Adjudicators 2023

Cherith Alexander is a dynamic pianist based in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. As a respected piano and theory teacher in the community for more than twenty-five years she has worked with a variety of students of all ages and levels. Cherith is also an active member of the RCM College of Examiners. An experienced collaborative pianist and chamber musician, Cherith has performed with many renowned musicians and especially enjoys coaching young musicians “from the piano bench”. She spent several years employed as an accompanist/coach at the Conservatory of Music in Regina. Cherith is passionate about the value of music festivals and has had the privilege of adjudicating at festivals throughout Western Canada including Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, and the Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver Kiwanis Festivals. In 2017 she developed the curriculum for and facilitated the first “Adjudicator Boot Camp” in Saskatchewan which is a workshop designed to train and inspire new and current adjudicators in her province. Cherith was educated at the University of British Columbia where she was a pupil of Kum Sing Lee. As a young student she was honoured to win the SMFA Concerto Competition in 1991 after which she performed as a guest soloist with the Regina Symphony Orchestra. Cherith lives on a farm near Weyburn with her husband Tim and youngest son, while her older three children are young adults attending university in Calgary and Toronto. Committed to lifelong learning, Cherith is an avid reader, concertgoer, and podcast listener.

Bennet Charter holds both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Music from the University of Manitoba where he majored in Piano Performance under the tutelage of Dr. David Moroz. He also holds an ARCT diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Bennet has been teaching piano in Winnipeg since 2003, during which time he has helped many students achieve successful results in the Winnipeg Music Festival as well as top prizes in such competitions as the Associated Manitoba Arts Festivals’ annual Provincial Music & Arts Festival and the Canadian Music Competition. In addition to teaching, Bennet is active in the music community as a collaborative pianist and adjudicator, while also serving on the boards of both the Winnipeg Music Festival and the Kelowna Kiwanis Festival.

Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Patricia Green is thrilled to be adjudicating in Winnipeg and looks forward to hearing each singer. Acclaimed for “singing with a poignancy and molten resonance,” mezzo-soprano Patricia Green’s active career comprises international performances in chamber ensembles, operas, and oratorios with l’Orchestre de Radio-France, the Dutch Radio Philharmonic, the National Symphony (DC), the Northern Israel Symphony, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Esprit Orchestra, Aventa Ensemble, Opera Parallèle, New Music Concerts, San Francisco BluePrint Project, Huddersfield Festival, Vancouver New Music, the U.S. Memorial Holocaust Museum Series, Novus NY, Livewire Festival, Musica Festival, Soundstreams Canada, Robert Helps Festival, Washington Bach Consort and Bethlehem Bach Society. Green has worked with conductors Pierre Boulez, Reinbert de Leeuw, Leonard Slatkin, Julian Wachner, Nicole Paiement, Alex Pauk, Bill Linwood, Alain Trudel, Peter Eotvos, and Pascal Rophé in halls such as the Concertgebouw, Zankel Hall, Glenn Gould Studio, Glazunov Hall and the Kennedy Centre. A passionate educator, Ms Green has taught masterclasses across China, in Italy, the U.S. and Canada. She teaches at the summer opera program, La Musica Lirica, in Novafeltria, Italy. In 2018, she gave concerts across China, and in 2019, created the first International Institute for Voice and Piano in Xuzhou, China. She has been a tenured Professor of Voice at the University of Western Ontario since 2007, following teaching at Michigan State University.

Katy Harmer (she/her) is a choral conductor, singer, and educator based in Winnipeg. She is currently the Music Director at St. Andrew's River Heights United Church, Artistic Director for Margaret's Choir, and the founding Artistic Director of Winnipeg Upper Voices. She has recently sung with Polycoro, Dead of Winter, and the Canadian Chamber Choir. Katy completed a Master of Music at the University of Manitoba, studying choral conducting with Dr. Elroy Friesen. In February 2020, Katy was a conductor at the Banff Centre’s Choral Art program, with faculty Michael Zaugg and Lone Larsen. A lifelong choral musician originally from Toronto, Katy has also lived and made music in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Katy strongly believes in the power of choir to bring people together in community and brings this philosophy to all her musical ventures and collaborations.

