Our Teachers — Contra Music School

Our teachers are both passionate professionals and teachers in Canada, and internationally.

FOUNDER
Antonio is an Italian-Canadian composer and instrumentalist. His studies at McGill University include classical guitar, piano, baroque lute, harpsichord, orchestral conducting, composition, electronic music and music theory. He also attended The New School University in New York City and the Conservatoire de Musique de Gatineau for Classical Guitar with Patrick Roux.
His achievements include first prize at the Guitar Montreal International Youth Competition, and has been a National Finalist in the Canadian Music Competition (CMC). He’s also sung with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Canadian National Youth Choir.

Paul was born in Turkey, and moved to the USA as a child. He studied with Alvin Chow at Oberlin Conservatory, before finishing his graduate studies with Kyoko Hashimoto at McGill University.
He won First Prize and all prizes at the New England Piano Teacher’s Association, and a grant from the foundation Foundation Amis de Royaumount in France.
He has worked with the world’s leading composers as a pianist, including Philippe Leroux, Philippe Hurel, and Stephen Hartke, which include performances broadcast on Radio France. He is one of the founders of Ensemble Éclat, a contemporary music ensemble based in Montréal.

Born in Slovakia, Mária attended the Conservatory in Bratislava, then The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague with Pavel Černý (sneaking in an exchange year with Pier Damiano Peretti in Vienna). She finished her doctorate and masters at McGill University with Hans-Ola Ericsson.
Mária’s noteworthy achievements include winner of the Lynnwood Farnam Organ Competition, second-place at the Arthur Poister Scholarship Competition, and a finalist — twice — at the Canadian International Organ Competition. She’s a regular with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM), the Orchestre Métropolitain, and the Festival Bach Montreal.
She currently holds the position of Director of Music at the Mission Saint-Irénée-de-Lyon in Montréal.

Philippe is a composer of instrumental, electroacoustic and mixed music who aims to create a new musical language at the crossroads of popular musics and contemporary classical music.
His in-depth study of Aural Sonology, the frequent presentations and workshops he gives on the subject, and his contact with Lasse Thoresen helps ground his artistic research in clear perceptual principles.
He has received over 20 scholarships and awards for his work, including the Prix d’Europe, a BMI award, four SOCAN young composer awards, and funding from the SSHRC and FRQSC. He is currently completing a Doctorate in music composition at McGill University under the supervision of Jean Lesage.

Kristian Del Cantero is a canadian guitarist and composer whose musical studies and performances have taken him across North America and Europe. He studied at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Gabriel Bianco and is currently finishing his Masters in guitar performance at McGill University, under Steve Cowan.
Kristian's achievements include first prizes at the Guitar Montreal International Youth Competition, the Antwerp International Guitar Competition in Belgium, and the Uppsala International Guitar Festival and Competition. He was recently invited to play a solo recital at the 2023 Montreal Bach Festival’s ‘Off-Bach’ series.

Frank O’Sullivan is a Canadian composer and guitarist who graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, in jazz performance with Tomo Fujita, Tim Miller, and Sheryl Bailey.
As an instrumentalist, he has recorded and toured the world with Malika Tirolien, Dominique Fils-Aimé, Planet GZA, Busty and The Bass, and Kallitechnis, among others.
Frank has three full length albums and two EPs of original music, and co-wrote the song "Gifted" by Kallitechnis, nominated for Best Contemporary RnB Recording at the 2022 Junos.

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