Faculty

Program Instructors

Daniel Brandes (b. 1985) is a composer who lives in Victoria, British Columbia with his wife and cat. In 2010, Daniel completed his Masters of Music at the University of Victoria where he studied composition with Christopher Butterfield and Daniel Bíro. In 2012 he founded A Place to Listen — Victoria BC’s only monthly experimental music series — which presents works from members of the Wandelweiser composers collective, and other fringe artists exploring the use(s) of silence in contemporary music. Daniel composes music that walks tight ropes — tight ropes between nothing and something, fragility and fierceness, beauty and ugliness. He likes art (…)

Liova Bueno

A faculty member at the Victoria Conservatory of Music since 2014, Liova Bueno teaches individual instruction in composition, theory, song-writing, music history and music appreciation, covering a wide variety of musical styles, genres, and time periods. He also teaches postsecondary students in connection with the VCM/Camosun College Diploma in Music Performance Program (Tonal Harmony and Counterpoint).
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Liova Bueno’s music has been performed in concerts and music festivals internationally, from countries in Central and South America to Europe, the United States and across Canada. He has received commissions from and has collaborated with various ensembles, organizations, […]

Anna Cal

ANNA CAL is trained in the famous tradition of Russian piano schools. She studied at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in St. Petersburg with well-known Russian performers and professors including Vitaly Berzon, Pavel Yegorov and the late Helen Shishko. She holds Master degrees with high distinction in three fields: piano performance, piano pedagogy and collaborative piano. After studying in Russia, Anna spent two years in Rome, Italy where she worked as a soloist and a voice coach. Anna is a senior teacher at the Victoria Conservatory of Music where she teaches piano, piano pedagogy and collaborative piano. She is Director of Collaborative piano and Interpretation in German Lieder Projects. Anna is a frequent performer in Victoria as a soloist and in collaboration with vocalists and instrumentalists.

David Clenman

Private theory and composition studies under full scholarship with Srul Glick; advanced ear training with Robert Mundinger; electronic music studies at the University of Chicago; theory, composition, and conducting studies at the University of Victoria (President’s Scholarship). Compositions and arrangements performed and broadcast in Canada, the United States, and Central America; recorded by Denise Williams, Jacques Lorioz, and the Canadian Tenors. Teaches theory and ear training at the University of Victoria, where he was awarded the Gilian Sherwin Award for Teaching Excellence, Adjudicates many competitions, is a VCM examiner, and has been an examiner for the Royal Canadian College of (…)

Christine Donkin

Christine Donkin is a Canadian composer and instructor of music theory, ear training, and composition at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. She is an active clinician and adjudicator; creator of theory and ear training games for Tonic Tutor, an online resource for music students and teachers; and author of the Compositional Devices Collection on the RCM online Teacher Portal. Her many pedagogical compositions, arrangements, and figured bass realizations are featured in the Royal Conservatory of Music repertoire books for cello, clarinet, piano, trumpet, saxophone, viola, violin, and voice.

Nicholas Fairbank

Nicholas Fairbank was born in New Westminster, BC. In his school years he studied piano, organ and French horn, later going on to study organ performance and conducting in London (UK) and Paris (France). He holds Associateship diplomas in organ performance from the Royal Conservatory (RCM gold medal 1981) and the RCCO (Willan Prize 1998), and Masters degrees from UCSB (French) and the Université de Paris VIII (musicology). After some composition lessons with Stephen Chatman in the 90s he went on to complete an MMus degree in composition at the University of Victoria under the direction of John Celona. (…)

Rachel Hill

A graduate from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Music Degree, Rachel Hill also holds a Music Diploma in piano and voice from Douglas College in New Westminster. Her teaching career began at the age of 19 when she was selected for the music teacher apprenticeship program at an established music studio in Surrey, BC. Her established teaching practice includes knowledge of a wide variety of curriculum, individualised to meet the musical preferences of her students which range from classical to contemporary. She endeavours to pass on her enthusiasm and love of music to her students who range from the very young to adults.

Robert Holliston

Robert Holliston studied at the Victoria Conservatory of Music under Robin Wood and Winifred Scott Wood, and at the University of British Columbia under Robert Rogers. As an accompanist and chamber player he has performed throughout Canada and the USA, England and New Zealand, and has been heard frequently on CBC-Radio. He has recorded CDs with the popular salon ensemble Viveza, trombonist Ian McDougall, tenor Ken Lavigne, his brother Tom Holliston, Show Business Giants, and members of the Hornby Island Ensemble. Robert has collaborated with many of Canada’s leading singers, including Richard Margison, Benjamin Butterfield, Judith Forst, Nathalie Paulin, Susan (…)

Crystal Wiksyk

Crystal Wiksyk is a theory and musicianship instructor at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, where she coordinates the Classical Music Theory program within the Ann & George Nation Conservatory of Classical Music. Crystal teaches group classes as well as individual lessons at the VCM, and has taught theory and musicianship classes for the VCM/Camosun College Diploma program. She is the co-author of three publications for the Royal Conservatory of Music, and also leads the Music Theory programming for the VCM’s Summer Academy. Crystal is a Royal Conservatory certified theory teacher and long-time member of the BC Registered Music Teachers Association.

Conservatory School of Classical Music

Faculty

Program Instructors