golden horseshoe music festival
2027 adjudicators/clinicians
JOSEPH AMATO JAZZ BANDS, JAZZ COMBOS
Joe Amato is a Canadian musician, composer and educator. Born and raised in London ON, Joe began his music career on clarinet and saxophone performing in local bands and musical theatre. Joe holds a Master's degree in theory and composition and his work extends across many styles of music which include chamber ensembles, sacred choral music, jazz orchestra and symphony orchestra. Through the years, Joe has adjudicated for Toronto Kiwanis Festival, Kiwanis Provincial Festival, the CNE Rising Star Competition and Golden Horseshoe Festival and he is an adjudicator for the U of T saxophone quartet juries. Over his musical education career, Joe has been on faculty or a guest clinician at IMC, The Bishop Strachan School, TIFF, Massey Foundation, St. Michael's College, Humber College, Mohawk College and he has worked with music students in more than ten cities throughout China from primary school to college ages. As a professional speaker he has been invited throughout China, Korea, Japan and Australia to speak at conferences on a wide variety of education topics. Joe is currently the Principal and Director of Music at the Oakville P.E.N. Academy, a private high school for the arts in Oakville Ontario where he leads multiple award winning student ensembles, most notably, his Smooth Jazz Ensemble that was invited to represent MusicFest Canada Internationally.
MEGAN BENJAFIELD STRING AND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS, CONCERT BANDS, CHAMBER ENSEMBLES
Megan Benjafield is a passionate educator whose teaching career spans 25 years across three school boards. She has taught in the TLDSB, the TDSB and the HWDSB covering courses in strings, band, voice, music theatre and contemporary music studies. Most notably, Megan spent a decade on faculty at Etobicoke School of the Arts, and more recently, was lead teacher for the HWDSB Secondary Strings program, as well as holding positions in two key arts programs within the HWDSB; the ABPA program and ArtSMART. She has also taught Strings Methods at McMaster University.
Beyond the classroom, Megan has provided professional development across Ontario to peers, colleagues, and future music teachers as a regular presenter for OMEA and invited presenter at UWOMESA, the Waterloo Region DSB and for Long and McQuade. As a member of the first-draft curriculum revision writing team for the current Ontario Secondary Music Curriculum, Megan collaborated to help shape the future direction of music education in Ontario. Megan was a member of the board of directors for the Ontario Strings Association from 2016-2023 and currently sits on the Orchestras Canada Board of Directors.
As a professional performer, Megan held a first violin chair in the Niagara Symphony Orchestra for over a decade and has been a substitute player for many professional orchestras across Southern Ontario. As an interdisciplinary artist, Megan has been a sought-after incidental music composer for various theatre companies, and wrote, directed and music-directed an original musical at the Toronto Fringe Festival. She has further performed as a singer and songwriter in several folk, blues, funk and jazz groups.
Megan is currently working as Music Education Manager for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, the General Manager for the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra where she also serves as the Music Director for the Hamilton Phil Youth Orchestra's Concert Orchestra.
JULES ESTRIN JAZZ BANDS, JAZZ COMBOS, CHAMBER ENSEMBLES
Musical Director, adjudicator and trombonist Jules Estrin maintains a busy schedule giving master classes, lectures and clinics on band and jazz band pedagogy across Canada. He has recently presented at the: Ontario Band Association, Ontario Music Educators Conference, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Sir Wilfred Laurier University, Toronto District School Board, Peel District School Board, Halton District School Board and has adjudicated at the Brandon Jazz Festivalin (Brandon, MB), Optimist Band Festival (Regina, SK), West
Coast Jazz Festival (Nanaimo, BC), Vancouver Kiwanis Festival (Vancouver, BC)
and the Golden Horseshoe Festival (Ancaster, ON). Jules is the Musical Director of the Toronto Jazz Academy Orchestra (TJAO) which is an auditioned
program for students interested in developing the fundamentals of jazz ensemble playing and Improvisation. Recently, Jules has been appointed Musical Director (Canada) of the Canada Cuba Summer Jazz Academy to be held in Varadero, Cuba from July 1st-8th, 2025!
