Music

The Richmond Arts Centre is proud to offer classes taught by some of the best and brightest instructors from around the Lower Mainland. Below are brief introductions to some of those instructors and their qualifications.

Megan Phillips – Private Singing Lessons, Group Singing Class
Megan is a writer, singer, actor, performer and has been teaching the arts for almost 10 years. She holds a BA (Music Hons) from the University of Western Ontario, an MA (Musical Theatre Performance) from Mountview Academy in London, UK, and has studied at Circle in the Square Theatre School in NYC. Her favourite theatre/musical performances are: Lead in People Suck, Evelyn in Homecoming King (world premiere, 30 Below Theatre), Fay in Here on the Flight Path (Metro Theatre), and Georgeanne in 5 Women Wearing the Same Dress (BR Productions). Her solo show about anxiety, Not Enough, has toured the 2016 fringe circuit to sold-out shows and rave reviews. The show People Suck (Patron’s Pick, Best of Fringe, Ed Mirvish Award), which she co-wrote with Peter Cavell, is in development with Second City Theatricals. She regularly performs stand-up and improv around Vancouver, and is thrilled to be back on the Richmond Arts Centre!

Julia Walmsley – Singing and Music
Julia moved to Vancouver three years ago after completing her Bachelor of Music in Voice at Carleton University in Ottawa. She has since also completed her Bachelor of Music Therapy and has recently also become part of the Registered Music Teachers Association of BC as a voice instructor. Julia loves to perform and can often be seen around Metro Vancouver as a Solo Act performing her original children's music repertoire or in a local musical or play. At the Richmond Arts centre, Julia teaches group music lessons for children and youth. She enjoys bringing the love of music to so many students and always strives to have them leave with a tune in their head.

Sue Wood – Piano
Sue has been active in music for over 30 years as both an instructor and an accompanist. She attained her Associateship in Piano Pedagogy from the Victoria Conservatory of Music, a Music Diploma from Vancouver Community College and furthered her education with an additional year of classical piano performance focussing on chamber music. Sue joined the Mid-Island Chapter of the BCRMTA in 2013 and assumed the Piano Chair position from the Upper Island Music Festival in 2016. She has been building her music studio in Brechin Hill in Nanaimo but continues to travel to the lower mainland to teach level 10 RCM students.

Aouda Yen – Piano, Flute
Pianist and flutist Aouda Yen holds a Bachelor degree in Performing Arts (Music) from Capilano University, Diploma of Performing Arts (Music) from Douglas College and a Bachelor degree in Business Administration (Entrepreneurship Leadership) from Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Most recently, she composed original music for piano and performed piano and flute for the Shadow Play at the Push International Festival. In addition to her performing career, Aouda is an inspiring educator who enjoys teaching piano and flute to young children. Many of her students have been awarded Gold Medals in music festivals and First Class Honours with Distinction in piano exams. Recently, one of Aouda’s students was awarded the Gold Medal in Grade 7 Piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music for the highest exam mark achieved in British Columbia in 2012.

Richmond Delta Youth Orchestra (RDYO) 
The Richmond Delta Youth Orchestra (formerly known as the Delta Youth Orchestra) was formed in 1971 by five music loving Delta citizens: Harry Gomez, Fred Preuss, Charles Glushka, Anita Sleeman, and Aileen Docherty.

Under the musical direction of Mr. Harry Gomez, a well-known music teacher and conductor of youth orchestras, the group began its inaugural season in the Fall of 1971 with 36 young musicians.

Over the course of the last 40 years the orchestra has grown and thrived. In Spring 2013, the group changed its name to the Richmond Delta Youth Orchestra to reflect the growing membership from the City of Richmond. In September 2014 the Orchestra moved all its rehearsals to Richmond BC.  In Spring, 2015 we introduced a new Junior Winds division as a chamber group. In a few short months, it has grown to become a concert band program in itself.

In September 2015, the Orchestra introduced a new Intermediate Strings division and a new Introductory Strings division, which will be offered in a group lesson format.

Karen Nakajima – RDYO Group Brass
Karen holds a BMus and MA in Music Theory and is both musician and instructor to the trumpet and piano. She also conducts the Junior Wind Ensemble of the RDYO and leads a beginner brass quintet. Karen has led brass workshops and section rehearsals with schools and community bands. She is looking forward to bringing her love of teaching to the Arts Centre and introducing students to the exciting world of brass!



Alvin Tran – RDYO Group Violin
Canadian violinist Alvin Tran is an active performer throughout North America. He is a former member of the Boise Philharmonic and plays as an extra musician with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. A passionate chamber musician, Alvin was a member of the former Ezra String Quartet, in residence at Boise State University (BSU), and is a founding member of the Crimson String Quartet (CSQ). The CSQ recently released a music video following the success of their debut album Crimson Sunrise in 2012. The CSQ performs frequently and has just completed their fourth successive tour of Western Canada. A graduate of McGill University and BSU, Alvin has participated in the Marrowstone, Orford, le Domaine Forget, and Boston University Tanglewood Institute festivals. His main teachers include Nancy DiNovo, Thomas Williams, and Craig Purdy in addition to receiving coaching from Federico Agostini, James Buswell, Charles Castleman, and members of the Enso, Cecilia, and Ying quartets. Alvin is a registered Suzuki teacher and an in-demand instructor with a studio of highly motivated students.