Millie Hildebrand has enjoyed a life-long involvement in the vocal and choral arts, beginning on the family farm where singing was a daily affair and piano and guitars were always within reach. Familiar to Manitoba’s music community as a teacher, choral director, voice instructor and festival adjudicator, she has taught classroom and choral music at all levels and has been active in implementing programs for young musicians throughout the province. These have included collaborations with the University of Manitoba, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the International Peace Gardens Music Camps, regional and provincial honour choirs, numerous choir tours, and countless musicals. Millie was the conductor of the Faith and Life Women’s Chorus for seven years and co-conducted the UofM Concert Choir, together with her husband Ed, for four years, where they also worked with music teacher candidates as their Faculty Advisors. Choirs under Millie’s direction have toured extensively in Canada and Europe and have been privileged to be the guests of such luminaries as the late Queen Elizabeth II, Jose Carreras and, perhaps their favourites --- Fred Penner and Al Simmons! Going back “a few years”, Millie’s performance history includes productions with Manitoba Opera, Winnipeg Mennonite Theatre, the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus and Canzona, to name a few. A two-year teaching post in Bucharest, Romania provided an exhilarating adventure into the art and culture of Eastern Europe. Millie is co-president of the Women's Musical Club of Winnipeg and has enjoyed a lengthy involvement with the Manitoba Choral Association. She looks forward to working with the Winnipeg School Division Grade 4-6 Honour Choir in May, and to joining other conductors at the Centennial Concert Hall in an event this July, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Russian Mennonite Emigration to Canada.

David Letkemann holds a Bachelor of Sacred Music from Canadian Mennonite Bible College (1977), a Bachelor of Music from the University of Manitoba (1979), as well as a Master’s degree in Music (classical guitar performance) from the University of Western Ontario (1984). He has studied in master classes with Oscar Ghiglia, David Russell, Alice Artzt, Sergio Abreu, the Amsterdam Guitar Trio and many other world class performers. He taught at Brandon University for 28 years, the Community School of Music and Art (at CMU) for 16 years and in his own studio for 40 years. Together with flutist Stuart McVey he released a recording of flute and guitar music. He is also a composer and arranger who has produced music for himself, his students and the guitar ensemble in Brandon. His own compositions, arrangements and transcriptions have been published by Productions d’oz and Mel Bay.

Allison Miller, Saskatoon born flutist, is thrilled to have joined the SSO in 2019. Having received tenure in 2020, Allison now holds the Randi Nelson Chair of Principal Flute with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. In her brief time with the SSO, Allison has been a highly featured musician, regularly presenting concerti and solo works for flute and orchestra. These works include Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti numbers 2 and 5, Vivaldi’s Concerto in F Major, Devienne’s Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, and Sommers’ Picasso Suite. Allison completed a Diploma in Music at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, studying with Richard Volet. She went on to complete both a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music, specializing in Music Performance, at the University of Ottawa, studying with Camille Churchfield. Allison is the Sessional Lecturer in Flute at the University of Saskatchewan, Department of Music. Allison has also served as a Woodwind Sectional Instructor for the Saskatoon Youth Orchestra and frequently presents guest master classes for the Saskatchewan Band Association. In her teaching, Allison encourages both physical and mental health, a sense of community rather than competition, and a focused and efficient method of practice. Allison has been recognized for her passion and dedication to teaching, for which she has received the RCM Gold Medal award as a distinguished flute teacher. Allison maintains a private studio of highly advanced high school students.

Morna-June Morrow was Music Supervisor in Fort Garry School Division in the 1970’s and was Founding President of the Manitoba Orff Chapter in 1975 and served as National Orff President. In 1985 she presented a paper on the history of “Orff-Schulwerk in Canada” at the International Orff Symposium in Salzburg, Austria. M-J was the first music educator in western Canada to receive an Honorary Life Membership in Carl Orff Canada in 1994. Upon her retirement 25 years ago, the Manitoba Orff Chapter established the “Morna-June Morrow Award for Excellence in Music Education in Manitoba”. She is currently updating the 50th anniversary book of Carl Orff Canada. M-J served as President of several music organizations including the Winnipeg Music Festival Board of Directors. Heavily involved with handbell ringing for the past 54 years, M-J served as an international conductor of massed ringing conferences and workshop clinician in England, across Canada and in Minnesota. She is an Honorary Life Member of the Handbell Musicians of America Area VII, the Manitoba Guild of English Handbell Ringers and in 2022 received an Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award from the Handbell Musicians of Canada. Morna-June currently rings in three handbell ensembles including the RING OUT Quartet.