As a trombonist Jules Estrin has appeared with many internationally renowned entertainers and musicians including: Clark Terry, Paul Anka, Franki Valli and the Four Seasons, Ralph Bowen, Don Menza, Rob McConnell, Moe Koffman, Matt Dusk, Kenny Wheeler and PJ Perry. Jules has performed
internationally in France, Ireland, Scotland, England and the United States and at jazz festivals across Canada. As Musical Director his groups have performed with legendary jazz artists: Randy Brecker, Bucky Pizzarelli, Lew Tabackin, Tom Scott, Wycliffe Gordon, Joey
DeFranceso, PJ Perry and Guido Basso. In 2010, his jazz ensemble opened for Al Jarreau at the Brantford International Jazz Festival. Jules has been serving as Jazz Camp Director at Interprovincial Music Camp since 2019 and enjoys working with all the campers and the incredible faculty!
CHERYL FERGUSON CONCERT BANDS, JAZZ BANDS, JAZZ COMBOS, CHAMBER ENSEMBLES
Cheryl Ferguson is the Director of Bands and Instrumental Conducting in the Faculty of Media, Arts, and Performance at the University of Regina. Her responsibilities include conducting the University of Regina Wind Ensemble, the University of Regina Concert Band, and teaching courses in Instrumental Conducting, Jazz Pedagogy and Brass Techniques.
Cheryl has a diverse history in music education, having taught music at all levels. Prior to her appointment at the University of Regina, Cheryl was Director of Bands at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She initiated the band program at CMU in 2016 and was instrumental in significant personnel and musical growth in the ensemble for nine years. Cheryl was also the Director of Bands at Fort Richmond Collegiate for 25 years, leading Symphonic Bands, Wind Ensembles and Jazz Ensembles at the institution to over 50 Gold Medal performances at MusicFest Canada.
Cheryl is active as a conductor, clinician, adjudicator and speaker across Canada. She has presented on a wide variety of topics in music education, with particular focus on student motivation, repertoire selection and rehearsal techniques. Cheryl’s guest conducting opportunities have included honour bands, community band workshops, summer band camps, jazz camps and invitational ensembles.
Cheryl’s research interests are focused on repertoire selection, community connections through music, and music literacy. She has had articles published in Canadian Winds and in the recently published resource “Winds of the North”. Cheryl collaborated with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra for 20 years in developing ways for young band musicians to engage authentically with programming as a part of their Education Outreach
Program. Cheryl has also presented on her thesis “Teaching the Brain to Read Rhythm: What Music Educators Can Learn from Language Processing in the Brain.”
Cheryl Ferguson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance (French Horn) and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Mary (Bismarck, ND). She has also done graduate work at Southern Oregon University and has earned a Master of Curriculum Studies (Music Education) at Acadia University (Nova Scotia).
Cheryl has received the Manitoba Band Association Award of Distinction, the I. Keith Mann Outstanding Band Director Award, the Community Hero Award (Manitoba Legislative Assembly), the George Douglas Award of Excellence, the Don Green Award of Excellence, the Manitoba Band Association Excellence in Jazz Education Award, and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal. Cheryl also has a widely viewed TED Talk on "Motivating People to Excellence.”
DARRYL FERGUSON CONCERT BANDS, JAZZ BANDS, JAZZ COMBOS, CHAMBER ENSEMBLES
Darryl Ferguson is a music educator based in Regina, SK. He received a Bachelor of Music (Applied Trumpet) from Brandon University, a Master of Music (Trumpet Performance) from the University of South Florida, and a Bachelor of Education (After Degree) from the University of Manitoba.
He taught at Acadia Junior High School in Winnipeg, MB for eighteen years. During his tenure at Acadia, the school's band program consistently received recognition for outstanding performance at festivals across western Canada and the northern United States. During these years, the school's elective band program consistently saw high student enrolment, with students participating in one or more of the school's grade level bands, wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, or chamber groups. He taught music education courses and trumpet lessons as a sessional instructor at Canadian Mennonite University and served as the conductor of the Rupertsland Brass Band for over ten years. Darryl has served as the musical director for the Winnipeg Youth Wind Ensemble and is a co-director of the Soho Sound Canadian Junior Honour Band through MusicFest Canada, an initiative for outstanding young musicians from across Canada.
Darryl is a frequent adjudicator at local and regional festivals across Western Canada. He has guest conducted many honour bands, including the Manitoba Junior and Intermediate Honour Bands, the Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra Honour Band, Canadian Association of Mennonite Schools Junior Honour Band, the Manitoba Provincial Junior Honour Jazz Band, as well as local and regional honour bands.
