Described as a “thoughtful and immensely exciting performer” with “scintillating technique” (Barrie Examiner) and “intelligently rounded musicianship” (The Irish Times), pianist Benjamin Smith has performed as soloist and chamber musician across Canada and the United States. He has been a laureate of numerous competitions, including the Dublin International Piano Competition, the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition, and the CMC Stepping Stone Competition. Guest appearances include the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra, the New Juilliard Ensemble, the Las Vegas Young Artists Orchestra, the Ontario Philharmonic, Orchestra London, the Burlington Symphony, and the University of Toronto’s Hart House Orchestra. As soloist, he has performed under esteemed conductors Rossen Milanov, Timothy Vernon, Marco Parisotto, and Yunior Lopez, with concertos including uncommon rarities such as the Schoenberg Piano Concerto. Festival performances include repeat appearances at Toronto, Stratford, Niagara, and New Park (Ithaca, NY). American performances include recitals for the Texas Chopin Society and Chicago’s Landowska Harpsichord Society. Recent seasons have seen two concerts in Carnegie Hall: once as soloist in Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue with the Hart House Orchestra, and previously in recital with Canadian cellist Dongkyun An. A disc with Mr. An of Saint-Saens, Schumann, and Beethoven was released in December 2016.

Lance Ouellette has been a featured soloist, chamber musician, and has performed with orchestras across Canada and abroad for over 2 decades. Highlights include concert tours of Mexico, Europe, and Asia along with productions for film, radio, and television.

Currently, Lance holds the position of Associate Concertmaster for the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, Associate Concertmaster for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, and performs regularly with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

As an educator, Lance teaches violin for the University of Waterloo as well as privately and online. He has collaborated with the National Academy Orchestra of Canada and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada as a mentor and masterclass clinician.

This week we will introduce you to Jennifer Smele (M.Mus., B.Mus., A.Mus., A.R.C.T., R.M.T.), who will be the adjudicator for Junior Piano.

Jennifer is very active in the greater Toronto area as both a performer and teacher. She holds her Master’s degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Toronto where she studied with Dr. Midori Koga. Prior to this, she completed her Bachelor of Music at the University of Western Ontario, her A.R.C.T. Performer’s diploma with the Royal Conservatory of Music, and her Associate Teaching diploma with Conservatory Canada.  Throughout her studies, Jennifer was the recipient of several academic awards including the prestigious Ontario Graduate Scholarship. Her research centred around injury prevention as well as piano student retention strategies.

In the coming weeks we will be introducing you to the adjudicators for the Chatham Kiwanis Music Festival of 2024. We will start off with Linda Fletcher, the adjudicator for the vocal entries.

Linda Fletcher, of Oakville, is very active in the music community as a teacher, composer, singer, adjudicator, clinician, accompanist, and music director.
She began her piano studies with Grace Vandendool and went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Music (honours) degree in Music Education from McMaster University, where she studied piano with Reginald Bedford, and voice with Dr. Gladys Whitehead. She received her Bachelor of Education from the Ontario Teacher Education College and her A. Mus. degree in voice from the University of Western Ontario, for which she was awarded the gold medal for the highest mark in Canada. Linda continued her study of voice with Tom Oliver and organ with Keith Hopkins. She also plays French horn and guitar.