Justin Odwak is an in demand choral conductor, music educator, and vocalist. Justin serves as co-artistic director and co-founder of NUOVOCE Chamber Choir, founded in 2019. He currently teaches choir, vocal jazz, and musical theatre at Dakota Collegiate, and directs the Louis Riel School Division Treble Choir and Senior Concert Choir. Justin is past director of the Winnipeg Jewish Chorus and the Shaarey Zedek Quartet at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, the St. James-Assiniboia Divisional Junior Concert Choir and Divisional Senior Concert Choir. He has also directed Rainbow Harmony Project, Kolot Choir, and Interlake Youth Choir. He maintains a studio of private voice students. As a vocalist, Justin has performed as soloist with local organizations such as the Winnipeg Singers, Canzona, Camerata Nova, the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, and Little Opera Company. Justin has performed with the Sarah Sommer Chai Folk Ensemble, appearing at Edmonton's Jubilee Auditorium, and in Winnipeg at the Centennial Concert Hall, as well as performing at the International Karmi'el Festival in Israel. He has appeared as soloist on numerous occasions with the WSO and has performed as soloist with orchestras including the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Regina Symphony Orchestra, Okanagan Festival Singers and Camerata Orchestra, and Orchestra London. His most recent engagements include Haydn's The Creation with SummerChör choir and orchestra, and Bach’s Magnificat with Canzona and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Justin holds a Bachelor of Music (Voice) and Bachelor of Education (Choral) from the University of Manitoba.

Rennie Regehr began his professional career with the Winnipeg Symphony and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. His career has taken him throughout Canada and abroad as orchestra musician, soloist, and chamber musician. Following his tenure at the WSO, Mr. Regehr became the Dean of the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory in Toronto, a position he held for 14 years. In that role he developed an internationally renowned orchestral program, training many of Canada’s finest professional musicians and solo artists. He continued to be a much sought after chamber musician and recitalist, performing in most major Canadian venues on series such as Music Toronto, Vancouver Chamber Music Festival, and The Tuckamore Festival in Newfoundland. Internationally, he has been invited to the Winnipesaukee Festival in New Hampshire and the Oberlin Summer Festival in Casalmaggiore, Italy. Highlights of his performance collaborations include artists such as Leon Fleisher and the Shanghai String Quartet. In addition to performing and teaching Mr. Regehr was an active conductor. For many summers he was a faculty member of the prestigious Morningside Music Bridge Program in Calgary and for the past few years, he has been a guest faculty member of the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy. He has adjudicated many competitions and festivals, including the cross-country Canadian Music Competition last year. In 2012 he received the Canadian Viola Society's Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Regehr retired to Winnipeg in 2017.

Anica Warkentine is a pianist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who frequently performs in a variety of contexts as both a solo and collaborative artist. Most recently, she appeared as a soloist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra and University of Manitoba Wind Ensemble. Earlier this year, Anica was a featured chamber artist in the Virtuosi Concert series. In 2022, she received first place in the Manitoba Registered Music Teachers’ Association Advanced Scholarship Competition, the University of Manitoba Lawrence Genser Competition, and the University of Manitoba’s Annual Concerto Competition. She was also the recipient of the Aikins Memorial Trophy at the Winnipeg Music Festival, awarded to the top instrumentalist at the diploma level. Anica has participated in masterclasses with such artists as Jamie Parker, Thomas Sauer, Jean Barr, and Margo Garett. Anica is passionate about musical collaboration. She studied sonata duo repertoire at Domaine Forget in 2020, where she was awarded a merit scholarship for her outstanding performance in the collaborative piano session. In 2022, she graduated with a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from the Desautels Faculty of Music, studying with Dr. Darryl Friesen. Anica plans to pursue a Masters in Collaborative Piano, after completing her Post-Baccalaureate in Performance at the University of Manitoba, under the mentorship of Dr. Laura Loewen and Dr. Judith Kehler Siebert. Anica is also passionate about teaching piano and has a growing private studio in Winnipeg.