Ryan MacKinnon started playing guitar at eight years old and switched over to drum kit when he was 10. Upon entering high school he found a new love in playing classical percussion instruments.

Ryan has a Bachelor of Music in Self-Directed Performance at Wilfrid Laurier University and has played with a variety of different orchestras, choirs and concert bands including the Stratford Symphony, Guelph Symphony and Guelph Concert Band.

He is the Community Program Manager at a local non-profit called Bandology. There, he organizes and runs all community programs such as: Bucket Drumming, Drumline and Percussion Ensemble workshops. These are held at various schools, community centers and parks. Ryan is also responsible for coordinating and running Halton Band Camp. He developed and facilitates Staff Training, the Counselor in Training programs for Halton, Guelph and Waterloo camp locations.

Ryan runs a private teaching studio and holds lessons for drums and classical percussion instruments, and is a teacher at the Burlington Music Centre. If you are interested in taking private lesson on any percussion instruments, check out this link: https://bandology.ca/percussion-lessons/

Ryan loves to share all the things he has learned on his journey to help young musicians excel!

Although she was born and raised in British Columbia, Laurissa Chitty is currently living in Mississauga. She plays with the Oakville Symphony and enjoys teaching, coaching, and freelancing in the GTA. Laurissa was formerly the second violinist of the Saint John String Quartet and Principal Second Violinist for Symphony New Brunswick.

Laurissa has enjoyed a long-standing private teaching studio and she has taught with the Sistema Program in Toronto.

She successfully obtained a Master of Music from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor of Music at Wilfrid Laurier. She is an alumnus of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and has attended musical training programs in Ireland, Norway, Quebec, and Northern British Columbia.

When she is not on her fiddle, Laurissa enjoys drinking coffee, walking the dog, and chauffeuring her three children.

Mrs. Sarah Zbogar has worked for over twenty-five years in both elementary and secondary schools within Peel and Halton teaching music. Her passion for singing and for public speaking has enabled her to introduce numerous classes to the joys of choral singing and musical theatre.

Mrs. Zbogar has Masters of English and teaching degrees from U. of T. as well as ARCTs in both piano and violin performance from the Royal Conservatory.

Mrs. Zbogar is the director of the St. Andrew Children's Choir and a string coach for the Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra.

She also teaches private piano and theory classes for students in Oakville and is an active member of the Oakville Symphony Orchestra.

Mother of four young adults, Mrs. Zbogar shares with her family a passion for dog-walking, hiking, cross-country skiing, cycling, camping, travelling and canoeing!

Nancy Nelson’s oboe/English Horn performing career has been a wonderful ride so far! After receiving her Honours Degree in Music, she received a prestigious Canada Council Grant for further performance studies with Louis Rosenblatt, the solo English Horn in the Philadelphia Orchestra, while also attending many masterclasses with renowned players such as John Mack, Robert Bloom and John DeLancie.

Nancy performs on both oboe and English Horn in the Hamilton Philharmonic, is Principal oboe of the Brantford Symphony, and enjoys coaching and mentoring many musical groups in the area. She has performed in the Toronto Symphony, COC Orchestra , NBOC Orchestra, KW Symphony, Niagara Symphony and Orchestra London oboe sections. Furthermore she has been guest soloist with the HPO, McMaster Symphony, Brantford Symphony and Oakville Symphony. Nancy was also honoured to perform Divertimento No. 11 for English Horn and Strings, by John Weinzweig, composed specifically for her and commissioned by the HPO and Victor Feldbrill.

She has had the privilege of performing in many wonderful musicals in Toronto, Stratford, and Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Shaw Festival as well.
Nancy has been a Sessional Instructor at McMaster, Redeemer, and Guelph Universities while operating a private music studio in home. In addition, she is the Music Director/Organist at Christ Church Flamborough.

Anjali Balan is currently a grade 10 student attending Abbey Park High School, and has been a dedicated violinist in the OSYO since their 2019-20 season and has been playing under the leadership of the esteemed Colin R. Clarke since 2023. Originally starting with the piano at age 3, she extended her musical proficiency with the violin and has been playing since the age of 10.

Playing at an RCM 10 level, her dedication and passion towards her instrument with her teacher, Valerie Gordon, has led her to win numerous competitions, one being First Place at the Hamilton Music Festival. She has also collaborated several times with the Oakville Symphony.

When she is not practicing Pictures at An Exhibition or The Pines of Rome, Anjali is actively involved at her school as part of the executive team on her school’s Environmental Council and REACH for the Top Trivia team, helping them win First Place at their provincial competition. 

Anjali believes in the great impact music can have on people of all ages, and with collaboration, passion, and dedication, she strives to create a meaningful experience to all musicians within the OSYO as Personnel Manager.