Ryan MacKinnon (he/him) 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!

Dania is in Grade 11 at White Oaks Secondary School. She started playing violin at eight years old, currently plays at level ARCT RCM, and has won numerous competitions including first place at the 2023 OMFA Violin Provincial Finals.

She has played piano from the age of four, and is also studying at the level 9 RCM harmony. She has played with the Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra for many years and has played with the Burlington Symphony Orchestra as part of the Young Artists Mentorship Program.

She is also part of her school’s Student Council, STEM program and also volunteers at the Oakville Trafalgar Hospital.

Since 2018, Kareena has been a dedicated member of the Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra, and she stepped into the role of Assistant Concertmaster for the 2023-2024 season under the distinguished Colin R. Clarke. She also plays in the Chamber Orchestra and serves as the principal second violinist for the Abbey Park High School Advanced String Ensemble, which recently won Gold at Musicfest Canada Nationals.

Kareena's musical journey has been shaped by her studies with Janet Pasila, where she refined her solo and chamber music skills. Her formative years included training with Pierre Gagnon, and Gretchen Paxson-Abberger in the Suzuki method.

Beyond her performance achievements, Kareena is an integral part of the Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra's leadership team as the Personnel Manager. She also plays as the lead violinist of a wedding quartet. Kareena is a graduating student at Abbey Park High School in Oakville, balancing academic pursuits with her passion for music.

Described as “a real firecracker” on the flute, Jacob Caporiccio’s virtuosic technique has soared audiences through his “operatic, focused, and ethereal” qualities.

Jacob has held the position of Principal Flute of the Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra since 2019, under the direction of the illustrious, Colin Clarke, and has also worked with the Oakville Symphony Orchestra, York Symphony Orchestra, and the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, among others. Additionally, Jacob previously studied with Susan Hoeppner at the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists, where he deepened his knowledge with the nostalgic repertoire for the flute as a soloist and chamber partner.

Jacob is a dedicated student, participating in classes with Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway, Ransom Wilson, Jeanne Baxtresser, Jennifer Gunn, and Marina Piccinini, and has worked closely with Ulla Miilmann and Kelly Zimba-Lukic. Jacob is forever in debt to his teachers; acclaimed Canadian flautist – Leslie Newman.

This September, Jacob will be attending the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying with Samuel Coles.

Paul Barna, has been seen as soloist, chamber player and orchestral musician throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Highlights of previous performances including performing for an opening game for the Hamilton Tiger Cats, recording for the JUNO’s award ceremony with celebrated rock band, The Arkells, (He can also be seen and heard on several of their music videos) performing for the closing ceremonies of the Pan Am games of 2015 with Terra Lightfoot and the National Academy Orchestra as well as performances with the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony featuring Inuit throat singer, Tanya Tagaq. He recently performed with JUNO award winning artist, Jeremy Dutcher and is featured on an episode of Murdoch Mysteries, “Murder in F Major” In 2023, Paul was selected for the Aldershot Community Honour Roll award in recognition of his outstanding community contribution and commitment to the arts.

Paul’s eclectic and vast repertoire combined with his keen interest in new music had led him to record on various CD’s including a premier performance of Abigail Richardson’s composition The Labyrinth with the Schulte Strings Chamber Orchestra, and recording Mahler’s Ninth Symphony with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. (Disc had a JUNO nomination track, Isomorphia). Paul’s string playing can be heard on a recent release of local folk/ blues artists Andre Bisson’s latest new album, The Ballad of Lucy Stone. (https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0B6QH7632) He is also featured on André’s latest album, Latchford and music various music videos. h"ps://ffm.to/andre-bissondusty-albums.OEM https://open.spotify.com/album/08mlrsVFVVeqZEXNT2P0Tp?si=mSrMdgVEQg-r_0gSOFnmHg&nd=1

Paul is currently a highly in demand freelance musician within the Greater Toronto Area, performing with various orchestras and ensembles. He has performed as soloist with the Mississauga Symphony, North York Symphony Orchestra, Symphony on the Bay and regularly appears with with Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Kitchener Waterloo Symphony, Esprit Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony and Sudbury Symphony as to name a few. He formerly studied viola with Mr. Steven Dann, however past teachers include Atis Bankas, and Michael Schulte. He is the owner and operator of a successful booking company, Paul Barna Strings where he books and coordinates specialized performances for weddings, events and galas. He is currently serving as Principal Second violin with the Burlington Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Barna is a graduate of the Glenn Gould School of Music and Young Artist Performance Academy program at The Royal Conservatory of Music as well as former apprentice from the National Academy Orchestra; Canada’s only professional training orchestra.

Not only a devout performer, Paul is a sought after educator and instructor. He currently has a large and flourishing studio, Paul Barna Music Studio that has celebrated over a decade of providing high level music instruction to students and currently serves on the string faculty at Burlington Suzuki He founded and directs the Burlington Chamber Sinfonia; an ensemble comprised of advanced students with a focus on performing solo repertoire with the ensemble and runs an apprenticeship style program that hires advanced students and emerging artists to perform professionally. Many of his students are award winning and celebrated young musicians that can be heard in youth orchestras across Ontario. (Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, OSYO, Hamilton Phil Youth Orchestra among others) They hold concertmaster positions, principal section positions and various leadership positions within the ensembles. In November 2021, Paul helped to initiate a mentorship program with the Burlington Symphony where talented and hard working students were able to join the orchestra as part of a side by side learning in concert. His students regularly work towards completing Royal Conservatory examinations and participate in local competitions and are routine prize winners at festivals, scholarship recipients at elementary and post secondary levels, and have gone on to win in provincial level competitions. His teachings have led him to work with various music schools and institutions ranging from Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra, Mississauga Youth Orchestra, Ontario String Association, and formerly Axis Music in Toronto; a string program developed for under privileged youth. He has also served as faculty assistant at the Interprovincial Music Camp in Parry Sound. In addition to loving his career and being an avid car nut, real estate enthusiast and horological aficionado, there are few things that bring Paul as much joy as successfully pulling off one of his elaborate, ingenious and oh so witty practical jokes/ pranks on unsuspecting students…

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!

Mr. Shapero graduated from the University of Toronto with Bachelor and Masters of music in cello and piano.

He has been Principal Cellist and guest soloist with several professional and community orchestras before joining the Oakville Symphony as Principal Cellist in 1987. Jose has recorded commercials and television shows. He was very active with school performances as part of the Meet a Musician program and was music director at North Bramalea United Church in Brampton for the past 25 years.

Jose is proud to be working with the cellists of the OSYO. He plays on a beautiful 18th century Italian cello made by Luigi Venturini.

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.