Nelle Callanan | Principal Conductor

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Nelle Callanan is a music teacher and choral singer. She holds Music and Music Education degrees from Memorial University of Newfoundland. During her time in St. John's, she was a choral scholar with Shallaway Youth Choir, and twice she represented NL in the National Youth Choir of Canada. Since returning to Halifax, Nelle has taught elementary and middle school music at the Halifax Independent School. She has been a member of various choirs in Halifax including Vox, Eastern Horizon, and the choir at St. George's Round Church. Nelle has been a board member for Choirs for Change and for the Nova Scotia Choral Federation, and during her summers has served as the NSCF's Junior Choir Camp Director. Recently, Nelle spent a year of study at the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary. Nelle has offered professional developments workshops through the Kodály Society of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Music Educators' Association.​ Nelle is also an Associate Conductor with Polaris.

Ria Kim | Collaborative Pianist

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Ria Kim (she/her), pianist originally from South Korea, is currently one of the
collaborative pianists at the Fountain School of Performing Arts in Halifax,
Nova Scotia. She received her music education at the Maritime Conservatory
of Performing Arts with Oxana Zotova, at the Fountain School of Performing
Arts(Dalhousie University) with Lynn Stodola, at the Manhattan School of
Music with Daniel Epstein where she earned her MMus.
She accompanied multiple students and Young Artists at the Kiwanis Music
Festival, Scotia Festival of Music, RCM exams and recordings; and regularly
features in Nuovo Concert Series, Dalhousie Symphony Orchestra, ACC with
the NS Choral Federation, and the Aeolian Singers concerts. She had also played along with numerous auditioning students and established musicians with their concerto, solo instrumental sonata, musical theatre selections, summer music festivals and schools with the goal of providing comfort and trust. She specializes in strings and vocal accompaniment.​