the present time, Ms. Turgeon runs a busy private music studio in Scarborough and teaches at Euromusic Centre in Markham. Ms. Turgeon works with students at all levels but especially enjoys teaching young beginners and students with special needs. She is also kept busy accompanying for choirs and lending musical help in a variety of ways in the schools her children attend.
Ms. Alice Wong holds an ARCT diploma in performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music and a Masters of Music degree from the University of Toronto. As a frequent award and scholarship winner in Hong Kong and Canada, she majored in piano performance and studied under the tutelage of Marietta Orlov, Boris Zarankin and Dr. Dong-dong Dong, and was also influenced deeply by Ms. Marina Geringas for her inspiring piano pedagogy. Ms. Wong has been teaching piano and theory for over a decade. She emphasizes an enthusiastic and stimulating learning atmosphere and encourages her students to have fun and enjoy the learning process. Her wealth of knowledge in music and unique style of teaching have consistently produced students achieving high standings in RCM examinations, and winning scholarships from various music festivals. Aside from her engagement in music teaching, Ms. Wong also actively participates in many of Euromusic's school events and is on the the board of the Markham Music Festival Committee.
NOTE: The information provided above is strictly for reference only to those who have an interest in pursuing musical training at Euromusic Centre and is not to be used at any time for commercial, advertising and marketing purposes. Should you require additional information about the qualifications and experience of our teacher staff, you may contact us at 905-475-3876 or visit us at 2651 John Street Unit #8, Markham during our office hours and we will be more than happy to assist you.