Meet The Adjudicators

Carlo Santos is a National Gold Medalist in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Born and raised in Calgary, he began his post-secondary studies in mechanical engineering at the University of Calgary before pursuing his true passion for music. He completed both the Associate Diploma (ARCT) in Piano Performance with First Class Honours and the Licentiate Diploma (LRCM) with Distinction under the mentorship of Allen Reiser. In 2020, he received the Royal Conservatory’s National Gold Medal for achieving the highest mark in Canada on the LRCM examination.

An active performer, Carlo has given solo recitals across Alberta and California and competed in the 2021 Honens Pro-Am Competition. He has participated in masterclasses with concert pianists Ingrid Fliter, Martín García García, Roman Rabinovich, Katherine Chi, Konstantin Shamray, and Rachel Naomi Kudo.

Today, Carlo is the founder and director of Virtus Music, a Calgary-based studio dedicated to helping students play the music they love while cultivating discipline, artistry, and joy. His students range from young beginners to advanced diploma candidates across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

At the heart of Carlo’s teaching philosophy is engagement — the intersection of passion, proficiency, and enjoyment. Through Virtus Music, he hopes to nurture lifelong relationships with music—one that grows with each student and becomes an authentic expression of who they are.

Gloria Chu is a dedicated and passionate music educator, adjudicator, speaker, composer, and performer who brings joy and excellence to every facet of her work. She holds three Master’s degrees: an MA in Piano (Ottawa), an MA in Strings (Chichester), and is

currently pursing an MA in Voice Pedagogy (Wales). Recognized for her outstanding contributions to music education, Gloria has received the Steinway & Sons Top Teacher Award and the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) Teacher of Distinction Award.  Her students, inspired by her nurturing and joyful approach to teaching, have collectively earned 22 RCM Regional Gold Medals - the highest mark in their regions - across Canada and the United States in piano, voice, and violin. She is also a respected member of the RCM College of

Examiners. 

Gloria is a sought-after speaker and has presented at local, provincial, and national conferences, including the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP), American String Teachers Association, Suzuki Association of the Americas collocated conferences, and the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Associations (CFMTA) National Conference.

As a composer, her works have been featured in the Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects

(ACNMP) Contemporary Showcase syllabus, earning recognition for their creativity and educational value.  Through her innovative and student-centered teaching methods, Gloria strives to empower today’s learners to express their unique voices with confidence - both in music and in life. www.gloriachumusic.com

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Melanie Baux has always loved being surrounded by music. Melanie has a Diploma in Music Performance from Mount Royal University and a Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Manitoba. She has completed the Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop at the Boston Conservatory and  has completed all levels of Somatic Voice WorkTM , The LoVetri Method. Melanie has performed with orchestras across Canada as a soloist in both Oratorio and Secular Works. Most recently, she can be found on the theatre stage, frequently performing in musicals.

Melanie is passionate about developing and mentoring young performers. She has been a vocal coach and rehearsal lead for the Calgary Boys’ Choir and was the Artistic Director of the Cochrane Young Singers for five seasons.  Melanie has been the Artistic Director of Swamp Donkey Musical Theatre Society since 2018. Melanie has been musical director, director, and choreographer for numerous musicals and continues to produce several shows each season. She is a sought-after voice teacher and vocal coach teaching both classical and CCM styles using the foundations of Somatic Voice WorkTM . Melanie frequently adjudicates Musical Theatre, Choral, Classical and CCM voice. She is dedicated to enriching communities through music.

Tammy-Jo Mortensen completed a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Alberta and a Master of Music degree in pipe organ performance at McGill University and she has a second master’s degree in Music (Choral Conducting) from the U of A under Leonard Ratzlaff and Debra Cairns.  While studying organ, she was also studying piano and voice and has completed many RCM exams in both. She has adjudicated festivals in many cities in Alberta and was an examiner for the Western Board of Music. She served for many years on the Sherwood Park Music Festival board.

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Tammy-Jo has performed in many provinces in Canada, as well as the US, Denmark, Korea and England, has been recorded by CBC radio and television.  Currently, she is the conductor of one of the Cosmopolitan Music Society handbell groups, is the Choir Manager of the Da Camera Singers, the Music Director at Christ Church Anglican, Edmonton, harpsichordist for the Alberta Baroque Ensemble, and is the music editor for Gathering magazine, (the national worship publication of the United Church of Canada). She teaches at Concordia University as well as privately and is the curator of a radio show on bigeradio.com

Karri Quan has been a chamber musician for over 35 years, and a violin instructor since 1995.  After studying at the Mount Royal Conservatory of Music in Calgary, she moved to Toronto, where she completed her Bachelor of Music in Performance.  She plays professionally in many orchestral and chamber music settings, and enjoys freelance work throughout Alberta and British Columbia.  Karri maintains a private studio of students, and is the sessional violin instructor at Ambrose University.  Karri has been the Concertmaster of the Ambrose University Chamber Orchestra since 2016, and performs regularly with the Red Deer Symphony, the Symphony of the Kootenays, Calgary Opera and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.  She is also a founding member of Prosecco Strings, a professional string trio that performs throughout southern Alberta.

Karri is an active member of Sweet Adelines International, and sings with Lions Gate Chorus (in Vancouver), a group of 100+ a cappella singers who are the 2024 Gold Medal International Champions.  She loves to coach, perform, teach and rehearse, and is grateful for the wonderful opportunities that her life in music has provided!

Stephen Demaer is a classically trained guitarist, educator, and performer based in Calgary, Alberta. He is currently on faculty at Mount Royal University Conservatory and Ambrose University.  He holds both a Bachelor and Master of Music degree in Guitar Performance from the University of Calgary, having studied under Dr. Ralph Maier.  A recipient of the Royal Conservatory of Music’s ARCT Performer Diploma in Classical Guitar, Stephen also teaches ukulele, music theory, and music history.

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As an active presence in Calgary’s music scene, he sits on the board of the Classical Guitar Society of Calgary and regularly performs at local venues like Haven House Café and Shelf Life Books. 

Stephen is a dedicated teacher — his students regularly achieve high marks on RCM exams, a testament to his balanced approach of structure and creativity.  He is an RCM Examiner for guitar, and an RCM Certified Teacher for guitar and piano.

In addition to teaching, Stephen performs professionally, offering classical guitar for events ranging from intimate concerts to weddings and corporate events.  In 2024, he released his debut album ‘Reflections’ - available on streaming services like Apple Music and YouTube Music.

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