Adjudicators – Spring 2025 VAM Performance Exams

Violinist Simon MacDonald commenced his violin studies at the age of seven in Victoria, British Columbia. He subsequently obtained his AVCM Teacher and Performance Diploma from the Victoria Conservatory of Music, a Bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory in Boston, and a Master’s degree from the Schulich School of Music (University of McGill) in Montreal. Following his graduation from McGill in 1998, MacDonald joined the Louisiana Philharmonic in New Orleans. Subsequently, he relocated to the Canadian Prairies, where he served as the first violin sectionist of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Principal Second violin of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and ultimately became Concertmaster of the Regina Symphony Orchestra in 2015. From 2017 to 2025, MacDonald held the position of Artistic Director of the Young Artists Collegium and Strings Department Head at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Currently, MacDonald is in demand as a freelance artist, engaging in various performance projects throughout Vancouver Island and British Columbia, while maintaining a private studio in Fairfield, Victoria.

Simon also appreciates a departure from the classical genre. He has served as concertmaster for numerous theatrical productions, including The King and I, the Broadway touring production of Chicago, and a memorable performance while tethered to a rooftop on stage for the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s production of Fiddler on the Roof. Additionally, he acted as roadie and fiddle player for the touring blues group BluesWater on Islay, Scotland, during the Festival of Music and Malt in 2014.

After moving to Vancouver, Manti Poon furthered his studies in viola performance with Professor David Harding at the University of British Columbia on full scholarship. Since then he has become a much sought-after musician in British Columbia as a soloist, orchestral musician and chamber music collaborator. 

Apart from holding the position of principal violist with the Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, he also performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the CBC Vancouver Orchestra. 

Mr. Poon had served on faculty at the Douglas College, the Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the VSO School of Music. Outstanding students from his private studio are offered scholarships to study at Universities of British Columbia, Toronto, Ottawa, McGill, Colburn, Juilliard and Curtis Schools of Music. Mr. Poon is the associate conductor with the Intermediate Strings at the Richmond Delta Youth Orchestra. He also coached and conducted the Vancouver, the Surrey, the Vancouver Academy, and the Coquitlam Youth Orchestras. He was the Chamber Music Director of the Surrey Youth Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Poon was on faculty at UBC String Music Camp, Courtney Youth Music Camp, Quiring Chamber Music Camp, VAM Sea to Sky Chamber Music Camp and MMM Camp in Washington State.

CELLO – John Kadz

John Kadz’s career as chamber musician and teacher spans more than 50 years and includes extensive touring throughout Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan. Mr. Kadz began his professional career at age 17 as a member of the Houston Symphony under the baton of Sir John Barbirolli. His other professional activities have included serving as the principal cellist with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and performing with the chamber music groups Aubade and the Lyric Chamber Players. Mr. Kadz maintains a large private student cello class. Previously he was a cello instructor with Mount Royal University Conservatory and managed its Academy Program and Summer Strings Academy. He was also co-artistic director for Morningside Music Bridge at Mount Royal University from its inception until 2015. In 2017, Mr. Kadz was made a Fellow at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto in recognition of his contribution to the music scene in Canada. He is the founding artistic director of Valhalla Fine Arts in British Columbia’s Slocan Valley and co-artistic director and cello instructor for the Valhalla Summer School of Music.

HARP – Dr. Teresa Suen-Campbell

Teresa Suen-Campbell’s performance of two-time Juno Award winning composer Ka Kin Chan’s harp concerto, written for her, with Sinfonia Toronto conducted by Nurhan Arman, was praised as “(Teresa was) superb in all ways, played beautifully, looked beautiful and has such a beautiful voice” by celebrated harpist Judy Loman. The commission was supported by the Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council.

I​n September 2024, she recorded three harp concertos, including Prof. Chan’s, together with the Handel harp concerto and James W. Campbell’s harp concerto with Sinfonia Toronto under the baton of Nurhan Arman. It will be released in 2025. She had the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. She recorded Alice Ping Yee Ho’s work “Beyond the Erupting Skies Silver Angels Sing Among the Gold Stars” on the Centrediscs label. Her debut solo album “Longing” 2010 was praised as “a well-balanced program focusing on calmness and warmth, beautifully played” by Canadian Classical Music Magazine Whole Note.​

An advocate of contemporary music, Teresa has collaborated with many composers and has commissioned four harp concertos, three solo works for the harp, and two solo works for harp and electronics to date. In April 2025, she will appear with the Hong Kong City Chamber Orchestra to perform Prof. Chan’s harp concerto and a new harp concerto composed for her by Hong Kong composer Ming-chi Chan. In June 2025, in a solo recital sponsored by the Canadian Music Centre, she will premiere two new works written for her by Canadian composers Aris Carastathis and Darlene Reid, along with her own new arrangement. The commissions are supported by the American Harp Society.

