Conference events.

Yefim Bronfman Saturday, March 24 * 8:00 P.M. Massey Hall Transportation Provided

Yefim Bronfman is widely regarded as one of the most talented virtuoso pianists performing today. He has appeared with ensembles throughout the world, such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Orchestre de Paris and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Bronfman has also worked with an equally illustrious group of conductors. Bronfman has given numerous solo recitals in the leading halls of North America, Europe and the Far East. In 1991, he was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize, one of the highest honors given to American instrumentalists. Bronfman won a Grammy award in 1997 for his recording of the three Bartok Piano Concertos with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Bronfman was born in Tashkent, in the Soviet Union and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1973. In Israel he studied with pianist Arie Vardi, head of the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University. In the United States he studied at The Juilliard School, Marlboro and the Curtis Institute, with Rudolf Firkusny, Leon Fleisher and Rudolf Serkin. Bronfman is now a U.S. citizen.

Toronto Symphony Orchestra Jane Coop, pianist Patricia Krueger, organist Sunday, March 25 * 8:00 P.M. Roy Thomson Hall Transportation Provided

On Sunday night in Roy Thomson Hall, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Bramwell Tovey, will perform Stephen Chatman's Over Thorns to Stars, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 and Symphony No. 3 "Organ" by Saint-Saens.

Tovey will be joined by Jane Coop as solo pianist and Patricia Krueger, organist.

Jane Coop, distinguished university scholar, is a professor of piano and chamber music at the University of British Columbia. She holds an artist diploma and B.M. degree from the University of Toronto, where she studied with Anton Kuerti, and an M.M. degree from Peabody Conservatory, where she studied with Leon Fleischer. Coop has toured extensively throughout North America, Britain, Western and Eastern Europe, Russia, China and Japan. Her recitals have been performed in such cities as New York, London, St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Prague, Beijing and Tokyo. As a concerto soloist, Coop has worked with such conductors as John Eliot Gardiner, Andrew Davis and Rudolf Barshai. With Mario Bernardi, Coop recorded three concertos with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also appeared with the Royal Philharmonic, Seattle and Oregon Symphonies, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio Orchestra and every major orchestra in Canada.

Keynote Speakers

James Jordan is associate professor of conducting and senior conductor at Westminster Choir College, where he also conducts the Westminster Chapel Choir. He is the founding conductor of the Westminster Williamson Voices. Jordan also is Visiting Distinguished Professor of Music Education at West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He is on the faculty of the Samuel Barber Summer Institute at West Chester State University. Executive editor of the Evoking Sound Choral Series published by GIA Publications in Chicago, Jordan is one of the nation's pre-eminent conductors, writers and innovators in choral music.

Saturday, March 24 * 9:15 A.M.

Bramwell Tovey is the music director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and recently completed a term as chief conductor and music director of the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg. From 1989 to 200l he was artistic director of the Winnipeg Symphony, where he established the WSO's New Music Festival as one of the premiere new music events in North America. Tovey has worked with orchestras throughout the world, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony and Montreal Symphony. Also a composer, Tovey won the 2003 Juno award for Best Classical Composition for his "Requiem for a Charred Skull."

Monday, March 26 * 9:15 A.M.

Opening Session and Concerto Concert

Friday, March 23 * 7:30 P.M. Roy Thomson Hall Transportation Provided

The Opening Session will feature 2006 MTNA Senior Piano Competition winner Lo-An Lin and Lucas Porter, winner of the Open Piano Class at Canada's 2006 National Music Festival Competition, playing with Canada's Royal Conservatory Music Orchestra. Lin is taught by Yoshikazu Nagai, and Porter is taught by John Hansen at Acadia University. Yamaha Corporation of America and Yamaha Canada Music Ltd. is sponsoring the concert. Transportation will be provided.

The Royal Conservatory of Music Convocation

Saturday, March 24 . 2:00 P.M. Toronto Centre for the Arts

Attendees of the Collaborative Conference are invited to attend the Royal Conservatory of Music's Convocation to celebrate the achievements of the graduating class and recognize RCM alumni.

Students who completed the examination requirements by August 31, 2006, will receive the diploma of Associate of The Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT) at this special event.

A limited number of complimentary tickets to the convocation are available to Collaborative Conference 2007 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Conference participants may make reservations for the convocation when registering for the conference. Please note that there is a limit of one ticket per conference registrant.

MTNA Awards Luncheon and Annual Association Meeting

Tuesday, March 27 12:00 NOON-2:00 P.M. Civic Ballroom, Sheraton Centre

Join MTNA as it honors members who have devoted their time and energy to better the association and music teaching profession. This event will also serve as an opportunity for all MTNA members to actively participate in the association and have their voices heard.

