2024 Festival Adjudicators
Ian Whitman – Strings
Ian Whitman began his musical training on piano at the age of four but his true passion for performing was ignited in his early teens when he picked up the electric guitar. He soon switched to the bass guitar and was introduced to the double bass at age 17. Ian studied jazz at Grant MacEwan College in his hometown of Edmonton before moving east to earn his Bachelor of Music degree from McGill University. He completed his Master of Music degree at Yale University and spent one year at the New England Conservatory in Boston before returning to Canada.
While studying, Ian was a member of the National Youth Orchestra, the Banff Festival Orchestra, and served as Principal Bass of L'orchestre de la francophonie canadienne.
In 2008, Ian began his position of principal bass with the (former) KW Symphony and has been on faculty at Wilfrid Laurier University since 2012. During his years in the region, he has appeared as soloist with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra, performed with the Penderecki String Quartet, the Numus Ensemble, and has worked with the KW Chamber Music Society in Waterloo, the InnerChamber Series in Stratford, and the Colours of Music Festival in Barrie. He has performed with Canadian orchestras including l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Calgary Philharmonic. Recently, he has been invited to play as guest principal bass with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Hamilton Philharmonic, and the Niagara Symphony.
He was heavily involved with the KW Symphony Youth Orchestra program and has served as coach and occasional conductor for the program’s four ensembles. He is currently conductor of the newly-created KW Youth Orchestra program’s Youth Sinfonia group.
Ian is proud to reside in Waterloo Region and takes great interest in the history and culture of the area. He is passionate about sharing music with as many in the community as possible through the Symphony’s outreach program. In addition to traditional concerts, he regularly visits local schools, retirement homes, and community centres to speak and perform.
Ian lives in Kitchener with his wife, violinist Allene Chomyn, their two young children, and outspoken dog. His interests outside of music include reading, martial arts, and yoga.
Caron Allen – Instrumental
Caron graduated from Queen’s University School of Music as a double major in cello and flute. After receiving her Bachelor of Music she traveled to Vienna and performed in the Kursalon orchestra as a flautist, after which she relocated to Kingston, Ontario and earned her Bachelor of Education. She embarked on a teaching career, founding a string program there for 8 years, while playing in the Kingston Symphony Orchestra.
Caron continues to perform as a professional freelance cellist in orchestras across Ontario and in 2011 she embarked on a Yangtze Triangle tour of China as a cellist with Ontario Festival Symphony Orchestra. She also continues to conduct two string youth orchestras: Philharmonia and Sinfonia, under the umbrella of the Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra. This is her 17th year. In 2012, the OSYO traveled to Los Angeles to perform in the West Coast Youth Orchestra Festival held at Disney Hall.
Her orchestras, concert bands and jazz bands have earned gold standings at both the Provincial and National levels over the span of her teaching career. In addition to teaching flute and cello in her studio, Caron is sought after as a clinician and adjudicator for regional and national festivals across Canada.
Derek Oger – Piano
Derek Oger has held the position of Executive Director of Conservatory Canada since 2014, where he has focused on a complete academic renewal of CC’s core syllabi to make music assessments more accessible to student’s diverse interests. He is also the host of Conservatory Canada TV, a webinar series for studio music teachers that interviews pedagogues, composers, and researchers about topics relevant to studio music teaching.
Derek maintains a private teaching studio and teaches piano performance as a contract lecturer at Lakehead University. He regularly adjudicates at music festivals, gives teacher workshops and webinars across Canada and works as a collaborative pianist.
Derek has lived his entire life in Thunder Bay, ON and received an HBA Music degree from Lakehead University. His main musical influences have been teachers Heather Morrison and the late Peter Longworth and Helmut Brauss. In his spare time, he is keenly absorbed in the burgeoning fields of functional medicine and craniosacral therapy. In 2020 he became an ADAPT certified functional health coach.
Morgan Stickland – Vocal
Canadian soprano Morgan Strickland is recognized for her “jewel-like tone” (The Boston Globe) and “consistency of vocal beauty throughout her different emotional states” (The Boston Musical Intelligencer). A native of Ottawa, Morgan has had the pleasure of singing on both US and Canadian stages. Recent post-pandemic projects include Morgana in Handel’s Alcina (OperOttawa), Carmina Burana (soloist) with Ottawa Choral Workshops, and soprano soloist in the world premier of Gates of Heaven: Requiem for a Life of Peace in March 2024 (OperOttawa).
When not on stage, Ms. Strickland is a full-time music educator who serves as the Artistic Director of SOPAC Ottawa and adjunct faculty with Carleton University. As AD of SOPAC Ottawa, Morgan creates and directs programming and mainstage shows with both youth and adult ensembles. In addition to her private studio, Morgan enjoys sharing her intrigue and knowledge of singing through masterclasses covering topics including neuroscience and its relationship to singing and practising, basic foundations and pedagogy of singing, and singing interpretation. Morgan has had the distinct pleasure of being mentored by the great Dalton Baldwin and Lorraine Nubar (The Juilliard School) and singing in masterclasses with Edith Weins, Martin Katz, Carolyn Heart and John Greer. Ms Strickland holds a BMUS (University of Ottawa) and a double master’s degree in Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogy from New England Conservatory (Boston, MA).