Elizabeth Clarke  - Piano Performance, Accompanist, Theory Instructor 
Pianist Elizabeth Clarke is active as a performer, collaborator, and teacher. Her lessons combine
theory and practice to help students become well-rounded, capable musicians.
Elizabeth has performed numerous solo and collaborative recitals in Canada and the United
States, and in 2014 was featured as a concerto soloist with the University of Victoria orchestra.
She has also worked as an accompanist for singers and instrumentalists of all skill levels, and has
extensive experience as a church pianist, organist, and choir accompanist.
Most recently, Elizabeth held the position of Assistant Professor in Residence at Bradley
University in Peoria, IL, where she taught piano, aural skills, and music history. She has also
held teaching assistantships at the University of Victoria and Michigan State University, and has
taught private students from young children to adults.
Originally from Fort McMurray, AB, Elizabeth studied at the University of Alberta, Augustana
Campus (B.M. in piano performance), University of Victoria (M.M. in piano performance), and
Michigan State University (DMA in piano performance and M.M. in music theory). After many
years away, she is excited to return to Alberta and join Calgary’s thriving music community.


Teresa Serafini
- piano performance, accompanying, and chamber
Calgary-born pianist Teresa Serafini is the second-youngest in a musical family of seven children.
Being surrounded by music from infancy, she had a natural affinity for it when she started taking piano
lessons at age four. From 2005-2016, Teresa studied piano with Marianne Bleile, before starting lessons
with Marilyn Engle in 2016, whom she continues to study with. Teresa also studied at the Mount Royal
 University Conservatory’s Academy of Music for Gifted Youth from 2010-2015. During her time at the
academy, she played for many guest artists, including Catherine Ordronneau, Jean-Paul Sevilla, Gabriela
Montero, Helmut Brauss, Jin Zhang, and Dmitry Nesterov. In 2020, Teresa also participated in the
Coimbra World Piano Meeting in Portugal, where she received lessons from several world-class
musicians from Europe and Asia.
During her years at the academy, Teresa began to discover her enjoyment of collaborative
music, playing in chamber groups and with vocalists. Between November 2014 and February 2016, she
volunteered as an accompanist for the St. Peter’s Players’ productions of Steven Sondheim’s musical,
Into the Woods, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz. She also provided live accompaniment
for ballet classes at Ballet School Lakeview in 2015-2017, and has played at Fun ‘N’ Dance, another
Calgary ballet studio, since 2018. From September 2018 to June 2019, Teresa was a piano accompanist
for the Calgary Music Academy Outreach Program, playing with the students in regular masterclasses
and monthly public performances. She has also taught piano and accompanied at the Calgary Music
Academy Centre’s Summer Music Camp in 2019, 2021, and 2022.
Teresa is currently in her fourth year at the University of Calgary, completing a Bachelors Degree
in Piano Performance, after which she intends to pursue a Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano.
Having competed regularly in music competitions growing up, she has received numerous awards and
scholarships from the Mount Royal University Conservatory, the University of Calgary, the
Contemporary Showcase, and the Calgary Performing Arts Festival. Teresa has also performed as a four-
time national finalist in the Canadian Music Competition. Over the years, she has gained a wide range of
experience in solo performance, chamber music, accompaniment (strings, woodwinds, vocal, musical
theatre, ballet), background music, and teaching.
In her free time, Teresa enjoys many hobbies including painting with her mother, cooking,
birdwatching, playing bridge and chess, and searching for obscure classical composers with her oldest
brother. She is also passionate about sharing music with others and enjoys making music with family and friends during the holidays.


Christine Williams 
- Cello Performance, Buskin POPS, Theory and Chamber Music Instructor
Christine’s professional career began 25 years ago after graduating from University of Victoria
under the direction of Pam Highbaugh Aloni, cellist of the Layfayette String Quartet . Following
the completion of her degree in cello performance, she made her way back to Calgary where in
addition to her love of performing she discovered a passion for teaching. It was at this time she
began to pursue, develop, and refine her pedagogical skills while performing as a soloist and as
a member of duets, trios at various events and weddings with her group Cadence.
Christine is a committed and passionate teacher who engages in continuing education to refine
and expand her pedagogical skills. In the early years of her teaching career she received
teacher training from the Suzuki Associations of America program and travelled to Utah and
California to study with Suzuki trainers for a number of years. She attended pedagogy classes
at Rick Mooney’s National Cello Institute (author of the distinguished Position Pieces Series)
where she also had the pleasure studying under Carey Cheney (author of Solos for Young
Cellists Series) as well as the opportunity to observe and study under Phyllis Young (author of
Playing the String Game) a pioneer in string pedagogy. Phyllis Young’s advice was invaluable
to Christine and continues to inspire her teaching to this day.
After teaching for a few years in Calgary, Christine founded the Lydian Studio of Music in 2002
and in 2018 because of increasing demand for her cello teaching program, she began
developing an online platform which launched in 2021. The platform includes a blog and an
online cello academy.  "The Cello Girl," blog has articles outlining techniques and song tutorials
for cello and “ I LUV Cello ” is a site that provides online cello lessons with Christine as your
instructor.
Thrilled to join the Calgary Music Academy in 2022, Christine is a passionate, experienced
teacher and performer and works to continually foster her students musical capabilities and their love of music.


Mari Coetzee, Cello, Baroque Cello, Music Theory, Chamber Music - MMUS Cello Performance

Cellist Mari Coetzee received her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music degrees from The Juilliard
School in New York City, studying with Richard Aaron. During her time there she also studied
Baroque Cello with Phoebe Carrai in Juilliard’s Historical Performance department, received
music pedagogy training under conductor Virginia Allen, and took an Honors Music Theory
track, taking part in doctoral level theory courses and seminars.
A frequent recitalist and chamber musician, Mari has performed across the USA, Canada,
France, Switzerland, and South Africa at some of the top music venues including Carnegie Hall,
as soloist with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra Symphonique de Quebec,
and at music festivals such as Aspen, Tanglewood, Fontainebleau, and Lucerne.
Mari has been teaching and mentoring young cello players for the past 12 years. She maintains
an active online studio, working with students of all ages and levels across the world, and is
excited to join CMAC to work with in-person students in Calgary. As a teacher, Mari’s goal is to
help her students become proficient musicians, with a solid technical background that gives them
the freedom to express themselves musically. Through this process, they can learn new repertoire
efficiently and effectively through practice strategies that are explored in every lesson.
Ultimately, her hope is that the problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity that they will
develop through lessons will have a direct impact on all their fields of interest, even beyond
music.
Mari currently makes her home in Calgary with her husband, their 2-year old daughter and dog
Teddy. To learn more, visit www.maricoetzee.com