2026/27 Mentors
As an experienced adjudicator, and member of the Royal Conservatory of Music’s College of Examiners, Roger Buksa has judged festivals throughout BC including the lower mainland. His students regularly earn awards in regional and provincial competitions and have been selected to perform as concerto soloists with orchestra.
He has also participated in the VCM Summer Piano Academy as a teacher and performer and has performed in several concerts as part of the VCM Presents series, including with classical guitarist Dr. Alexander Dunn, and in an established duo-piano team with Anna Cal.
Roger studied with Eva Kinderman (at UVic and in Berlin), Winifred Scott Wood (VCM), Dr. Robin Wood (VCM and UVic), and with Anton Kuerti (Orford Summer School), and also participated in master classes with György Sébok.
An active chamber musician, soloist, and vocal/instrumental accompanist, Roger Buksa has also collaborated with international singers Richard Margison and Kathleen Brett in performances of Tobin Stokes’s opera Rattenbury under Moscow Symphony conductor Arthur Arnold. In addition to his Associate diploma of the Victoria Conservatory of Music (AVCM), Mr. Buksa holds Bachelor degrees in both Music, and in Education (with Distinction), and for several years was band and choir director in Victoria public schools.
He has also participated in the VCM Summer Piano Academy as a teacher and performer and has performed in several concerts as part of the VCM Presents series, including with classical guitarist Dr. Alexander Dunn, and in an established duo-piano team with Anna Cal.
Roger studied with Eva Kinderman (at UVic and in Berlin), Winifred Scott Wood (VCM), Dr. Robin Wood (VCM and UVic), and with Anton Kuerti (Orford Summer School), and also participated in master classes with György Sébok.
An active chamber musician, soloist, and vocal/instrumental accompanist, Roger Buksa has also collaborated with international singers Richard Margison and Kathleen Brett in performances of Tobin Stokes’s opera Rattenbury under Moscow Symphony conductor Arthur Arnold. In addition to his Associate diploma of the Victoria Conservatory of Music (AVCM), Mr. Buksa holds Bachelor degrees in both Music, and in Education (with Distinction), and for several years was band and choir director in Victoria public schools.
Murray Creed started playing the drums at age twelve and worked with bands in his hometown of Victoria, BC, Canada through his teens. He then headed off to the prestigious Percussion Institute of Technology in Hollywood, California. Upon graduating Murray returned to Canada where he played and recorded with Fine Tooth Combine, Camille Miller, Triple Sow Cow, Honey Loaf, Thin King, Mike Demers, Vince Vaccaro and Justin Hewitt. In 2000 Murray opened Groove Studios which quickly became Victoria’s biggest drum lesson studio. He is the author of five books on drum instruction – “Groove Evolution,” teaches 60 students per week, does clinics and masterclasses and plays 50 shows per year with his band The Temps. In 2010 Murray founded the Victoria Drum Fest which has become one of the longest standing drum festivals in North America.
Michelle Feng joined the Victoria Symphony as Principal Oboe in 2024. Raised in Vancouver, BC, her “authoritative, soulful” playing has enraptured audiences across the globe (Your Observer News, 2015). She formerly held the position of Associate Principal Oboe of the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra. In 2023 she was invited to spend half a year in New Zealand as Guest Principal Cor Anglais of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, where she was featured as a soloist in Copland’s Quiet City. Michelle has also been a soloist with a number of other ensembles including the Victoria Symphony, the Colburn Orchestra, and the Sarasota Music Festival Orchestra. Michelle has frequently appeared as Guest Principal Oboe with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and has performed chamber music with the Ad Mare Wind Quintet, the Banff Festival Orchestra, and Chamber Music Hawaii.
Alongside a busy orchestral career, Michelle is a dedicated educator. In addition to her UVic teaching, she maintains a private studio for students of all ages. As a teacher, Michelle provides a welcoming experience for students of all backgrounds. In addition to a wealth of performance expertise, she offers insights on performance psychology and musician wellness. Michelle is committed to music outreach and has performed as an actor-musician in a number of educational shows for children, most recently “Baba Yaga and the MAGIC Gallery” with the Vancouver Island Symphony.
Other recent projects include a collaboration with the Canadian publisher, Éditions Plamondon, on a series of arrangements for the oboe and English horn that will be released in 2024 and 2025.
