Musical Director, Saxophone

Dr. Tristan De Borba is a versatile musician who maintains an active career as a saxophonist, conductor, researcher, and teacher. Tristan is also our Musical Director at Camp.

As a saxophonist, Tristan has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician and pedagogue across Canada. Tristan’s most recent video recording with pianist Mary Castello of Fernande Decruck’s Sonata and William Grant Still’s Romance is now available on Youtube! Tristan has a strong interest in the music of our time. His recording of Derek Charke’s Wired and Wound alongside pianist Simon Docking can be found on the ECMA nominated recording “Live Wired” (Centrediscs, 2015). Tristan also appears as soprano saxophone soloist on the album “In the Wide Awe of Wisdom” featuring the choral music of Paul Halley (Pelagos, 2017). As an orchestral musician, Tristan has performed with Symphony Nova Scotia presenting works by Bernstein, Gershwin, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev and Ravel under the baton of conductor Bernhard Gueller.

With fellow saxophonist Dr. Nicole Strum, the Strum-De Borba Duo has performed concerts across the Canadian Maritime provinces and at the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Region 10 conference in London, Ontario and Region 9 conference in Calgary, Alberta (see them in performance here). They recently presented video performances of Christian Lauba’s Ars and Tebogo Monnakgotla’s Crossing Borders at the 2021 Scotia Festival of Music.  

Tristan is a passionate music educator. He is Assistant Professor of Music (CLT) at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia where he leads a thriving saxophone class, conducts the Symphonic Band and String Ensemble and teaches courses in musicianship. Tristan has appeared as a saxophone and conducting clinician across the country including visits to the University of Lethbridge, Mount Allison University, University of Prince Edward Island, and Memorial University.

Tristan De Borba has a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree from the University of Toronto. His dissertation entitled “Extended Techniques in Jorge Peixinho’s (1940-1995) Three Late Pieces for Saxophone: Sax-Blue (1982/84), Passage Intérieur (1989), and Fantasia-Impromptu (1990)” establishes Peixinho’s saxophone music as pivotal in the history and development of extended techniques for the instrument. He also earned a Master of Music degree from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Toronto. His principal saxophone teachers were Dr. Wallace Halladay and Dr. Julia Nolan.

Website
www.tristandeborba.com

Percussion, Improvisation

Mark Adam has shared the stage and studio with many of Canada’s leading artists across many musical styles. From jazz with Phil Dwyer, Laila Biali, Dave Restivo and Mike Murley, award winning classical recordings with Derek Charke, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and WIRED Ensemble to indie rock and pop  with Brian Borcherdt and Pat LePoidevin, Mark’s love of music knows no bounds. He has recorded with George Canyon and Dave Gunning, worked with leaders in modern dance at the Toronto Dance Theater and the National Ballet and enjoys a career in music production developing artists such as Carmen Braden, Kim Barlow, Michael Dalton and Tom Easley. Mark is an associate professor at Acadia University and appears as a guest presenter for festivals, universities, high schools and conferences across Canada.

Bassoon

A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Gabe Azzie joined Symphony Nova Scotia as Principal Bassoon in January 2019. Equipped with a deep passion for teaching, he has also been on faculty as bassoon instructor at Acadia University’s School of Music since the beginning of the 2020-21 academic year. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to help shape the next generation of musicians.

Gabe completed his Master’s in the Spring of 2019 at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of William Winstead. Prior to moving to Cincinnati, he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Ottawa, where he studied with Christopher Millard. During his time in Ottawa, he performed frequently with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestre symphonique de Gatineau. He was also called upon as a pit musician for Broadway Across Canada’s Ottawa performances of Roger and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music.

In addition to his university training, Gabe has performed with Boris Brott’s National Academy Orchestra of Canada, and has had the opportunity to tour Canada and Portugal with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, where he worked under the batons of Emmanuel Villaume, Michael Francis, and Perry So. Other teachers include Kathleen McLean, Mathieu Harel, Stéphane Levesque, Richard Hoenich, and Jo Ann Simpson.
Outside of music, Gabe is an avid hockey and football fan, and also enjoys swimming, travelling, and hiking.

