Violin Lessons
Olena Kolibaba, B. Mus
Olena Kolibaba entered music school in her native Ukraine, where she began taking violin and piano lessons at the age of six. After years of continuous practice, winning awards in a variety of regional and international music competitions, this young musician had no doubts that music, specifically violin, was her passion. By the age of 15, Olena decided to follow her musical pathway and continued her education at R.Glier Municipal Academy of Music and Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music and now holds two bachelor degrees: Music Culturology and Violin Performance.
Olena’s performing career expands over 10 years in Europe and the Middle East where she has performed as a solo artist as well as collaborated with other musicians that share her passion for artistry. In addition to her ability as a performer, she is a prolific arranger and composer of original music, and produces uplifting music videos on her popular YouTube channel.
As a teacher, Olena believes that passion and joy are essential parts of the learning process and pays attention to each student's unique goals. She enjoys teaching students of all ages and backgrounds, and encourages her students to follow their own path as they build a beautiful and lifelong relationship with the music they create.
Royce Rich, B. Mus.
Royce Rich is establishing himself as one of Canada’s up-and-coming concert artists. In July 2021, he was listed as one of CBC Music’s “Top 30 Under 30 Hot Musicians” for the release of his self-produced debut Spotify album of show pieces entitled Short Stories. In July 2015, Royce was awarded the coveted Gabora Prize in Italy at the Casalmaggiore International Festival, and has since appeared on concert stages as a solo artist and chamber musician across Canada, the USA, Italy, and Germany. He has performed as guest artist with the Brampton Symphony Orchestra, Lions Gate Sinfonia Orchestra, Durham Chamber Orchestra, Smazal Chamber Orchestra, and twice with the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra. Throughout the summer of 2023, Royce was co-concertmaster of the National Academy Orchestra - Canada’s top training orchestra for up-coming professional orchestral musicians.
Orchestral playing is one of Royce’s first loves. He is currently the Lead Principal Second Violinist of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra in Ontario. Royce has performed as a section violinist with the Kingston Symphony Orchestra, Prince George Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the National Academy Orchestra, and The Royal Conservatory Orchestra.
In November of 2023, Royce was a guest soloist with Downtown Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre Company in their live production of Sympathy For The Devil, where he performed Niccolò Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 for the 13-concert residency.
As a recitalist and chamber musician, Royce has collaborated with concert series across British Columbia and Ontario, namely for West Vancouver Arts Council, Arts at One hosted by Douglas College, Music Friends, The Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, Vancouver Chinese Garden, Newmann Productions, Concerts @ 100, St. Andrew’s Noon Hour, KnoxVan Events and Clearly Musical Home Concerts. As an avid performer for community outreach events, Royce has presented concerts and talks at over a dozen retirement residences, as well as for libraries, government buildings and schools.
Royce completed his formal post-secondary classical music training under the tutelage of renowned Russian pedagogy, Victor Danchenko at The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where he obtained his Bachelors of Music Degree. He also completed one full year in the conservatory’s Artist Diploma Program as a full-scholarship recipient of The Jack Whiteside Scholarship. Royce started taking violin lessons and performing at the age of five years old – he has studied with some of North America’s leading violin pedagogues, namely, with Victor Danchenko, Martina Smazal, Taras Gabora, and Mayumi Seiler.
As a private violin instructor of classical music across Canada, Royce’s violin students have garnered top marks in performance exams through the methodologies of The Royal Conservatory of Music.
Aside from performing, recording and teaching music, Royce loves swimming, cycling, running, hiking, listening to Retrowave and Dreamwave music, and hosting dinner parties for his friends and colleagues.