Michelle is a graduate of the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles where she studied with Allan Vogel. She lives in Victoria with her husband, Malcolm, and her cat Finland. When not performing or teaching, she can be found gardening, birding, or knitting.
The group of mentees is very excited to see Michelle perform a Strauss Oboe Concerto with the Victoria Symphony in November
Alongside a busy orchestral career, Michelle is a dedicated educator. In addition to her UVic teaching, she maintains a private studio for students of all ages. As a teacher, Michelle provides a welcoming experience for students of all backgrounds. In addition to a wealth of performance expertise, she offers insights on performance psychology and musician wellness. Michelle is committed to music outreach and has performed as an actor-musician in a number of educational shows for children, most recently “Baba Yaga and the MAGIC Gallery” with the Vancouver Island Symphony.
Other recent projects include a collaboration with the Canadian publisher, Éditions Plamondon, on a series of arrangements for the oboe and English horn that will be released in 2024 and 2025.
Michelle is a graduate of the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles where she studied with Allan Vogel. She lives in Victoria with her husband, Malcolm, and her cat Finland. When not performing or teaching, she can be found gardening, birding, or knitting.
The group of mentees is very excited to see Michelle perform a Strauss Oboe Concerto with the Victoria Symphony in November
Welcome to the newest member of the Naden Band and our newest mentor!
Growing up in Mexico and having spent the last twenty years in Montréal, Ivan Garzón brings a wealth of international experience to our Naden Band. He studied at the Fermatta School of Music in Mexico City and at Música Creativa in Madrid, Spain, before completing a master’s degree at the Université de Montréal. His education has taken him across Europe and North America, including a grant from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) to attend Dave Liebman’s annual masterclass at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania. Iván has also received notable recognition at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, earning nominations for both the Grand Prix TD Jazz and the Galaxy Rising Star Award, as well as winning the Grand Prix de la Guitare in both the blues/rock (2008) and jazz (2009) categories. In 2011, he released debut album, Since Then.
Before joining the Canadian Armed Forces, S1 Garzón enjoyed a vibrant freelance career spanning Mexico, Spain, and Canada, performing across a wide range of musical styles. His career has included tours throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Latin America, as well as performances at major events such as the Montreal Jazz Festival. He has collaborated with numerous high-profile artists and ensembles, building a diverse and dynamic performance résumé.
S1 Garzón brings over five and a half years of CAF experience, having previously served with the 6e Bataillon, Royal 22e Régiment. Since joining the forces, he has continued to build on an already impressive career, performing as a soloist and alongside ensembles such as the 6e Bataillon Royal 22e Régiment Band, Fusiliers de Montréal Régiment, and the 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron Band. He notes that one of his favourite aspects of being a Regular Force musician is the opportunity to grow artistically while benefiting from stability, all while proudly representing Canada.
Outside of music, Iván enjoys staying active—whether practicing his instrument, going to the gym, playing tennis, or spending time with family and friends. He says: “Some years ago, I used to do some music tours here in BC, and I used to say how beautiful it would be to live here and not suffer winter seasons anymore and now here I am, in BC with the Naden Band 10 years later after my last visit to BC!”
Growing up in Mexico and having spent the last twenty years in Montréal, Ivan Garzón brings a wealth of international experience to our Naden Band. He studied at the Fermatta School of Music in Mexico City and at Música Creativa in Madrid, Spain, before completing a master’s degree at the Université de Montréal. His education has taken him across Europe and North America, including a grant from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) to attend Dave Liebman’s annual masterclass at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania. Iván has also received notable recognition at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, earning nominations for both the Grand Prix TD Jazz and the Galaxy Rising Star Award, as well as winning the Grand Prix de la Guitare in both the blues/rock (2008) and jazz (2009) categories. In 2011, he released debut album, Since Then.
Before joining the Canadian Armed Forces, S1 Garzón enjoyed a vibrant freelance career spanning Mexico, Spain, and Canada, performing across a wide range of musical styles. His career has included tours throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Latin America, as well as performances at major events such as the Montreal Jazz Festival. He has collaborated with numerous high-profile artists and ensembles, building a diverse and dynamic performance résumé.
