Elizabeth (Leeza) Khayutin has been playing the piano since the age of four, and holds an Honours Bachelor of Music, as well as a Diploma in Piano Performance, from McMaster University. Leeza has been a teacher of piano and music theory at the Dundas Conservatory of Music since 2005, and became the owner of DCM in 2013.

During her time as a McMaster music student, Leeza performed as a solo pianist, vocal accompanist, and as part of a piano duo playing the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Leeza was also a member of the McMaster University Choir, and had the privilege to sing a number of large-scale works in performances with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, including Prokofiev’s “Alexander Nevsky”, Schubert’s Mass #6, and Schumann’s Requiem.

Leeza enjoys working with students of all ages and levels, and teaches a variety of musical styles and improvisation techniques. Leeza’s piano students regularly participate in recitals, and often place first in festivals and music competions. Her students have also achieved high marks on Royal Conservatory of Music examinations for piano and theory, have been awarded scholarships, and have gone on to major in Music at university. In 2016, Leeza was nominated for a City of Hamilton Arts Award, in the category of Emerging Artist (Arts Education and Community Arts).

David Holmes has been active as a professional guitarist and teacher for over 40 years. He has toured North America with various dance bands playing guitar, steel guitar and tenor banjo. For the last 19 years David has been performing as part of the duo “Headin’ Home”, specializing in country rock and blues. They perform almost every weekend at legions and clubs across southern Ontario.

David spent many years teaching music and managing Waddington’s Music on John St. in Hamilton, a popular destination for musicians in Hamilton in the 1970s.

Since 1996, David has been teaching guitar, tenor banjo and ukulele at the Dundas Conservatory of Music. Many of his students have continued on with music education at the university level and have become professional musicians in Canada and the U.S.

Blend Lara is a professional violinist with a very long career dedicated to teaching and performing on the violin. Blend began his violin studies at the age of 6 when he enrolled in the Elementary- Professional Program at Artistic Lycée in Tirana, Albania. After successfully completing his grade 12 at the Lycée and passing a rigorous exam he began his bachelor studies in violin, specializing in classical music at the Albanian University of Arts in Tirana, Albania.

In 1990, after completing his studies, Blend joined the Radio Television Orchestra in Albania. While he was a member of the orchestra, Blend continued to teach strings students at the Albanian University of Arts.

Blend spent 13 years as first violin at the Albanian State Orchestra, and continued the second part of his career teaching violin to students in the Hamilton area. He is ORMTA (Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association) certified and brings a very high standard of learning for students of all ages and levels.

Blend joined the Dundas Conservatory of Music in 2008 as a violin, viola and cello instructor.

Just before my ninth birthday, I asked my parents for a drum set. The answer was predictably “no.” However, my grandparents must have overheard my repeated pleas. Instead of a full drum set, I received a snare drum, a strap, and a pair of sticks. For my tenth birthday, the gifts were more drumsticks—still no complete drum set. My grandparents supported my passion and encouraged me to explore my interest, a sentiment that gradually influenced my parents. Eventually, they enrolled me in private lessons at a local music shop, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Roberto (“Bobby”) Santos began playing the drum set in ninth grade while attending St. John’s College High School in Brantford, Ontario. After graduating from high school, he studied privately with Mr. Frank DiFelice in preparation for the Applied Music Program at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. Following his graduation from Mohawk College, Roberto spent a year performing as a show band drummer for Carnival Cruise Lines. Roberto furthered his education by earning a bachelor’s degree in music from McMaster University and a Bachelor of Education from Nipissing University. Currently, Roberto (“Mr. Santos”) teaches full-time music with the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Hamilton, Ontario, where he directs the St. Mary Jazz Band, an 18-piece ensemble. Before his tenure at St. Mary, Roberto taught music for 14 years at Thomas More Catholic Secondary School. In addition to his teaching role, Roberto maintains a busy performance and freelance schedule across the Hamilton and Golden Horseshoe areas, engaging in various music genres and local projects.

Anna began her journey in piano at age 5 and has completed her RCM Grade 10 Level in piano while studying at the studio of Olga Tcherniak. In additon to being an advanced level pianist, Anna has received certification in Beginner and Intermediate Piano Pedagogy from the Royal Conservatory of Music, and has been teaching piano since 2017. Anna joined the Dundas Conservatory of Music faculty in 2022 teaching piano and music theory.

James Duff earned his Bachelor of Music specializing in guitar and orchestration at Dalhousie University (Halifax). Since graduating in 2016, James has been a dedicated teacher of guitar, ukulele, mandolin, drums, flutes and recorders and the viola da gamba. He has performed and composed for Halifax Music Co-op Orchestra, the Obey Convention experimental music festival, Tirgan Iranian arts festival, 21c Guitar and Technology Conference, in addition to some self produced concerts. James is a passionate and fun-loving teacher who finds creative strategies to help cultivate a love for learning music in any student.

