Wintertime Showcase

Conservatory Ballet Ensemble
COBA (The Conservatory Ballet Ensemble) is a pre-professional performance ensemble established to provide an opportunity for young dancers aged 15 and up to present classically based repertoire.

Chris Mitchell, Saxophonist
Originally from Kitchener, Ontario, Chris Mitchell has lived in Nova Scotia for many years. Chris is a respected “first call” live performance and recording artist whose well-rounded and diverse style enables him to be expert in a number of musical genres. His primary instrument is the saxophone, however he is also proficient on flute, clarinet, and piano. Chris currently teaches saxophone and Jazz Theory/Improvisation at Dalhousie University. His experience as a performer, arranger and composer has resulted in the release of four solo compact discs that have garnered him with a number of awards and accolades. Chris has played on a myriad of other artist’s award winning compact discs and has performed on numerous television, radio and jingle productions including appearances with symphony orchestras. Along with a busy teaching and performance schedule he also operates his own company; MitchMusic. MitchMusic is a full-scale music and video service provider featuring a variety of media applications for commercial use.

Dinuk Wijeratne, Pianist
A truly versatile artist, Sri Lankan-born Dinuk Wijeratne divides his time between composing, conducting, and piano performance. Dinuk made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2004 as a conductor, composer and pianist, performing with Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. A second Carnegie appearance followed in 2009, alongside tabla legend Zakir Hussain. Dinuk has composed specially for almost all of the artists and ensembles with whom he has performed; to name a few: John Dankworth, Victor Mendoza, Ed Thigpen, the Apollo Saxophone Quartet, the New Juilliard Ensemble, and Symphony Nova Scotia. Dinuk grew up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before studying at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), The Juilliard School and the New York’s Mannes College of Music. A firm believer in the universality of music, Dinuk founded the cutting-edge NYC-based multimedia group NEOLEXICA. Dinuk is returning for his sixth season as Music Director of the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra. He has conducted the National Arts Centre Orchestra and appeared many times with Symphony Nova Scotia during his 3-year appointment as Conductor-in-Residence. He is the recipient of the 2008 Canada Council Jean-Marie Beaudet award for orchestral conducting; double Merritt Award nominations; Juilliard and Mannes scholarships as well as numerous other awards and accolades.

Gregory Heyn, Filmmaker
Gregory Heyn, is a member of the Writers Guild of Canada. He has written over fifty TV scripts, twenty plays and has directed over a hundred productions. Gregory was active in the growth of the National Native Theatre School for six years. However, his most unique achievement has been the founding of a The Insight Theatre Company for blind actors. He was a regular writer for CBC children?s television. His film script of Fiddle MacFee and Galatea were both nominated by the Writers Guild of Canada for best new screen play. And his play Shadows on Oak Island won the Samuel French Canadian Play Writing Award.

Jenna Lang, Singer
Jenna was raised primarily in Barrie, Ontario, as well as overseas on the island of Mauritius and Toulouse, France. She joined King’s View Academy in 2004 to finish high school and to pursue her interest in performing arts. While at KVA, Jenna played leading roles in school productions, and performed in multiple shows and competitions for the Maritime Conservatory of Music. She has received the Maritime Conservatory Faculty Association Scholarship, TWMVC Scholarship from the Men’s Welsch Choir, and the School of Music Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Scholarship from University of British Columbia. Jenna was accepted into the program of Bachelors of Music Concentration in Voice Performance at UBC. She is currently pursuing her interest in flying as a flight attendant with Air Canada and has recently applied to a program in aviation at MRU to become a pilot, while still continuing with my performing arts.

Tony Quinn, Comedian/Musician
Tony Quinn’s quick wit and tailored corporate shows make him a favorite at conferences, conventions, award galas and client appreciation evenings. He can stand in front of any crowd and make them feel good! Tony has been in the entertainment business for over thirty years and performed for a wide variety of national and international audiences. He played a weekly musical comedy matinee to a packed to capacity crowd on the Halifax Waterfront for 13 years. For the last 8 years, Tony has focused his efforts on his corporate shows, and MC work for galas and conferences. Tony was the host and feature comedian at the Halifax Comedy Festival, and has been a special guest of the Royal Canadian Air Farce. A former student of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Tony still indulges in several musical projects, as a singer, musician and producer. He is also in demand as a voice over specialist for a wide variety of radio and tv commercials.