S1 Garzón brings over five and a half years of CAF experience, having previously served with the 6e Bataillon, Royal 22e Régiment. Since joining the forces, he has continued to build on an already impressive career, performing as a soloist and alongside ensembles such as the 6e Bataillon Royal 22e Régiment Band, Fusiliers de Montréal Régiment, and the 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron Band. He notes that one of his favourite aspects of being a Regular Force musician is the opportunity to grow artistically while benefiting from stability, all while proudly representing Canada.
Outside of music, Iván enjoys staying active—whether practicing his instrument, going to the gym, playing tennis, or spending time with family and friends. He says: “Some years ago, I used to do some music tours here in BC, and I used to say how beautiful it would be to live here and not suffer winter seasons anymore and now here I am, in BC with the Naden Band 10 years later after my last visit to BC!”
Yanik Giroux
Voice Coach-Accompanist-Music Director
B.MUS-Voice Performance / Performing Arts Certificate /
ATCL-Performing Musical Theatre / Certificate - CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute
Languages Spoken: French / English / Spanish (beginner)
Trained singer, actor & dancer, Yanik is a graduate from the University of Montreal (B.Mus-Voice Performance), the Canadian College of Performing Arts and the Chemainus Theatre Acting Internship Program. Voice & piano teacher, vocal coach, music director and accompanist for local groups and theatre companies across Canada, he has been teaching singing and musical theatre at Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Studio, Boston Dance Collective, Dance Unlimited, VOS Musical Theatre, Victoria Conservatory of Music and the Canadian College of Performing Arts.
Performing and directing credits include performances with Victoria Operatic Society (A Chorus Line), Four Seasons Musical Theatre (The Little Mermaid), Theatre North West (Dancock’s Dance, Portia White, All Shook Up), Chemainus Theatre (Hello, Dolly!, Sherlock Holmes, Little House On The Prairie), Ballet Victoria (Ballet Off Broadway), Langham Court Theatre (Jacques Brel, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Belfry Theatre (Urinetown), Pacific Opera Victoria (La Traviata), Butchart Gardens (Showtime!, Love Matters) and Kaleidoscope Theatre (Little Shop Of Horrors, Hair, Singin’ In The Rain, Rocky Horror Show, Aladdin, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe).
He also directed for companies in Montreal (Broadway II) and Toronto (Bye Bye Birdie, Seussical), and has been artistic director for Pacifique en Chanson in Vancouver for the past twelve years. He participated in national and international music festivals across Canada and Europe, and regularly attends voice conferences and seminars in Europe and across North America.
He is treasurer for the Canadian Region of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Associate of Trinity College London-UK and holds certification in Somatic VoiceworkTM-The LoVetri Method from the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University, Virginia.
Yanik is on faculty at the Canadian College of Performing Arts and keeps busy as a full time voice coach at his own studio, Yanik Giroux Performing Arts Studio, specializing in Musical Theatre & Contemporary Commercial Music.
www.yanikgiroux.com
Voice Coach-Accompanist-Music Director
B.MUS-Voice Performance / Performing Arts Certificate /
ATCL-Performing Musical Theatre / Certificate - CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute
Languages Spoken: French / English / Spanish (beginner)
Trained singer, actor & dancer, Yanik is a graduate from the University of Montreal (B.Mus-Voice Performance), the Canadian College of Performing Arts and the Chemainus Theatre Acting Internship Program. Voice & piano teacher, vocal coach, music director and accompanist for local groups and theatre companies across Canada, he has been teaching singing and musical theatre at Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Studio, Boston Dance Collective, Dance Unlimited, VOS Musical Theatre, Victoria Conservatory of Music and the Canadian College of Performing Arts.
Performing and directing credits include performances with Victoria Operatic Society (A Chorus Line), Four Seasons Musical Theatre (The Little Mermaid), Theatre North West (Dancock’s Dance, Portia White, All Shook Up), Chemainus Theatre (Hello, Dolly!, Sherlock Holmes, Little House On The Prairie), Ballet Victoria (Ballet Off Broadway), Langham Court Theatre (Jacques Brel, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Belfry Theatre (Urinetown), Pacific Opera Victoria (La Traviata), Butchart Gardens (Showtime!, Love Matters) and Kaleidoscope Theatre (Little Shop Of Horrors, Hair, Singin’ In The Rain, Rocky Horror Show, Aladdin, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe).
