Calgary Suzuki Strings Association
The CSSA 24th Annual Non-Competitive String Festival
May 9-10, 2025
The CSSA String Festival will be held at St. Peter's Anglican Church - 903 - 75 Ave SW Calgary.
Violinists & Guitarists will attend in person with adjudicator in person.
Violin Festival Classes with guest adjudicator Dr. Rick Dorfer
(Students & Adjudicator will attend in person at St. Peter's Anglican Church)
Open to all ages and levels (Students may play Suzuki, RCM or other repertoire)
Students may register for Solo, Solo Recital, Duet/Trio/Quartet and/or Ensemble classes. Students may be scheduled on Friday or Saturday. See registration form for complete details and cost information.
Violin Group Classes with guest adjudicator Dr. Rick Dorfer
(These classes will take place in person at St. Peter's Anglican Church.)
Suzuki violin students in books 1 - 3 are invited to participate in a fun, motivational group class with adjudicator, Dr. Rick Dorfer. Participants will be grouped into classes with others who play at a similar level. Students may be scheduled on Friday or Saturday. Cost $20 per student
Classical Guitar Festival Classes with guest adjudicator Brett Gunther
(Students & Adjudicator will attend in person at St. Peter's Anglican Church.)
Open to all ages and levels (Students may play Suzuki, RCM or other repertoire)
Students may register for Solo, Solo Recital, Duet/Trio/Quartet and/or Ensemble classes. Students will be scheduled on Saturday. See registration form for complete details and cost information.
String Festival Guidelines
- Event is open to all, both CSSA members and non-members.
- All festival classes are non-competitive. Students may play Suzuki, RCM or other repertoire.
- The festival class will include the participants' performance, an individual adjudication with written comments, along with some focused time with the adjudicator to review and expand on their observations.
- Music selections in solo and solo recital classes should be played without repeats (exception for Suzuki Books 1 & 2.)
- If possible, students should perform their selections from memory.
- Participants will need to bring orginal copies of any non-Suzuki repertoire with them to the festival. Please mark the bar numbers.
- Recording (audio or visual) the performance of your child only is permitted.
- Violin Students may participate in the group class option only or in addition to a festival class(es).
- All group classes and adjudicated Festival Classes will take place at St. Peter's Anglican Church.
- Violin students must provide their own accompanist.
- Registrations will be cut off once the maximum enrolment has been reached.
- Please register early to avoid disappointment.
- Late entries may be considered, but not necessarily accepted.
- Fees are non-refundable after April 11th 2025.
Bios and Information About our Adjudicators
Dr. Rick Dorfer - Violin Adjudicator Brett Gunther - Guitar AdjudicatorRegistration
Registration is now open
Dr. Rick Dorfer
Dr. Rick Dorfer enjoys the great variety he has developed in his career. He maintains an active schedule as a violinist, conductor and educator.
Rick is a violinist in the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. He leads a large class of violin and viola students in South Surrey and serves as an instructor at Capilano University. With a strong commitment to education, Rick has been on faculty at numerous summer festivals and, for over 20 years, has adjudicated music festivals. His dedication to sharing his knowledge extends to clinics and masterclasses throughout British Columbia and Alberta, where he continues to inspire the next generation of musicians.
Rick is the director of the Instrumental Ensemble at Capilano University and the Junior Orchestra conductor at the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra. He previously served as Assistant Conductor for the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra and guest conducted the Prince George Symphony Orchestra. He was a conductor with the Surrey Youth Orchestra.
As a member of the College of Examiners for the Royal Conservatory of Music, Rick has traveled Canada and listened to students worldwide. He also serves as Artistic Director of the Music, Meadows and Mountains summer retreat. Rick’s postgraduate training included an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School and culminated in a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Washington.
Brett Gunther
Canadian classical guitarist Brett Gunther has been active for over 25 years, with a varied and dynamic musical career. Known for “exciting performances, thoughtful interpretations, and sensitive musicality” (thisisclassicalguitar.com) Gunther has appeared on stages throughout Western Canada as a soloist and chamber musician. He has performed with notable Canadian acts including virtuosa guitarist Iliana Matos, renowned flutist Jiajia Li, and the Calgary Festival Chorus. To date Gunther has released three albums: Distant Shores (2024), An Idea (2017), and Guitar Music (2012). The recordings explore a wide range of music including favourites from the repertoire, hidden gems, and contemporary compositions.
Brett Gunther is in demand as an educator and is on faculty at Mount Royal University Conservatory teaching private lessons and ensemble classes for their prestigious Academy program. He is a regular adjudicator at festivals across Canada including Hamilton Guitar Festival, Ontario and British Columbia Provincial Music Competitions, and the CMC Canadian Music Competition. He has been an examiner with the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto since 2019. A passionate advocate for classical guitar in the community, Gunther is Artistic Director of the Classical Guitar Society of Calgary and Director of the annual GuitarFest West classical guitar festival. He holds Masters and Bachelors Degrees in guitar performance from the University of Calgary.
Beyond the classical guitar world, Gunther has been featured on five commercial releases with The Buzzing Bees, Beija Flor, and SAVK. His work with these bands includes radio performances on CBC, CKUA, and CJSW and playing to an audience of thousands at the Calgary Folk Festival.