As a soloist, Teresa has performed with Sinfonia Toronto, Toronto Concert Orchestra, Hong Kong City Chamber Orchestra, Kindred Spirits Orchestra, Hong Kong Strings and the SAR Philharmonic. She has also been invited to different international music festivals and conferences, such as the Toronto Summer Music (2022), American Harp Society Summer Institute (2015), Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival (2015), Music and Beyond (2013), and the Hong Kong Arts Festival (2009).​

As an orchestral harpist, Teresa is currently principal harpist of the Toronto Concert Orchestra and the North Bay Symphony, and formerly, Hong Kong City Chamber Orchestra (2009-2011). She has also performed with the Windsor Symphony, Scarborough Philharmonic, Hong Kong Sinfonietta and the Illinois Symphony. She has performed under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy and has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Kathleen Battle, Placido Domingo, Skaila Kanga and Dame Evelyn Glennie. Her performances were broadcasted on TV and radio stations in Canada, Hong Kong and US.​

An enthusiastic and dedicated educator, Dr. Suen-Campbell is a harp examiner at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Teresa is currently on faculty at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Prior to this appointment, she taught harp performance at Carleton University and Northwestern University, and as an adjunct Assistant Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.Teresa is Co-Chair of the “Focus on Youth” committee of the World Harp Congress which will be held in Toronto in the summer of 2026. She gave a lecture on contemporary harp repertoire at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, UK as part of the World Harp Congress 2022.​

Dr. Suen-Campbell has been invited to be an adjudicator for various competitions, including the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival and the First Hong Kong International Harp Competition. Her students have obtained top prizes in both local and international music festivals, exams and competitions, such as the Vancouver International Music Competition and the Ontario Music Festival. ​

An avid music scholar, Teresa’s journal articles were published by the World Harp Congress Review, German Harp Society Journal, and the American Harp Journal. In recent years, she has also arranged and performed piano music of Beethoven, Schumann and traditional Chinese music for solo harp, the latter of which was critically reviewed by Harp Column Magazine.

​Dr Suen-Campbell is the first harpist from China to acquire a Doctor of Music degree in harp performance. She studied at Northwestern University in Chicago with Elizabeth Cifani, former principal harpist of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. ​

VOICE – Kevin Zakresky

Kevin Zakresky is a choral and orchestral conductor living in Vancouver, British Columbia. He has directed international touring productions of The National Geographic “Symphony for our World,” the Legend of Zelda Symphony of the Goddesses, Sonic the Hedgehog Symphony, and the “Heroes” Video Game Symphony. In Vancouver he is Director the Titus Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Spirit Choir and Maddalena’s Descant, a new women’s vocal ensemble.

Recent tour dates for the include the Baltimore Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Chicago Philharmonic, the English National Symphony as well as orchestras in Los Angeles, San Antonio, Seattle, San Francisco, Paris and Grand Rapids.

The National Geographic “Symphony For Our World” debuted in San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall and continued to venues in San Jose, Chicago, Madison, Minneapolis, Houston, Edmonton, Calgary, Limerick, Monterrey and Columbus.

The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses tour saw him conduct orchestras throughout North America, South America and Europe. Zelda performances include London – to conduct the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra in Wembley Arena – as well as Montreal, Philadelphia, Miami, Los Angeles, Dublin, San Francisco, San Antonio, Charlottesville, Fresno, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Birmingham (UK), Toronto, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Vancouver and Pittsburgh.

He is the past Music Director of the Prince George Symphony Orchestra and has guest conducted the St Louis Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Columbus Symphony, Vancouver Chamber Choir, Fort Worth Symphony, Sudbury Symphony, and West Coast Symphony. He is also past Conductor of the Pacifica Singers and Music Director of the Players & Singers Ensemble.

Zakresky received a Doctoral degree in Choral Conducting at Yale University in 2012.