About Us

Jeffrey McFadden, Artistic Director

Jeffrey McFadden has performed throughout Canada, the United States and Europe and at many international festivals. In 1992, he was awarded Silver in the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America Competition. His debut recording for Naxos was the first in their Laureate Series, selling tens of thousands of copies; his eight subsequent CDs feature works of Fernando Sor, Napoléon Coste, Agustin Barrios, J.S. Bach among others.

Jeffrey McFadden is the first ever graduate of the Doctor of Musical Arts programme at the University of Toronto (2010). His dissertation formed the basis of his ground-breaking book, Fretboard Harmony: Common-Practice Harmony on the Guitar, published by Les Productions d’Oz. McFadden is the founder and artistic director of Sauble Beach Guitar Festival, and Associate Dean, Performance and Public Events and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto.
artisticdirector@guitarsocietyoftoronto.com

Heather Morand Clark, President

Heather Morand Clark is a graduate of Queen’s University, and has a professional background in banking with TD Canada Trust.  She has Board experience with the Sauble Beach Guitar Festival, Caledon Concert Band, and Caledon Arts and Crafts for Youth (CACY).  She is a past Treasurer of Home and School Associations at two schools in Caledon.

Heather has studied the classical guitar since the age of 13, and has participated in master classes with, among others, John Mills, Marcin Dylla, Maximo Pujol, and Gerald Garcia.  She has attended numerous guitar festivals in Canada, the US and the UK, and her articles on international festivals have been published by Classical Guitar Magazine (UK), Soundboard (USA), and online at www.thisisclassicalguitar.com.

Heather performs and teaches classical guitar in the Caledon area.  She has held the position of President of the Guitar Society of Toronto since June 2015.
hmorandclark@guitarsocietyoftoronto.com

Jack Silver,
Vice-President

A member of the executive of the Guitar Society for over 25 years, Jack Silver has had a passion for the classical guitar for half a century, ever since he first heard Eli Kassner playing on the recordings of the folk duo Malka and Joso. His love for the instrument led to studies with Alexandre Lagoya in Quebec, John Williams in Spain, and Ben Verdery in New York. Winner of a Premier Prix d’Interpretation from the Conservatoire National de Region de Nice, where he studied under the duo Ako Ito and Henri Dorigny, he performed professionally for many years, including a tour of Serbia with his friend Uros Dojcinovic. Director of DOREMI’s landmark series of restorations of historically priceless classical guitar recordings, he recently co-authored Eli Kassner’s autobiography and is currently working with Miguel Coelho on a biography and box set of recordings of the great Brazilian singer-guitarist Olga Praguer Coelho.
jsilver@guitarsocietyoftoronto.com

Carson Allard,
Treasurer

Carson Allard is an amateur guitarist and member of the Society’s guitar orchestra. He began exploring the world of guitar music almost 50 years ago by methodically working his way through Classic Guitar Technique by Aaron Shearer. Although drawn to other music genres, Carson always finds himself returning to his classical guitar roots.

Carson has not been able to pursue formal studies in guitar so he has relied on many opportunities to learn from other musicians in ensemble settings.  The Guitar Society of Toronto’s Guitar Orchestra is one such setting that has contributed significantly to this learning and musical enjoyment. He encourages other guitarists to consider joining.
callard@guitarsocietyoftoronto.com

Adrian Mann,
Secretary

Adrian Mann retired in 2012 from a 30-year career with the Ontario Public Service.  During her time with the OPS, she held a variety of senior executive positions, including Director of Communications for the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Adrian has served on the board of the Guitar Society of Toronto since 2015. She is also on the board of the Sauble Beach Guitar Festival and is an active volunteer with Craft Ontario.   She is a keen amateur classical guitarist and has attended numerous guitar festivals over the years.
amann@guitarsocietyoftoronto.com