Collaborative Piano

Mary Castello has held the position of Staff Accompanist at Acadia University’s School of Music since September 2017. Since her arrival in Nova Scotia she has established herself as a sought-after freelance collaborative pianist, recital partner, and piano teacher in the Wolfville area and beyond. Mary is the accompanist for the Aeolian Singers in Halifax, and a member of the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers Association.

Mary has been engaged in recent seasons by Nova Scotia Choral Federation, Halifax Summer Opera Festival, Acadia Summer Band Camp, and Saratoga Sings for Seniors (Opera Saratoga). Her recital partners have included cellist Rachel Desoer, saxophonist Tristan De Borba, mezzo-soprano Paula Rockwell, flutist Jack Chen, mezzo-soprano Marie Engle, soprano Bethany Hörst, mezzo-soprano Christianne Rushton, and flutist Melissa Mashner. She is an alumna of several collaborative pianist training programs for Art Song and Opera internationally including Franz-Schubert-Institut (Baden Bei Wein, Austria), Vancouver Opera’s Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program, Opera Saratoga, Centre for Opera Studies in Italy (COSI), Sulmona, Italy, Opera McGill, and Opera on the Avalon.

Originally from Kitchener, Ontario, Mary holds performance degrees from Wilfrid Laurier University and McGill University.

Mary’s work at Acadia’s School of Music includes supporting students in their principal applied study through regular collaborative rehearsals, coaching sessions, recital preparation, and performance opportunities.

Website
https://www.marycastellopianist.com

Flute

Bio coming soon!

Band, Flute

Diane Clarke is a music educator who teaches band in grades 6 through 12 in Middle Musquodoboit and surrounding communities, a position she has held with pride since 1995. Diane has a keen interest in rural music education and is founding chair of the Rural Youth Band Summit.  

Diane has worked at a wide variety of Nova Scotia camps and organizations as a flute instructor, band conductor, and administrator.  She is a long-serving member of the Nova Scotia Band Association executive and enjoys mentoring new teachers.  

Diane holds two undergraduate degrees from Memorial University of Newfoundland, and a Master of Education from Acadia University.  She is a recipient of the NSBA Distinguished Band Director Award and the  Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence, and was a finalist for MusiCounts Teacher of the Year.

Diane’s other musical interests include Broadway musicals and Traditional Irish folk music.

Band, Trumpet

Holly Hartlen (BMusEd Dalhousie University 1995, MEd Acadia University 2017) is a native and resident of Truro, N.S. and a proud product of the Truro & District Schools Band Program. She was employed by a number of reserve and regular forces military bands, including the Band of the Ceremonial Guard, the Canada Remembers Band- formed in recognition of the 50th Anniversary of D-Day (in Canada, England and France), and the Land Forces Atlantic Area Militia Band. She currently plays trumpet with the Hubtown Big Band, The Glass Winds Ensemble and The Nova Brass Quintet. Holly has been teaching instrumental and classroom music since 1995. She now teaches roughly 400 students at Central Colchester Junior High, in Onslow, NS. She is a firm believer in the fundamental importance of arts education, especially in music, for all humans aged 0 to 125.

Band, Trombone

Stephen Hartlen studied trombone at Acadia University graduating with a Bachelors degree in Music Education in 1990 and a Masters degree in Curriculum Studies (Music Education Focus) in 2014. He has also studied at the Banff Centre in Banff, Alberta. Steve has been teaching in the Nova Scotia public schools system for the past 33 years directing bands at Parrsboro Regional High, Hants East Rural High & New Glasgow Junior High School and is currently teaching at New Glasgow Academy. Steve is the president of the Nova Scotia Band Association, has served as a member of the Canadian Band Association executive and is the chair of the Nova Scotia Music Education Council. He is a former assistant conductor of the Nova Scotia Youth Wind Ensemble and he has been a longtime member of the Acadia University Summer Music Faculty. As a trombonist and a vocalist Steve has performed with a variety of ensembles including the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Halifax Camerata Singers, Incantatus Chamber Choir and the Helios Vocal Ensemble. Stephen currently performs with the Nova Brass Quintet as well as the Hubtown Big Band. He lives in Truro with his wife Holly and is the proud father of three musicians; Noah, Claire and Owen.

