Quality Music Lessons
Since 1957

At Lippert's we have over 30 teachers, and are exceptionally proud of our hand-picked staff. We have a high standard when it comes to hiring our teachers and we treat them well, as we believe they are the heart of the school. Please find their bios below followed by the bios of some of the subs and accompanists we work with.

Charleen Beard nee Lippert (Director) holds a Masters Degree in Music Education, Bachelor Degrees in both Music and Education, an ARCT in piano, and a Grade 9 Vocal Performance Certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has had extensive experience teaching privately and in the classroom, conducting, performing, adjudicating, and giving vocal clinics. This includes work with the TDSB. As a teacher, she has a keen understanding of, and enjoys working with, all levels of musicians. Her philosophy is that every person has the potential to learn and develop musicianship to its fullest, while having fun. As an administrator, her hard work and dedication has brought Lippert's to the high level of teaching and performance that it maintains today. She is also a Board Member of the Pape Village Business Association and is an active volunteer in the community, work includes choir conducting and the Toronto Children's Chorus.


Simeon Abbott (piano) Simeon Abbott’s personal interest and talent led him to musical training on the piano when he was 5 years old. He began performing publicly at the age of 6 and, while studying classically over the next ten years, received numerous awards and scholarships in local music festivals and competitions. Exposure to other genres of music such as pop, rock, and jazz led him to pursue music on the saxophone and the guitar as well. Simeon decided to continue his studies into the post-secondary level and accepted a full scholarship to attend the Mount Royal Conservatory in Calgary. Since completing a bachelor′s degree in jazz studies at Humber College in 2006 (under the tutelage of Brian Dickinson and Dave Restivo, as well as Pat LaBarbara, Don Thompson, and Kieran Overs), Simeon continues to reside in Toronto. He has over 8 years of teaching experience and is currently writing and performing original music with a number of Toronto based groups. He has performed or appeared with: Colin Fisher, Glen Hall, Kurt Swinghammer, John Tielli, the Simeon Abbott Trio/Quartet, Danielle Duval, numerous artists from Bug Incision Records in Calgary and many more with the Association of Improvising Musicians of Toronto (including the AIMT Orchestra).


Cara Adams (piano and voice) is a recent graduate with her Master’s of Vocal Performance degree from the University of Victoria. Recently she was a member of Pacific Opera Victoria’s Young Artist Program in which she performed the role of Berta in a touring production of The Barber of Seville and performed with the New Opera Composer’s Workshop. The operatic stage has seen her perform Micaela in Bizet’s Carmen with Maritime Concert Opera and First Lady in Mozart’s Magic Flute with Toronto Summer Opera Lyric Theatre. Other operatic performances include Meg in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Sister Dolcina in Puccini’s Suor Angelica. In concert, Cara has appeared as a soloist in Mendelssohn’s Lobegesang under the baton of Janos Sandor , both the The Seven Last Words of Christ by Theodore Dubois and The Mystery of Bethlehem by Healey Willan with the Etobicoke Centennial Choir. Future engagements include a solo performance with the Etobicoke Philharmonic Orechestra, Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Maritime Concert Opera, and a solo performance with the Regina Philharmonic choir.


Anna Banach (piano) has been teaching with us since 2000. She has just completed her degree in Social Work and is working towards the completion of her A.R.C.T. in addition to her current studies in Social Work. She has a vast amount of experience dealing with children and shows her patience and attentiveness to all that she meets. She is a great inspiration and motivator to all her students.


