Fountain School of Performing Arts

Masterclasses and Workshops

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All events are FREE and open to the public.
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Proud to be part of Nova Scotia's vibrant arts community, the Fountain School prioritizes connecting its students with local and international guest artists. You'll learn from a wide variety of performing artists, technical theatre professionals, designers and cinema and media theorists.

Special thanks to Debut Atlantic, Cecilia Concerts, Neptune Theatre, Scotia Festival of Music, Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance (LAMP), the Prismatic Festival, and Symphony Nova Scotia for their ongoing partnerships.

Check back often to get inspired and see what our season of learning opportunities has to offer.

A Music Production Workshop with Hill Kourkoutis
March 21 \| 10:00am - 3:00pm
Joseph Strug Concert Hall \| 1385 Seymour St. Halifax NS
In collaboration with Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), and with the support of the J and W Murphy Foundation and Music Publishers Canada. Watch Dal and NSCC young artists to take their songs to the next level while working under the guidance of JUNO Award-winning producer Hill Kourkoutis. Singer-songwriters from Dalhousie's Fountain School of Performing Arts and students from the Nova Scotia Community College Musical Arts program will present their works to Producer Hill Kourkoutis, working with them as if she were pre-producing studio album versions of their songs. This full day event will be divided in two, one group presenting their work in the morning and a second group in the afternoon. The audience will have a chance to hear a songs original version, see the creative recording production process unfold, and finally, hear the transformed song at the end of each session. Hill Kourkoutis is a JUNO Award-winning producer, songwriter, composer, mixer, recording engineer, multi-instrumentalist, artist, and director. Spanning her career, Hill has contributed either as producer, mixer and/or songwriter on albums and singles for Aysanabee (Nomads #1 CBC Radio, #1 Alternative Rock Radio, Top 30 Canada Modern Rock Airplay, JUNO award-nominated and Polaris Short-List album Watin), Leela Gilday (JUNO and CFMA award-winning album North Star Calling), Digging Roots (“SKODEN” Top 30 Alternative Radio, JUNO award-winning album Zhawenim), SATE (JUNO award-nominated album The Fool, 2022 Polaris Prize nominee), Royal Wood, Cassie Dasilva (TikTok 1mm+ viral single “Unsolicited Contact”), Jules (“Before You Picked Her” #1 CBC, Top 40 Alternative Rock Radio), Meghan Patrick (Grace & Grit CCMA Nominated Album of the Year), POESY ("Strange Little Girl" Top 40 Alternative Rock Radio) and Amanda Rheaume (The Spaces In Between #1 Album on the earshot! National Folk/Roots/Blues Chart, CFMA award-winning album). As a multi-instrumentalist, Kourkoutis has had the honour of accompanying artists such as Serena Ryder, The Weekend, Martha and the Muffins and Tara Slone. For two seasons, Hill also performed as guitarist in the house band for Scott Borchetta's CTV In 2022, she became the first woman to be nominated and to win a JUNO for Recording Engineer of the Year and in 2024 she is nominated for JUNO’s Producer of the Year. Hill enjoys mentoring and teaching audio production for a variety of different music schools, organizations, universities, and music festivals. Hill also serves on the Board of Directors for The Songwriters Association of Canada and sits on the Manitoba Music Advisory Committee.

A Music Production Workshop with Hill Kourkoutis

March 21 | 10:00am - 3:00pm

Joseph Strug Concert Hall | 1385 Seymour St. Halifax NS

In collaboration with Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), and with the support of the J and W Murphy Foundation and Music Publishers Canada.

Watch Dal and NSCC young artists to take their songs to the next level while working under the guidance of JUNO Award-winning producer Hill Kourkoutis.

Singer-songwriters from Dalhousie's Fountain School of Performing Arts and students from the Nova Scotia Community College Musical Arts program will present their works to Producer Hill Kourkoutis, working with them as if she were pre-producing studio album versions of their songs.

This full day event will be divided in two, one group presenting their work in the morning and a second group in the afternoon. The audience will have a chance to hear a songs original version, see the creative recording production process unfold, and finally, hear the transformed song at the end of each session.

Hill Kourkoutis is a JUNO Award-winning producer, songwriter, composer, mixer, recording engineer, multi-instrumentalist, artist, and director.

Spanning her career, Hill has contributed either as producer, mixer and/or songwriter on albums and singles for Aysanabee (Nomads #1 CBC Radio, #1 Alternative Rock Radio, Top 30 Canada Modern Rock Airplay, JUNO award-nominated and Polaris Short-List album Watin), Leela Gilday (JUNO and CFMA award-winning album North Star Calling), Digging Roots (“SKODEN” Top 30 Alternative Radio, JUNO award-winning album Zhawenim), SATE (JUNO award-nominated album The Fool, 2022 Polaris Prize nominee), Royal Wood, Cassie Dasilva (TikTok 1mm+ viral single “Unsolicited Contact”), Jules (“Before You Picked Her” #1 CBC, Top 40 Alternative Rock Radio), Meghan Patrick (Grace & Grit CCMA Nominated Album of the Year), POESY ("Strange Little Girl" Top 40 Alternative Rock Radio) and Amanda Rheaume (The Spaces In Between #1 Album on the earshot! National Folk/Roots/Blues Chart, CFMA award-winning album).

As a multi-instrumentalist, Kourkoutis has had the honour of accompanying artists such as Serena Ryder, The Weekend, Martha and the Muffins and Tara Slone. For two seasons, Hill also performed as guitarist in the house band for Scott Borchetta's CTV

In 2022, she became the first woman to be nominated and to win a JUNO for Recording Engineer of the Year and in 2024 she is nominated for JUNO’s Producer of the Year.

Hill enjoys mentoring and teaching audio production for a variety of different music schools, organizations, universities, and music festivals. Hill also serves on the Board of Directors for The Songwriters Association of Canada and sits on the Manitoba Music Advisory Committee.

Violin and Viola Masterclass with Ara Gregorian
Thursday, March 28 \| 4:30-7:00 pm
Fountain School - Joseph Strug Concert Hall
Known for his thrilling performances and musical creativity, violinist/violist Ara Gregorian made his New York recital debut in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and his debut as soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra in Symphony Hall. Since that time, he has established himself as one of the most sought-after and versatile musicians of his generation with performances in New York’s Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center and in major metropolitan cities throughout North America, Hong Kong, China, Mongolia, Israel, and Europe. He is the founder and artistic director of the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival and has appeared at festivals worldwide including the SpringLight (Finland), Storioni (Holland), Summer Solstice (Canada), Casals (Puerto Rico), Taos, Bard, Bravo! Vail Valley, Santa Fe, Skaneateles, Music in the Vineyards, and Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, among others. He is a member of the Cooperstown Quartet, has performed extensively with Concertante and the Daedalus Quartet, and has recorded for National Public Radio, New York’s WQXR, and the Bridge and Kleos labels.

Dalhousie University

Fountain School of Performing Arts

Masterclasses and Workshops

Make a Gift!