Dr. Connor O'Kane is a highly sought-after pianist, teacher, chamber musician, and conductor. Since his concerto debut with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in 2014, he has appeared as a recitalist in the United States, France, and across Canada. A laureate of major competitions, he was awarded the Canimex Second Prize and top award for piano at the Canadian Music Competition's prestigious Stepping Stone. He has performed in a variety of concert series including Ottawa's Chamberfest, Chateau Windrush, and the KW Chamber Music Society, and has appeared as a guest artist in faculty concerts at Western University, Brock University, and The University of Waterloo.
A passionate collaborative musician with an affinity for opera, Connor has worked on over 20 opera productions in a variety of roles. In 2024 he conducted opera performances at Western University (Britten's Albert Herring), Toronto City Opera (Bizet's Carmen), and at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, where he served as music director and conductor of Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges and Debussy's Prodigal Son. In 2025 he has further opera-related engagements with the Glenn Gould School and the Banff Centre.
Connor holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from Western University, where he studied with Stéphan Sylvestre. His doctoral research focused on the piano transcriptions of Sergei Prokofiev, particularly with relation to the ballets Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella. He has been awarded the SSHRC doctoral fellowship, the Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS-M), and the Canada Council Explore and Create grant. Connor also studied with David Jalbert, Heather Taves, and Joan Walker, with additional training at the Conservatoire de Lyon in the studio of Manuel Schweizer. He is a passionate and dedicated piano teacher, and an enthusiastic adjudicator at music festivals.
Waterloo North Mennonite Church
100 Benjamin Rd.
Waterloo, ON N2V 2J9
Time | Name | Titles | Home Festival |
---|---|---|---|
Time:10:00 AM | Name:Aiden Lin | Titles: Aria in G Major by Georg Philipp Telemann Sonatina in A Minor (no. 3) by Georg Anton Benda | Home Festival:IMFC |
Time:10:10 AM | Name:Nathan Han | Titles: Minuet in E Major by Johann Philipp Kirnberger Sonatina in F Major, op. 168, no. 1, 3rd mvt. by Anton Diabelli | Home Festival:North York Live |
Time:10:20 AM | Name:Jayden Li | Titles: Sonatina in C Major, op. 20, no. 1, 1st mvt. by Friedrich Kuhlau Song of the Cavalry, op. 27, no. 29 by Dmitri Kabalevsky | Home Festival:Peel |
Time:10:30 AM | Name:Olivia Muchen Li | Titles: Sonatina in G Major, op. 19/20, no. 1, 1st mvt. by Jan Ladislav Dussek Waltz in A Minor, op. posth., B150 by Frédéric Chopin | Home Festival:Windsor-Essex |
Time:10:40 AM | Name:Ilia Mordashov | Titles: Sweet Mister Jelly Roll by Valerie Capers Sarabande in D Minor by George Frideric Handel | Home Festival:Unionville |
Time:10:50 AM | Name:Sofiya Vaghela | Titles: Sonatina in F Major, op. 36, no. 4, 1st mvt. by Muzio Clementi Fairy Tale, op. 27, no. 20 by Dmitri Kabalevsky | Home Festival:Guelph |
Time:11:00 AM | Name:Octavia Dong | Titles: Sonatina in C Major, op. 20, no. 1, 1st mvt. by Friedrich Kuhlau Fairy Tale, op. 27, no. 20 by Dmitri Kabalevsky | Home Festival:Ottawa Piano |
Time:11:10 AM | Name:Aiden Huo | Titles: Etude in F Major, op. 88, no. 18 by Hermann Berens Little Prelude in D Minor, BWV 926 by Johann Sebastian Bach | Home Festival:CCC |
Time:11:20 AM | Name:Audra Dashnay | Titles: Gentle Breeze by Joanne Bender Sonatina in G Major, op. 55 no. 2, 1st mvt. by Friedrich Kuhlau | Home Festival:London |
Time:11:30 AM | Name:Ryan Empey | Titles: As Swift as a Deer by Daniel Gottlob Turk Dance of the Tiger Cubs by Vincent Ho | Home Festival:Kingston |
Time:11:40 AM | Name:Mia Wu | Titles: Aria in G Major, TWV 33:13 by Georg Philipp Telemann Viennese Sonatina in C Major (no. 6), 4th mvt.: Finale by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Home Festival:Ottawa Kiwanis |
Time | Name | Titles | Home Festival |
---|---|---|---|
Time:1:00 PM | Name:Zoe Chan | Titles: River City Blues by Martha Mier Song of the Cavalry, op. 27, no. 29 by Dmitri Kabalevsky | Home Festival:Take the Stage |
Time:1:10 PM | Name:Chloe Li | Titles: Sonatina in A Minor (no. 3) by Georg Anton Benda Little Nocturne by Jakub Metelka | Home Festival:CCC |
Time:1:20 PM | Name:Summer Chung | Titles: Sonata in F Major, op. 168, no. 1, 3rd movement by Anton Diabelli Moto Perpetuo by Tom Gerou | Home Festival:Toronto |
Time:1:30 PM | Name:Mia She | Titles: Sonatina in C Major, op. 20, no. 1, 1st mvt. by Friedrich Kuhlau Playing Marbles (no. 5) by Octavio Pinto | Home Festival:Pickering GTA |
Time:1:40 PM | Name:Connor Lu | Titles: Sonatina in G Major, op. 19/20, no 1, 1st mvt. by Jan Ladislav Dussek Waltz in A Minor, op., posth., B 150 by Frédéric Chopin | Home Festival:Stratford |
Workshop will be held from approximately 2:00 pm to 3:15 pm.
Announcement of winners will happen at the end of the workshop.
The top two competitors from this class will proceed to the playoffs.
The playoffs will be held at Conrad Grebel University College - Chapel
140 Westmount Rd. N., Waterloo, ON N2L 3G6