We are proud of our outstanding faculty at the Jean Lyons School of Music. Our 19 teachers bring with them experiences from a wide range of musical backgrounds from Europe, Asia, and North America. As dedicated professionals they are actively engaged in the performing arts community in Metro Vancouver and beyond. As a team they work together, share ideas, and volunteer countless hours of their own time to offer our students the most supportive and nurturing environment possible.

SUSAN WONG LIM, ARCT, BMus (Principal)
Susan Wong Lim is a former pupil of Jean Lyons and has been teaching at the School since 1975. She received a BMus in Piano Performance from UBC, studying under Robert Silverman. Her students have won Silver Medals and First Place at the Canadian Music Competition National Finals. An active presence in the local music community, she serves on the BC Regional Council of the Canadian Music Centre, sits on the Board of Directors of the Vancouver Recital Society and Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festivals Society, and fosters local talent as the longtime Concert Chair of the Vancouver Women’s Musical Society. In addition to her teaching and volunteer duties, Miss Wong performs in the Vancouver Piano Ensemble.

ANGELA BARBOUR, ARCT (Vice-Principal)
Angela Barbour is a former pupil of Jean Lyons and has been teaching at the School since 1969. Her students have won top awards in the Canadian Music Competitions and the Seattle Young Artists’ Festival, Silver Medals from the Royal Conservatory, and the Gold Medal for 2004. Ms. Barbour also enjoys teaching Harmony.

DINA CORRADO, ARCT, MMus (Vice-Principal)
Dina Corrado earned a BMus in Piano Performance from the University of Western Ontario and a MMus from UBC. Her teachers include Peter Katin, Robert Silverman, Jane Coop, and Lee Kum-Sing. Ms. Corrado enjoys teaching students of all ages.

JESSIE KUMAGAI, ARCT, LRSM, BBA (Director)
Jessie Kumagai has been teaching at the School since 1995. A former pupil of Jean Lyons, she received her ARCT in Piano Performance in 1990 and her Licentiateship from the Royal School of Music in London the following year. She has won awards from the Canadian Music Competition, the Seattle Young Artists’ Music Festival, and the Ettlingen International Competition for Young Artists. Jessie graduated from Simon Fraser University and also earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Information Technology. Her interests include travelling, reading and pilates.
 
GAYE ALCOTT, ARCT
Gaye Alcott has taught piano in Canada and the United States for over 25 years. In addition to maintaining  private studios in Vancouver and Hawaii, she was also on the music faculty at Capilano College in North Vancouver for 15 years. Her students have consistently achieved honours and awards and many have gone on to become successful teachers and performers. Ms. Alcott holds an ARCT diploma in Piano Performance. Her principal teachers were Dr. Dale Reubart and Dr. Robert Rogers at the UBC, and she has also worked in masterclasses with Menahem Pressler, Marek Jablonski, Lyell Gustin and Dr. Reginald Stewart. She has won numerous competitions and has been the recipient of  several awards, including two BC cultural grants and Banff Centre scholarships. In addition to teaching, Ms. Alcott enjoys a rewarding career in Canada and the United States as a soloist, chamber musician and adjudicator.

TERESITA BOTELHO, LRAM, MMus
Teresita Botelho was born in Hong Kong and studied in the UK, Germany, Italy and Poland. She has performed in Europe and the Far East as a soloist, accompanist and chamber musician, and has taught students at all levels. Ms. Botelho was head of piano studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong for 18 years before immigrating to Canada. She is also a sought-after clinician among teachers and students with pain, injury-related and technical problems.

JEAN BROWN, ARCT
Jean Brown has taught at the School since 1980 and has had many outstanding students, including the Gold Medal winner of 1991. Mrs. Brown has adjudicated in various Lower Mainland festivals and enjoys teaching History as well as the young Suzuki class.

ANITA CHAN, ARCT, BA, LTCL
Anita Chan has been with the School since the early 1970s, first as a student, then as a teacher. She received her ARCT in 1975, followed by her Licentiateship from the Trinity College of London. Mrs. Chan is a member of the Registered Music Teachers Association and specializes in teaching music history.

GAIL CHIU, ARCT, BMus
Gail Chiu completed her studies at the School and at UBC. Her teachers include Jean Lyons, Paul Checinski and Jane Coop. Miss Chiu’s students have won awards in music festivals in Vancouver, Seattle, Ottawa and Montreal.

ALAN CRANE, MMus
Alan Crane holds a BMus from the University of Western Ontario and a MMus from UBC. In addition to coordinating the piano department at the Langley Community Music School, Mr. Crane performs regularly in the area as a chamber musician, accompanist and soloist. He is Co-Director of West Coast Chamber Music, a regular festival adjucator, and a pianist at the Unitarian Church in Vancouver. Mr. Crane is a member of the Registered Music Teachers Association.

