Atsuko Montcalm
Owner, School Director / Certified YAMAHA YMES Advanced Instructor / (Private Piano *Full)
Atsuko was born in Japan, and began studying music at the age of four when she was enrolled in Junior Music Course at Yamaha Music School. Atsuko’s musical talent was apparent from an early age in YAMAHA curriculum including intensive study in Junior Special Advanced Course. She also participated in and won many competitions including the PTNA(http://www.piano.or.jp/english/) Piano Competition. Atsuko attended Miyagi University of Education where she majored in elementary and junior high school music teaching. In 2001, Atsuko moved to Toronto, Canada and began teaching with the Yamaha Music Canada Corporate School.
Atsuko’s fondest memories of her early exposure to music lessons are of the end of year concerts, group ensemble performances, and the moments when it was her, her peer and the music before an audience, realizing a goal that had taken months of practice. Atsuko’s first teacher, Yuko Hirano, was the inspiration to Atsuko’s life-long love of music. A calm, gentle, kind and patient teacher, she helped instill the same values in Atsuko.
“Giving children the gift of music gives confidence. If everyone continues practicing we can achieve playing a song – that’s an accomplishment. The children learn to appreciate arts – be a part of music. The ensemble format is key – cooperation is a good skill to have for anything in your life – thinking about other people, helping each other, trying to achieve one goal together.” – Atsuko Montcalm
Atsuko now lives in Ottawa with her husband Richard and two children. In 2010 she realized a dream and opened the Kanata Music Centre.
Mandy Wilk
School Administrator / (Private Flute Teacher *Full)
Originally from the United States, Mandy holds a masters degree from Indiana University, where she was awarded a Jacobs School of Music Artistic Excellence Fellowship and a Graduate Tuition Award. She also completed her Bachelor of Music at the University of Alabama, graduating summa cum laude within the Honors College with two degrees – a BM in Flute Performance, and a BA in German.
During her university years, Mandy was awarded the prestigious Undergraduate Scholar Award from The Presser Foundation in 2014; she also has been a featured author with The Instrumentalist once and Flute Talk twice. In addition to being actively involved in school orchestras since high school, Mandy has also had the opportunity to perform with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, and her hometown orchestra, the Nashville Symphony. She has had the privilege of performing principal flute on many significant orchestral pieces, including the famous Daphnis et Chloé.
In addition to performing, Mandy loves to teach and help out with the music-making process anyway she can, including administration! She is excited and grateful to be a part of the Kanata Music Centre team.
Instructors
Ramez Faltas
Private Piano & Theory Teacher
Ramez is a graduate of the Faculty of Specific Education, University of Alexandria, Egypt, with a Bachelor of Music Education specializing in classical music. He is also a graduate of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), UK. During these times, he performed with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Chamber Orchestra, Alexandria, Egypt, and the Jesuits Cultural Centre.
In 2016, he completed the Elementary Piano Teacher Specialist Course at The Royal Conservatory. Ramez became a Certified RCM Piano Teacher in November 2020 and has since completed both the Intermediate and Advanced Piano Teacher Specialist Courses at The Royal Conservatory (2020 and 2023, respectively).
With more than 17 years of extensive teaching experience, Ramez teaches students of all ages and levels, focusing on performance, theory, harmony, and history. His lessons are tailored to each student’s individual needs. Over the past two years, he has successfully prepared more than twenty students for RCM piano and theory exams.
In February 2022, Ramez became a member of the Quebec Music Teachers Association and the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Association. He is currently studying Music Production and Sound Engineering at The Audio Recording Academy (TARA) in Ottawa.
Stephanie Moore
Certified YAMAHA PMC(Voice) instructor / Private Voice Teacher
Stephanie Moore has over twenty years of experience in solo and ensemble performance. With a background in both a Classical and Contemporary vocal pedagogy. Her love for music and performance began at a young age, and she has been performing ever since. This includes solo, choir, musical theatre, and bands. She a is a recorded artist and song writer.
