PETITION FOR THE REINSTATEMENT OF JOHN KADZ

John Kadz is the most influential cello teacher that Canada has ever known. His students are in major orchestras all across North America and Europe. It is well known in our community that Mr. Kadz cranks out incredible players without fail. I can't imagine a bigger loss for young cellists in this country. He is why I am a cellist today, and I credit him as the most significant reason that I make a living playing the cello. He is more than a teacher. He loves his students as if they were his own children. He welcomes them into his home, breaks bread with them, and guides them not only as cellists, but as human beings. So many of North America's very best Conservatories actively recruit his students, because they are HIS students. Not inviting him back is going to hurt the reputation and recruitment abilities of MRU. I can tell you very honestly that the ONLY reason I went to that school was to study with Mr. Kadz. It's been inspiring to read what people are saying here. There is so much love for this man. Notice the lack of ANY support for your decision? Open yourself up, listen to what we are saying, and do the right thing. Alastair Eng Associate Principal Cello The Canadian Opera Company

The lack of respect and regard for these venerable leaders in their field us shameful. Please do the right thing and reinstate both.

You are kidding me, that's not professional.

Triste is notre acceptable!!!!

Losing John Kadz would be a huge blow to the MRU, and a huge mistake on the part of the administration. He is one of the finest teachers in North America and a huge reason that the Conservatory has an international reach. I hope that this decision is reversed immediately. Jonathan Crow Concertmaster, Toronto Symphony Orchestra Associate Professor of Violin, UofT

I wouldn't be the person I am today without Mr. Kadz. I use his techniques to teach my own kids now.

I started taking lessons with John Kadz when I was 10 and eventually both of my younger stisters started studying with him as well. From the beginning it was clear that Mr. Kadz is not only one of the world's finest cello teachers and musicians with a deep knowledge of the cello technique, but is also one of the kindest, most caring human beings. He believes in his students and challenges them to become the best musician they can be by helping them form their own distinct musical voice through the medium of the cello. This legacy of Mr. Kadz can be seen in the hundreds of cellists he has influenced over the past two generations. The loss of Mr. Kadz to the Mount Royal University Conservatory would be detrimental to the success and reputation of its programs as well as to its current and future students.

I am a proud member of the cello section of The Cleveland Orchestra. John Kadz was my first, and until I went away to university, only cello teacher. He is the most extraordinary pedagogue I have ever had the privilege to work with. To say that he shaped my entire life and career would be a shocking understatement. He had an outsize hand at making me not just the player, but the person I am today. He was a second father and mentor to me not just as I was growing up under his tutelage but throughout the years since. I can say that in my now lengthy experience as a professional cellist and teacher at a major U.S. music conservatory, he is among the most outspend cello teachers of his generation in the world. Because he says it better than I could, I copy the words of Edmond Agopian here: His work at Mount Royal has had a profound effect in many areas, and across many disciplines. The caliber of ensembles such as the Calgary Youth Orchestra and all other Mount Royal orchestras, the choral programs, which he managed for many years, and all other instrumental and academic music programs, have benefited immeasurably from his leadership, creative vision and teaching. His crucial role in establishing the Academy Program through an endowment from the Kahanoff Foundation was a brilliant project that set the conservatory on its path to national and international recognition. Consequentially, youth from Calgary and southern Alberta have had the same opportunities for advancement and musical education as the youth in major metropolitan and cultural centers across the world. Without Mr. john Kadz, the conservatory of music at Mount Royal University would not exist in any way as the elite institution it is today. To treat this giant in his field in this way is unthinkable. I cannot stress strongly enough what a terrible, uninformed, and short sighted this decision is. It simply cannot be accepted. Martha Baldwin cellist, The Cleveland Orchestra Cleveland Institute

John has clearly built a cultural legacy for the citizens of Calgary, Alberta and Canada. It would be a huge loss to not implement a proper succession plan that builds on his long term commitment to our community. As a parent of children who benefited from the MRU Conservatory music programs and as a community member who appreciates the arts, John needs to be reinstated and deeply involved in a transition that will continue and build upon the Conservatory programs at MRU.

