Faculty & Contact

Numerous grants and awards have facilitated Dr. Désy’s keen interest in scholarship which now includes the publication of his book entitled Glow in the Dark: Incandescent Songs for Polyphonic Bass in addition to past conference presentations at the International Society of Bassists in the United States.

As a collaborative artist, Dr. Désy has been involved in over 50 distributed albums covering all genres of music and he has toured with many of Quebec’s elite singer-songwriters and performers. He can also be credited with several stage, television and radio productions. As the co-owner of Studio Makina in Montreal and as a “Producer of the Year” award nominee for his work on Martin Lizotte’s award-winning album Ubiquité, Dr. Désy brings to Bishop’s a wealth of knowledge and experience in the areas of sound technology and production. He has produced several albums and film scores to critical acclaim.

Dr. Désy’s impressive breadth of teaching experience includes past positions at UQÀM, the Conservatoire de Montréal, the Cégep de Saint-Laurent and Sherbrooke, École Mitchell-Montcalm as well as a recent artist-in-residence position at the Banff Centre.

Dr. Osmun teaches a wide range of courses including Piano Literature, Russian Music, Music Theory and Film Music as well as offering individual piano instruction. In 2008, he received the Humanities Teaching Award in recognition of his effective teaching and dedication to the student body. He has guest lectured across Canada and internationally in Spain, Germany, Austria and Serbia. He has also been featured in recital on CBC Radio-Canada with Winnipeg-born soprano Melinda Enns. Presently, he resides in Sherbrooke Quebec with his wife and their two children. Before arriving at Bishop’s, Dr. Osmun held teaching positions at the Eastman School of Music and the University of Prince Edward Island.

He holds degrees in music (performance/theory/history/musicology) from Marianopolis College, McGill University, and the University of Cambridge. While at McGill, he completed six years of classical piano tuition under Tom Plaunt, and concertized internationally. His research interests are wide reaching and include Schenkerian Analysis, classical form, the analysis of musical performance, the analysis of popular music, and the music of Israel. Past research supervisors include Nancy Berman (DEC); Don McLean, Rachelle Taylor, and David Brackett (BMus); and Nicholas Cook (MPhil/PhD). He is the recipient of many awards for his academic work, including the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust, and research grants from the Royal Musical Association, and the Society for Music Analysis.

Outside of academia, Yotam continues to compose and produce popular music (under a pseudonym) primarily in Toronto and Los Angeles.

In addition to The Musica Nova Ensemble and The Estria Woodwind Quintet, Pauline Farrugia has worked with The Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra (Toronto), The Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra, The Société de Musique Contemporaine du Québec (Montréal), The Slee Sinfonietta (Buffalo, NY) and June in Buffalo. She has also given many solo and chamber recitals within the region of the Eastern Townships as part of the Musique Chez Nous, Place de la Cité and Festival de Lac Massawippi concert series. Ms. Farrugia has performed in Canada, the United States and Europe and she teaches clarinet and chamber music at Bishop’s University. Ms. Farrugia is also an adjudicator for The McGill Conservatory of Music and she is regularly invited by McGill University to give talks on musical career development.

Between 1980 and 1983, Gilles studied symphonic percussion with René Béchard at the Cegep de Sherbrooke and later obtained a D.E.C. (Collegiate Diploma) in music. Between 1983 and 1987, Mr. Anctil pursued classical studies with Robert Leroux as well as jazz and pop interpretation, studio recording and acoustics with Camille Bélisle and Richard Provençal at the Université de Montréal ultimately obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree. In 1984 during his studies in Montreal, he was also a Laureate and recipient of the “Programme d’encouragement aux talents canadiens de CITE-FM.”

Mr. Anctil has been an active teacher in the Eastern Townships since the early 1980’s. From 1982 to 1989, he taught at Carillon, Collège du Mont-Sainte-Anne, Mitchell, Montcalm and Asbestos Musical Camps. In 1987 he began founding the percussion program for many area primary and high schools. These programs were later approved and certified by l’Université du Québec in Montréal. Since 1989, Mr. Anctil has been a full-time instructor at the Cegep de Sherbrooke where he teaches a variety of classes including symphonic and Latin percussion, percussion ensemble, Latin ensemble music, rhythm workshops, M.I.D.I. technology, computer music, sound engineering, studio recording and sound reinforcement. He has also taught percussion at Bishop’s University since 1990.

Since 1973 Mr. Anctil has maintained an active career as a free-lance percussionist. From 1989-2000, Mr. Anctil was a member of the Sherbrooke Symphonic Orchestra and from 1989-2000, was a member of the Ensemble à vent de Sherbrooke and from 1989-1993, participated in the Gilles Dion Ballroom Orchestra.

