Everett Hopfner | piano coordinator and instructor

Piano Coordinator and Instructor

Pianist Everett Hopfner embraces the unconventional. Adventurous audiences have seen him crawling underneath his instrument, creating a sonic environment with a stage covered in rice, and performing while surrounded by whale skeletons. Everett has toured across Canada as a laureate of the E-Gré National Music Competition and throughout Germany as a member of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie. A passionate educator, Everett has served as Director of the Conservatory of Music at Brandon University and has appeared as an adjudicator and clinician across Canada. Based in Winnipeg, he teaches piano at CSMA and performs in the intrepid two-piano duo, Tönky Hönk.

Madeleine Hildebrand | piano coordinator and instructor

Piano Coordinator and Instructor

Madeline Hildebrand is a pianist, soloist, and collaborative artist active from coast to coast in Canada. She tours regularly with her recording ensemble Fierbois, represented by Prairie Debut. The ensemble’s debut album, Sing to Me Again, was released on the Leaf Music label.

Maddy is a founding member of the two-piano duo Tönky Hönk, known for their adventurous and playful performances. Their EP release is set for June 2026.

Committed to music education, Madeline has adjudicated over 30 festivals across Canada. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Stony Brook University, where she received the 2025 Baron Prize for Career Advancement. She has taught at Brandon University, Canadian Mennonite University, and Memorial University.

Theresa Thordarson

Piano Instructor

Theresa Thordarson is a pianist, vocalist, and creator across genres. Her musical fascinations include new and traditional piano repertoire, adventurous pop songs, and Baroque continuo playing (to name a few!).

A passionate educator, Theresa teaches with a flexible, student-centred approach. Her experience overcoming a repetitive stress injury has given her a valuable perspective informed by the Taubman Approach. Theresa has studied and served as a sessional instructor at both Brandon University and SUNY Fredonia, where she was also a staff collaborative pianist. She has facilitated workshops in piano, songwriting, and composition across Manitoba.

Theresa grew up in rural Manitoba and now makes her home in Winnipeg where she enjoys playing and writing music with her duo Bicycle Face.

Mariah McDonald

Admin Assistant

Mariah McDonald is a singer, pianist, and composer who earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Canadian Mennonite University in 2024. Prior to university, she completed advanced studies in piano, voice, and music theory, achieving her ARCT in Keyboard Harmony (2020), RCM Level 10 in Piano (2020), and RCM Level 9 in Voice (2019).

Mariah’s passion for music began at an early age, leading her to participate in music festivals, musical theatre productions, and various forms of musical community service. As a vocalist, she has a strong foundation in both contemporary musical theatre and classical genres. She enjoys guiding her voice students in discovering their unique sound while deepening their understanding of music theory and notation.

As a piano teacher, Mariah encourages exploration across a variety of musical genres. She supports her students in developing essential skills such as sight reading, improvisation, chording, and playing by ear. Her goal is to equip students with the tools they need to create music they enjoy, while fostering a lifelong love of music and helping them grow into well-rounded musicians.