2025 Adjudicators

(Mmus, UdM; Master of Viola, CNSMD Lyon) has been working as a professional musician since 2004. She has performed chamber, orchestral, and solo work across Europe and Canada, including with Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver symphonies, Vetta Music, and the Turning Point Ensemble. Working in Europe, Roxi performed as chamber musician in France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Malta, and Turkey. European positions have included assistant principal viola position in the Orquestra do Norte in Portugal, violist with the National Portuguese Orchestra and the National Opera, baroque violist with early music ensemble Divino Sospiro, and researcher with the artistic doctoral school at the University of Performing Arts, Graz, Austria. Now back in Canada, Roxi now holds a position with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and regularly performs with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Originally from Smithers, BC, Roxi works hard to promote musical opportunities and musical excellence in BC’s north. Roxi worked extensively Prince George Symphony Orchestra, serving alternately as principal violist and concertmaster. She is the founder and co-director of the Orchestra North Summer Program, and director of its Academy program, which is committed to developing professional development opportunities for northern professionals and emerging artists from across BC. She is artistic director of the Prince George Youth Symphony Orchestra and previously, for 10 years was artistic director of the Spirit of the North Classical Music Festival which brought brings dozens of classical concerts annually in August to Smithers and area.

Roxi has extensive experience as a teacher, director, workshop host and works regularly for the VSO school of Music, the Prince George Conservatory, and the Victoria Conservatory. She has been a Royal Conservatory of Music instructor for over 15 years, adjudicates with the British Columbia Performing Arts Festival Association, and is passionate about sharing in the transformative power of music with musicians of all levels of experience.

Fabiana Katz, a passionate choral conductor and accomplished mezzo-soprano, began her musical journey in Argentina, singing alto in a local adult choir. She earned her Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music and has since dedicated over 30 years to choral music across Canada and the United States. Fabiana has directed various community, church, and synagogue choirs, with notable performances including Handel’s Messiah in Calgary and Mozart’s Requiem in Vancouver.

For more than a decade, she led Fusion Latina, an ensemble dedicated to promoting Latin American popular choral music. In 2009, the O World Project produced a documentary, Infusion Latina, which aired on CBC Bold and the Knowledge Network, highlighting the ensemble’s experiences as new immigrants to Canada.

Since 2017, Fabiana has been the Director of Music for the Beth Israel Synagogue Choir, and in 2019, she became the music director for the Richmond Singers, a 55-member treble choir with a 54-year history of serving the Richmond community.

An accomplished mezzo-soprano, Fabiana has soloed with numerous orchestras and choirs, including the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Regina Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Berkshire Choral Festival, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Through her work, Fabiana Katz continues to inspire and uplift communities, harnessing the transformative power of choral music.

Because of her holistic and organic approach to vocal technique, and her intuitive and empathic nature as a teacher, Ms. Katz is sought after as a voice pedagogue, clinician and adjudicator, and has sat on Festival panels throughout BC, Alberta and the Yukon.

M.Mus. (with Distinction), B.Mus. (Ed.), Associateship of Music (U. of Western Ontario),
ARCT Gold Medal, Member of ARMTA and APTA
Academy Faculty, Piano

Colleen Athparia, an internationally recognized pianist, has made a career for herself as both a solo and chamber musician, a reputable teacher and as a recording artist with 10 CDs to her name. A member of Mount Royal Conservatory Faculty since 1981, she has toured as a performer and guest instructor from Mexico to Taiwan, Russia, Israel and the Far East. Her background includes a Master of Music degree with distinction from Indiana University, studying under the legendary pedagogue G.Sebok, as well as receiving the gold medal and placing first in the Canadian Music Competition as a student of Margaret Parsons-Poole.

As an experienced teacher, she has adjudicated festivals across Canada including the BC Provincial Finals. Colleen has also been a Senior Examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music since 1980, examining throughout North America and has several former students who are now also examiners. She has been a consultant for the new RCM Licentiate Piano Syllabus and is also co-author of the book, Impressionism: A Resource Guide, and Music Consultant for Adopt a Competitor Program through the Honens International Piano Competition Foundation. Colleen travels extensively to give workshops on such topics as “Creative Practising”, “The Art of Polishing”, “Creative Technique”, and “Transforming the Mundane into Magic”. Her studio in Calgary features some extremely talented students who have won national and international competitions, but most importantly who love music!

Often a guest on CBC radio, she has also been heralded by the National Post as one of the top four Canadian pianists of contemporary music today. In November 2009 Colleen was honoured in Ottawa as one of the top 50 musicians who have contributed significantly to the Canadian music scene.