AdjudicatorsKaren Ann Schuessler Karen Ann Schuessler is a native of Lansing, Michigan. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Michigan State University and a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Among her teachers: Corliss Arnold and Robert Glasgow. Since 1981, she has lived in London, Ontario, where she has conducted the Cantorion Cymraeg Canada (Canadian Welsh Choir) and its chamber choir, Côr Bach, and the Conservatory Choir of Men and Boys. She has been musical director for several shows mounted by London Musical Theatre, and has served as Director of Music at Centennial United Church where she established a still-thriving handbell program. Currently, Karen is Director of Music at Wesley-Knox United Church, London, where she conducts the junior, youth, senior and handbell choirs, conducts the church orchestra, and plays the organ. Karen is founder and conductor of the Karen Schuessler Singers—a thirty-eight-voice mixed choir well known in the London area for its high standards and varied repertoire, and its London and Detroit performances of Paul Winter and Paul Halley’s Missa Gaia/Earth Mass. A Karen Schuessler Singers’ performance of this work was featured at the 2005 National Convention of the Royal Canadian College of Organists. This work has been recorded and is available on CD. For several years, Karen was part-time faculty at the University of Western Ontario and conductor of that university’s award-winning women’s choir, Les Choristes. Karen has presented many choral workshops including a major workshop on choral rehearsal techniques at the 2005 National Convention of the Royal Canadian College of Organists. She has performed organ recitals in Canada, the United States and South America. She is a frequent solo recitalist and recital accompanist. She teaches voice, piano, organ, conducting and theory, and is frequently asked to adjudicate choir, voice, piano, handbells and organ at music festivals. Luba Zuk Luba Zuk, PhD, pianist and educator, is a graduate of McGill University, the Conservatoire de Musique de Québec in Montreal and the Ukrainian Free University in Munich. She also studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria and at the University of Alberta Banff School of Fine Arts. She is a professor in the Faculty of Music Schulich School of Music at McGill University, and at the Ukrainian Free University in Munich. Luba Zuk has appeared in solo recitals, as a member of the Luba and Ireneus Zuk piano duo, and with chamber ensembles.  She has presented solo concert tours in major cities in Canada and the USA, and her work with the Zuk Piano Duo, which actively promotes Canadian and Ukrainian music and has recorded for the RCI-ACM, and SNE labels, has taken her throughout North America, Europe and the Far East, with particularly intense concert activity in Ukraine. Her solo and ensemble performances are broadcast regularly on CBC Radio, Radio- Canada International and Ukrainian Radio and Television, and she has also performed on Austrian and Polish Radio. In her research Luba Zuk focuses on Ukrainian music and her doctoral dissertation deals with piano works by composers of Ukrainian origin residing in Canada and the USA. She is also active as a lecturer on subjects related to Ukrainian music, and as adjudicator at national and international music festivals and competitions in Canada and in Europe. In recognition of her artistic achievement, the government of Ukraine bestowed a high honour on Luba Zuk: she was awarded a medal and the title Merited Artist of Ukraine. She has also been awarded the Shevchenko Medal by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. Ron Gilbert Ron Gilbert studied at the University of Western Ontario where he majored in trumpet and received an Honours Bachelor of Music degree (1970) and a Master of Education (Educational Administration) degree (1992). He recently retired from the Thames Valley District School Board (London, Ontario) where he served as music consultant, music department head, and high school music teacher for almost 30 years. During that time, Ron also served as President of the Ontario Music Educators’ Association and Vice President of the Canadian Music Educators’ Association. Ron has served as music camp faculty member, camp director, guest conductor, festival adjudicator, workshop presenter, conference organizer, and author of several published music articles. He is former bandmaster of the London Citadel Youth Band and the Ontario West Divisional Youth Band of the Salvation Army. Ron received his A.R.C.T. with the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto at the age of 18. As a professional musician, he has performed with numerous symphony orchestras, brass bands, Broadway show pit bands, dance orchestras, small brass ensembles, and as a soloist. Currently in his retirement, Ron is the Deputy Bandmaster and principal solo cornet of the London Citadel Band of the Salvation Army, and Festival Director for both Musicfest London and Festival London. As a trumpet player, he maintains an active performing schedule in the London area and he continues to teach and run a very busy private studio for both beginning and advanced trumpet players. Ron has been married to Karen, a social worker, for 27 years and they have two daughters. Rachel is a radio broadcaster while Stephanie is pursuing a Masters Degree in Nursing and Health Sciences. Both daughters are musicians and continue to actively enjoy music. Andrea deBoer-Jones Voice and Choral Andrea de Boer-Jones is an active music educator, choral clinican, choral and voice adjudicator, and musician. Over the past 10 years she been the Director of Vocal Music in several private schools across Ontario and Quebec, and conducted children and youth choirs at Albert College, Trinity College, and the Senior CISMF Choir at Roy Thompson Hall. Currently Ms de Boer-Jones is director of the Grand Philharmonic Children’s Choir in Kitchener/Waterloo, leads the Junior/Intermediate music program at Hitherfield Prepatory School, and the choir at Wellington Hall Academy. As a singer, she maintains an busy performance schedule as a member of the Elora Festival Singers (EFS). This season’s EFS schedule is highlighted by a exciting Western Canada performance tour and two recordings. In recent years, Ms de Boer-Jones has been a core member of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, a guest soloist featured in several shows with the popular Words and Music series in Cobourg, and played lead musical theatre roles in “Cabaret” and “Into The Woods.” She is thrilled to be conducting adjudicating in Belleville this year.