Darryl was awarded the Manitoba Band Association's Award of Distinction in recognition of his outstanding contribution to music education in Manitoba. Darryl was awarded the Fort Richmond MLA Community Hero Certificate for his service in the community, and he received the University of Manitoba Award for Significant Contribution to Excellence in Teaching.
Darryl is a clinician with the Yamaha True North Master Educator program.
DR. SOMMER FORRESTER CONCERT BANDS
Sommer Helweh Forrester is a tenured Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Toronto, where she teaches courses in music education, conducts the Wind Symphony, and serves as the Coordinator of Music Education. From 2015 – 2025 she taught undergraduate music education coursework at the University of Massachusetts Boston. In addition, Forrester conducted the UMass Boston Orchestra and held leadership positions including Program Coordinator of Music and Music Education. In 2018, she was awarded the Community Engaged Innovation Teaching Award by the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Forrester is a sought-after guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician in North America and the Middle East. Her research explores music teacher education and knowledge, curriculum development, and conducting pedagogy. Forrester is published in prominent peer-reviewed research journals and practitioner journals. She has presented her research to national and international audiences and currently serves on the executive board for the Society for Music Teacher Education, and the editorial board for the Journal of Music Teacher Education..
Forrester holds Doctoral (Ph.D.) and Masters degrees in Music Education with a cognate in Wind Conducting from the University of Michigan; Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto; and Honors Bachelor of Music Education from Western University. A former K –12 classroom teacher, Forrester taught music in Canada, Palestine, Israel, and Kuwait.
MARY ANN FRATIA CONCERT BANDS, JAZZ BANDS, JAZZ COMBOS, CHAMBER ENSEMBLES
Mary Ann Fratia earned her B.Mus.Ed. and B.Ed degrees from the University of Toronto and her Masters of Music Education from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She has studied trumpet with Stephen Chenette, Ronald Romm, Fred Mills of the Canadian Brass, and Mel Broiles, NY Metropolitan Opera as well as conducting with Dr. Harry Begian. Mary Ann has served as Head of Music and taught instrumental (concert band, strings, percussion, guitar), choral, instrumental and vocal jazz courses, served as the Arts/Music Coordinator for the Peel DSB and has taught and authored many music education (P/J, J/I and I/S) , assessment and integrated arts courses for pre-service educators as well as been their practicum coordinator at York University, OISE/UT (Masters of Teaching program), Toronto Metropolitan University and Ontario Tech University over the last 12 years. She has worked as a TVO Kids Music Education Consultant and has taught numerous Music AQ/ABQ courses at York U, OISE/UT and more recently, at the Royal Conservatory of Music (Oscar Peterson School) where she also presently serves as the Teacher Education/AQ Coordinator. Mary Ann has been the recipient of numerous awards: Ontario Music Educators’ Honorary Life Membership Award, Outstanding Teaching/Conducting Awards (Ontario Band Association), Awards of Excellence (Peel DSB), Teacher Recognition Award (OSSTF), Outstanding Contribution to Jazz Education Award (IAJE) and has been twice-nominated for the Undergraduate Teaching Award (York U). She has conducted numerous award-winning instrumental, choral and jazz, rock combos and ensembles, served as an adjudicator at many music festivals across Ontario and Nova Scotia, as well as been a regular contributor to many provincial and national music education journals, presented over 100 workshops/clinics while also serving on many committees such as numerous OMEA Conference committees, Canadian Band Association: Time to Share and the Coalition for Music for Music Education in Canada.
DR. MARK HOPKINS CONCERT BANDS, STRING AND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS
Dr. Mark Hopkins is a Professor in the School of Music at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. In addition to leading the Wind Ensemble, Dr. Hopkins teaches undergraduate and graduate Conducting, Instrumental Music Education courses, SoundPainting, and chamber music courses. Prior to his university appointments Dr. Hopkins taught music in high schools, including seven years' service as Chair of the Music Department at Upper Canada College.
