Gillian Hunter Gibbs, host and performer

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An Alphabet of Songs

Gillian Hunter-Gibbs brings her love of classical music, teaching and fun to the VSO’s Little Kids Concerts. A Vancouver native, Gillian studied voice and violin at UBC before moving to the UK where she completed a master’s degree in Music Education at Cambridge University. Following her studies, Gillian worked in arts administration and education in the UK for 12 years, most recently running the renowned education program for City of London Sinfonia, before returning to her hometown of Vancouver to take up a position at the VSO School of Music in 2017. The flagship programs she spearheaded at City of London Sinfonia focused on the areas of Early Childhood Music Education, developing a series of workshops and concerts for ages 0-5 which toured the UK, as well as health and wellness, bringing musicians into hospitals, care homes and hospices in London and beyond.

Gillian is an experienced Early Childhood Music Educator, having taught music classes to hundreds of children from newborns to age 6, as well as private violin teaching to young children. She believes in a child centered approach to learning, encompassing the best of respected music education methodologies including Kodaly, Suzuki, Orff, Dalcroze and Colourstrings, preparing even the youngest students for a lifelong love of music, something she has brought to the VSO School of Music’s Early Years program.

Gillian currently serves as Director of the VSO School of Music, a role which allows her to be involved in every aspect of the School, from babies to seniors, classical to jazz and world music. Gillian believes passionately in music education in its broadest sense – it’s never too early or too late! In addition to her work and musical pursuits, Gillian is mom to two young children, 6-year-old Ellie and 3-year-old Myles, both budding young music lovers!