JEFFREY BAZETT-JONES
Senion Strings
Jeffrey Bazett-Jones is a freelance violist
and violinist living in Charlottetown, Prince
Edward Island. A member of the Atlantic
String Machine and acting principal of the
PEI Symphony Orchestra, Jeffrey is grateful
to pursue his love of music in the
Maritimes.

ROBYN CATHCART
Junior Voice and Musical Theatre
As a tenor, voice teacher, director, coach, clinician and academic, Robyn Cathcart is a multi-faceted, dynamic, and in-demand artist whose career spans the worlds of opera, musical theatre, jazz, pop, concert performance, commercial performance, and recording. With over 245 productions, concerts and recital appearances to his credit, he is the Founding Artistic Director of Enter Left Productions and has served as Associate Director of the historic Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, NS. Mr. Cathcart is also a member of the Voice Faculty at The Fountain School of Performing Arts, Dalhousie University, and serves as a Board Member for Opera Nova Scotia. Mr. Cathcart is the Owner / Operator of “Sing: The Voice Studio of Robyn Cathcart,” the Music Director of “The Alara Vocal Ensemble,” and was awarded a Cape Breton Vitality Award for his contributions and leadership in the Arts & Culture Sector of Cape Breton Island. Mr. Cathcart has also been nominated as one of the area’s top entertainers by The Cape Breton Post.

MATTIE COMEAU
Indigenous Music
Mattie Comeau is a Mi’kmaq songwriter from Big Cove NB. A storyteller, a strong advocate for indigenous rights and freedoms worldwide, she believes in the power of music to heal and unite all peoples. Professionally, she has been collaborating, recording and performing since 2017 and has represented the Mi’kmaq Nation across Canada, in French Guiana, and Senegal. In late 2022, she formed a band “The Hello Crows” with fellow Wabanaki songwriters Dylan Ward, Quinn Bonnell and Judie Acquin, with the intention of sharing the stories and inspirations behind their songs while educating audiences about their culture, history and social obstacles still faced today.

CHANTAL DIONNE
Senior Voice and Choirs
Chantal Dionne is a Canadian soprano who has gained recognition for her exceptional vocal abilities and captivating stage presence. She was awarded the title of Best North American Female Vocalist at the 2020 “World Folk Vision” Competition and achieved a triple victory at the Gian Battista Viotti International Competition in Italy, winning the 1st Prize, Audience Prize, and Prize for Best Foreign Candidate. Her debut CD, “Romances,” which she recorded with pianist Louise-Andrée Baril, received international acclaim.
Dionne’s singing is described as having a velvety timbre, impeccable high notes, and a smooth singing line, particularly showcased in Rachmaninoff and Liszt compositions. She has a diverse repertoire ranging from opera to melody to oratorio and has recently performed as a guest soloist at symphony concerts in Montreal and Ottawa, impressing audiences with her interpretation of works from Verdi and Brahms Requiems.
Critics have praised her remarkable vocal agility, sensitivity, and ability to bring multiple ensembles to life. She is currently on tour with the creation of a French Canadian opera : Albertine en cinq temps, l’opéra from the Montréal native author Michel Tremblay and composer Catherine Major. She is also a voice teacher at the Ecole de Musique Vincent D’Indy college in Montréal.

ISABELLE FOURNIER
Junior Strings
One of Canadian violinist Isabelle Fournier’s true passions is chamber music. She has performed throughout Canada, the USA, Great Britain, Europe, Japan, and Taiwan, and is the recipient of many international prizes including The Leverhulme Trust Award for Excellence in Chamber Music (UK), and two separate awards from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust (UK).  She has been a frequent guest artist at many international chamber music festivals; and here in Canada, she has collaborated many times at the Banff Arts Centre summer and winter programs; as Artist-in-residence at the Music Room, Halifax; the New Brunswick Music Festival; and at the Baie des Chaleurs International Chamber Music Festival.
At the age of 16, Isabelle was the youngest student ever to be accepted for undergraduate studies at the Royal College of Music, London, England, where she studied with Rodney Friend. Isabelle later studied at the Juilliard School in New York City with Dorothy DeLay, where she also became one of eight violinists chosen to study chamber music with the Juilliard String Quartet. Isabelle also later studied privately with Lydia Mordkovitch.Whilst living in Britain, Isabelle worked with many great chamber orchestras, principally with the English Chamber Orchestra between 1998 and 2002.
Since her return to Canada in 2002, Isabelle’s work has taken her extensively throughout the Maritime Provinces, Quebec and Ontario. She is a member of Trio Arkaede; and from 2009 to 2012, was Concertmaster of the McGill Chamber Orchestra. More recently, she keeps very busy as soloist, chamber musician, teacher, coach, and as Principal Second Violin with Symphony Nova Scotia.