He also directed for companies in Montreal (Broadway II) and Toronto (Bye Bye Birdie, Seussical), and has been artistic director for Pacifique en Chanson in Vancouver for the past twelve years. He participated in national and international music festivals across Canada and Europe, and regularly attends voice conferences and seminars in Europe and across North America.
He is treasurer for the Canadian Region of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Associate of Trinity College London-UK and holds certification in Somatic VoiceworkTM-The LoVetri Method from the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University, Virginia.
Yanik is on faculty at the Canadian College of Performing Arts and keeps busy as a full time voice coach at his own studio, Yanik Giroux Performing Arts Studio, specializing in Musical Theatre & Contemporary Commercial Music.
www.yanikgiroux.com
Melissa Goodchild is an active teacher and freelance clarinetist in Victoria, British Columbia. She performs music for solo clarinet, chamber groups, and music for large ensembles. In 2019 she joined the faculty of the Victoria Conservatory of Music. She enjoys teaching students of all ages in private as well as group settings including chamber music, clinics for schools, and adjudicating for music festivals across Canada.
She received her Bachelors of Music from the University of Windsor and also studied at Western University where she earned her Artist Diploma in Clarinet Performance and Master of Music in Performance and Literature.
In 2012 she moved to Saskatoon Saskatchewan where she held the position of Second Clarinet with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra until May 2018. While in Saskatchewan Melissa collaborated with percussionist Kevin Grady, and together they continue to perform repertoire including contemporary works. As a duo Kevin and Melissa have been featured artists-in-residence and in July 2018 the Duo performed at ClarinetFest in Ostend, Belgium. In fall 2023 she began her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and is currently in her third year exploring the possibilities of relational leadership and supporting learning communities.
She received her Bachelors of Music from the University of Windsor and also studied at Western University where she earned her Artist Diploma in Clarinet Performance and Master of Music in Performance and Literature.
In 2012 she moved to Saskatoon Saskatchewan where she held the position of Second Clarinet with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra until May 2018. While in Saskatchewan Melissa collaborated with percussionist Kevin Grady, and together they continue to perform repertoire including contemporary works. As a duo Kevin and Melissa have been featured artists-in-residence and in July 2018 the Duo performed at ClarinetFest in Ostend, Belgium. In fall 2023 she began her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and is currently in her third year exploring the possibilities of relational leadership and supporting learning communities.
Samuel He was born in 1994 in Victoria BC and began piano at age 6 and clarinet at age 11. He is the winner of the BC Provincial Festival for senior woodwinds, a prize winner with the Vancouver Women’s Musical Society, and has been awarded a number of honors and scholarships, most notably the prestigious British Columbia Graduate Scholarship. A full-time professional musician, Samuel is a member of the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy.
As a diverse musician, Samuel has attended festivals such as Domaine Forget, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestral Institute, and the Beijing International Music Festival Academy, and has performed in masterclasses for such musicians as Yehuda Gilad, Keith Adam Lipson, and Carlos Ferreira.
An alumni of the Harry Ainlay high school music program, Samuel continued with music into university and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Victoria and a masters degree from the University of British Columbia. His primary teachers include Patricia Kostek, Jose Franch-Ballester, Eric Abramovitz, and Sam Boutris.
In his free time Samuel enjoys playing video games, and was a former professional gamer for the premier American organization compLexity Gaming, a subsidiary of the Dallas Cowboys football team. In 2018, he was one of 12 North Americans to qualify to attend the Blade and Soul world championship qualifiers at ESL studios in Leicester, England, and in 2021 was awarded from hundreds of applicants a $10,000 USD esports scholarship+apprenticeship by the Association of Pacific Rim Universities and YESports Hong Kong esports company.
As a diverse musician, Samuel has attended festivals such as Domaine Forget, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestral Institute, and the Beijing International Music Festival Academy, and has performed in masterclasses for such musicians as Yehuda Gilad, Keith Adam Lipson, and Carlos Ferreira.
An alumni of the Harry Ainlay high school music program, Samuel continued with music into university and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Victoria and a masters degree from the University of British Columbia. His primary teachers include Patricia Kostek, Jose Franch-Ballester, Eric Abramovitz, and Sam Boutris.
