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Adjudicators

Dance Adjudicator – Donna Moreau

Donna Moreau, a resident of Port Colborne, has taught for over 50 years; not only in Port Colborne but in Burlington, Mississauga and Simcoe as well. Donna has had the pleasure of studying under many great choreographers such as Gus Giordanno, Nan Giordanno, Charles Kelly, just to name a few. She studied at Le Ballet Jazz Toronto for two summers, focusing on technique and choreography.

Mrs. Moreau was involved with the Port Colborne Operatic Society, our local community theatre, for many years both as a cast member and choreographer. She also worked as choreographer for Roselawn, here in Port Colborne, when it first opened it’s doors.

Donna is also an Honourary Member and Examiner for the Canadian Dance Teachers’ Association National, L’Association des professeurs de Danse Canadienne Nationale. She has served in several positions for the Association. Most of her early training came from Dot Blakeley, one of the founding members of the C.D.T.A.

Having adjudicated many competitions in the past, Donna is pleased to be with us and is looking forward to an enjoyable and entertaining weekend.

Dance Adjudicator – Lisan Dingman-Nagy

Lisan has performed since the age of 7 in ballet recitals and dance competitions, as well as playing the piano in piano festivals. Studied at the National Ballet School in Toronto and The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in Manitoba (Summer Teacher's Programs)

Lisan performed with the Niagara Civic Ballet Company in Niagara Falls, New York under Beverley Feder. (The Nutcracker, Pas De Quatre and Les Patiners.), the Sarasota Ballet in Sarasota, Florida under the direction of Jean Spear, at SUNY Purchase, (The State University of New York) (1980-1984) and danced in various ballets such as Balanchine's Serenade, Petrouchka, Les Sylphides, Les Noces staged by Nijinsky, and original choreography. Lisan has had the privilege of studying Ballet with Roseanna Seravalli, Betti-Jane Sills, Ivan Nagy, Gayle Young, David Howard and Mignon Furman. She has performed in original modern dance pieces by Kazuko Hirabyashi, Mel Wong, Sarah Stackhouse and Larry Clark at SUNY Purchase.

With over 30 years of choreography experience with students entering numerous dance competitions in ballet, pointe, modern, lyrical and jazz solos, duets, trios and group pieces, she has also worked with gymnasts, cheer leaders and figure skaters.

In 1984, Lisan founded The Dingman-Nagy School of Ballet Arts as Artistic Director, Owner, and Teacher of The Dingman-Nagy School of Ballet Arts. Many students have been accepted into professional ballet schools such as the National Ballet School in Toronto, The Royal Winnipeg School in Manitoba, The Quinte Ballet School in Bellville, Ontario. Graduates have continued their education at Ryerson University, York University and George Brown College in Toronto, and Sheridan College. Former students have pursued jobs dancing at Disney World Florida, Cruise Ships, and Cheerleading Squads for The Hamilton Tiger Cats, The Toronto Argonauts and The B.C. Lions, Vancouver, B.C. Many have gone on to teach at various studios including the Alberta Ballet Company.

Lisan joins us with substantial Adjudicating Experience including: En Pointe and Just Dance (Natalie Sebastian), Terpsichore, Flying Solo (Scott Kufske & Craig Lanning), The Audience Dance Rivalry (Paula Fera & Taylor Starr), Dream To Dance Competition (Braden Kurczak and Mary White), and BreakThru Dance Challenge (Nash Gibson)

Vocal Adjudicator - Tom Oliver
BA MUS, ORMTA, NATS, CAEA

Tom Oliver is in high demand as a voice teacher and adjudicator. His studio, Voice Concepts, (Hamilton On.) has prepared and trained young singers for Universities and Colleges throughout North America.

In 2020, Ontario Registered Music Teachers Assoc. Awarded Tom with the “Outstanding Contribution to Teaching Award”.

In 2016, Tom co-founded The Hamilton Music Festival with colleague, Diane Manojlovich.

From 2004 to 2019, Tom collaborated as a member of the Voice Faculty at Sheridan College Music Theatre Division.

Tom is a graduate of The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (BA.MUS). He performed as principal artist with Sacramento Opera, Vancouver Symphony and Opera Company, Canadian Opera Company, Rainbow Stage, Theatre Plus, Canada Opera Piccola.

Tom began his teaching career in his final year of university. He retired from performance in 1993 to continue voice research. neuro-science and its application to vocal arts.

Instrumental Adjudicator - Peter Stoll

Known for his virtuoso energy on stage as well as an easy and entertaining way of speaking with the audience, Peter Stoll teaches clarinet, chamber music, performance & education studies, and the Business of Music at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music as Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, and is a frequent performer with orchestral and chamber ensembles in southern Ontario. Also a very popular adjudicator up to the national level, he has worked across Canada and in the United States. Peter is particularly known for his enthusiastic, positive comments and detailed suggestions to young musicians. As the founding Adjudicator for the Canada’s Wonderland Festival of Music (dating back to 1988), he has been thrilled to see the vitality and growth of interest in the Festival, now expanded to 4 simultaneous venues in the park!

Tours as soloist and with various ensembles have taken him across Europe, to Russia and to the United States. Recent performance highlights have included chamber concerts in Japan and a tour of 3 Chinese cities, as well as at the International Clarinet Association’s conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In 2016 Peter was featured on a recording with members of the Canadian Brass, and in May 2018 he was the soloist in noted American wind ensemble composer Brian Balmages' concerto "Escapades", with the composer conducting. In 2019 Peter shared in the win of a Dora Mavor Moore award for Best Ensemble-Opera in Toronto.

Over the past 30 years Peter has been invited to adjudicate at over 150 local festivals across Canada. Fluent in both official languages, he has heard countless bands, orchestras, and woodwind, brass and percussion solos and ensembles coast-to-coast. Beyond the local level, he has judged at the finals of fifteen Provincial competitions, and has been asked three times to serve as the woodwind adjudicator for the national finals of the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals, most recently for the ‘virtual Nationals’ in summer 2021.

Peter is also a member of the Royal Conservatory of Music's National College of Examiners, where he is the area Specialist for Winds, and was the Chief Compiler of the 2014 edition of the clarinet examination syllabus.

Piano Adjudicator - Ryan Baxter

Ryan Baxter is a pianist, organist, and music educator in London, Ontario. A versatile performer, he strives to play music from all major classical styles and explore repertoire outside of the common canon, especially contemporary and Canadian repertoire. A dedicated teacher, Ryan draws on his experiences as an orchestral and chamber musician, organist and church music director, and collaborative pianist to examine a wide spectrum of musical and technical perspectives with students.

Ryan received a Bachelor of Music from Brock University, an Ontario Graduate Certificate in Music Composition from Humber Polytechnic, a Master of Music from the University of Manitoba, and a Master of Education from Athabasca University. Outside of university study, Ryan holds diplomas in piano and organ performance, and an ARCT in piano pedagogy. He is currently in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at Western University and is music director and organist at Rowntree Memorial United Church. When Ryan is not practicing, teaching, or writing, he can be found walking outside, reading, cooking, baking, and applying to more programs. He is happy to be part of the Port Colborne Festival for the Arts this year!

Former Adjudicators