John has been instrumental in our children's development as musicians and our family’s appreciation of the art's. To loose John's focus at the Mount Royal University’s Music Program, would be moving the University BACK to dark ages as a MERE Technical Institute. If Mount Royal is true to its stated mandate (see link below) of; "Mount Royal supports scholarly activity that contributes to instructional excellence and to the cultural, social and economic well-being of the community locally, provincially, nationally and internationally". Other than Bill Van der Sloot and John Kadz I am not aware of anyone at Mount Royal who have contributed more to the instructional excellence and to the cultural, and social well-being of the community locally, provincially, nationally and internationally. My suggestion is to reinstate John Kadz, implement a succession plan, that will build on his legacy, and ensure Mount Royal's stated Mandate as social and cultural leader is fulfilled in an enduring manner. https://www.mtroyal.ca/AboutMountRoyal/OfficesGovernance/BoardofGovernors/InstitutionalVisionMissionMandate/index.htm

John Kadz is an internationally renowned cello instructor, and is considered nationally as one of the very top cello teachers, if not the topmost. His distinguished national and international career as a teacher has put Mount Royal Conservatory and the city of Calgary on the map as one of the leading places to study cello. Students have come from Asia, Europe, the US and from across Canada to study cello with John Kadz. John’s cello class has always been of the highest caliber, nationally and internationally. One would be hard-pressed to find a teacher who over the last forty years or so has produced such a large number of national and international competition winners, top professional musicians in major orchestras, and instructors at major postsecondary music institutions. His cello class has always attracted the attention and recruitment efforts of top postsecondary music schools, including McGill, Toronto Royal Conservatory, New England Conservatory (Boston), Curtis Institute (Philadelphia), The Juilliard School (New York) and so on. As one of longest serving faculty members at Mount Royal College / University, he has dedicated his life to the institution. From the time he first started teaching at the Conservatory, which was almost half a century ago, he has been a pillar of that institution, a visionary, and, in my estimation, its greatest pedagogue. As a teacher and administrator his career has been stellar in every respect. Through arduous and inspired work he established the top pre-college program in the country and in so doing, his accomplishments at Mount Royal have served as a model for teachers and institutions alike, across Canada and internationally. His work at Mount Royal has had a profound effect in many areas, and across many disciplines. The caliber of ensembles such as the Calgary Youth Orchestra and all other Mount Royal orchestras, the choral programs, which he managed for many years, and all other instrumental and academic mus

Very short sighted.

I heard he is a very good at teaching and talented. He encourages his students to excel.

He is an excellent mentor.

Mr katz is one of the best teacher in Canada! His reputation is doing the reputation of the cello studio!!!!!!

I participated in the Academy program for six years and was involved in the conservatory since I was very young. These programs were formative in inspiring in me a lifelong love of music. They exposed me to world-class musicians and teachers, of whom John Kadz is undoubtedly one. Mr. Kadz is a figurehead of these and many other music programs for young people; he is, in a word, irreplaceable. Please preserve the legacy and international reputation of the Academy program by reinstating John Kadz.

I am the Music Director of the Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra, and am a representative of Steinway and Sons. I've always held that people are what make an institution great. Mr. Kadz is one of those rare individuals who put MRU on the world map. Not renewing his contract is akin to Steinway distancing themselves from Horowitz or Rubinstein. A suicide move. While I'm not privy to the circumstances here, it seems that things aren't adding up at MRU Conservatory lately. Top employees are resigning, whisperings amongst current employees are getting louder, and now this? If this is indeed true, what was worked at for so long to build, is being destroyed singlehandedly by a governance board with little to no experience in the arts or education. Surely something can be done to rectify this travesty. Those responsible need to consider resignation, as it is clear that they only have financial interests at heart, and not the educational mandate of the institution. Finally, considering what seems a lack of artistic balance in the decision making process, I would hope that these circumstances, unfortunate as they are, will force senior administration to examine the makeup of then board and the power extended to them in artistic and educational matters. Losing Mr. Kadz will be a major loss to the Conservatory, and to the level of cello playing in Calgary and throughout the country. The way this has been announced and handled is also a serious black mark on the communications and PR departments. I trust wise heads will intervene and prevail.

John Kadz is in my opinion one of the premier cello teachers in North America . His dedication and ability to teach young people is admired by the larger musical community . It is difficult to understand how his value would not be fully recognized. Sincerely, Ian Swensen Isaac Stern chair in violin San Francisco conservatory of music

This is very sad.

I was in shock when I heard the news that Mr. Kadz was not offered the contract for the new school year. I went to academy from 2001-2003 and I am a tenured member of the first violin section of the New York Philharmonic. Mr. Kadz is a wonderful mentor and an amazing human being. His dedication to arts and to the students are invaluable to the music community in Calgary and in the world. His students are among the best musicians in the world. I strongly support the petition that the school renews Mr. Kadz's contract immediately. Thank you. Sincerely, Shanshan Yao