2026 Festival Adjudicators

BOWED STRINGS

To be posted soon

DANCE – Stephana Arnold

Born in Hamilton Ontario, Stephana Arnold attended the National Ballet School of Canada where she received the prestigious Peter Dwyer Award. Upon graduation, she worked closely with choreographer Xing Bang Fu and danced with several small companies before being asked to join the National Ballet of Canada where she danced for three years. She went on to join Les Grands Ballets Canadiens for seven years and then, Ballet British Columbia where with both companies, danced a wide and eclectic variety of Principal Classical and Contemporary roles. Dancing on many prestigious stages around the world, Stephana was a favourite muse for many choreographers and worked with such names as James Kudelka, Eduoard Lock, Jiri Kylian, Ohad Naharin, Shawn Hounsell, Septime Webber, Jean Grand-Maitre, Giocanda Barbuto and Kevin O’Day, plus many others.

While still dancing she became a Ballet B.C. Company Teacher from 2004-09 and in 2010, came out of retirement to dance in the Opening Ceremonies for the Vancouver Winter Olympics. In the past several years, Stephana has won various ballet and contemporary choreography awards, the latest being the 2021 YAGP Best Ensemble in Canada and has recently created pieces for Coastal City Ballet and Arts Umbrella Dance Company.

She has been Resident Choreographer for CatchingArt Contemporary Ballet Theatre, Senior Coach at North Vancouver’s Pro Arte Centre, on faculty at Arts Umbrella and Founder/Director of the Dance Conservatory in North & West Vancouver.

Stephana currently is a sought after Guest Teacher, Master ballet coach, on faculty at Coastal City Ballet, plus a popular instructor at Oxygen Yoga and Fitness. She also is an Adjudicator for many Canadian ballet festivals and the Youth American Grand Prix since 2022.

FOLK INSTRUMENTAL – ROXANNA SABIR

Raised in the Fraser Valley, Roxanna Sabir is proud to open her practice in historic Downtown Abbotsford and is proud to serve the community that has shaped her as legal practitioner and committed member of the greater community. Roxanna received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Geography from the University of the Fraser Valley and her LLB Honours in International Human Rights Law in 2016 from the University of Leicester, in England. Her research drew on the commonalities between the early security and torture laws enacted during the Irish ‘Troubles’ and the post 9/11 security laws.

Called to the bar in January 2020, she then joined Downtown Abby Lawyers. Roxanna’s legal practice specializes in immigration and company law. Roxanna loves working with entrepreneurs and women in business using their creativity and strengths to build vibrant and successful businesses.

Roxanna is a musician who toured, performed, recorded and taught music for over twenty years. When she is not at the office, you can find her singing, fiddling and collaborating with traditional and folk artists sharing her music. Her deep commitment to music and music education led to the foundation of the West Coast Fiddlers, a youth fiddle orchestra co-founded to promote and preserve traditional and folk fiddle music for our coming generations. As an artist, promoting and supporting artists in their business is a foundational driver of Roxanna’s business. Roxanna is proud to serve the community where she was raised and support local artists and businesses in her practice.

PIANO – Alan Crane

Alan Crane holds a Bachelor of Music (University of Western Ontario) and a Master of Music in Piano Performance (University of British Columbia). For 40 years he has been teaching a full class of students ranging from young beginners to pre-professional young musicians to adults. Many of Mr. Crane’s students have gone on to pursue careers in music. In addition to being on the faculty of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music, where he served a term as Chair of the Piano Department, Mr. Crane teaches part-time at the Langley Community Music School, where he was for several years Coordinator of the Piano Program. As well as teaching, Alan Crane is an active performer. He is a founding director and pianist with the popular Vancouver concert series West Coast Chamber Music, is a sought after accompanist and has presented solo recitals in Canada and the UK. He is active as a festival adjudicator across western Canada and is a member of the College of Examiners of the Royal Conservatory of Music.

SPEECH & DRAMATIC ARTS

To be posted soon

VOICE/CHOIR – Fiona Blackburn

Fiona Blackburn has enjoyed a long and varied career as a professional singer with experience on opera and concert stages. She is also known as a recording artist with airplay across North America and in Europe; a music educator at all levels from kindergarten teacher to adjunct professor; and an award-winning choral director, adjudicator and leader of workshops. Over many years, Fiona has acquired a deep knowledge of: vocal pedagogy, repertoire of numerous genres, choral and instrumental conducting, and authentic performance practices. Most importantly, Fiona is known for her passionate support of the art of singing in all its forms, as well as her engaging and uplifting interaction with singers of all ages.

Fiona earned a Bachelor of Music in voice performance, a Bachelor of Education in secondary music, and a Master of Music in choral conducting – all from the University of British Columbia. She performed, recorded and toured for 13 seasons with the Vancouver Chamber Choir and sang numerous roles with Vancouver Opera for five seasons. Her solo concert work includes performances with the Vancouver Symphony, Vancouver CBC Orchestra and Symphony Nova Scotia, among others. Fiona has two Celtic recordings to her credit and even performed for five summers on an Alaskan cruise ship.

Fiona was the Artistic Director of the British Columbia Girls Choir for almost two decades. During her tenure, she toured internationally with the singers to over 15 countries. In 2018, the choir was awarded the coveted ‘Children’s Choir of the World’ trophy, the highest honour at the world’s prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales. Fiona was awarded the BC Choral Federation’s 2016 Healey Willan Award for her work to promote choral singing in our province.

Fiona now lives at Fanny Bay, on Vancouver Island. She currently directs two choirs, both based in Nanaimo: the 65-voice Malaspina Choir – a classical concert choir that enjoys singing large works with orchestra; and Island Bel Canto Singers, an ensemble that explores repertoire written for adult treble voices. Fiona still enjoys leading workshops and adjudicating at music festivals around the province.

WOODWINDS/BRASS/BAND – Rick Becker

Rick Becker has been a music director in Nanaimo, British Columbia for over 30 years. His teaching experiences include concert bands, jazz bands, combos, choirs, and musical theatre. His students have had opportunities to excel in performances at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, the West Coast Jazz Festival, the Vancouver Island Concert Band Festival, and the Comox Valley Concert Band and Choir Festival, as well as performance excursions to Cuba. He is also co-founder of JazzFest Nanaimo, a showcase for young musicians and guest artists at Nanaimo’s Port Theatre. Rick served over 15 years as Brass and Woodwind chairperson for the Mid-Island Performing Arts Festival.

Previously, Mr. Becker was music director and music education coordinator for Kelsey School Division in The Pas, Manitoba. His career also led him to a position as Educational Music representative in Alberta for St. John’s Music, LTD, with focus on Concert Band literature and band-teaching materials.

His Bachelor of Music Education degree is from Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM), where he studied tuba performance and conducting. Rick is now enjoying retirement as co-director of the Mid-Island Community Bands Society, and as a member of several performance groups as trombonist and bassist. Recent clinic and festival adjudications include Dare To Dream band week in Terrace, British Columbia; Chilliwack Music and Dance Festival; the West Coast Jazz Festival in Nanaimo, British Columbia; and the Vancouver Island Concert Band and Orchestra Festival in Port Alberni.