Dr. Steven Capaldo

Dr. Steven Capaldo is currently an Associate Professor of Music Education & Conducting, the Wind Symphony and Concert Band Conductor, Graduate Advisor, and Head of Music Education and Graduate Wind Conducting at the University of Victoria. Dr. Capaldo has previously held conducting positions at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and UNSW Australia.

Distinguishing himself as one of the most respected music educators, wind conductors, and conductor educators in Australia and Canada, he has earned academic and musical recognition locally, nationally, and internationally. Dr. Capaldo has won many teaching awards throughout his career, including the 2018 UOW Teaching and Learning Award and the 2023 UVic Faculty of Fine Arts Teaching Excellence Award.

Dr. Capaldo has extensive conducting experience working with symphony orchestras, wind orchestras, and chamber ensembles. As an active writer, he composes, arranges, and transcribes music for wind orchestras, symphony orchestras, festivals, and concerts. His work Invictus Fanfare was performed at the closing ceremony of the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver, with other works having been performed by groups in Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United States, recorded on Klavier records (US), and published with Brolga Music and Murphy Music Press. An Assistant Producer and Co-Editor for eight Klavier Records CDs, Dr. Capaldo has been also Chair of the Australian Jury Panel for the 2017 International Eurovision Song Contest and has been a full voting member of the Grammy Awards.

Dr. Capaldo is in demand as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. Having been a conducting clinician for ABODA Queensland, ABODA NSW, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the BCMEA, he has now established the new UVic Conductor Educator Symposium demonstrating his commitment to providing professional learning opportunities for music educators and conductors.

Sandy King

Sandy King spent 13 years as Music Director at Mt. Douglas Senior Secondary in Victoria and has taught all levels of instrumental and choral music from elementary through high school. She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Victoria (UVic), a Diploma in Secondary Education from the University of British Columbia and a Masters Degree in Music Education/Conducting from UVic. Sandy also enjoyed a career as symphony clarinetist, chamber music recitalist and soloist with numerous orchestras and wind ensembles. She has performed with the Fraser Valley, Kamloops, Victoria and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras, Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and with the La Scala Opera Orchestra on their tour of Canada and Expo 86. As well, she has performed with the Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the New Edmonton Wind Sinfonia, the Symphonic Winds 2000, and is founder and Artistic Director of the South Island Wind Ensemble. Sandy retired from teaching in the Greater Victoria School District #61 in June of 2011. Sandy also enjoyed ten years as a member of the Windrift Woodwind Quintet, and on occasion plays with the Civic Orchestra Of Victoria and the Sooke Philharmonic. Sandy also had the pleasure of doing a recording of composer Robert Buckley’s music with the Naden Band of the Pacific. Sandy is also enjoying doing clinics, honour bands, and adjudicating. She is now enjoying her tenth year playing the French horn, something she has always wanted to do, and currently plays in three community bands.   

Dr. Gerald King

Dr. King is Professor Emeritus of Music in the School of Music at the University of Victoria. During his tenure at UVIC he was the Head of Music Education, Graduate Wind Conducting, and served as the conductor of the acclaimed UVIC Wind Symphony. From 2004-2012 he served as Director of the School of Music. Among his many achievements as Director, with his leadership and guidance the University of Victoria School of Music was awarded the designation as Canada’s first and only All-Steinway School. Prior to his appointment at the University of Victoria Dr. King taught instrumental and choral music in British Columbia schools. His instrumental and choral ensembles were recognized provincially, nationally, and internationally for outstanding quality.

Internationally recognized as one of Canada’s most respected conductors, adjudicators, educators and keynote speakers, Dr. King is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Order of the Phoenix by the Western International Band Clinic where he has made 7 separate conducting appearances; election into Phi Beta Mu; election into the American Bandmasters Association (2003) when he served as guest conductor of the United States Army Band (Pershing’s Own) from Washington, DC; recipient of the British Columbia Music Educators’ Honorary Life Award “in recognition of a lifetime of commitment of time, talent, and energies to music education in British Columbia;” and, in September 2015 he was inducted as an Honorary Member of the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy “for fostering tremendous goodwill towards the band, heightened morale and esprit de corps, and providing an exceptional liaison between the military and the public.”

Dr. King’s background is varied. Although he is primarily recognized as a conductor of Wind Bands, he is equally comfortable conducting Orchestras and Choirs. He is a former student of internationally renowned conductor, Maestro Kazuyoshi Akiyama with whom he studied the Saito Conducting Technique. His professional career has taken him throughout Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, Mexico, Hong Kong, Australia, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.

Dr. King’s conducting appearances with Regional, National, International Honor, and Professional Ensembles have been praised for performance quality, artistry, and creativity. Throughout his career he has been a champion of new music and community ensembles. In addition to conducting, Gerald King has many years of performing experience as a professional clarinetist having performed with numerous orchestras, wind and chamber music ensembles, including the La Scala Opera of Milan, Italy during their Canadian tour. Most recently, he performed with the New Edmonton Wind Sinfonia on three of their concert tours to Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland.

