Junior Concert Band: Izzy Gibson

Izzy Gibson is a passionate young music teacher and trumpet player from Victoria B.C. In her time in SD62, Izzy has taught elementary music, started the band program at Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School, and is now working at Belmont Secondary where she teaches the junior and senior bands, piano, and inclusive education. Izzy received her Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Victoria, where she went on to complete her Bachelor of Education. Izzy currently plays trumpet with the Senior Greater Victoria Concert Band which perfroms around the community year long.

Senior Concert Band: Jamie Davis

Jamie Davis believes that music is fundamental in schools. Music fosters community, connection, and self-discipline, preparing students not only for musical achievement but also for success in all aspects of their lives.

Jamie is the director of bands at Reynolds Secondary School in Victoria, BC. For eighteen years his concert bands, jazz bands, and marching bands have been heard in performance locally, provincially, and internationally. Ensembles under his direction consistently receive festival ratings of Superior or Gold, are in demand for concert and parade appearances, and receive high praise for their performances.

Jamie is in his final year of studies in the Master of Music Performance (Wind Conducting) program at the University of Victoria guided by Dr. Steven Capaldo. His research focusses on underrepresented composers and their works for wind band.

As a trombone player Jamie has performed with the Meridiem Wind Orchestra, Hugh Fraser’s Bonehenge, the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra, and the South Island Wind Ensemble. His principal teachers include Ian Mcdougall (The Boss Brass), Hugh Fraser (Vancouver Ensemble of Jazz Improvisation), Brad Howland (Victoria Symphony Orchestra) and Cindy Hogeveen (Kamloops Symphony Orchestra).

Mr. Davis holds a Bachelor of Music degree and Teaching Certificate from the University of Victoria. He is the recipient of the Staples/Black Press News Media “Great Teacher Award” (secondary school), a Commanding Officer’s Commendation from the Vernon Military Camp (for instruction, mentorship, and leadership), the CFAX 1070 Golden Apple Award (for excellence in teaching) and has been nominated for the British Columbia Premier’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Additionally, he served as an executive member of the BC Music Educators Association as secretary, vice-president, and president from 2012 – 2017.

String Orchestra: Chris Taber

Originally from Washington State, Christopher Taber received full scholarship to study violin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and San Francisco State University, where he graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance. Christopher was conductor of the North Olympic Youth Orchestra, based in Port Angeles Washington, from 2003-2005. He was the principal conductor of the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra for their “Fling on the Flats” summer concert from 2008-2014. Christopher has been a featured soloist with the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra, Port Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Victoria Chamber Orchestra, and Port Townsend Symphony. He was Concertmaster of the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra from 2004-2008. Christopher was a founding a member of the Music Corner Ensemble, a group of four musicians that combine storytelling with classical music. He was a member of the Victoria Symphony from 2006 until 2019 and from 2014 to 2019 served as a core violinist. Christopher and his wife started Taber Music School in 2005 and have built a team of outstanding teachers to provide String, Piano, Voice, Guitar, Ukulele, and group music lessons to the Greater Victoria Area.

Since 2019, Christopher has been the Preschool/Kindergarten and Grade 4-8 music teacher at Selkirk Montessori. He has worked tirelessly to increase the enjoyment and excellence of music at Selkirk. In 2022 Selkirk presented its first Orchestra featuring students grade 5-8 performing Christopher’s own arrangement of “Avengers” at their year end concert. Last year the orchestra performed his arrangement of “High Hopes.”

Christopher loves teaching students of all ages to play musical instruments and strives to inspire his students to have a life-long love of music.

Concert Choir: Lena Palermo

Lena’s career has encompassed and intertwined 28 years of professional performing, directing, music directing, choreographing and teaching. Lena has conducted national award-winning choirs and has been Music Director for over seventy-five full-scale Broadway musicals. She was in Toronto for twelve years working in television/film and as a professional musical theatre performer. In Toronto she also created her own studio and theatre Star Potential Studios and Studio 60 Theatre.

Since her return to Victoria in 2016, Lena has become the Artistic Director of the Peninsula Singers Show Choir, Music Directed and Choreographed MAMMA MIA! at the Mary Winspear Centre and was recently featured on stage in Pippi Longstocking the Musical at the McPherson Playhouse, Curtain Up! at the Mary Winspear and Dave Dunnett Theatres and Broadway Bash, an original production at the Victoria Fringe Festival. Her favourite onstage roles include Sally Bowles (Cabaret), Hildy (On the Town) and Miss Stacey (Anne of Green Gables). Lena loves to work with and encourage young singers. She was recently Musical Theatre adjudicator for the Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival and she is the MainStage Musical Theatre Director at Spectrum Secondary.

This will be her second year as the Music Discoveries Concert Choir Clinician and she is looking forward to working with the students in the Choir again this year!