Desiree Beausoleil obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Theatre in 1997. This program was a double major in music and theatre, and a minor in dance. She studied composition, sight singing, ear training, theory training, rhythm studies, voice lessons in classical and musical theatre styles, and piano. She also studied voice for the actor, movement, scene studies, classical theatre, improvisation, character study, jazz, tap and ballet. She has performed extensively in various theatres across the country, as well as in T.V. and Film. Some credits include: Love you to Death, and the upcoming film Red starring Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman. She has also been in a variety of commercials, both as an actor and a voice over artist. Most recently, Desiree appeared as herself in Broadway Gold at The Rose Theatre. Desiree also toured Europe as a lead singer on Renaissance Cruises as well as the Middle East and Asia in the R&B funk band Something Extra. She continues to gig across Toronto with various musicians including renowned Canadian Jazz pianist Richard Whiteman. She has been the Musical Director of the Voices of Praise Gospel Choir for the last 7 years. Desiree has taught people from various backgrounds and ages over the past 6 years. She offers a grounded actor based style to music and text so that students can learn how to effectively communicate through music and/or singing as well as acting. Styles include Classical, Music Theatre, and Pop. She continues to perform regularly. Check out her website at www.desireebeausoleil.com.


Brigitte Boegel (voice and piano)began her musical career singing and playing the piano at the age of six.  She has had the privilege of studying with the late Zigrida Golts, Leslie Kinton, Andrew Burashko, Peter Longworth, Donna Sherman, Paul Massell- and many more. She completed the four year professional program at the Royal Conservatory where her main focus was piano and her minor was voice.  At the end of this pedagogical and performance-oriented program, Brigitte obtained an Honours A.R.C.T. diploma in piano and a level 10 first class honours vocal performance certificate. Presently, she is training to do her performer's A.R.C.T. exam for voice.  She has also completed two years of study towards a psychology degree. Brigitte has been teaching for 18 years in piano, voice, theory and musicianship. She is bilingual and has worked as a French Teacher and Tutor in private schools and in homes. Her musical endeavours include playing and/or singing in numerous festivals, church masses, senior homes, weddings, funerals and bands of varying musical styles. She has done ensemble work as a pianist in a quartet and has accompanied a wide range of instrumentalists for numerous concerts. She was the keyboardist for Hart House's musical production of The Wiz and was a choir member of La Traviata and Hansel and Gretel.  Other accomplishments include: the principal vocalist of a Celtic music band, vocalist with the the Timmins Youth Singers and the RCM Choir- where for one of the various concerts in which the group performed, she was a soloist in Bach's Magnificat.  She also sang in the St. Mary Magdalene church choir, and other similar choral groups.   She was also requested to sing a special recital at the "Arts and Letters Club".   Finally, Brigitte has given solo classical recitals in both voice and piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music. She is truly a well-rounded teacher and musician.


Marcia Bunston Tjan (voice, piano) is an experienced music educator and soprano soloist. She holds a music degree in vocal performance and an opera diploma from Wilfrid Laurier University. She has also studied at the Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music with Jean MacPhail and Peter Tiefenbach. As a soprano soloist, Marcia has performed in North America and abroad in recital and in chamber ensembles. Marcia’s performance of Cabaret songs with the Mountain View Festival of Song was broadcast on “Our Music” for CBC Radio Two. Other engagements include guest soloist with the Georgian Bay Symphony, The Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir, the Huronia Symphony, Orquesta La Vihuela, Opera York, Opera Anonymous, and Theatre Collingwood. Marcia has trained at The Royal Conservatory of Music studying Music in Early Childhood and has completed her Level 1 and Level 2 in Orff pedagogy. Marcia is an Orff Itinerant Music Instructor for the Toronto District School Board, and teaches several Orff programs.


Karen Carrier (theory, voice & piano) joined the staff in 2000 to teach the co-requisites to the higher levels of instrumental performance. These courses include: theory, history, harmony, counterpoint and analysis. Karen holds an ARCT in Theory with distinction, Grade 10 Honours in Voice and Grade 9 in Piano. A very versatile performer, Karen has sung opera, classical and popular music in many different venues. She has been soprano soloist at several well known churches in the Toronto area. Her studies have taken her to Austria to study with some of the best teachers in the world. She also is a freelance Equestrian Instructor and coaches numerous students for shows throughout Ontario. A very dedicated teacher, Karen has gone out of her way to help students attain high standards on the university level courses she teaches.