Band, Community Band

Dr. Mark Hopkins is a Professor in the School of Music at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. In addition to leading the Wind Ensemble, Dr. Hopkins teaches undergraduate and graduate Conducting, Instrumental Music Education courses, SoundPainting, and chamber music courses.
 
Dr. Hopkins is in demand as a guest conductor and music education consultant. Since 2003 he has collaborated with Dr. Gillian MacKay as Artistic Co-Director of the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra, which selects players through annual national auditions. He is Artistic Director of the Nova Scotia Youth Wind Ensemble (2008-2011, 2013-present), and is Past-President of the Nova Scotia Band Association. In May 2019 Dr Hopkins received the National Band Award from the Canadian Band Association and was awarded an Established Artist Award from Arts Nova Scotia in 2016 for his leadership as a conductor of new music projects, including “Shattering the Silence”, an innovative new music festival.  His work as a conductor has been recorded on LIVE WIRED (2015) and In Sonorous Falling Tones (2017, nominated for a 2018 East Coast Music Award). In Canada, he has guest-conducted bands and orchestras in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, and led the National Youth Band of Canada in 2019. Abroad, he has led collegiate and professional performances in the United States, Bermuda, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, and Romania.
 
A native of Toronto, Dr. Hopkins graduated from the University of Toronto (B.Mus. Ed.), the University of Western Ontario (B. Ed.), the University of Calgary (M.Mus. Conducting), and the New England Conservatory (D.M.A. Wind Conducting).  While attending New England Conservatory he served as Assistant to Frank L. Battisti and was awarded the Gunther Schuller Medal at graduation. Prior to his appointment at Acadia University Dr. Hopkins led ensembles and taught at the University of Calgary and Hanover College in Indiana (1999-2005). Dr. Hopkins taught music in high schools for twelve years, including seven years of service as Chair of the Music Department at Upper Canada College in Toronto. His professional work as a Conductor spans the full range of ensembles and genres.

Band, Beginner Band

Paul Hutten has been teaching instrumental, choral and classroom music for over twenty-five years in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia.  Paul holds bachelor’s degrees in piano (BAM), organ (BMus) and music education (BMusEd), and masters degrees in English literature (MA), music curriculum development (MEd), and Indigenous pedagogy (PME).  Paul currently teaches grades 6-12 music at Central Kings Rural High School, and the focus of his career has been developing creative and collaborative ways to promote music literacy in middle school band programs.  Paul has worked with the Nova Scotia Department of Education on curriculum renewal teams, has been a curriculum pilot and implementation teacher, and is a music mentor with the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education.  He is the founding director of the Acadia Youth Band, has conducted honour bands in NS and PEI, and has been a teacher and conductor with Acadia University Summer Music Institute for many years.  Paul has also been a church organist and choir director for over thirty years, and has taught piano privately even longer.  He has raised four children with his wife, Rose, and has recently become a grandparent.

Piano, Musicianship, Theory, Improvisation

Dr. Krissy Keech is passionate about piano, pedagogy and practising!  

She completed her PhD in Music Education at McGill University, where she focussed her doctoral research on elements of piano pedagogy and teacher effectiveness—in particular, applied teachers’ identification and correction of students’ errors. She continues to research teacher effectiveness, effective practice methods, and best practices for error correction.  

Dr. Keech has a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Acadia University, where she studied under Prof. John Hansen, and a master’s in piano performance from McGill University, under Profs. Marina Mdivani and Sara Laimon.  

While her university training is in classical music, she has broad experience performing piano music in other styles: jazz, blues, folk, congregational, show tunes, Latin-American, and pop. As an accompanist, Dr. Keech is especially recognized for her rehearsal and performance skills in choral settings. She has worked with the Annapolis Valley Honour Choir, Nova Scotia Youth Choir, Canadian Chamber Choir, and numerous internationally renowned choral conductors (e.g., Elise Bradley, Scott Leithead, Michael Zaugg). She has been on the accompanying staff at Acadia, collaborating with and coaching woodwind students. As a gig musician, she continues a busy schedule of playing and singing at weddings, conferences, church services, restaurants, and other special events.  
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The guiding principle behind her research and teaching philosophy is the belief in the importance of the well-rounded musician, which includes being able to improvise and compose, in addition to the more traditional skills of learning to read and interpret Western music. Mistakes are also fascinating as they are inevitable and integral to the learning and creative processes. How do teachers, on the one hand, create an atmosphere where mistakes aren’t feared, where errors are embraced as learning opportunities, while on the other hand, maintain high standards of performance?  

