Faculty

Mel Kirby
Coordinator, Emerging Artist Development Program

A graduate of the respected vocal accompanying program at Manhattan School of Music, Gordon Gerrard maintains a busy schedule as a recital partner, vocal coach and conductor. Gordon has served as a conductor for Opera NUOVA (Edmonton) since 2001. Conducting credits include the European Music Academy in the Czech Republic, assistant conductor for Opera Lyra Ottawa, and the Opera Project in Winnipeg and Vancouver. When not performing, Mr. Gerrard works as a vocal coach, and has held the positions of lecturer at Iowa State University, repetiteur for Vancouver Opera, Associate Music Director of the Manhattan School of Music Undergraduate Opera Studio, as well as Chorus Master. Recently Mr. Gerrard was a part of the music staff for the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute in Montreal. In the fall of 2005, Gordon was invited to attend a series of masterclasses with Elly Ameling and Rudolf Jansen at the Académie musicale de Villecroze, in France.

Born and raised in Calgary, Anita Miotti is the founder and artistic director of the Theatre of the Living Statue. Her training has been taken with the University of Calgary, the Company Gdansk, Poland, and the Company Kokoro, Vancouver, B.C. She has performed with, taught and choreographed for: One Yellow Rabbit, ATP, Theatre Junction, Theatre Calgary, The Citadel, Northern Light Theatre, Quest Theatre, Barrage, Trickster Theatre, Ground Zero Theatre, The Calgary Catholic and Public School Boards, Mount Royal College, The University of Calgary, The Shiny Beast Ensemble, and The Springboard Dance Collective. Her recent solo show, Mummenpanz, toured in 2004/05 to great acclaim across Canada.

Grant Reddick is known in Calgary as an actor and teacher. He is Professor Emeritus of the University of Calgary having taught in the drama department for many years. His past experience includes numerous roles at the Stratford Festival and the Old Vic, Bristol. Grant has been busy acting with theatre companies across Canada including Theatre Junction, Lunchbox Theatre, Ground Zero Theatre, Theatre Calgary, The Citadel Theatre, Belfry Theatre, Vancouver Playhouse, Western Gold, The Grand, London and many others. He is a recipient of the Harry and Martha Cohen Award for his contribution to theatre in Calgary and he has two Betty Mitchell awards for his work as an actor and his Contribution to Theatre in Calgary.

J.P. Fournier
Fight and Combat Instructor

A graduate of the University of Alberta's BFA Acting program in 1973, and the MFA Directing Program in 1998, J.P. Fournier is Coordinator of Acting with the Department of Theatre, Speech and Music Performance at Mount Royal College. During the last 30 years, he has worked extensively in theatre, television and film and has taught at universities and colleges across Canada, England, Norway, and the United States. He recently directed fights in Calgary Opera productions of Romeo & Juliet (2003), Filumena (2003), and Susannah (2001).