2020 – 2021 Adjudicators

Gordon Waters has worked for School District #83, North Okanagan Shuswap for 30 years,  over 25 years as Supervisor of Music Instruction responsible for  Music programs in 24 schools with 21 staff teaching music K-12. Mr. Waters has taught Concert Band at all levels, Junior and Senior Jazz Band, Senior Jazz Combos and String Orchestra.  Mr. Waters has toured to Russia (USSR) 1986, China 1988, and Hawaii 1990 with various school groups.  His groups have also been regular performers at Music fest Canada.

Mr. Waters has adjudicated at the Cranbrook Music Festival, Kamloops High Country Music Festival and the Okanagan Concert Band festival.

He has played in the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, local Jazz/Swing/Dixie groups and the Shuswap Brass Quartet.

Mr. Waters is also a past conductor of the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra and currently conducts the Shuswap String Orchestra. 

In 2004 Mr. Waters received the “ Professional Music Educator Award” from the British Columbia Music Teachers Association.

Winston Noren is a versatile musician who has been active as a teacher, conductor and soloist for 37 years. Since 1981, he has been a faculty member of the distinguished Mount Royal University Conservatory where he currently has a studio of over 35 students. Several of his students have gone on to have successful careers throughout Canada, the US and Europe. As well, Mr. Noren continues to give numerous master classes and workshops and is frequently engaged as an adjudicator for regional and provincial music festivals across Canada.

Mr. Noren has extensive experience as a choral conductor and artistic director. For several years, he conducted the Cecilian Singers, a women’s chamber choir which was well known throughout the Calgary region for the high quality of its performances. He has also been a conductor for the Alberta Summer Music Workshop, the Mount Royal Children’s Choir, the Calgary Gilbert and Sullivan Society and the Alberta Centennial Choir. From 1998 to 2005, he was Director of Music at the Anglican Cathedral Church of the Redeemer.

As a soloist, Mr Noren, a baritone, performed frequently in recital and as a guest artist with several regional choirs. He is Past President of the Calgary Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and continues to remain active as a senior examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music. From 2014 to 2017, he was the coordinator of the Mount Royal Vocal Academy, a weekly program for teens designed to enhance their private lessons through participation in musical theatre and light opera scenes, monthly recitals, master classes and language and musicianship classes.

Maureen Hollins has a Performer’s Diploma from both the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Victoria Conservatory of Music; a Bachelor of Music Degree in performance piano from the University of British Columbia; the Professional Development Program from Simon Fraser University; and a Masters of Divinity Degree from the Vancouver School of Theology. She was inspired by teachers Audrey Mallinson, Dale Reubart, Winifred Scott Wood and Jean Coulthard.

Maureen established her piano studio in Surrey in the late 1970’s, and since that time has adjudicated music festivals throughout British Columbia. As a clinician, she presents master classes and workshops for teachers and students. An enthusiastic pedagogue, Maureen shares time between the roles of teacher, church musician, liturgist, mentor and collaborative pianist. As an active, long term member of the Registered Music Teachers, South Fraser Branch, she is passionate about promoting Canadian music.

Maureen’s students are recipients of numerous awards from local festivals, the Victoria Conservatory and the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Maureen loves to teach. Sharing the skill of piano playing and discovering the meaning of music with young people continues to be a challenge and an honour.

Cynthia Goddard earned her A.R.C.T. diploma in performance at the age of fifteen and received her Bachelor of Music Degree and Master of Music Degree with a full graduate fellowship in piano performance from the University of British Columbia, studying under Dr. Dale Reubart. She has also worked with Anton Kuerti, Robert Silverman and Lee Kum Sing. Mrs. Goddard has accompanied members of a number of North American orchestras in concert and has performed numerous solo recitals. She has been an instructor with the Delta Conservatory of Music, Langley Community Music School, Kamloops Interior Summer School of Music and the Courtenay Youth Music Centre. Mrs. Goddard is a past president of the South Fraser Branch of the B.C. Registered Music Teachers’ Association and has been a member of the B.C. Choral Federation. She has also been an official accompanist for the International Clarinet Association’s “Clarinet Fest” where she worked with visiting artists from several countries around the world. Mrs. Goddard has also had experience teaching elementary band and worked for many years as a church music facilitator and choral director. She currently combines a private teaching practice with chamber ensemble coaching and also works as a collaborative pianist and accompanist. Mrs. Goddard enjoys conducting teacher workshops and student master classes as well. She has a passion for sharing her love of music and the arts with students of all ages and has adjudicated extensively throughout BC.

Born and raised in Prince George, BC, Joel Stobbe was active in the local music scene with music festivals and orchestras. Since then, he has received his Artistic Diploma of Music Performance from the Augsburg Conservatory of Music in Germany, regularly performing as soloist and with chamber groups in Germany, France and Italy. Upon his return to Canada, Joel was a founding member of the Borealis String Quartet (2000-2005). He toured with the quartet, giving performances throughout Canada and the United States, with frequent broadcasts on radio and television. In addition to regular quartet activities, Joel enjoyed giving educational concerts and masterclasses together with the quartet to young people from Dawson City to New York City.

Joel was the Principal Cellist of the Vancouver Island Symphony from 2006-2014, and artistic director of its Noteworthy Kids program from 2012-2014. During this time he continued to be active as both a soloist and chamber musician in regular recitals and concerts. Joel is currently a cello teacher at the Langley Community Music School where he holds a substantial class of private cello students and serves as coordinator for LCMS’s advanced progams. In 2014, Joel expanded his career to conduct the Surrey Youth Orchestra and to serve as its Artistic Director. In addition to his busy teaching, administrative and conducting schedule, Joel enjoys regular adjudicating, teaching masterclasses and summer chamber music programs. He lives in Langley, BC, with his wife and 7 year old son, to whom he hopes to pass down his life-long hobby of classic automotive restoration.