Leadership

Education and Band Leadership

Dan holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Performance graduate of York University in Toronto, Ontario. He also holds a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University and has studied at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. He is bringing back 30+ years of professional teaching, conducting, leadership experience and institutional knowledge to NHB Toronto.

As Musical Director/Conductor, Dan has been involved in countless musical performances in both school and community settings. He has conducted/taught in Canada, Turkey, the USA, and Latin America. Dan has also conducted at a number of New Horizons Band Camps including New York, Maine, Quebec, and Michigan.

In 2010, after retiring from teaching classroom music for 27 years, Dan founded the New Horizons Band of Toronto program with the assistance of some very dedicated member volunteers and his ever-supportive wife, Lisa. From 2010-2018 he was NHBT’s Executive Director and oversaw its growth from one band of 17 members to 10 band classes with 250+ members. During those 8 years, Dan had directed/taught classes at every level, beginner to advanced. In 2017, he wanted to ensure that NHBT would continue to thrive after his departure, thus leading the way to having NHBT incorporated as a not-for-profit group and establishing its first Board of Directors.

Dan is very excited to be returning to NHBT as the Director of Music and as a teacher. It is going to be an exciting year in so many ways and Dan can not wait to be a part of it, again!

Sean King completed his Master of Music in composition with Norbert Palej at the University of Toronto and has studied with Alexander Rapoport, and John Burge. Works of his have been performed by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Canadian Men’s Chorus, the Timothy Eaton Memorial Church Children’s Choir. and many more throughout Canada. He has been commissioned by Cellophone, the Tandem Duo, Bryan Holt, and the Children‘s Chorus of Cantabile Choirs in Kingston, Ontario. Other major works have included a string quartet based on The Sound and the Fury (by William Faulkner), a Little Divertimento for violin and cello, and a piece for orchestra entitled Demon Dance (which won runner up in the Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra young composer’s competition), inspired by a quote from Dante’s Inferno.

He has composed music for several short films, including documentary and art film, and scored a commercial for a local political candidate in Toronto for the NDP of Canada. As a conductor and band director, he has led the Swansea Community Concert Band in Toronto since 2015. During his time in university, he studied conducting with celebrated band conductor and educator, Jeffrey Reynolds.

He is also active as an arranger, multi-instrumentalist, music educator, voice actor, narrator, and works in the music industry in sales and marketing. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and watching speed runs of old video games with his cat, Gustav Meowler

Marianne recently retired as a classroom teacher from the York Region District School Board. She holds an Honours Music Degree from Western University and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. Throughout her career, Marianne has pursued a passion for conducting and studied with Professor Dale J. Lonis at the University of Manitoba, Professor Denise Grant at the University of Toronto, and Professor Mark Hopkins at Acadia University. She also actively participated at various conducting symposiums offered by the Ontario Music Educators Association, Ontario Band Association and Ontario Vocal Association.

During her 32 years as a professional educator she had the opportunity to teach all grade levels, kindergarten to grade 12; and has taught band, vocal, guitar, recorder and piano. Marianne has produced many school musicals under the title of musical director. She enjoys teaching students of all ages. 

During her last 12 years, Marianne held the position of Head of Music at Thornhill Secondary School. Her bands and choirs have performed all over Canada. In her spare time, Marianne enjoys running marathons, reading, and volunteering at the Toronto Zoo.

Marianne continues to use her musical and education, experience and knowledge to encourage adults in their pursuit of making music. She is thrilled to be a part of the NHB Toronto team.

Patricia has performed throughout North America with artists that include Michael Burgess, Patty Page and Regis Philbin.  She is a longtime member of the JUNO Award® winning Neufeld-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra, and has contributed to the pit orchestra of the Shaw Festival Theatre through several productions. 

Her compositions and arrangements have been performed by big bands, concert bands, choirs and soloists.  Her debut album, “The Absolute Faith Orchestra”, was called “an astonishing recording” by the Toronto Star music critic, Geoff Chapman. 

