Nancy Bias

Nancy began violin lessons at the age of 10 at the Olson Music School in Edmonton, Alberta with Mr. Ray Le Roy Olsen. She attended the Banff School of Fine Arts and the Rocky Ridge Music Centre in Colorado as a summer student furthering her studies. In 1984 Nancy graduated from the University of Alberta with her Bachelor of Music Degree in Violin Performance. Some of her former teachers include Thomas Rolston, Malcolm Forsythe, Lawrence Fisher and Norman Nelson.

She began her teaching career as well in Edmonton at the Olson Music School and Alberta College. Then later took on the position to teach both violin and viola at the Grand Prairie College. She also taught in Calgary before moving to Abbotsford at which time she started teaching the Suzuki Violin Method at the Central Valley Academy of Music in January 1989. She has attended various teacher training courses at Suzuki Institutes in Canada and the U.S.A. Nancy teaches primarily the Suzuki Violin Method, but has also taught the Royal Conservatory Method and has prepared students for exams in both the Western Board of Music and Toronto Conservatory. She teaches all book levels from 1-10 in Suzuki including the Pre-twinkle class, along with the Suzuki Violin Performance class. Her students perform regularly in recitals, music festivals and CVAM concerts.

Nancy’s performing career has taken her as far abroad as Switzerland, Germany and Austria. She has been a member of many orchestras and ensemble groups in both Alberta and B. C. She is currently the Concertmaster as well as the music librarian for the Fraser Valley Symphony in Abbotsford, which perform 4-5 concerts each season with world renowned soloists.

Her expectations as a teacher for her students include: regular attendance at lessons and group classes, daily home practice and listening to their Suzuki recordings, memorization of the music, reviewing earlier pieces, participation in student recitals, concerts and festivals and hearing live music being performed.

Calvin Dyck

Calvin started his musical training on the accordion at age 5. His violin training began when he was 8 years old. Following the completion of his A.R.C.T. in 1981 he went on to study at Biola University and the University of Southern California where, in 1991, he received his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Violin Performance. He has traveled around the world with various musical ensembles and enjoys a wide verity of engagements, films and recording sessions. Currently Calvin is the Concertmaster of the Vancouver Island Symphony in Nanaimo, and director of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra. Calvin has taught at Scripps College and Biola University in California, and at Kwantlen College and Trinity Western University in British Columbia. Calvin has Calvin has released three recordings: Meditation, This shining Night and One Small Child. They were produced by MCC, and the profits of the sales benefit "Supportive Care Services", which provides care and services to people with disabilities.

Beth Nickel

Beth has been teaching violin and viola at CVAM for 5 years. Beth received her Bachelor and Masters degrees from the University of British Columbia, with a major in viola performance. She was fortunate to study primarily with Gerald Stanick and also benefited from the instruction of David Harding., Andrew Dawes and Eric Wilson. Beth is active as a freelance violist and plays with many professional organizations in the Lower Mainland including Abbotsford Symphony, Vancouver Opera Orchestra and Vancouver symphony Orchestra. She lives in Abbotsford with her husband Joel and their children Elijah and Katie.

Julia Toews

Julia began piano lessons at the age of 5, and violin three years later. She has an ARCT degree in Violin Performance, and a B. Mus. From UBC, a MCS from Regent College (Vancouver) and has taken many Suzuki Workshop courses. Some of her violin teachers have been: F. Weigel, Hildegard Soboll Martins, Walter Neufeld, Douglas Stewart, Howard Leyton-Brown and Charmain Gadd. While still in high school she stared teaching violin. She taught in the Conservatory of Regina and has taught at CVAM for over 20 years. Playing in orchestras has been a large part of Julia's life: Curitiba Youth Orchestra (Brazil), Valley Strings (Abbotsford), UBC Orchestra, Regina Conservatory Strings, Regina Symphony Orchestra, Ecuador National Symphony, Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, Kamloops Symphony. She has been a member of the Fraser Valley Symphony since it began in 1984 and served as concertmaster for over 15 years.

Adele Lofgren

Adele has over 40 years experience teaching music. She taught at the University of Regina, Conservatory of Performing Arts as well as a private home studio teaching traditional violin and piano, along with the Suzuki Method. She has taught summer workshops for Suzuki strings in Canada and the US, has taught Harmony and History. She began teaching at CVAM in September 2008 after moving from Regina, SK.