Stephanie acquired her Honours BA in Music, and Bachelor’s in Education primary/Junior from the University of Ottawa. During this time, she was enrolled in the Vocal Minor program for two years and studied with Masters Vocalist Kareen Lecasse, under the adjudication of Sandra Graham (Director of Opera). Stephanie has recently completed her MA in Transformational Urban Leadership from Azusa Pacific University. Her most recent research project is entitled “Fostering Creativity and Imagination in Preschoolers Through Play-Based Arts Education”.
Stephanie has been teaching ensembles and privately for over two years, and oversaw the full vocal roster at Opus Academy during the 2013-2014 school year before starting her masters abroad. During this time, she also designed and implemented musical theater and vocal camps for students raging from 4-12 years. She has a background in preschool education and has experience teaching private students of all age range and experience.
Stephanie is a passionate and loving teacher who believes in the process of students’ discovery and development of their abilities and passions. She believes that students thrive when they are inspired and given understanding to fuel their practice and growth.
Joseph Mueller
Private Guitar and Ukulele Teacher
Joseph began his musical journey in 2004 when he purchased his first guitar. He started out learning rock and heavy metal music. After graduating from high school, Joseph decided to pursue music at the post-secondary level and attended Cambrian College’s Music Performance program. The music program at Cambrian College introduced Joseph to classical music. Here, he studied classical guitar performance under the tutelage of Philip Candelaria and Dr. Matthew Gould. During his time at Cambrian, he achieved the top prize for the guitar division in Kiwanis of 2012 and also received an Honourable Mention the same year at Kiwanis Provincials under the grade 10 category.
Joseph obtained his Bachelor of Music with Honours (Performance, Composition) from Carleton University in 2017. At Carleton, he studied under Julien Bisaillon. Joseph took private lessons, has participated in masterclasses, and workshops with Florian Larousse, Zarko Ignjatovic, Dr. Alvin Tung, Aldo Rodriguez Delgado, to name a few. In his spare time, Joseph enjoys furthering his musical knowledge and skill on electric guitar and listening to new music.
Michael Costello
Certified YAMAHA Popular Music Course Instructor / Private Piano Teacher
Michael Costello earned both a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University and has taught music in the public school board. During this time, he was responsible for delivering a music program to students from Kindergarten up to Grade 12.
He has enjoyed a long career teaching privately. His students range from the vary young to seniors. Michael is known for teaching students with special needs, implementing a program that is therapeutic and fun.
Along with teaching, Michael enjoys composing his own piano works and is currently working with a violinist to perform these and other works in concert.
Natania Fok
Private Piano, Theory & Violin Teacher
Natania Fok started to nurture her love for music when she started piano at age 4 and violin at age 8. She holds a piano Associate Performance diploma and obtained the highest mark in Canada for an associate level piano practical exam in 2020. She currently studies at the University of Ottawa and piano performance with Richard Raymond who teaches at the Montreal Conservatory.
Along with her musical education, Natania has extensive experience as a performer and has been competing regularly in music festivals at the local, provincial, national and international levels. Among her accolades is the first prize of the Enkor International Music Competition and is a prize winner of the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano competition, a multiple prize winner of the Canadian Music competition and a multiple prize winner at provincials where she has represented Ottawa since she was 8 years old. As a performer, she made her debut as a piano soloist at the National Arts Center (NAC) in 2015, has collaborated with the Guelph Symphony Orchestra in 2018 as a piano soloist and as a violin soloist with The Strings of St. John’s in 2019. Natania believes in the importance of collaborating with her fellow musicians, and hence has ensemble experience as Principal Second and Co-Concertmaster of the Ottawa Junior Youth Orchestra, as a member of a piano duet and as an accompanist.
Additionally, she feels it is important to share her music with others so she chooses to volunteer by giving performances at the Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Center and other various retirement and long-term care homes.
In addition to her performance and ensemble experience, Natania is fully proficient in both English and French and speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish and Indonesian.
Natania’s teaching philosophy is to instill a love for music in her students and to ensure that music will accompany them for the rest of their lives. She believes that musicality is as important as technique and tries her utmost best to make learning an enjoyable and fulfilling journey for her students.
