Adjudicators

Jacob Caines is a conductor, musicologist, and performer based in Halifax, Nova
Scotia. Jacob is currently the Associate Director of Music at Dalhousie University
where he conducts the Dalhousie Wind Ensemble and teaches musicianship and
theory. Via Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Jacob is honoured to have his doctoral research funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). An active writer, Jacob has been invited to speak at conferences and write for publications across Canada and internationally including Toronto, Montreal, Lucerne, and Helsinki.

He is founder of ClassicalQueer.com, a project dedicated to interviews with Queer+ performers, writers, musicians, administrators and artists. The CQ project has also created the Canadian Database of Queer+ Classical Musicians as well as the CQ Podcast which interviews musicians from around the world with co-host Sammi Jane Smith – an astrophysicist and Queer+ music specialist in northern Sweden.

Interdisciplinary approaches to research are a vital part of Jacob's work and he has taught courses on performance topics through the Dalhousie School of Architecture, Lesley University School of Creative Writing, and Concordia University Faculty of Fine Arts.

As a performer, Jacob was the music director for the award-winning national tour of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. He is also a founding member and clarinetist of the
ALKALI Collective which performs, and commissions works by living Canadian queer and BIPOC composers. Jacob is an enthusiastic adjudicator and clinician and has worked with the Canadian Music Competition, Atlantic Band Festival, New Brunswick Music Festival, and dozens of ensembles and arts groups across Canada.

Tristan De Borba is a classical and contemporary saxophonist and conductor and is quickly gaining a reputation as an innovative and engaging musician.

He is Assistant Professor at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia where he teaches saxophone, conducts the Acadia University Symphonic Band and String Orchestra, and teaches musicianship.

Tristan has a strong interest in the music of our time. He is a member of the Alkali Collective, a Halifax-based new music ensemble dedicated to the creation, performance, documentation, and educational outreach of 21 st century music. Tristan is one-half of the Strum-De Borba duo with fellow saxophonist Nicole Strum. Tristan is also a founding member of the Brogue Saxophone Quartet which has performed extensively throughout the maritime provinces since 2013. As a
soloist, Tristan’s recording of Derek Charke’s Wired and Wound with pianist Simon Docking can be found on the ECMA nominated recording “Live Wired” (Centrediscs, 2015). He also appears as saxophone soloist on “In the Wide Awe of Wisdom” featuring the choral music of Paul Halley (Pelagos, 2017). In 2021, Alongside pianist Mary Castello, Tristan released a video recording of Fernande Decruck’s Sonata and William Grant Still’s Romance. As a conductor and educator, Tristan is increasingly in demand as a clinician and adjudicator of bands and orchestras.

Dr. Tristan De Borba earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Toronto and a Master of Music degree from the University of British Columbia. When taking a break from a busy performing and teaching career, Tristan can be found alongside his wife Sara and their dogs Lua and Sasi exploring beautiful Nova Scotia.

Conductor and pedagogue Dr. Danielle Gaudry is a celebrated ensemble director, clinician, and adjudicator across North America. Her scholarly pursuits have resulted in publications on the topics of chamber wind ensemble repertoire as well as the history of early chamber wind ensembles. Throughout her career as a music educator and leader at all levels, Dr. Gaudry has consistently advocated for building community through inclusive practices and championed repertoire from underrepresented voices. She has presented sessions on various topics at distinguished international music conferences.

In 2023, Dr. Gaudry was appointed to the McGill University Schulich School of Music as Director of the Wind Orchestra and Associate Professor of Instrumental Conducting (Wind Orchestra and Community Engagement). Prior to her position at McGill, Dr. Gaudry was Associate Professor of Music at the California State University, East Bay where she was Director of Bands and Coordinator of Instrumental Music from 2013-2023. Originally from Winnipeg, Canada, Dr. Gaudry taught high school instrumental music for seven years. She proudly served as a musician and conductor in the Canadian Armed Forces for fourteen years. Her military experience included appointments as Director of Music of The Regimental Band of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles and also as Conducting Instructor at the Canadian Forces Logistic Training Centre, Music Division, at CFB Borden. Retaining her military affiliations in the US, Captain Gaudry was the Associate Conductor with the 38th Infantry Division Band, Indiana National Guard for three years.

Dr. Gaudry earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting with a Cognate in Music Education from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music in Conducting from The Pennsylvania State University. She also holds a Graduate Diploma of Fine Arts (Wind Conducting) from the University of Calgary, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Music with Honors in Music Education from McGill University. At home, Danielle and her husband Jordan, a musicologist, maintain a fast-paced life with their two sets of energetic twin boys. When she has a moment to herself, she loves running and reading.

Dr. Denise Grant has earned respect and praise as a conductor and educator of great musical depth and artistic sensitivity. She has held conducting positions at Memorial University of Newfoundland, University of Toronto, and University of Regina. She earned her Ph.D. (conducting and music education) from the University of Minnesota and also holds degrees from Dalhousie University (M.Ed.) and Acadia University (B.Mus.Ed.). During her tenure, she founded the University of Toronto and University of Regina conducting symposiums, served as co-founding editor of the Canadian Band Association journal, Canadian Winds, and premiered many new works for wind ensemble. She advocates for the creation and performance of new music by Canadian and women composers, in particular. She recently premiered composer Sandy Moore’s song cycle, Vox Humana, at the Open Waters new music festival in Halifax and recorded the soundtrack for John Walker’s award-winning documentary film, Arctic Defenders. As an educator, Denise has served on music association boards across Canada and guest conducted provincial honour bands both nationally and internationally, reflecting a commitment to music education and the deep-seeded belief that the act of making music together creates connection and develops compassionate, critically thinking humans.