In his free time Samuel enjoys playing video games, and was a former professional gamer for the premier American organization compLexity Gaming, a subsidiary of the Dallas Cowboys football team. In 2018, he was one of 12 North Americans to qualify to attend the Blade and Soul world championship qualifiers at ESL studios in Leicester, England, and in 2021 was awarded from hundreds of applicants a $10,000 USD esports scholarship+apprenticeship by the Association of Pacific Rim Universities and YESports Hong Kong esports company.
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 Platts, Peter Barcza, and fellow VCM faculty members; string players Eugene Fodor, Moshe Hammer, Marc Destrubé, Jonathan Crow, and Paul Marleyn; and (with Viveza) dancers Karen Kain and Evelyn Hart. A popular public speaker, Robert has given pre-performance lectures for Pacific Opera Victoria since 1993 and is POV’s Principal Coach. Still an active performer, Robert is currently Head of Keyboard at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, where he also teaches piano and music history, and acts as vocal coach. Robert was a founding director of the VCM Opera Studio.
Robert has collaborated with many of Canada’s leading singers, including Richard Margison, Benjamin Butterfield, Judith Forst, Nathalie Paulin, Susan Platts, Peter Barcza, and fellow VCM faculty members; string players Eugene Fodor, Moshe Hammer, Marc Destrubé, Jonathan Crow, and Paul Marleyn; and (with Viveza) dancers Karen Kain and Evelyn Hart. A popular public speaker, Robert has given pre-performance lectures for Pacific Opera Victoria since 1993 and is POV’s Principal Coach. Still an active performer, Robert is currently Head of Keyboard at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, where he also teaches piano and music history, and acts as vocal coach. Robert was a founding director of the VCM Opera Studio.
ROSS INGSTRUP, M.Mus, B.Mus, B.Ed, Diplômé (Bordeaux)
Ross is a graduate of the University of Victoria, Northwestern University and the Conservatoire National de Région de Bordeaux, France. Ross has performed with the Ensemble International de Saxophones de Bordeaux, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Winnipeg Wind Ensemble, New Music Chicago and the Metropolitan Orchestra of Chicago, and has appeared on TV5 (Belgium) and CBC Radio.
From 1989 to 2003 he was Professor of Saxophone at the University of Manitoba School of Music and the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts. From 1994-2007 he served as a Regional Director of the North American Saxophone Alliance.
Ross has taught music in SD#61 for the past 19 years, at Esquimalt High School, Shoreline Middle School and Central Middle School.
Clarinetist Patricia Kostek has performed with many chamber music ensembles including Lafayette, Purcell and Borealis String Quartets, Trio Pardalote (Seattle), Kansas City Contemporary Chamber Players, Windy City Woodwind Quintet (Chicago), Kansas City Woodwind Quintet and Vashon Chamber Ensemble. She has toured Japan with Trio Pacifica and toured Poland and Sweden with Duo Victoria (clarinet and piano).
Patricia has performed with orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Honolulu Symphony, Joffrey Ballet Orchestra, Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Northwest Sinfonia (Seattle), Florida West Coast Symphony, Victoria Symphony and Pacific Opera Victoria and as soloist with Orquestra Sinfonica de Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires), Orquestra Sinfonica da Bahía (Brazil) and Kansas City Chamber Orchestra.
Recital performances include the Shanghai International Music Festival and Loja Festival (Ecuador), Buenos Aires International Festival and at Casa de la Música (Quito) among others. Patricia has recorded cinematic soundtracks for TV and Hollywood movies, IMAX and well known video games. She has recorded with CBC radio, National Public Radio (NPR), Radio Katowice (Poland) and Austrian National Radio. Recordings include Canadian Music Centre. Coastal Waves and The Complete Works of Murray Adaskin.
Patricia has adjudicated for International Music competitions in Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Ghent, Paris, Quebec City and Buenos Aires. Patricia earned the BSc degree in music education from Mansfield University (PA) the MMus in clarinet performance from Michigan State University in addition to advanced performance studies in Europe.
She is currently on faculty at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and is Professor Emerita, University of Victoria. Patricia enjoys all outdoor activities, learning new languages, and watching a good mystery with her Watson Street neighbors.