Lois Moorehead
Certified YAMAHA YMES Instructor / Private Piano, Theory & Vocal Teacher
Lois is a Yamaha Music Instructor certified in teaching Tunes for Twos, Music Wonderland, Junior Music Course, Junior Extension Course, and Junior Special Advanced Course. She has over a decade of experience as a teacher of piano, theory, and vocal studies with many of her students successfully competing at both the Regional and Provincial levels. Additionally, Lois is highly experienced in Musical Theatre productions as an accompanist and vocal coach, and is in demand for her Church music skills.
She looks forward to fostering a love of music in her classroom and her students as they grow through the years.
Abbie Li
Private Piano Teacher
Abbie first started playing piano at the age of seven, and hasn’t stopped playing ever since. Her strong interest towards the arts started when she was living in Guangzhou, China. When she was offered to choose between playing piano and dancing ballet, Abbie decided to devote herself to piano. At age 14, she obtained the Grade 9 piano exam with first class honors from the China Conservatory of Music; at age 17, she passed all the requirements for the Royal Conservatory of Music piano level 10, also with first class honors in Vancouver, BC.
Abbie started teaching children and young adults when she was doing her bachelors at the University of British Columbia. After graduating, she worked as a music teacher at a private high school called NCPA in Guangzhou. She is currently a registered teacher under the Royal Conservatory of Music, and also holds an elementary teacher’s course with the RCM.
Throughout the years, Abbie has been living and teaching in different countries and cities, such as: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Vancouver, and now Ottawa. She loves that the music provides her the opportunities to meet many different kinds of students and parents. She is excited to join KMC, looks forward to exploring and learning more about Yamaha Music Education System, and to continue bringing the joy of music to more students and families.
Elizabeth Legostaeva
Private Piano and Voice Teacher
Elizabeth’s passion for music began when she was very young. She loved to sing and began to take vocal lessons at the age of eight; soon thereafter, she discovered an even greater love for piano and started taking classes and exams with the Royal Conservatory of Music. She completed her Level 8 examination (first-class honors with distinction) in 2021, her Level 9 in 2022, and her Level 10 in 2024.
Elizabeth has also kept up her passion for singing. She participated in the Junior Jubilee Singers children’s and teens’ choirs. There, she not only learned about harmony, but also helped organize and manage younger children when she was just 14.
At the age of 17, she began to teach swimming lessons and has learned an extensive amount about learning styles ever since. She is excited to be able to find a personalized approach for every student. Elizabeth hopes that by passing on the ability to play an instrument, she can help spark enthusiasm and creativity that will last a lifetime – something that her teacher once did for her.
In addition to English, she is fluent in both French and Russian and can offer lessons in both. She is also currently studying at the University of Ottawa.
Elizabeth is super excited to get to know more about the Yamaha Music Education System, and to be part of a team of very passionate musicians here at Kanata Music Centre!
Paula SantaCruz
Private Cello and Theory Teacher
Paula Santa Cruz completed a bachelor’s in music at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico. Later, she received her master’s and doctorate degrees at the University of Oklahoma, where she studied under the tutorship of Dr. Jonathan Ruck. Paula has performed in concerts with various orchestras in Puerto Rico and Oklahoma and was the principal cellist in the Orquesta Filarmónica Municipal de Guayaquil until 2023. She has taught at diverse institutions in Puerto Rico, Oklahoma, and Ecuador while also maintaining her own private cello studio. In addition to participating in many music festivals, she is also the creator of “Música entre Amigos”, which is a musical series dedicated to chamber music.
In her teaching, Paula aims to cultivate mindful musicians who are genuinely interested in the world of music rather than being solely focused on personal ideas of showmanship and perfection. By maintaining consistency, perseverance, and a commitment to developing strong fundamentals, she guides her students to experience a sense of achievement. “Every student is unique,” she says, “and as an educator, I strive to be adaptable in my teaching methods since not everyone responds to the same approaches or ideas.”
Paula is excited and looking forward to introducing the beautiful world of cello to the KMC community.