Sasha Cragg-Gore (piano, guitar, cello, office manager) is a multi-faceted musician who has experience singing and currently plays piano and cello. He has had the privelege of going on tour to Australia and New Zealand and producing CDs with the Toronto Children's Chorus (TCC) as a child. Since his early years in the TCC, he has branched out to the cello, guitar and piano. He has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Political Science and is currently working towards his A.R.C.T. for piano. With years of experience as a music and swimming teacher both in French and English, Sasha is excited to join the Lippert Music team. He worked as the desk manager for the 2009-2010 school year, and has now begun new adventures in law school.


Heather Crawford (School of Hard Rock) joined our staff in June 2010. She started taking classical guitar training at the age of nine and discovered  her true love, the Fender Stratocaster, by age 12, when she began to pursue her passion for the blues and rock & roll. Influences include Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix. A graduate of Humber College Jazz Program, she completed a degree in contemporary applied music. Heather loves teaching and maintains a busy performance schedule around the city in bands such as Funktogon, a gospel group and many more.


Andrea de Boer (violin, voice & piano - currently on leave) began singing as a toddler, piano lessons at age six and formal violin lessons at age twelve. After receiving her Resident ARCT for violin performance, she was awarded a full fellowship to the Henry Mancini Institute in Long Beach California. Next, she attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, and earned her Professional Music Degree which focused on jazz violin, composition, and music business. While in Boston, she sang in the Jamaica renaissance Choir and was a youth choir director at a local church. She is the founder of an art-rock band which released a CD last October. As a violinist, Andrea has performed with the Henri Mancini Institute Orchestra, the Yee Haa Cowboys, Liz Debiase, Shawn Sage in several venues across North America. She has taught at Lippert Music Centre since September of 2003.


Melinda Delorme (voice and piano) is a graduate of the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Studio, holds two degrees from the University of Toronto, (Mus.Bac.Perf.2002) and (M.Mus.2005), and has completed her grade 9 RCM piano. She has appeared with the Canadian Opera Company, Toronto's Opera in Concert, Toronto Operetta Theatre, and in concert with the Aldeburgh Connection. Melinda was honoured to sing in the Inaugural Gala Concerts for the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Operatic roles include the title role in Savitri, the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos, the Second Lady in The Magic Flute, the Fourth maid in Elektra, Aksinya in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Countess Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Donna Elvira in Gazzaniga's Don Giovanni, Marie in Wozzeck, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Helmwige and Ortlinde in Die Walküre, the Third Norn and Gutrune in Götterdämmerung, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni.


Zoe Henderson (piano, viola) is a musician with many varied interests and talents. She is currently working towards her ARCT diploma in piano, and is an advanced student of the viola. She's also pretty handy with the baritone ukelele! In addition to her musical activities, Zoe has a B.A. (Honours) in Drama and has worked extensively in the professional children's theatre as a playwright, composer, lyricist, pianist, director, teacher and producer. She is currently taking a Master's degree in Music Therapy at Wilfred Laurier University.


Sean Kelly (guitar, School of Hard Rock) is a multi-faceted musician who has toured, performed and/or recorded with a wide range of artists, including Alice Cooper, Gilby Clarke (GnR), Carole Pope and Rough Trade, Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy, Quiet Riot), The Canadian Brass and many others. He is the lead singer/guitarist/vocalist for internationally acclaimed rockers Crash Kelly, and also has recorded two very successful Classical Guitar recordings for Opening Day/Universal Music Canada. He was named as a Top 10 finalist in Guitar Player Magazine's 2005 Guitar Hero competition where he received warm praise from Joe Satriani and Steve Lukather for his performance at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Sean has appeared in international ad campaigns for Yamaha and BC Rich Guitars. Sean recently joined multi-platinum Heavy Metal icons Helix, and is hard at work on his third classical guitar album, slated for a fall 2009 release. Sean is currently a Vocal Music teacher with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, and has taught private guitar lessons at Lippert Music Centre since 1995.