In addition to teaching full-time at Acadia, Dr. Keech has also been operating a private home piano studio for over 25 years. She adjudicates at music festivals and conducts workshops on topics such as teaching students to improvise, how to practise, and the pedagogy of practice.   

Guitar and Bass Guitar

Adam Langille is a composer and performer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Adam studied Music composition at Acadia University, and has written for ensembles of varying style including symphony orchestra, jazz big band, gamelan, and indie math rock. Adam plays guitar and bass and currently writes and records electronic music under the moniker ‘embedme,’ and performs in the indie rock group ‘Moonkick,’ and the gamelan ensemble ‘OMBAK’. Adam also has experience with music recording/production, podcast production/editing, and is trained in music software including Ableton, Sibelius, and Max MSP.

Find Adam’s work at https://www.adamlangille.com/audio

Trumpet

James LeBlanc is an Applied Instructor at the Acadia University School of Music where he teaches trumpet. James studied trumpet with Ed Carroll at McGill University (B.Mus.), and Karen Donnelly at the University of Ottawa (M.Mus). He has performed with groups such as the National Arts Center Orchestra, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, and the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. While in the Army Reserve James performed with the Ceremonial Guard Band, Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces, La Musique du Royal 22e Régiment, and the Stadacona Band of the Royal Canadian Navy. In addition, James is an educator with the Halifax Regional Center for Education where he teaches music, and band.

Horn

Hornist Mary Lee trained at the University of Toronto, in the city where she was born and raised. She has had many inspirational teachers, and credits the Toronto public school music programs for giving her a strong start. After completing her undergraduate degree, Mary packed up her horn and moved to the Netherlands where she spent a year at the Utrecht Conservatory, furthering her horn and orchestral studies. A winding road led Mary to Banff and Freiburg, Germany, for summer studies, then on to Israel to play with the Israel Sinfonietta, and finally to Halifax, where she has long since resided, playing with Symphony Nova Scotia and teaching the horn at Acadia University and the Maritime Conservatory. Mary greatly enjoys her work with horn students of all ages, which includes coaching the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra and teaching at the Acadia band camp.

Mary is also a founding member of the woodwind quintet Fifth Wind, and playing with this group has led to many wonderful adventures in chamber music, and  connections with young musicians throughout the province of Nova Scotia.

Beginner Band

Lyndsey Mitchell believes that the music classroom can, and should, be a vehicle for both personal and community development. She studied flute at Acadia University, graduating with both undergraduate (BMus ‘12, BEd ‘14) and graduate (MEd ‘19) degrees in music education.  

Upon graduation in 2014, Lyndsey moved to northern Alberta where she developed the wind and vocal music programs at Charles Spencer High School. During this time, she discovered an unexpected love for choir and musical theatre, routinely bringing ensembles to the Alberta Music Festival Association’s provincial festival, as well as directing full-scale musical theatre productions on an annual basis. While working in Grande Prairie, she was the recipient of Swan City Rotary’s Excellence in Education award, and also served on the Fine Arts Advisory Committee for Grande Prairie Regional College (now Northwestern Polytechnic).

Since returning to Nova Scotia two years ago, Lyndsey has been involved with a number of Acadia University’s music programs, including performing with the Acadia University Wind Ensemble, serving as a mentor teacher through its Bachelor of Education program, and joining the Youth Band as assistant director. She has also provided vocal coaching for Quick As A Wink Theatre Society. She currently teaches music, drama, and computer programming at Horton High School in Greenwich, Nova Scotia.  

When she is not in a rehearsal, you can find her dabbling in various DIY projects around the house or spending time with her beloved rescue animals.