Marienne Uszler, piano pedagogue author and editor, will be given the MTNA Achievement Award. Uszler has served as editor for articles and reviews for American Music Teacher and was honored in 2004 with the MTNA Frances Clark Keyboard Pedagogy Award for her book The Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher.

Henry Steinway will also receive the MTNA Achievement Award. Henry joined Steinway &Sons in 1937. After working at various craft positions in the company and a stint in the military, he became factory manager. By 1955, he was appointed company president. In 2007, Henry Steinway will mark 70 years of service to Steinway & Sons.

MTNA will also honor Joan Reist, NCTM, with its Distinguished Service Award. Reist is associate professor emerita at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Music. She serves on the American Pianists Association's classical artistic committee and as district director for Mu Phi Epsilon. She was MTNA president from 1999-2001.

CFMTA Members Luncheon and Annual General Meeting

Tuesday, March 27 12:00 NOON--2:00 P.M. Essex Ballroom, Sheraton Centre

Members of the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Associations are invited to a luncheon. This event will provide members with an opportunity to meet the CFMTA executive and delegates and network with colleagues from across Canada. The CFMTA Annual General Meeting will take place at this time.

Conference Gala

Tuesday, March 27 * 6:00 P.M. Grand Ballroom, Sheraton Centre

This year's Gala will recognize MTNA FOUNDATION Fellows and other FOUNDATION FUND honorees. After enjoying an elegant meal, listen to the big band sound of Canada's Galaxy All- Star Orchestra, which has appeared in such major theaters as the Elgin Winter Garden Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Performing Arts, Ford Centre for the Arts, Living Arts Centre, Sanderson Centre and The 0akville Centre for the Performing Arts.

MTNA Student Competitions

The national finals of the MTNA Student Competitions are held during the conference, beginning with the Junior and Chamber Music Performance Competitions on March 23, and concluding with the Young Artist Competitions Winners Concert, Monday, March 26. The winners of these prestigious competitions will be featured in special recitals and awarded cash and prizes donated by corporate sponsors and the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND. Compositions by the winners of the MTNA Student Composition Competitions also will be featured in recital.

Pedagogy Friday: Exploring Evaluation and Assessment

Friday, March 23 * 8:30 A.M.-5:30 P.M. Sheraton Centre

The Collaborative Conference 2007 in Toronto will open on Friday', March 23, with Pedagogy Friday: Exploring Evaluation and Assessment. All conference attendees are invited to participate in this day-long event hosted by RCM Examinations and co-sponsored by Yamaha Corporation of America and Yamaha Canada Music. Ltd.

Pedagogy Friday will present an opportunity for teachers to explore a wide range of approaches to inspiring, motivating and evaluating their students.

The morning session, "Before and After--What to Listen for in Assessing Our Students," will consist of a unique and innovative presentation featuring prerecorded student performances played back on the Yamaha Disklavier synchronized with video. This state-of-the-art technology will enable analysis and discussion of selected performances chosen to illustrate specific approaches to evaluation and assessment.

The afternoon program presents participants with a choice of break-out sessions in each of the following five streams: A Peek into the Exam Room; Developing Your Own Talents; Building Your Students' Expertise; Reaching Out to Others; Transforming the Future.

Pedagogy Friday will offer a chance to enhance the teaching and learning environment in your studio by improving your evaluation skills and hearing some new ideas on how to bring out the best in your students!

Exhibit Hall

The exhibit hall features one of the most comprehensive gatherings of companies serving the music teaching profession. The exhibit hall will be open Saturday, March 24, through Monday, March 26, 9:00 A.M.-5:30 P.M.

Exhibit Hall-only times will be offered throughout the conference so attendees can visit the hall without missing any sessions:

Saturday, March 24   11:45 A.M.-1:00 P.M.
Sunday, March 25     11:45 A.M.-l:00 P.M.
Monday, March 26     11:45 A.M.-1:00 P.M.

Panel Sessions

The 2007 Collaborative Conference will feature several panel sessions focusing on a wide variety of subjects of interest to music teachers of all disciplines. These interactive sessions, scheduled throughout the conference, will give attendees the opportunity to interact with experts in the fields of pedagogy, wellness, collegiate recruiting, cultural diversity, world music and more.

The panels will culminate in a session entitled "Crossing Borders." This panel, on Tuesday morning, will be a wrap-up session allowing attendees and panelists time to reflect on the new concepts and ideas presented during this collaborative event.

Technology Sessions

The 2007 Conference will offer two days of technology sessions for attendees. Session topics will include technology for group teaching, how to use technology to facilitate learning between lessons, using everyday technology resources and a roundtable discussion on teaching with technology in the rest century. On both days, MTNA will unveil its newly renovated website and present information about several exciting new technology programs being developed on behalf of the membership.