SIR WILLIAM HUGHES
Winds and Bands
Sir William (Bill) Hughes was the Director of Music for the 200 piece Burlington Teen Tour Band (Canada’s largest Youth Band). Born in Holywood, Northern Ireland, Bill was the principal flute and piccolo player with the band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines for nine years, during which time he performed solos for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and other heads of state at many official functions.
He performed as a freelance flautist throughout Britain and Europe and with many of the top orchestras in London (B.B.C., London Symphony) as well as doing recordings for television and radio. He has performed for H.M. Queen Elizabeth II, Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Michael of Kent, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Princess Margaret, King of Norway, President Reagan and other Heads of State.
In 1982 he became Captain and Principal Director of Music for the 48th Highlanders of Canada. In 1998 Sir William became the Director of Music and Arranger for the Burlington Teen Tour Band – Canada’s largest and most award winning Youth Band.
A frequent adjudicator and clinician Bill has judged throughout North America and at the World Championships for Marching Bands (Calgary, Germany, Japan). Bill is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Ontario Arts Council, Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and currently sits on the Music Advisory Committee for Mohawk College.

TARA SCOTT
Junior Piano
Tara Scott is one of Atlantic Canada’s most renowned collaborative pianists. Her love of teaching and performing has led her to pursue staff accompanist positions at Dalhousie (currently), Western, Acadia, and Mount Allison Universities. She has performed extensively with singers and instrumentalists across Canada.
Tara co-founded with Nina Scott-Stoddart the Halifax Summer Opera Festival (now in its eighteenth season) and is co-artistic director of the new company, OperAtlantic. She is the primary music director and pianist of Maritime Concert Opera and has performed with Essential Opera, Eastern Front/ Neptune and Opera Nova Scotia among others.
“Tara Scott, is a consummate artist and her dependably flawless piano accompaniments of full-length operas is inspiring” (Opera Canada). She received a 2019 Merritt Award for music direction of KAMP, the musical. Tara is featured on the 2022 JUNO nominated album Breathing in the Shadows, and Durme, durme, Four Ladino folk songs with soprano, Maureen Batt. She conducted and performed for Essential Opera’s recording of Monica Pearce’s Etiquette, nominated for a 2024 ECMA. Tara is on faculty as piano instructor and vocal coach at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts.
She has adjudicated for music festivals throughout the Maritimes and has worked as piano examiner for Mount Allison and MCPA. She maintains a busy private studio in Dartmouth NS where she lives with her husband, three kids and two dogs. She’s delighted to be back for the 2025 Fredericton Music Festival!

CINDY THONG
Intermediate and Senior Piano
Canadian pianist Cindy Thong leads a polyvalent career as a pedagogue, researcher and performer. She has performed throughout Canada, in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Spain and Italy, and has also been a finalist and prizewinner in numerous competitions such as the Concours Hélène-Roberge and Canadian Music Competition. She has also made appearances at the Orford Music Festival, Banff Arts Centre, Gijón International Piano Festival and Euro Music Festival, among others.
Alongside her performance and pedagogical activities, Cindy maintains a keen interest in performance psychology and mental skills training. In particular, her dissertation pertained to the neuropsychology of learning and the optimization of practice methods, deconstructing and analyzing models related to enhanced efficiency. She has regularly been invited to lecture and offer workshops on these topics and related subjects at institutions such as the University of British Columbia and York University and continues to expand this interdisciplinary work in collaboration with other domains, such as research for arts and health interventions.
Cindy holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Montréal (Canada), where she was also awarded the Prix d’interpretation en piano upon graduation. She also holds a Master of Arts in Music Performance from the Haute École de Musique de Genève (Switzerland), as well as a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and Artist Diploma from the University of Montréal. Cindy is currently on faculty at Acadia University and the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts. She is also the Artistic Director of the Acadia Piano Intensive program.