Mr. Anctil is also the owner of a 1200 square foot state-of-the-art digital recording studio where he has produced CD and DVD projects since 1998 in various genres including opera, choral, rock and jazz.

Self-taught tin whistle player and fluent Irish speaker, she won the Oireachtas Cheanada, a traditional a capella singing contest, and represented Canada at the 2015 Oireachtas na Samha, a prestigious traditional Gaelic arts competition in Ireland.

As an active musician, she is currently a member of the SaxQuad saxophone quartet, the Ensemble à vents de Sherbrooke, and she leads her own trio, Luasc, in which she combines her beloved traditional Celtic music with Jazz. In the course of her career, she has performed in Québec, but also in France, in Ireland and on international waters. She shared the stage with such great as Dan Bigras, Dawn Taylor Watson, Guido Basso et John Pizzarelli. Ms. Breton has over fifteen years of experience teaching music at all levels, from kindergarten to university. She has been a tutor at Bishop’s since 2011.

Her singing is available on ten CDs, and she has been recorded over sixty times by the French network of CBC. In the realm of choral music, she has taken part in international choral festivals in Winnipeg, Québec, and Vaison-la-Romaine (France).

In addition to her active career as a performer, Gail Desmarais teaches voice at the University of Montreal, the University of Sherbrooke, Concordia University, and Bishop’s University. Her students have been awarded many prizes over the years.

In 1997, Ms. Enns toured Europe as a master class soloist with Helmuth Rilling’s International Bach Akedemie and since 1990 has been a member of Rilling’s Oregon Bach Festival Choir and was involved in recordings of Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Schubert’s Mass in E Minor, Handel’s Messiah, Dvorak’s Stabat Mater and the Grammy award-winning Penderecki Credo.

On the opera stage, Ms. Enns has performed compramario roles in Rigoletto and Turandot and leading roles in Winnipeg’s Opera Project and G&S Society. In Edmonton, sang the role of Mrs. Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor to critical acclaim. As a champion of avant-garde repertoire, Ms. Enns has appeared in Cavanaugh/Wisensel’s City Worker’s in Love (1990), Bruce Nichol’s Trojan Women (1994) and has recorded Paul McIntyre’s Thirteen Hands (2000).

As a recitalist, Ms. Enns’ repertoire ranges from traditional German lieder to that of many contemporary Canadian composers. Since 2002, she has resided in Quebec Canada with her husband and has performed for Her Excellency, Adrienne Clarkson former Governor General of Canada and was recorded and broadcast for CBC Radio-Canada. She was also the soprano soloist with the Amadeus choir of Quebec in performances of Handel’s Judas Maccabeus and Messiah as well as with the Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra in performances of Haydn’s Creation Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. Currently she is the assistant choir conductor of the Bishop’s University Choir. She also maintains an active teaching studio and is a proud mother of two children.

She pursued further voice studies with Beverley Rinaldi at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, participating in Joan Morrison’s seminar on popular American song, and was in great demand as an interpreter of new compositions. Since then, she has performed extensively in many music genres, specializing in Elizabethan lute songs and the repertoire for voice and guitar, for both of which she is joined by her husband, guitarist/lutenist and composer, Andrew MacDonald. Miss Gang is also well versed in German Lieder and French mélodies, and continues to specialize in new music. She was a founding member of Ensemble Musica Nova in 1989, and has returned to the ensemble as a vocalist and administrator. She has performed as a recitalist and soloist with orchestras across Canada and the U.S.A. and has been recorded often by Société-Radio Canada and the CBC. From 1975 to 1978 she was a member of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir under the direction of Elmer Eisler, she has taught singing at the Brandon Conservatory of Music, and has been a member of the Department of Music faculty at Bishop’s University since 1988. Miss Gang sings with the University Singers, and pursues other interests as a part-time student at Bishop’s, including classics and fine arts.

As a performer, Dave’s career really took off in 1981 when he became bass chair in the Vic Vogel Big Band, a position he still holds. He has accompanied, among others, Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Torme, Zoot Sims, Oliver Jones, Céline Dion, Ranee Lee, and Roch Voisine. He has made many commercial recordings, as well as working in film, radio, and as a studio musician. He performs extensively on the jazz circuit, both with the Vic Vogel band and in smaller ensembles.

Dave has taught jazz guitar and bass privately since 1967, and been an instructor at Bishop’s in bass since 2002. He also is a part-time instructor in jazz at the Université de Sherbrooke. In addition to his musical pursuits, Dave Gelfand has followed a successful career as an electrical engineer.

During her many studies and masterclasses, she has worked with Robert Langevin, Denis Bluteau, Virginia Spicer and Jeanne Baxtresser. She currently teaches flute at University of Sherbrooke, Bishop’s University and the Cégep de Sherbrooke.

After working for many years as an arts administrator, including being Tour Director with the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, Artistic Coordinator for Orford Arts Centre, and Department Coordinator for the Cégep de Sherbrooke Music Department, Myriam now dedicates her entire time to performing concerts and teaching. Collaborator with the new John-Henry-Pope Cultural House, she also works, with great pride, on the development of the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery, a family project.

For the past 10 years, M. Gilbert has been active both as a professional musician and teacher in the Sherbrooke area and elsewhere in Quebec. His first CD under his own name, just released in 2013, is a trio recording of lesser-known standards (guillaumegilberttrio.bandcamp.com). It features his own brand of playing, influenced by major jazz performers, namely Lester Young, Charlie Christian, Hank Mobley, Grant Green and Ed Bickert. He plays lead guitar in the rock&roll band The Singles (http://www.thesingles.ca) and has also performed on other jazz, pop and rock albums by Roxane De Lafontaine, Philibert Bélanger, Brazz and Dactylo Fidelity.

M. Gilbert has also taught at Sherbrooke University and Cégep de Sherbrooke.

Durant toutes ces années, la violoncelliste s’est méritée plusieurs prix, dont le Premier Prix du Festival-Concours de Sherbrooke et de la région de l’Estrie, la première place au Prix d’Expression Musicale du Québec, une bourse de l’Université McGill et une bourse du Centre d’Arts Orford pour un séjour de perfectionnement en Belgique. Anne-Marie Leblanc travaille comme pigiste dans différents ensembles et orchestres de la région Montréalaise. On a pu l’entendre à plusieurs reprises à la radio et à la télé de Radio-Canada. Anne-Marie Leblanc se retrouve sur plusieurs albums d’artistes québécois comme : Coral Egan, Caïman Fu, The Stars, Roch Voisine, etc. De plus, elle enseigne avec grande passion le violoncelle et la musique de chambre au Cégep de Sherbrooke et à l’Université Bishop’s.

His performances include events such as Musique Chez Nous, Les concerts de la Chapelle (St-Camille), les Rendez-vous Howard, les concerts de la Place de la cité (Bromptonville), les Médiévalestrie, at Salle du Parvis, Belle Chapelle, Studio Georgeville, Maison Louis Fréchette, Domaine St-Vallier, Musée francophone de Quebec, Maison Antoine Lacombe, Centre culturel Beloeil, Vélogare de Victoriaville, Amis de l’orgue de l’Estrie et des Bois Francs. He is also part of many small ensembles as a clarinettist: Trio Rolla with Catherine Elvira Chartier (violin alto) and Stephane Tremblay (clarinet) and the Trio Boufill with Pauline Farrugia and Stéphane Tremblay.

In addition to teaching for the last 12 years, Mathieu has also maintained an active performing career. He has been a part of numerous jazz projects (Contracteurs Généreux, Trio Guillaume Gilbert, Soul Call, Zikak trio); pop and rock projects (Galarno, Limbo); and Salsa/Latin projects (Habana Café, Grupo Trovando, Brazooke).

Mathieu has been a side man for numerous artists (Sylvain Daigneault, François Cousineau, Francis Rivard, Mike Goudreau, Pierre Blais, and others), and has performed with many nationally renowned artists including Ralph Bowen (Criss Cross, Verve, Blue Note), Jon Damian (Burklee School of Music), Steve Groves (7th Son Records), and Brad Turner (Maximum Jazz). Although mainly focused on jazz, Mathieu is experienced in a wide variety of styles both on stage and in the teaching and recording studio.

Louise has been coaching & teaching vocalists at the CEGEP & university level for more than 10 years. Her approach to teaching assists the student in finding their unique voice within the stylistic setting of their choosing while improving technique, performance & interpretation. Primarily a Jazz vocalist, Louise is comfortable in Pop & Rock styles as well.

His subsequent research has been based in Versailles, and he has published articles on the music of Giroust, French sacred music at the end of the 18th Century, and the music of the French Revolutionary period. Awarded a position as chercheur associé with the C.N.R.S. (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France) in 1993-1994, he also holds a position as associated researcher at the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, he returns quite willingly to Versailles to further his research. He has published a book on Giroust and his music, and has had several scores published by the CMBV.

Aside from his passion for French music, Dr. Eby gets very enthused in his history classes about music from Medieval times up to the 20th century, and gladly shares his fondness for Canadian music and opera – and how to write a research paper – with his students. He has twice been honoured with a teaching award; this really is an honour at Bishop’s.