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~ Guitar & Bass ~
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Sean Kelly (Director of Guitar; School of Hard Rock)
- B. Mus.; Top 10 finalist in the 2005 Guitar Player Magazine’s Guitar Hero Competition.
- Teaching all styles of guitar at Lippert since 1995
- A multi-faceted musician, Sean tours with Nelly Furtado and Helix as well as working on his own solo career, releasing his third classical guitar album in late 2009.
Full Bio
Sean 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.
Sean 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. He recently joined multi-platinum Heavy Metal icons Helix, and released his third classical guitar album in 2009.
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.
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Michael Kolk (guitar)
- Mas. Guitar Performance; numerous first place prizes in North American Competitions
- Made his concerto debut with the Toronto Philharmonia in 2010.
- Records and performs with The Henderson-Kolk duo, whose recordings receive regular airplay on CBC and NPR in the USA.
Full Bio
Michael 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.
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Paul Linklater (guitar, piano, School of Hard Rock)
- B.Mus Guitar Performance
- Paul has taught at Lippert since 2002.
- An avid performer, Paul can be heard most weekends playing in the GTA.
Full Bio
Paul 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.
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Neven Prostran (guitar)
- Currently studying undergrad degree at UofT, and towards ARCT at the RCM
- Earned Silver medal from the Royal Conservatory of Music for highest mark in Guitar
- Roots in rock music and electric guitar.
Full Bio
Neven is a classical guitarist currently enrolled in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music as an undergraduate as well as working towards his ARCT in guitar performance.
Born in Croatia, Neven moved to Toronto with his family at 3 years of age. In his teens, Neven took up the guitar and has since then made several musical appearances in the Serbian community with folk and world music bands such as G-Sole.
In 2010, Neven received the Silver medal for the highest Grade 8 Guitar mark in Ontario and Quebec from the Royal Conservatory of Music. He has also appeared twice at the Ontario Musical Festivals Association Provincial finals for Grade 8 Guitar in 2010 and Grade 10 guitar in 2011 where he received the Silver Medal.
Neven's roots in rock music and the electric guitar make him a diverse guitarist who is interested and open to a variety of styles and always willing to learn new music. As a teacher, he loves to incorporate a student's favourite styles and artists into their education. Neven has been a part of our staff since 2010.
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Torrie Seager (guitar, piano & theory)
- Trained at Humber College, graduating with Top Honours in 2008, awarded the prestigious JAZZ FM 91.1 Award for Excellence in Performance.
- Studied and played with international jazz stars David Occhipinti and Pat Labarbera.
- He works with several ensembles, from Top 40 to solo jazz guitar to modern jazz.
Full Bio
Torrie 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.
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Liam Smith (guitar, bass)
- Currently studying Jazz Arranging and Performance at Humber College.
- Through many years, instruments and experiences, Liam settled on the bass, where he concentrated his studies for 10 years.
- Provides the soul and foundation for many ensembles throughout the Toronto region incl. The DoneFors and Mr. Something Something.
Full Bio
Liam was born and raised in Port Ryerse, Ontario, where he received musical training from a very young age. Through many years, instruments, and experiences he eventually graduated to the bass and has spent the last 10 years providing solid backbone to groove and subtle nuance to melody for a slew of artists and projects in the Toronto area.
A lifetime teacher, student and performer, Smith is currently studying Jazz Arranging and Performance at Humber College in Toronto, and is a member of The DoneFors, in addition to his work with Mr. Something Something.
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Phil Tessis (guitar)
- B. Mus. Humber College Music Program
- He has appeared on numerous recordings incl. Juno Award Winner Johnny Favourite as well as performing live-to-air dates on JAZZ FM and CIUT.
- Phil has spent years honing his craft and is a well-rounded musician who is constantly playing in front of the public, most notably in his own groups, Toast (funk-rock) and City Limits (jazz-funk organ trio)
Full Bio
Phil Tessis is a well-rounded guitarist who has spent years studying and honing his craft. A graduate of the prestigious Humber College music program, he's spent time playing in showbands on cruise ships, cover bands around Toronto, and jazz groups of all sizes. He has also performed with well-known pop artists such as Johnny Favourite (Juno winner, Curve Music/Sony) and Maiko Watson (formerly of pop group, Sugar Jones) and has done live-to-air performances on both Jazz FM and CIUT.
Phil can be seen playing around Toronto in his original groups Toast (funk-rock) and City Limits (jazz-funk organ trio).
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Aaron Young (guitar)
- Doctor of Musical Arts, University of British Colombia
- Aaron’s music has been performed & broadcast throughout North America, including a recent commission and premiere by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
- Aaron has performed with notable international jazz musicians including Slide Hampton, Phil Woods, Pat La Barbera, Hilario Duran & Bill Sample.
Full Bio
The music of Canadian guitarist and composer Aaron Young has been performed in Canada and the United States by various professional and amateur ensembles including premiers by Vancouver-based contemporary music ensembles Turning Point, Standing Wave, and Land’s End, as well as ensembles at the Universities of Chicago, Louisville, British Columbia, and Humber College. His most recent achievements include a 2009 commission and premier by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra resulting in his acclaimed orchestral work Acte-Automaton, and his recent performance and arranging work on Malcolm Aiken’s 2009 album Paper Star (Gemini Five Records).
As a jazz guitarist, Aaron has performed with and appeared at various venues and international music festivals across Canada and the US with notable international jazz musicians such as Slide Hampton, Phil Woods, Paquito D’Rivera, Bud Shank, Pat LaBarbera, Delfeayo Marsalis, Denny Christianson, Hilario Duran, Tyrone Wheeler, Mark Promane, and Bill Sample including performances at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the Toronto Distillery Jazz Festival, and the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) in Toronto, Canada, and Chicago, USA. His live and recorded music has been broadcasted on the television and radio in both countries most notably the 2003 Humber College Studio Jazz ensemble recording Everything Must Change recorded at CBC studios in Toronto, and Aiken’s 2009 album Paper Star.
Aaron holds various degrees in composition and jazz performance from distinguished universities and colleges including a B.Mus. from Humber College in Toronto, two M.Mus. from the University of Louisville (Bomhardt Fellowship in Music Composition) in Kentucky, and a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
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