In addition to his passion for making music he is also widely recognized as an expert for his ability to link theory and practice in the field of teaching and learning. Among his many recordings and publications is a chapter in the book, Creativity and Music Education written by seventeen authors from the United States, Canada, Israel, Australia, Great Britain, Spain, and Scotland. The book includes a forward by noted author on Creativity, Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi. Dr. King has also completed a well-received DVD—The Craft of Conducting.

Dr. King is a Yamaha Artist Educator/Conductor.

Choral Clinicians/Adjudicators

Dr. Gerald King

Dr. King is Professor Emeritus of Music in the School of Music at the University of Victoria. During his tenure at UVIC he was the Head of Music Education, Graduate Wind Conducting, and served as the conductor of the acclaimed UVIC Wind Symphony. From 2004-2012 he served as Director of the School of Music. Among his many achievements as Director, with his leadership and guidance the University of Victoria School of Music was awarded the designation as Canada’s first and only All-Steinway School. Prior to his appointment at the University of Victoria Dr. King taught instrumental and choral music in British Columbia schools. His instrumental and choral ensembles were recognized provincially, nationally, and internationally for outstanding quality.

Internationally recognized as one of Canada’s most respected conductors, adjudicators, educators and keynote speakers, Dr. King is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Order of the Phoenix by the Western International Band Clinic where he has made 7 separate conducting appearances; election into Phi Beta Mu; election into the American Bandmasters Association (2003) when he served as guest conductor of the United States Army Band (Pershing’s Own) from Washington, DC; recipient of the British Columbia Music Educators’ Honorary Life Award “in recognition of a lifetime of commitment of time, talent, and energies to music education in British Columbia;” and, in September 2015 he was inducted as an Honorary Member of the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy “for fostering tremendous goodwill towards the band, heightened morale and esprit de corps, and providing an exceptional liaison between the military and the public.”

Dr. King’s background is varied. Although he is primarily recognized as a conductor of Wind Bands, he is equally comfortable conducting Orchestras and Choirs. He is a former student of internationally renowned conductor, Maestro Kazuyoshi Akiyama with whom he studied the Saito Conducting Technique. His professional career has taken him throughout Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, Mexico, Hong Kong, Australia, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.

Dr. King’s conducting appearances with Regional, National, International Honor, and Professional Ensembles have been praised for performance quality, artistry, and creativity. Throughout his career he has been a champion of new music and community ensembles. In addition to conducting, Gerald King has many years of performing experience as a professional clarinetist having performed with numerous orchestras, wind and chamber music ensembles, including the La Scala Opera of Milan, Italy during their Canadian tour. Most recently, he performed with the New Edmonton Wind Sinfonia on three of their concert tours to Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland.

In addition to his passion for making music he is also widely recognized as an expert for his ability to link theory and practice in the field of teaching and learning. Among his many recordings and publications is a chapter in the book, Creativity and Music Education written by seventeen authors from the United States, Canada, Israel, Australia, Great Britain, Spain, and Scotland. The book includes a forward by noted author on Creativity, Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi. Dr. King has also completed a well-received DVD—The Craft of Conducting.

Dr. King is a Yamaha Artist Educator/Conductor.

Fiona Blackburn

Fiona Blackburn has earned an esteemed reputation for her passionate support of the art of singing in all its forms, as well as for her engaging and uplifting interaction with singers of all ages. Fiona holds three degrees from the University of British Columbia: a Bachelor of Music in voice performance, a Bachelor of Education in secondary music, and a Master of Music in choral conducting. She performed, recorded and toured for 13 seasons with the Vancouver Chamber Choir and sang numerous roles with Vancouver Opera for five seasons. Her solo concert work includes performances with the Vancouver Symphony, Vancouver CBC Orchestra and Symphony Nova Scotia among others. Fiona has two Celtic CDs to her credit and even performed for five summers on an Alaskan cruise ship.

As an educator and choral director, Fiona has taught music from kindergarten to university, where she was adjunct professor in the Department of Education at UBC.

Fiona recently retired from her appointment as Artistic Director of the British Columbia Girls Choir which she founded two decades ago. She toured internationally with the singers to over 15 countries. In 2018, the choir was awarded the coveted ‘Children’s Choir of the World’ trophy, the highest honour at the world’s prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales. She has also directed the Zephyra Women’s Choir and Pacifica Singers, the associate ensemble of the Vancouver Chamber Choir.

Fiona was awarded the BC Choral Federation’s 2016 Healey Willan Award for her work to promote choral singing in our province; and she was awarded the Most Inspiring Director Award at the Vancouver Kiwanis Choral Festival that same year.