Michael Kolk (guitar) is one of Canada’s emerging classical guitar talents. He began his guitar study at the Vancouver Academy of Music at the age of six. He earned his ARCT diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in 2000, and in 2002 received a Fraser MacPherson scholarship, given to outstanding young classical and jazz musicians in British Columbia. In 2001 he enrolled at the University of Toronto with Jeffrey McFadden, receiving three Toronto Guitar Society scholarships during his study there. He completed his Bachelors Degree in Guitar Performance in 2005. Michael has won prizes in many guitar competitions including first prize at the Northwest Guitar Festival in 2001, the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals National Competition in 2003 and the Lachine International Guitar Competition in 2004. In 2006 he received a grant from the Ontario Arts Council to perform and study in Italy. In addition to performing as a soloist, Michael plays as half of the Henderson-Kolk Guitar Duo. The duo’s debut CD, Original Guitar Transcriptions, released last year, has been played on CBC 2’s “Music & Company” and “Disc Drive” as well as on “Classical Guitar Alive” broadcast from Austin Texas across the US on public radio and around the world via satellite. Currently, Michael is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Guitar Performance at the University of Toronto and is preparing for the release of the second Henderson-Kolk CD, as well as the debut EP from his rock band Mackenzie King.


Paul Linklater (guitar, piano, School of Hard Rock) joined the Lippert staff in September 2002. A very popular guitar teacher at the school, he is also the original instructor of our School of Hard Rock programme. Guitar teaching is his main career goal along with performing with his bands. Paul holds a Bachelors of Guitar Performance from the Brandon University School of Music, and has been teaching for 7 years. An avid performer, it is easy to catch Paul, live, around TO on the weekends.


Chein Hua Loghrin (cello, piano) has been with Lippert since September 2008. She is excited to be part of the Lippert team!


Rob MacDonald (guitar). Sincere performances of bold and engaging repertoire have established guitarist Rob MacDonald as one of Canada's most exciting performers of new music. As both a soloist and chamber musician his persistent quest for fresh repertoire regularly leads to the creation of new works and the presentation of rarely heard pieces. He has performed with Soundstreams Canada, Madawaska String Quartet, Contact Contemporary Music, the Canadian Opera Company, Amadeus Choir, and Queen of Puddings Music Theatre. Alongside virtuoso guitarist, Tracy Anne Smith, he is co-founder of ChromaDuo, an ensemble actively commissioning, premiering, and performing new repertoire throughout North America.


Christina Ng (piano & theory) joined Lippert's staff in September 2003. She is a patient teacher and enjoys her students immensely. We all enjoy her smiles and dedication to the job. She is always willing to help out in a pinch and gives her students the very best all the time. Christina has just graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Toronto and is working towards her A.R.C.T. in piano.


Patricia Ng (piano & theory) joined Lippert's staff in 2006. As an office staff member, Patricia is excellent at keeping us organized. As a teacher, she recently achieved qualifications for teaching. She is currently studying at the University of Toronto.


Janna Pardy (voice, piano) is a proud Newfie who now makes Toronto her home. She obtained her Bachelor of Music degree from Mount Allison University and a Masters in Voice Performance from Western Washington University. She studied and coached with some of Canada's best including Gail Katz, Peter Tiefenbach, Jean MacPhail, Phyllis Mailing, and Wendy Nielson. Performance credits on the operatic stage include Fiordiligi in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, Musetta in Puccini's La Boheme, the title role in Carlisle Floyd's Susannah, Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni, and Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata.


Ivana Popovich (violin) obtained her Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Veljko Vlahovic in Podgorica, Montenegro. She has performed with several orchestras including the Hamilton Symphony, Celebrity Symphony and Oshawa Symphony. She is the founding member of the Sunrise String Quartet with whom she performs several concerts a year, including educational concerts. Recently, Ivana has been focusing on chamber music including performing and coaching various string quartets, as well as improvising with several world music ensembles. Ivana has been teaching violin for the past 13 years, and believes that having fun with the instrument is an important aspect of the learning process. She is also currently completing her degree in Holistic Health Studies.


Torrie Seager (guitar,piano & theory) is a Toronto-based jazz guitarist and composer. He works with several different ensembles spanning multiple musical genres. He has studied and played with world class jazz musicians, including David Occhipinti, Pat Labarbera, Dave Douglas, and Ted Quinlan. Torrie Seager was trained at Humber College’s world reknowned jazz guitar program, graduating with Top Honours in 2008. While studying jazz at Humber College, Torrie Seager was awarded the 91.1 JAZZ FM award for excellence in performance. His performance experience has included a broad range of performing environments, from Top 40 to solo jazz guitar to original modern jazz.


Nate Renner (guitar, bass, violin, piano, School of Hard Rock) is an experienced musician with a passion for improvising and composing original music. As a guitarist and violinist, he has appeared at countless venues and jazz festivals across Canada, the United States, and Japan. In the summer of 2006, Nate attended the prestigious Banff Centre for the Arts' Jazz and Improvised Music Workshop. In 2009, he was selected again to study at the Banff Centre with a renowned faculty. Nate is always searching for new influences to create depth and meaning behind his music, and to fully engage and move his listeners and students. Nate officially joined our staff in 2009 as a full staff member after being a substitute teacher with Lippert.


Matthew Smithies (guitar, flute, bass, saxophone, clarinet and many more - on leave) is originally from Wellington, New Zealand. He has performed and taught music around the globe. Matthew has mastered many different styles of music on the guitar. He began his music studies on the guitar at the age of 13 and has since learned to play many other instruments including mandolin, banjo and ukulele. In addition to the guitar family of instruments, Matthew is also a talented woodwind player and has performed internationally in Broadway style review shows, jazz concerts and recordings on saxophone, flute and clarinet. Matthew earned his bachelor of music, studying at the prestigious Massey University's Conservatory of Music, New Zealand under New Zealand's foremost jazz guitarist and educator, Leigh Jackson. During these years he picked up many awards and scholarships for his achievements and performances in Jazz festivals all over New Zealand. Matthew worked for Carnival Cruise Lines as a orchestra musician and musical director for four years. He was also selected to be the guitarist for the inaugural cast of the Carnival Splendor, which was launched in Genova, Italy in 2008. We hope to see Matthew back at Lippert soon.


Kevin Sommerville (drums) is a Toronto based drummer and teacher. A recent graduate from the University of Toronto's Jazz Performance Program, he has had the privilege of studying with some of the country's premier musicians, including drummers Terry Clarke and Bob McLaren. His versatility has seen him active in Broadway revue shows, various jazz ensembles, as a show band drummer on cruise ships, and backing numerous singer/songwriters. Kevin currently plays in the band We Are The Take (www.myspace.com/wearethetakeband). Having studied theory, arranging, and advanced improvisation, he provides a wealth of knowledge to his loyal student base. Kevin joined the Lippert Staff in 2006.


Elizabeth Spiteri-Diodati (Professional School - piano) has been a music educator for over 20 years. She holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto and an A.R.C.T in education from The Royal Conservatory of Music. She also maintains status as a member of The College of Examiners of the Royal Conservatory of Music and membership in the Ontario (ORMTA) and Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Association (CFMTA). Ms. Spiteri-Diodati has had the enjoyment of teaching Elementary School music and continues to teach piano to children and adults through her own private studio. She has also had the privilege of adjudicating Music Festivals throughout the city of Toronto. Ms. Spiteri-Didoati is the owner and director of Little Heart Beats which provides music programs for young children. These programs include Kindermusik, and Little Hearts Beats’ Music and Movement.


Lana Tchernaia (piano) studied piano performance, pedagogy, and philology at the University of Tomsk in Russia. While teaching piano, she actively participated in many concerts in Tomsk, both as a soloist and as an accompanist. When Lana moved to Canada in 1997, she continued to teach and study piano while enjoying collaborating with other musicians. Lana has been part of Lippert's staff for over 10 years and continues to perform regularly.


Paula Wickberg (voice, piano) holds a Master of Arts degree in Psychology for Musicians from Sheffield, England as well as both a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and a BA in Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan. She has lectured both at the University of Saskatchewan and for the Saskatoon Registered Music Teachers on topics related to psychology and music. Paula is presently living in Toronto and has recently completed an Artist Diploma at the University of Toronto under the instruction of Mary Morrison. As a mezzo-soprano, Ms. Wickberg has enjoyed diverse performing opportunities both domestically and abroad and has been the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards at both provincial and national levels. She has performed with the Saskatoon Symphony, Saskatoon Opera, The Opera Troupe of Saskatoon, Opera NUOVA, and the Orpheus Choir of Toronto. Abroad, she has performed with La Musica Lirica in Urbania, Italy and has also participated in workshops in both England and Austria with members of the faculty of Guildhall. Paula enjoys performing diverse repertoire including art song, jazz, oratorio, and opera. She performs regularly with the Canadian Opera Company as part of their chorus.


Caitlin Walter (office) joined our office staff in 2009. She helps keep everyone organized!

Lucas Byers (guitar, violin, School of Hard Rock) joined the staff in 2005. Lucas has had a life-long career with Lippert's, beginning as a student at the age of 4. He attained teaching qualifications for violin and one year later, acheived the same on guitar. A versatile musican, Lucas has been working with the School of Hard Rock for the past 3 years and is very popular with the students. He continues to study toward completion of his degree in music. A very dedicated staff member, he always is there to lend an extra hand. Lucas enjoys performing in Toronto and has performed both classically and with various popular duos and groups. He is also the manager of the guitar department at a local music store.


Sheri Cormier (voice, music theatre)

Lisa DiMaria (voice)

Christian Ingelevics (drums and piano) began his musical career at six years old with a recorder solo at a packed Roy Thompson Hall and has never looked back! His high school years were spent studying classical percussion and performing in the Niagara Youth Orchestra, teaching drum set lessons and completing RCM grade six piano and grade three harmony at the Ontario Conservatory of Music in St. Catharines, ON, and playing saxophone in any available music class. It was at Humber College that Christian studied numerous styles of drum set playing with Don Vickery, Mark Kelso and Paul DeLong (while taking additional lessons from guru Jim Blackley) and music production with Ian Terry and Steve Bellamy, ultimately graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Music degree. With 16 years of performing experience and 10 years teaching experience, Christian has had the pleasure to work at the Niagara Symphony Summer Music Camp and perform original music in Toronto, across Canada and Europe with Forest City Lovers, Words Around The Waist, Texting Mackenzie and The Wellington Wellingtons as well as producing albums for Texting Mackenzie and La-Nai Gabriel and The Free People.

Grace Law (office, violin)

Angela Morris (violin, woodwinds, guitar) has been sharing her passion and enthusiasm with students in private lessons, group classes, and clinics for over seven years. A graduate of Humber College where she studied saxophone, flute, and clarinet, Angela has a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies. In 2008, she received a Ken Page Memorial Trust Scholarship to attend the Banff Centre International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, where she studied and performed with leading musicians and composers and other emerging artists from around the world. Though a jazz specialist, Angela’s unique background makes her very versatile musician and teacher; before she enrolled at Humber, Angela was already teaching violin lessons as she had a decade of classical violin study and RCM accreditation under her belt. Angela loves teaching all styles of music on all of her instruments and is always excited to explore new musical territory. An active performer in Toronto, Angela can be heard playing in a wide variety of ensembles including the Angela Morris Quintet, which plays her original compositions, and Paul Linklater and His Murmurers. Please visit www.angelamorris.ca.


Kurt Nielsen (guitar & bass) joined the staff in 2008. He is a very versatile musician with a degree from Humber. Well versed in all styles of music, Kurt can be seen performing in many venues around Toronto.





Justin Welsh (voice)

Accompanists we Work with

Elaine Choi


Yan Li


Rachelle Luk


Wesley Shen


Bill Weldon