RCM Teaching Hub

Dr. Matthew Gould (B.M. Peabody Conservatory, M.M. University of Arizona, and D.M.A. Arizona State University) is currently the Director of Guitar Studies at Cambrian College formerly at Eastern Mediterranean University, Arizona State University, University of Memphis, and Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. Artistic Director for Sudbury Guitar Society and a specialist teaching children.

As a performer, Dr. Gould concertizes internationally with Duo46, the Sudbury Guitar Trio, Strung Out Trio and B.A.M. playing music composed specifically for him. Performance highlights include concerts in Austria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, England, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Turkey and throughout the United States with notable appearances at the Entrecuerdas Guitar Festival, Guitar Foundation of America Festival, Hermoupolis International Guitar Festival, Cortona Contemporary Music Festival, New York Guitar Seminar, and Soundscape Music Festival and is a featured performer on several recordings available worldwide.

Beth Ilana Schneider-Gould made her violin soloist debut at the age of 16 with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. She has performed throughout the Americas and Europe as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestra player and performs on 13 recordings, two receiving Grammy Contentions. Formerly an assistant violin professor at Eastern Mediterranean University in Cyprus, she currently teaches at Cambrian College and SSO Conservatory as a certified Suzuki and Mark O’Conner instructor.

Pianist Dr. Charlene Biggs (RCM Exams) is a highly accomplished musician with a Doctorate in Piano Performance from The Eastman School of Music and a Masters in Performance from Goldsmiths College, University of London, England. She has gained extensive experience performing as a soloist and collaborative artist in Great Britain, appearing at renowned venues such as The Royal Festival Hall, The Purcell Room, Greenwich Festival, Glasgow University, The National Theatre, and The Barbican Arts Centre.

Dr. Biggs has also showcased her talents internationally, having been a guest artist with various orchestras including the Toronto Symphony, Colchester Symphony, The Morley Orchestra, and the North Bay Symphony. Her performances have taken her to countries such as France, The Netherlands, Austria, and the USA.

In addition to her successful performing career, Dr. Biggs has held notable positions in prestigious music institutions. She served as the Assistant Chair of Piano in the Eastman School of Music Community Division and held faculty positions in the Professional and Community Schools of the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, where she also worked as the National Academic Advisor. She later became the Coordinator of Music Performance at Cambrian College for five years.

Dr. Biggs is also actively involved in the music community as the Artistic Director of City of Lakes Music Society. She is highly regarded as an adjudicator and pedagogy clinician and travels across Canada and the USA sharing her expertise. Her knowledge and insights on pedagogy are further showcased through her nationally-published articles.

Despite her busy schedule, Dr. Biggs continues to pursue her passion for music as a solo and collaborative artist, constantly enhancing her reputation as a highly esteemed pianist.

Josh Hubert has been involved with classical guitar for 15 years. He received both an Advanced Diploma from Cambrian College and a B.A. from Laurentian University with focus on classical guitar, additionally pursuing pedagogy studies with the Suzuki Association and undertaking research concerning guitar pedagogy in students affected by concussion/traumatic brain injury (TBI), ADHD and other forms of executive function impairment. He has taught in the past at Cambrian College and Jett Landry Music; he currently teaches students both privately and with the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra conservatory. He is an active member of the Sudbury Guitar Society.

Damien Laframboise is a freelance pianist and pedagogue residing in the Sudbury area. His musical pursuits have led him to perform, lecture and adjudicate in various cities across Ontario and Eastern Canada. He has taught piano, theory, and history courses at both Cambrian College and Laurentian University and has presented academic research at conferences in Sudbury, Toronto, New York, Germany, and Italy.

Damien has studied piano performance, modern language, and ethnomusicology at Laurentian University, the University of Western Ontario and Memorial University. His current research interest surrounds music and liminality in borderland cultures, musical hybridity, and musical participation as a path to community building. He has studied classical piano performance as a student at Laurentian and UWO, fisarmonica in Italy, and healing songs (icaros) of the Shipibo in Peru.

In addition to his robust music studio in Sudbury, he explores a myriad of musically-related topics including continental philosophy, lyric poetry, depth psychology, and cognitive science.

Peter Scherzinger, trumpet player and composer, has attended Humber College, York University, Laurentian University, Nippissing University and the University of Toronto. He has performed with many local groups including the Northern Brass Quartet, the Northern Brass Choir, the Sudbury Jazz Orchestra, Gary DiSalle and The Affordables, Patricia Cano, Stephan Paquette, and the Sudbury Symphony. He has also performed for Joan Rivers, Bobby Vinton, Hal Linden and in musicals for Yes Theatre, Theatre Cambrian and the Sudbury Theatre Centre.

He currently is retired from teaching at Lasalle Secondary School, has received a teaching excellence award from the Rainbow District School Board and has taught trumpet lessons for many years for the Laurentian University music program. Peter has released two CD’s with the original jazz group Broche à Foin, “Hommage a Anonyme” and “People We Have Known”. The second CD won the MFM album of the year award in 2011. He will be releasing a band new solo album “Crashing Through Shadows” soon on all streaming services.

Eleanor Sonley, a talented musician, had a unique journey before settling on the bassoon as her instrument of choice at the age of 16. Her love for this woodwind instrument ignited a passion that would shape her musical career. Eager to develop her skills, Eleanor sought formal instruction from Jo Ann Simpson, a renowned bassoonist, in her hometown of Ottawa.

Throughout her undergraduate and doctoral studies in Earth Sciences at Carleton University, Eleanor continued to pursue her musical passion alongside her academic commitments. She dedicated over a decade to honing her bassoon skills and expanding her musical horizons.

Eleanor’s dedication to community music is remarkable. She has actively participated in various musical endeavors, collaborating with university, adult amateur, and semi-professional groups in different cities and regions. Her talent as a bassoonist has occasionally earned her featured soloist opportunities. She has showcased her skills in performances in Ottawa, Boston, Binghamton, Salt Lake City, Kingston, Timmins, Parry Sound, and other locales.

Grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the SSO Conservatory’s mission of providing accessible music education for all, Eleanor is committed to promoting the belief that music should be inclusive and enjoyed by everyone. With her expertise and love for the bassoon, she hopes to inspire aspiring musicians and make a positive impact on the community’s musical landscape.

Susan Urquhart has been teaching violin and voice for twenty years. Susan is a Suzuki violin teacher with teacher training as well as an RCM certified elementary teacher. Susan students have gone on to win awards in the regional and provincial level. Susan’s performance background is many orchestras in Toronto and Eastern Ontario, such as The Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra, Queens University Symphony Orchestra, the Eastern Ontario Concert Orchestra and the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra.