VAYA Online INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL: Autumn 2025

Adjudicators

	Dominique Bernath, Vancouver, Canada (Percussion) •     "Dominique Bernath's handling of the complex timpani part was spectacular." (Kelowna Daily Courier) •     “Her ebullient personality and percussive flair never failed to delight and this unique exploration of the lyrical potential of the timpani was no exception." (Vernon Morning Star) •     “Kudos to Dominique Bernath for her superb and acrobatic timpani playing." (Kelowna Capital News) Dominique Bernath has been the Principal Timpanist of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra since 1997 after attending the University of British Columbia where she studied Orchestral Percussion. She began performing with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in 1995, and also performs with the Surrey City Orchestra, Vancouver Island Symphony, Fraser Valley Wind Ensembles, and numerous orchestras throughout the province. Dominique has shared the stage with such Canadian talents as Jann Arden, Natalie MacMaster, Anne Murray, Dee Daniels, The Rankins and Holly Cole. Dominique performed three auditioned sessions with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and has also been featured as a concerto soloist on timpani. She frequently teaches percussion clinics and masterclasses and has been a pianist since 1981. Dominique has been the stage manager/percussion coach for the Kiwanis Concert Band Festival since 2004 and proudly works as an Educational Representative for Tapestry Music. Ms. Bernath is a Yamaha and Zildjian Artist.
	Vourneen Ryan, Limerick, Ireland (Woodwinds) Vourneen Ryan is a professional flautist, teacher, and performance coach. She began her musical journey at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, studying with Doris Keogh, before continuing her flute studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Edward Beckett, Philippa Davies, Sarah Newbold, and Paul Edmund-Davies. In 2015, she earned a Master’s degree in Sports, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, which she now integrates into her work with musicians of all ages and levels as a Performance Coach. In 2004, Vourneen was invited to join the internationally renowned Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra as Sub-Principal Flute. She continues to perform regularly with many of the leading orchestras in Ireland and the UK, including the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Wexford Festival Opera, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. A passionate chamber musician, Vourneen is a member of Trio Táin (flute, viola, and harp), Musici Ireland, and Glas Quartet. She is a professor of flute at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, where she combines her expertise in performance psychology with her teaching to inspire and support her students. Beyond her performance and teaching career, Vourneen delivers lectures and workshops on Career Development, Mindset Training, and Mental Skills for Performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and has worked with students and young musicians through the University of Limerick, DKIT, RIAM, INO, NYOI, and a range of other arts organizations and schools. You can connect with her at @vourneen.ryan or visit www.vourneenryan.com
	Debra DaVaughn, Waimea, HI, USA Ms. DaVaughn has had a successful professional singing and teaching career for over twenty years. Her radiant voice and stirring performances in opera, musical theatre and operetta have been acclaimed by audiences and critics alike from Canada to Mexico. Over her career she has performed with numerous arts organizations including Vancouver Opera, The Monterrey Symphony, Burnaby Lyric Opera, Royal City Music Theatre, The Vancouver Handel Society, and many more. Debra’s musical training includes study at the Centro Studi Italiano in Urbania, Italy. She has coached with staff from opera programs including the Canadian Opera Company, Metropolitan Opera, and the San Francisco Opera. She has been fortunate to attend masterclasses with some of the world’s finest vocal coaches including Nico Castel (Julliard School of Music), Carol Castel (New York Opera Studio), Joan Patenaude-Yarnell (Manhattan School of Music), Stuart Hamilton (Canadian Opera Company), David Shefsiek (Pacific Opera Victoria) and Alan Monk (Calgary Opera). She has operated a successful private voice studio since 2003. She recently made the move from Vancouver, Canada to Waimea, Hawaii where she is in the process of establishing her studio once again. Debra’s students have enjoyed great success at festivals and competitions over the years, and many have gone on to study at acclaimed conservatories and colleges, including New York City’s Cap21 and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Michigan’s Interlochen Center for the Arts and UBC’s Opera Program. From 2006-2014 Ms. DaVaughn was co-Founder and Artistic Director of A Night on Broadway, an annual fundraising concert benefitting the Surrey Food Bank. During its eight-year run, the event raised over $100,000 for the Food Bank. She is also a former Artistic Director of The Young People’s Opera Society of BC.
	Brett Gunther, Calgary, AB, Canada (Classical Guitar) Canadian classical guitarist Brett Gunther has been active for over 25 years, with a varied and dynamic musical career. Known for “exciting performances, thoughtful interpretations, and sensitive musicality” (thisisclassicalguitar.com) Gunther has appeared on stages throughout Western Canada as a soloist and chamber musician. He has performed with notable Canadian acts including virtuosa guitarist Iliana Matos, renowned flutist Jiajia Li, and the Calgary Festival Chorus. To date Gunther has released three albums: Distant Shores (2024), An Idea (2017), and Guitar Music (2012). The recordings explore a wide range of music including favourites from the repertoire, hidden gems, and contemporary compositions. Brett Gunther is in demand as an educator and is on faculty at Mount Royal University Conservatory teaching private lessons and ensemble classes for their prestigious Academy program. He is a regular adjudicator at festivals across Canada including Hamilton Guitar Festival, Ontario and British Columbia Provincial Music Competitions, and the CMC Canadian Music Competition. He has been an examiner with the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto since 2019. A passionate advocate for classical guitar in the community, Gunther is Artistic Director of the Classical Guitar Society of Calgary and Director of the annual GuitarFest West classical guitar festival. He holds Masters and Bachelors Degrees in guitar performance from the University of Calgary. Beyond the classical guitar world, Gunther has been featured on five commercial releases with The Buzzing Bees, Beija Flor, and SAVK. His work with these bands includes radio performances on CBC, CKUA, and CJSW and playing to an audience of thousands at the Calgary Folk Festival.
	Dr. Tristan Savella, Toronto, ON (Senior and Intermediate Piano) Filipino-American pianist, Dr. Tristan Savella is an active soloist and chamber musician based in Toronto. His career has taken him to performances at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall in New York City, the Schloss Mirabell in Salzburg, Austria, and the Canadian Opera Company's Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre in Toronto. Furthermore, Tristan is the recipient of multiple prizes at various national and international competitions, including third place at the Concours Flame in Paris, first place at the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition in New York City, a finalist prize at YoungArts Week (sponsored by the National YoungArts Foundation) in Miami, and third place at the Glenn Gould School's Chamber Music Competition. Tristan's performances in 2024-25 include a variety of solo and chamber music concerts, including programs for Piano Trio, Cello & Piano, Oboe & Piano, and Piano Four-Hands. Highlights include performances at the Candlelight Concerts (Toronto), Doors Open for Music at Southminster (Ottawa), the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society, Syrinx Concerts (Toronto), the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage Concert Series (Washington D.C.), and Emerson Avenue Music Salon (McLean, Virginia). Apart from performing, Tristan works as a private piano and music theory teacher and as an accompanist at The Royal Conservatory of Music's Taylor Academy and the Glenn Gould School. He also regularly serves as an adjudicator for local festivals and competitions, including ORMTA and the Aegio International Piano Competition. Tristan holds a Bachelor of Music in Applied Music from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, a Master of Arts with highest distinction from the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and an Artist Diploma from The Glenn Gould School in Toronto. He is also an alumnus of the Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan. His principal teachers at these institutions were John O'Conor, George Kern, T.J. Lymenstull, and the late Nelita True. In 2023, Tristan completed the Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Toronto, where he studied with the late Marietta Orlov, as well as with Jamie Parker and Lydia Wong. Additionally, Tristan has taken part in numerous music festivals, including at the Banff Arts Centre, the Orford Music Academy, the Gijon International Piano Festival, and the Chautauqua Institute. Aside from music, Tristan is a lifelong tennis fan and his other interests include traveling & cultural exploration, learning languages, urbanism, data science & analytics, soccer, and video games.