Save Our Conservatory

This carnage is destroying all credibility that Mount Royal has as an institution. One has to ask, "to what purpose?"

The sad words "systematic demolition", "bewildering loss", "terrible decisions of a few people" and "unappreciated" unfortunately apply to more than just the Conservatory. The loss is indeed great, and the damage to MRU enormous; the institution is crumbling under short-sighted, narrow-minded and just plain bad decision making. Board of Governors, you need to open your eyes and ACT!

Ever since the new Taylor building was built, it has been downhill for the Conservatory. Spending more for buildings, rather than for instructors, is a sure way to ruin a musical training institution. There is no Conservatory without great teachers. It looks like too many of the good teachers are either jumping ship or being fired, because they are not valued and appreciated. The Conservatory needs to get its priorities straight before it is too late, and the Conservatory becomes a dead institution with a pretty concert hall, rather than an exciting and joyful learning situation between teacher and student. This kind of dysfunction is what happens when non-musicians run a music Conservatory. Hope it is not too late to save it. Hire a musician to run the Conservatory please.

I had the privilege of being trained as a cellist by John Kadz. His pedagogical skills are unquestioned, his students have gone on to be professionals and members of first-rate orchestras. Many of his non-professional students (including me) have been able to continue to develop well into adulthood because of the solid foundation he gave us. He was a personable teacher who cared for his students. Bill van der Sloot is a contemporary, an excellent teacher and performer and all around decent person. I don't understand the rationale for the dismissal of these two highly qualified and dedicated individuals.

Feckless indeed. I have been with the CPO since 1979. These gentlemen are gems! What are you doing?

Unbelievable!

Words fail me at this time as I try to get my head around what seems to be a very transparent personal agenda issue! The wrong people are being tarnished!

I sincerely hope the recent dismissals can be reversed and the Conservatory's reputation, salvaged.

I was a private student of the conservatory, a member of the youth orchestra, and most recently employed as a clinician. The management has been doing a great job for years...you can't dismiss them without good cause.

My son graduates high school this year and this was a place he was considering to go to to study music, but sadly I think we will pass on that now.

Friend of a Mount Royal University graduate who is one of the best cellists I know.

I support the students, alumni, donors and parents of MRU.

These two men as are some of the greatest teachers that have ever been, and have raised a generation of prolific performers and successful musicians in Calgary. Losing them is a major blow to the academy program!!

I would like to see the conservatory I spend my year singing with stay in beautiful shape, not slowly devolve into a money grab

The dismissal of Bill van der Sloot and John Kadz from their respective positions at the Mount Royal University Conservatory is nothing short of ludicrous. As an alumnus of the Academy Program I can personally speak to the enormous impact that these two men make on their students. Mr. van der Sloot was my private violin instructor for three years and John Kadz was my instructor in Chamber Music for two years. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I would not be where I am today without the wisdom and guidance of these two men and the Academy Program. They are world-renowned teachers and program coordinators and this is evidenced by the countless international students who have come to Calgary for the express purpose of studying under them. People like Bill and John are the reason that the music programming at the Mount Royal Conservatory is as good as it is. Unfortunately, the MRU administrators do not seem to understand this. They are far more concerned with what degrees their instructors have and how they can save a few shekels. Thus they are decimating their music program by casting aside the people who have toiled for years to build something special. I was downright appalled to hear of this grievous mistake by Mount Royal University and Dean Charles Webber. I will happily affix my name to this petition in support of Bill van der Sloot and John Kadz overturning their blatantly wrongful termination. - Gabriel Kastelic, String Academy Director at the Medicine Hat College Conservatory of Music

Please do not destroy this wonderful program!

Teams are very hard to build but easily wiped out, please rethink this action.

I support this!

I`m appalled at the apparent lack of value placed on the the social and every other kind of capital these individuals have brought the music program at MRU. WOW this is stunning and short sighted decision.

As a prospective student considering ATD, I won't be auditioning this spring if John Kadz and Bill Vandersloot are back.