2015 Adjudicators

Spinto tenor, Charles Matthew Hill, who is known to most as Matt, grew up on the coast of North Carolina, in a tiny, seaside village called Sealevel. He has been an active musician since childhood, studying piano and trumpet and also touring with his family’s music group.

Upon entering East Carolina University, where he completed a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Choral Conducting with a minor in Organ Performance, Matt began working for Saint Paul’s Church where he was Director of the Choral Youth programs, Choral Scholar, and Co-Founder and Director of the East Carolina Compline Choir. While in this position, Matt also worked for several summers as a course proctor for the Royal School of Church Music courses for adults and teens in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In 2008, Matt began his Master of Music degree in Voice Performance and Pedagogy at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. During this time, Matt worked on the music staff at The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City. While in NYC, Matt, as a soloist and choral singer, performed with The New York Philharmonic, The Choirs of Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The American Classical Orchestra, The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, The Berlinstaatsoperorchester, New Jersey State Opera, Opera New Jersey, The Grand Tour Orchestra, and various other ensembles. He was also privileged to perform multiple times for United Nations services and the Spanish Consulate General of NYC. In addition to the world of orchestral work and having performed various operatic roles, one of Matt’s most memorable performances was the world premiere of Sasha Zamler-Carhart and Ryan Carter’s experimental opera I Fioretti in Musica, an opera based on the life of Saint Francis of Assisi.

In 2011, Matt began making the transition into vocal music education and choral conducting, his passions. He was a founding faculty member of the St. Thomas’s Episcopal Church Choir School in New Haven, Connecticut, and also began performing with the ensembles of the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. In 2012, Matt began transitioned from the east coast to Oregon to become part of the music faculty at The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts in Eugene, Oregon, and The Director of Music at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Oregon City, Oregon.

Beginning in July of 2014, Matt took the position of Director of Music at The Cathedral Church of Saint Michael and All Angels in Kelowna, British Columbia. He continues an active schedule as a singer and adjudicator in North America and Europe, and maintains a studio of piano and voice students.

Don Bennett has been a music educator for 30 years, most of those at the high school level.  His schools’ concert bands, jazz bands and choirs have performed frequently in provincial and national music festivals, receiving excellent reviews.  Students of his have been regularly selected for Provincial and National Honour Bands and Choirs, with one or two each year winning a spot in the American High School Honours Performance Series ensembles, performing in Carnegie Hall.    He has had dozens of former students who have pursued careers as professional musicians and/or music teachers.

Don is a member of the BC Music Educators’ Association, Canadian Music Educators’ Association, BC Band Association, BC Choral Federation, and both the BC and Canadian Coalitions for Music Education.  He has served on the executive of the BCMEA and the Pacific Coast Music Festivals Association, and has presented workshops on brass pedagogy, master teaching and conducting.

Don completed a BMus degree as a trombonist at the University of British Columbia, and a MEd degree at the University of Victoria with a major in instrumental conducting.  He has played with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Viva, has subbed in with the Okanagan and Prince George Symphony Orchestras, and has performed regularly with brass and jazz ensembles.  Principal trombonist of the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra for 26 years, he stepped down last season to pursue other opportunities.  He is co-conductor and trombonist of the Kamloops Brandenburg Orchestra and the Kamloops Community Band.

Born in Chilliwack, B.C. Darlene began studying piano and performing in festivals at an early age. Her teachers included Ms. Agnes Rinas and renowned Vancouver teacher and performer Ira Schwartz.

In the forty years since completing her ARCT, she has had an active musical career in the public schools, university and summer school  music programs, has taught privately at all levels, as well as adjudicated and given master classes throughout western Canada. After twelve musically rewarding years in the Kootenays, Darlene now resides in South Surrey where she has taught  piano, as well as all theoretical subjects and pedagogy.

Darlene served as president of the British Columbia Registered Music Teachers Association from 2005 to 2009, as National President of the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association from 2009 to 2011, and  as Chairperson of  the National Young Artist Program until 2013.

Violinist Müge Büyükçelen, born in 1975 in Istanbul Turkey, started playing the violin at age 9. She studied at the Istanbul State Conservatory, where her natural talent was quickly recognized and was awarded the “best young musician” award. She studied  with Nicolai Chumacenko, Sandra Goldberg in Switzerland,  Ayla Erduran in Istanbul  and Burkhard Godhoff in France.

She holds a Masters degree in music performance from Bilkent University, in Ankara Turkey, and an associate teaching diploma from the Victoria Conservatory of Music in Victoria BC Canada. She has taught and performed at the Toulouse National Conservatory and is a former member of the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra. She has won numerous awards including first prize at “The Violin Competition of the Turkish Cultural Ministry” and first prize for “The Best Interpreter of Turkish Composers ”

Currently she performs with the Galiano Ensemble, Victoria Symphony, Emily Carr String Quartet and the Aventa Ensemble. She has been a featured soloist with numerous orchestras, performing in France, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, North America, Costa Rica, Oman and Bahrain.

In 2009, Müge performed the world premiere of a piece dedicated to her called “Archimedes’ Codex” composed by Michael Oesterle with The Victoria Symphony. She also premiered “La Fenetre II” by Yannick Plamondon with the Aventa Ensemble. In 2011 she completed a CD recording project and launch with the Emily Carr String Quartet entitled Hidden Treasure. In 2014 She performed the Ligeti violin concerto with Sonic Lab.

Anne Wilson Unger has taught and conducted for many years, also working as an adjudicator and clinician throughout British Columbia.  She holds a Masters of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Western Washington with an emphasis on piano performance, accompanying and choral conducting.  In addition, Ms. Wilson Unger also holds a BMus degree in Piano Performance from the University of Victoria with Dr. Robin Wood, an AVCM with the Victoria Conservatory of Music studying with Winnifred Scott Wood and an ARCT with the Royal Conservatory of Music.  Anne spent time studying in England with Hamish Milne of the Royal Academy of Music and Isobel Flinn of the National Opera School.  In addition to her work as a pianist, Ms. Wilson Unger is the co-founder and Director of the Vivo Children’s Choir in New Westminster, and was the Artistic Director of the Amabilis Singers for ten years, during which time the choir performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the West Coast Symphony.  She continues to teach and perform while her children Sam and Rebecca keep her very busy.