Dr. Hopkins is very active as a guest conductor and music education consultant. Since 2003 he has collaborated with Dr. Gillian MacKay as Artistic Co-Director of the Jack Long National Honour Band (formerly the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra). He is Artistic Director of the Nova Scotia Youth Wind Ensemble, the provincial honour band, since 2013. In May 2019 Dr Hopkinsreceived the National Band Award from the Canadian Band Association, recognizing his contributions “…to the promotion, growth, and development of the musical, educational, and cultural values of band
throughout Canada”. In November 2016 Dr. Hopkins received an Established Artist Award from Arts Nova Scotia for his leadership as a conductor of new music projects. His work as a conductor has been recorded on LIVE WIRED (2015) and In Sonorous Falling Tones (2017, nominated for a 2018 East Coast Music Award). In Canada, he has guest-conducted bands and orchestras in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec, and led the National Youth Band of Canada in 2019. Abroad, he has led collegiate and professional performances in the United States, Bermuda, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, and Romania.
DAN HORNER CONCERT BANDS
Dan Horner has enjoyed a 31-year career as a music educator, conductor, and department head. He spent 17 years at Bayview Secondary School, where he led a vibrant music department involving approximately 500 students. He later joined St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, Ontario, serving as Head of Music for four years and directing the school’s Wind Ensemble.
Throughout his career, Dan has been active as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. He currently serves as Director of the Toronto Youth Symphonic Winds and, through his work with the Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra organization, has collaborated with internationally renowned artists and ensembles including Canadian Brass, TorQ Percussion Quartet, and trumpeter Jens Lindemann, among others. He has adjudicated at MusicFest Canada Nationals, the Golden Horseshoe Music Festival, Music Alive, and other festivals throughout Ontario. He also spent more than a decade as an Assistant Director with the SHAD program at Carleton University and is a co-founder of York Music Camp.
Dan retired from full-time teaching in June 2026. He continues to be active in the music community through conducting, adjudicating, clinics, and private trumpet instruction.
DR. JANE SAUNDERS CONCERT BANDS, JAZZ BANDS, JAZZ COMBOS, CHAMBER ENSEMBLES
Dr. Jane Saunders is retired from Lakehead Public Schools (Thunder Bay, Ontario), where she taught elementary and secondary band, jazz band, and string orchestra. Following her retirement from “school,” Jane instructed and supervised music teacher students at Lakehead University from 2018 to 2025. From 2000 to 2012, she conducted the Thunder Bay Symphony Youth Orchestra, and since 2019, has conducted the Thunder Bay Community Concert Band, a 50-piece adult recreational group.
Jane is a longtime board member of the Ontario Music Educators’ Association, and the editor of their journal, The Recorder. In addition, she is the Northwest Regional Liason for the Ontario Band Association. As a member of the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicators’ Association, Jane has adjudicated at numerous festivals in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan over the past 17 years. Last spring, she was invited to adjudicate at the Provincial Festival of Bands (Alberta Band Association). This is her second appearance at the GHMF.
She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario ~ H.B. Music Ed. (1988), the University of Windsor ~ B. Ed. (1989), the University of Minnesota ~ Master of Arts (1994) and Lakehead University ~ Ph.D. - Educational Studies (2004).
Jane’s lifelong love of band music began as a child listening the Salvation Army Band perform at Remembrance Day Services in Fort William, Ontario (now Thunder Bay). Her enduring involvement with music festivals began in the 1970s. and has included participation as a performer, teacher, conductor, organizer, and volunteer.
DAYOUNG SEO STRING AND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS
Dayoung Seo holds a Master of Arts, Bachelor of Education, and Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto. She is a music educator, clinician, and cellist. She teaches with the Toronto District School Board and serves as a Sessional Lecturer in Music Education at the University of Toronto, where she has taught string pedagogy to future instrumental music educators since 2019.Committed to fostering excellence in string education, Dayoung has presented at clinics and led masterclasses on string and cello pedagogy. She has served as the cello specialist at TDSB's Music by the Lake and as conductor of the string orchestra at Toronto Summer Music Camp. In addition to her work in the classroom, she maintains a private studio, teaching cello and violin students from preschool age through adulthood. She has also been invited to serve on audition and admissions panels for specialized arts programs.A passionate advocate for music education, Dayoung serves on the Board of Directors of the Ontario String Association, supporting initiatives that advance string education. She is committed to continuous professional growth and regularly participates in conferences, workshops, and professional development opportunities offered by organizations including the Ontario Music Educators’ Association (OMEA), Ontario String Association (OSA), and the Midwest Clinic. Through her teaching, leadership, and mentorship, Dayoung seeks to inspire a lifelong appreciation of music in her students while preparing future educators to teach strings with confidence, skill, and artistry.
