Faculty

We are proud of our outstanding faculty at the Jean Lyons School of Music. Our 17 teachers bring with them experiences from a wide range of musical backgrounds from Europe, Asia, and North America. Languages spoken by our faculty include English, Chinese, Russian, Italian, Korean, German and Spanish. 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) 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) is a former pupil of Jean Lyons and has been teaching at the School since 1969. She studied the Suzuki Method with Dr. Haruko Kataoka (co-founder of the Suzuki Piano Method and founder of Suzuki Piano Basics), and is an experienced teacher of the Kelly Kirby method for very young beginners. 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 Medals for 2004 and 2009. Ms. Barbour also enjoys teaching Harmony.
	DINA CORRADO, ARCT, MMus (Vice-Principal) 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) 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 in Germany. Ms. Kumagai graduated from Simon Fraser University with a degree in Business Administration and has also earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Information Technology. Her interests include travelling, reading and pilates.
	GAYE ALCOTT, ARCT has taught piano in Canada and the United States for over 25 years. She was a member of the faculty of music at Capilano University for 15 years. Her students have consistently achieved honours and awards in local and national competitions as well as RCM examinations. Several have gone on to become successful teachers and performers. Ms. Alcott’s principal teachers were Dr. Dale Reubart and Dr. Robert Rogers at UBC, and she has worked in masterclasses with Menahem Pressler, Marek Jablonski, Lyell Gustin and Reginald Stewart. Ms. Alcott has enjoyed a rewarding career as a solo performer and chamber musician, and is also much sought after as an adjudicator. Ms. Alcott’s many honours include two BC cultural grants and Banff Centre scholarships.
	JEAN BROWN, ARCT has been teaching at the school since 1980. She is a fully trained and certified Suzuki Piano Teacher and has been teaching the Suzuki Method to children for the past 30 years. Ms. Brown has had many outstanding students. They have represented Vancouver in the National Finals of the Canadian Music Competitions in various cities across Canada including Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton,  and Vancouver.  Several times they have been chosen, by local festivals,  to perform in the Provincial Festival of the Arts.  They have also been recognized by the Royal Conservatory  of Music with Gold and Silver medals. Ms. Brown is often invited to adjudicate in various Lower Mainland Music Festivals.   Ms. Brown first adjudicated in the 1990's with the Performer's Guild for the Registered Music Teacher's festival, and since then has adjudicated the Langley Community Music School  awards festival, the Burnaby Clef, and most recently the Chancellor Festival.
ANITA CHAN, ARCT, BA, LTCL 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 the regular and accelerated music history classes.
	GAIL CHIU, ARCT, BMus 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 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 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 30 years, and an adjudicator, Ms. Duff is a founder, director and pianist of West Coast Chamber Music since 1993, and pianist-storyteller in her own original children’s concerts.
	JUSTIN K. LIM, ARCT, BA Hons, MPhil studied piano with Angela Barbour and Henri-Paul Sicsic and holds degrees in literature from UBC and the University of Cambridge. He assisted Jean Lyons in revising her acclaimed Harmony workbook series from 1999–2003 and served as Co-President of the CMC BC Society from 2003–2004. Currently pursuing doctoral studies in Comparative Literature and Musicology at UCLA, Mr. Lim teaches intensive music history and theory during the summer session.
	KRISTIN LIM, ARCT, MA studied piano with Jean Lyons. After receiving her ARCT in 2001, Ms. Lim completed a pedagogy course with Miss Lyons and has been teaching piano and theory ever since. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art History from UBC and Master’s degree in Contemporary Art from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London, England, where she worked in art galleries and taught piano. Her students have successfully completed exams under the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Ms. Lim also works parttime for the Western Front art centre as its administrative assistant and serves as a board member of the Contemporary Art Society of Vancouver. Ms. Lim is delighted to return to our School and especially welcomes new beginners.
	MAY LIM, PMP 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. Her students have won countless awards at competitions, including performances with the Seattle and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras. She also coaches the Lyons Quatuor Piano Ensemble, which won 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) is a founding member of the New Vancouver Guitar Quartet, Panormo Guitar Trio and Pastorale Duo. He 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 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) graduated from the University of Washington’s Jazz Studies program. He performs regularly with his trio in Vancouver and Seattle, tours the West Coast, and holds residencies in Shanghai. An in-demand jazz pianist and composer, his recordings include: Stone's Throw (2004); Alay (2006), which earned him two Earshot Jazz Awards; and Fenceless (2008).
	DAVID POWELL, ARCT, BMus, BA, MLIS earned his music degree in Cello Performance from the University of Montreal under Yuli Turovsky. He has been teaching rudiments, harmony and music history in Vancouver since 1995. Mr. Powell sings in the Ryerson United Church Choir and Pacifica Singers, and plays cello in a string quartet. He also holds a B.A. in French from UBC, a Master’s in Library and Information Studies, and an Associate Certificate in Web Technologies from BCIT. Some of Mr. Powell’s non-musical pursuits include work as a part-time librarian in the North Vancouver City Library, computer programming, web design, skiing and motorcycling.
	JEE-YEON RYU, MMus 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.
	ULO VALDMA, ARCT, BEd, MMus, MA, MLS 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.