About
Centric MusicFest and Primo Music Association
Centric MusicFest
Since its inaugural event in 2014, Centric MusicFest has become a permanent fixture in the City of Lethbridge’s flourishing art and music scene. Building upon the success of its founder, Jesse Plessis, the annual summer classical and art music festival has grown under the stewardship of Artistic Director Ryan Kolodziej to feature a combination of local and visiting world-class Canadian and international musicians from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
Participating artists are encouraged to collaborate in at least one of several concerts to foster professional and cultural connections between local musicians and those from visiting arts communities from around the world.
Primo Music Association
The parent organization responsible for Centric MusicFest and any other music events presented outside of the summer festival season, Primo emerged from Artistic and Executive Director Ryan Kolodziej’s strong desire to promote high quality classical and art music in his home town. Under the stewardship of Melanie Gattiker, Zain Solinski, Daniel Greeve, Maxime Boutin-Caron and Whitney Griffith, Primo achieved non-profit status under the Alberta Societies Act on January 31, 2020. Melanie, Zain, Daniel, Maxime and Whitney are all proud to have served on the organisation’s inaugural board, officially elected at the first Annual General Meeting in January 2019.
OUR PEOPLE
Ryan Kolodziej, Artistic and Executive director
Ryan Kolodziej is enjoying a varied music career that has included solo and collaborative performances, accompanying nationally acclaimed amateur and university choirs, and individual instruction and group courses at the pre-college and university level. His passion for collaboration fuels his desire to work in music education and brings him back to his home town of Lethbridge every summer as the Artistic and Executive Director of Centric MusicFest.
He currently teaches piano at L’École de musique Vincent-d’Indy and the Conservatoire de Collège Stanislas in Outremont, Montreal. At the post-secondary level, he has taught as a chargé de cours at l’Université de Montréal, as well as a course instructor at the University of Alberta.
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His students have enjoyed much success including top prizes at competitions, several First Class Honours in Royal Conservatory of Music exams, and RCM gold medals.
As a pianist, Ryan has performed in Canada and Europe. He has been fortunate to receive multiple grants that supported his artistic achievements from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and a SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada) research grant award for his work on Liszt/Schubert arrangements and transcriptions.
When he is not doing music related activities, Ryan enjoys gardening, hiking, and building and endlessly customizing computers or any other related technology that he can get his hands on.
2024 Board of Directors
Whitney Griffith, president
A founding board member of Primo Music Association, Whitney Griffith has a love for classical music that goes back to childhood. Whitney feels fortunate to be involved with the organisation responsible for Centric MusicFest, and is no stranger to challenging work.
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While practicing medicine in the midst of a pandemic, she also became president of the PMA board in January 2021. An accomplished pianist and keen traveller, she also loves dogs. She has always owned poodles, and her current pooch, Cadbury, loves people.
Jim Miller, vice-president
Jim Miller is a retired soil and water scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Jim has attended the Centric MusicFest (formerly Centric Music Festival) every year since its inception.
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He attends many events and recitals at the U of Lethbridge, CASA, and Lethbridge Symphony concerts.
Jim also volunteers with the Lethbridge Music and Speech Arts Festival. He is currently a member of the U of Lethbridge Senate. An avid amateur musician, Jim has been taking classical guitar lessons from Dale Ketcheson through the U of L Music Conservatory for 13 years. He also plays mandolin, Irish flute, and Irish whistles.
Marja Mijsbergh, treasurer
During her senior years at Utrecht University, the Netherlands, while studying musicology, Marja started doing the bookkeeping for STIMU – an academic organization for historical musical performance.
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When she moved to Canada, she continued working as a bookkeeper, took courses at Athabasca University and eventually started and incorporated her own company.
She joined the Lethbridge Symphony in 1999 as violinist at first, and later continued as violist to the present day. Marja is very excited to join the Centric Music Fest Board as Treasurer and take care of the books.
Besides Music, Marja loves her family (four children, their partners, and one grandchild), travelling (Japan 2023), hiking, and running with her (Weimaraner) running dog Luna, who loves music!
Maxime Boutin-Caron, secretary
A founding member of Primo Music Association, Maxime Boutin-Caron has worked on a number of boards of directors in various fields, including health care and real estate.
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He combines his love of classical music with volunteer work by filling the role of secretary on the PMA board. He considers Lethbridge home, second only to his childhood home in Quebec’s Greater Montreal area.
Melanie Gattiker, director at large
Melanie is happy to contribute to the cause of bringing great live music to Southern Alberta by serving on the Primo Music Association board. A lifelong musician, she has tried her hand at singing, piano, tenor sax, and oboe.
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While she no longer makes music, Melanie loves to travel, read, and binge-watch various tv series; a rousing debate over a great meal also never goes amiss! A founding member, she was honoured to serve as PMA’s first president while the board and our artistic & executive director, Ryan Kolodziej undertook the sizable project of achieving non-profit status, while also presenting three annual editions of Centric MusicFest, as well as some special events.
She’s happy to pass on the leadership torch, while continuing to lend her energy and extensive experience in non-profit performing arts administration wherever needed!
Barbara Darby, director at large
Barbara Darby has returned to her hometown of Lethbridge after studying and working for many years in Ontario and Nova Scotia.
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She spends time lawyering, writing creative fiction and poetry, tramping the coulees and mountains, and doing nature photography. Barbara played the alto saxophone with various ensembles in Lethbridge, but now scratches away at the cello.
Isaiah Chadney, director at large
Isaiah is a recent graduate of the University of Lethbridge, having completed his Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance under the instruction of Dr. Josh Davies.
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Passionate about music theory, history, and research, Isaiah is currently pursuing a Masters of Musicology degree at the University of Toronto in Ontario. Isaiah also currently serves as editorial assistant for the Intersections: Canadian Journal of Musicology under English-language editor Dr. Paul Sanden.
As a life-long music fan, Isaiah displays a passion for promoting all aspects of music and art through his community involvement and volunteerism. Isaiah has been a regular member of the Lethbridge Community Band Society since 2017 and has previously volunteered at a range of Lethbridge Symphony and Centric MusicFest events. Isaiah is also currently a board member of the parent organization responsible for the Mosaic Music Festival (formerly the Lethbridge Jazz Society), where he helps to promote and bring various styles of jazz and other world music to the city.
As a regular volunteer and attendee of events by the PMA in the past, Isaiah is both thankful and excited to join the Board of Directors in their mission of bringing high-quality classical music to the city.”
Our Festival
Since its inaugural event in 2014, Centric MusicFest has become a permanent fixture in the City of Lethbridge's flourishing art and music scene. Building upon the success of its founder, Jesse Plessis, the annual summer classical and art music festival has grown under the stewardship of Artistic Director Ryan Kolodziej to feature a combination of local and visiting world-class Canadian and international musicians from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Read more...
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