SARAH SHUGARMAN STRING AND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS
Sarah Shugarman is a Toronto-based musician, conductor, educator, and award-winning composer. A violinist and multi-instrumentalist, she has performed and created work across Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Japan. Her compositions have been commissioned by organizations including the Limón Dance Company (NY), Toronto Dance Theatre, Kaeja d’Dance, Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, and Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra. Her work also appears on numerous recordings, art films, and award-winning documentaries, including The Corporation and Edward Burtynsky’s In the Wake of Progress.
As a music educator and clinician, Sarah has taught at institutions across the country and internationally, including OISE/University of Toronto, Kobe College (Japan), Canada’s National Ballet School, Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, and Cirque du Soleil (Las Vegas). For more than twenty years, she has taught music at the University of Toronto Schools (UTS), where she directs the UTS String Orchestra, a featured performing ensemble at the 2026 International Society for Music Education (ISME) World Conference in Montréal.
JEFF WRIGGLESWORTH CONCERT BANDS
Jeff has recently retired from thirty years of teaching elementary and high school music in York Region. He was the Head of the Music Department at Unionville High School in Markham, Ontario for twenty years where he worked with students of all levels and disciplines. His award-winning ensembles regularly received the highest ratings at provincial and national festivals and competitions. Jeff has been awarded multiple Conducting Excellence Awards at the Ontario Band Association's (OBA) Provincial Band Festival and is the founding Director of the OBA's Ontario Provincial Honour Band. He is currently a sessional lecturer with the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto where he received a 2025/2026 teaching award. As a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator Jeff is active across Ontario including the 2026 Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival and the MusicFest Nationals in Niagara Falls.
Jeff received his Honours Bachelor of Music Education from Western University and his Bachelor of Education from Nipissing University. He also recently received the 2025 Arts Ambassador Award from the City of Markham.
NEIL YORKE-SLADER JAZZ BANDS AND JAZZ COMBOS
Neil taught music from grades 7-12 for many years, and is active as a jazz composer, adjudicator and clinician. His jazz ensembles have performed for conventions of the OMEA, CMEA and IAJE. Over 55 of his jazz compositions are available worldwide through J.W. Pepper; several are preserved in the National Library of Canada’s archives. In 2018, he was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Tommy Banks/National Arts Centre Outstanding Canadian Jazz Director Award. In 2020, Neil was named an Honorary Life Member of the Ontario Music Educators’ Association. He was a contributor to “Jazz Pedagogy, A Canadian Perspective” (available through ArtistShare). Neil is the Executive Director of MusicFest Canada.
DR. WENDY ZANDER CONCERT BANDS
Dr. Wendy Zander is the Instrumental Music Education Specialist and director of the Symphonic Band at Brandon University. A member of the Joint Department of Music Education in the School of Music, she also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education and conducting.
Zander values the creation of learning communities that provide growth opportunities for students and educators in the areas of performance and music education. She is Faculty Advisor for the Brandon University Student Music Educators Association (BUSMEA), an organization that designs and delivers the annual Da Capo professional development conference and organizes Avenues: Exploring Band and Jazz Methods for instrumental educators. In addition, she regularly provides clinics across Canada for provincial music education conferences and targeted divisional development.
Zander was Lead Writer of the Manitoba Grade 9-12 Music Curriculum Framework and a regular contributor to the series Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. A former President of the Manitoba Band Association and Canadian Band Association, she is both an Educational Clinician with the Conn-Selmer Division of Education and a Teaching Affiliate with Brandon University’s Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology.
Wendy earned her Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education from Brandon University and taught band and general elementary music before completing her Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting at the University of North Dakota and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas. She now serves as a guest conductor for school, university,
community, and military ensembles and as facilitator of conducting symposia. Zander has conducted junior and high school regional, provincial, and state honor bands as well as the National Youth Band of Canada.
Zander investigates areas related to rehearsing and learning, conducting, and instrumental literature as a meaningful source for doing, knowing, and understanding in the music classroom. She is presently engaged in research related to the Wind Recording projects of her mentor, Eugene Migliaro Corporon.