HOLLY DUFF, BMus, AVCM
Holly Duff holds a BMus in Piano Performance from the University of Western Ontario and an Associate of the Victoria Conservatory in Piano Pedagogy. She has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician and collaborator throughout Canada. A teacher for over 20 years, Miss Duff is the founder, director and pianist of the West Coast Chamber Music series in Vancouver, and pianist-storyteller with The Mountain Minstrels, a children’s performing troupe.

JUSTIN K. LIM, ARCT, BA Hons, MPhil
Justin Lim studied piano with Angela Barbour and Henri-Paul Sicsic and holds degrees in literature from UBC and the University of Cambridge. From 1999-2003, Mr. Lim assisted Jean Lyons in revising her acclaimed Harmony lesson series. He served as Co-President of the CMC BC Society from 2003-2004 and has been a graphic designer for the Vancouver Women’s Musical Society for many years. Currently a doctoral student in Comparative Literature and Musicology at UCLA, Mr. Lim teaches music history and theory during the summer session.

MAY LIM, PMP
May Lim was born in Java, Indonesia. After high school, she left for Germany to continue her education at the Stuttgart Music Universität (previously the Stuttgart Staatliche Hochschule für Musik) and earned her Piano Music Pedagogy degree. She immigrated to Canada in 1969 and taught in Kamloops for one year before moving to Vancouver. She has been teaching at the School ever since. Mrs. Lim’s students have won countless awards at competitions, including performances with the Seattle and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras. She also coaches the Lyons Quatuor Piano Ensemble, who were recent winners in the 2008 International Piano Competition for 6 and 8 Hands in Germany and the 2009 North West Piano Ensemble Competition in Vancouver.

PAUL MACDERMOT (Classical Guitar)
A founding member of the New Vancouver Guitar Quartet, Panormo Guitar Trio and Pastorale Duo, Paul MacDermot has taught guitar for over 20 years. He began his musical training at age 5 on the violin and served as a demonstration student for Dr. Shinichi Suzuki’s masterclasses in Wisconsin in 1969. He received his Advanced Performance Diploma from Vancouver Community College in 1983, studying with Bruce Clausen. Further studies include a Certificate in Guitar Performance with Wim Pfister at the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam and masterclasses with Raphaella Smits (Belgium), Hubert Kappel (Germany), and David Russell (UK).

MARIANA MEDVEDEVA, BMus
Mariana Medvedeva was born in Kaliningrad, Russia and majored in Piano Pedagogy and Collaboration. She has taught piano for over 25 years and was an accompanist at the Kaliningrad Music College where she participated in festivals and competitions. She came to Canada in 1993 and has been teaching at the School since 1994. Her hobbies include reading, travelling and movies.

VICTOR NORIEGA, BMus (Jazz Piano)
Victor Noriega was born in BC and raised in Portland and Seattle. A professional pianist since he was a teenager, he holds a BMus in Jazz Studies from the University of Washington. He performs regularly with his trio in Vancouver and Seattle, tours the West Coast, and holds residencies in Shanghai. An in-demand modern jazz pianist, composer and recording artist, Mr. Noriega’s albums include: Stone's Throw (2004); Alay (2006), which earned him two Earshot Jazz Awards; and Fenceless (2008). Check out his website! www.noriegamusic.com

JEE-YEON RYU, MMus
Jee-Yeon Ryu holds a BMus from the University of Western Ontario and a MMus in Piano Performance from the University of Victoria, where she is completing a second Master's in Musicology. Miss Ryu was a faculty member at the University of Victoria and the Victoria Conservatory of Music, where she taught piano, history, theory and musicianship classes.

AMANDA TOSOFF, BMus (Jazz Piano)
Amanda Tosoff graduated from the Jazz Studies program at Capilano College in 2005, where she honed her piano skills under the tutelage of Juno Award-winning pianist Ross Taggart, Chris Sigarson and Lorne Kellett. She has won awards from the Vancouver Foundation and the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Ms. Tosoff leads her own trio and quartet and has collaborated with internationally acclaimed jazz musicians. She can be heard regularly on CBC radio and has released two albums, Still Life (2006) and Wait and See (2008).

ULO VALDMA, ARCT, BEd, MMus, MA, MLS
Ulo Valdma is the theory specialist at the School and has a broad training in music, education, and library sciences. He studied at the Royal Conservatory, University of Toronto and Kent State University. He has also taught at Douglas College and is the theory advisor at the Langley Community Music School. Mr. Valdma plays piano, organ and carillon.