Dhara-Cristina is a vocal coach from Brazil, currently attending the Applied Music program at Mohawk College with specialization in contemporary vocals. She has a passion for music and music education, which has come to life along with her studies in both classical and contemporary fields. Dhara has experience with performance, songwriting and accompaniment instruments for singing such as guitar, piano and percussion. She is familiar with a vast range of genres, from Latin America’s Bossa Nova and Samba to North America’s Pop and Rock, and is also enthusiastic about classical training. Dhara has been teaching voice at the Dundas Conservatory of Music since 2021.

Dr. Lara Housez works at McMaster University, where she teaches courses in popular music, musical theatre, and film music. She holds B.Mus. and M.A. degrees from Western University, and she completed her Ph.D. in musicology at the Eastman School of Music. Throughout her schooling, Lara has studied voice and she now teaches students of all ages in her private vocal studio. Choral music is one of Lara’s biggest passions, and she sings in several local choirs, including the Edison Singers (The First Nowell, 2022 on Spotify), Arcady Singers, St. Paul’s Chancel Choir, and Hamilton Schola Cantorum. In addition to music, she enjoys practicing yoga, hiking, and cooking for her family.

Ben Schmalz studied with world-renowned pianist Stéphan Sylvestre throughout his graduate studies in London, Ontario and earned his Master of Music in piano performance at Western University in 2022. He received a distinction for his graduating M. Mus recital and enjoys performing as a soloist, in ensembles and with singers, including Calgary-based singer- songwriter Kelsey Raine. Ben has also collaborated with Kelsey on projects by writing and recording piano and cello parts for some of her original songs. He is currently awaiting to graduate with an MA in Music Theory at Western University as he has now fulfilled all the requirements for this degree. For his MA research project, he analyzed medieval-themed soundtrack and videogame music and compared it to actual medieval music under the supervision of his project advisor Dr. Catherine Nolan. Since graduating from the University of Regina with a B. Mus in 2019, Ben has been teaching piano, cello, music theory, and history to a variety of ages and skill levels. In the summer of 2019, he attended a music academy in Cremona, Italy, which was led by many world-class musicians including pianists Derek Chiu, Dr. Sandy Herbert, Dr. Irena Kofman, and composer Whitman Brown. At the academy, he rehearsed with ensembles, attended workshops and masterclasses, composed original works, performed in recitals and placed 3rd in the senior piano category of the academy’s annual competition. His original compositions have been published and premiered by ensembles at this academy and at the University of Regina. Additionally, he has placed 1st in several classes of the Calgary Performing Arts Festival and received many scholarships from this festival and throughout his undergraduate and graduate studies. In his spare time, he enjoys making art, playing videogames, watching movies, and spending time with his partner, pets, family, and friends.

Hannah Prins started music lessons at the age of 3 and has had extensive training in both classical piano and voice, currently working towards her ARCT in piano performance. In addition to earning First Class Honours with Distinction on many of her music examinations and competitions, Hannah was also awarded a national and provincial gold medal from the Royal Conservatory of Music for achieving the highest marks in Canada and Ontario. With a love for musicals and dance, Hannah has coached performing arts and has performed in several musical theatre productions. Hannah joined the DCM faculty in 2023 and hopes to continue to share her passion for music with her students.

Nathaniel Estilloso has been studying classical piano since age 5 gaining extensive experience in both classical and church music. Under the guidance of Noni Magtibay, Nathaniel went on to achieve honours in both Grade 9 Piano and Advanced Music Theory. Inspired by musicians at his local church, Nathaniel’s passion for music led him to serve as pianist and music advisor for the Metropolitan Bible Baptist Church from 2007 to 2014, and since 2015, at the Bible Baptist Church of Metro Toronto. During this time, he also began teaching piano, both privately and to students from his church community. As a high school student, Nathaniel actively participated in competitions, receiving the Gold Award for Solo Piano from 2014 to 2016 at the annual Student Convention, and the Musical Performance Award for Solo Piano in 2017 at Faithway Baptist College’s annual competition. Currently studying Classical Piano at McMaster University, Nathaniel joined the Dundas Conservatory of Music in 2022, teaching piano and keyboard theory.

Matthew began his musical journey at the age of six with the piano, nurturing a deep passion for both classical and contemporary music. Over the years, his dedication culminated in completing the RCM Level 10 Piano certification, alongside Harmony and Counterpoint examinations, where he achieved First Class Honours with Distinction. In fifth grade, he expanded his musical repertoire by learning the saxophone, becoming an integral member of both his school’s stage and concert bands. Now studying at McMaster University, Matthew is driven by a desire to inspire and educate the next generation of musicians, encouraging them to uncover their own passion for music.