Patricia holds a B.F.A. (Honours), M.A. and a PhD in music and teaches at Centennial College and Ryerson University. We are most fortunate to have Patricia as our “jazz” teacher. 

Cathy brings 32 years of teaching with the Toronto District School Board, 28 of which were at Don Mills Collegiate, where she led the award-winning Concert and Jazz Bands, and was co-founder of Canada’s first high school Show Choir “Northern Lights”. Her school bands and choirs have performed in festivals and competitions both nationally and internationally, including Halifax, Vancouver, New York City, New Orleans and Havana, Cuba.

She holds Bachelor of Music (education & performance) and Bachelor of Education (Instrumental Music & Dramatic Arts) degrees from Queen’s University.

Currently the Music Director for the Yorkminstrels Show Choir, Cathy keeps busy in the summer directing a variety of ensembles at Presbyterian Music Camp.  A flute and piccolo specialist, she plays with the Columbus Concert Band, the Encore Band, the Enchanted Flutes, and in the pit orchestra with St. Anne’s Music and Drama Society.

In her spare time, Cathy loves to travel and has been to over 40 countries.

Garry holds Honours music degrees in Trumpet Performance, Academics and Teaching from the Birmingham Conservatoire of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, England. He immigrated to Canada in 1997 at which point he became a member of the Stratford Festival Orchestra. Garry is active as a freelance performer, teacher, adjudicator, clinician, university lecturer, and examiner

Garry has performed as soloist at Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts, Roy Thomson Hall, and Massey Hall, River Run Centre, Guelph and in the U.K., at Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, Kensington Palace, and Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

Garry is the founder and Principal Trumpet of the award-winning Brass Pages Quintet and trumpet and organ duo Page Two. Artistic Director and Principal Trumpet of Kingsway Brass. Academy, Juno nominated and winning recordings include numerous soundtracks for the motion picture and video game industries, EMI, Decca, Hyperion, CBC, Sony, and Naxos classical discs, pop, jazz-fusion, Latin and blues for Blue Note and Verve. He has broadcast for national and local radio stations in the U.K., Europe, Asia, U.S. and Canada with appearances on BBC, Central, Global, CBS, PBS, ABC and CBC television networks as well as BBC and CBC radio.

Garry is an award-winning music educator who has had articles on music published by the Royal Conservatory of Music, Conservatory Canada, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and has written music critiques for local and national newspapers. 

For eight years, Garry was tutor of brass at Kingsway College School, Etobicoke and was Director of the KCS Kool Cats Jazz Ensemble. He has served as interim Head of Music for Greenwood College School, Toronto. Garry has twice conducted the Conference of Independent Schools Music Festival All-Star Jazz Band at Roy Thomson Hall and is enjoying his tenth year association with St. Andrew’s College, Aurora, currently serving as itinerant music faculty member and Director of Bands. In 2016, Garry received an Education Community Service Award for twenty years as the Royal Conservatory of Music Centre Representative for Stratford, Ontario.

NHBT Corporate Governance and Administration

The New Horizons Band of Toronto is a not-for-profit organization and a registered charity. Our bylaws provide for a Board of Directors comprising 12 members. Directors are elected on a rotating basis and serve for two years. Six new members join the Board each spring to replace those stepping down. The Board meets regularly once a month, with the president chairing the meetings. Each director has an area of responsibility.

Board Members

    • Chair – Tim Lee
    • President – Randy Kligerman         
    • Vice-President – Dave Barnes                        
    • Treasurer – Lori Brendel                            
    • Secretary –  Felicity Hawthorn
    • Director (Membership) – Brian Tulloch
    • Director (Publicity/Outreach) – Wilma Cayonne
    • Director at Large – Donna Schwantes
    • Director at Large – Sheilagh Hagen

Founder & Head of Music Programs (non-board, advisory) – Dan Kapp 

Music Librarian (former Board member and continuing volunteer!) – Alan Abramson

Treasurer Emeritus – Hal Palter

New Horizons Band of Toronto – By Laws  

Online Class Schedule