Music Studio
Bios
Rachel
Perkyns,
Soprano
Rachel completed her BMus in voice at Dalhousie University in Halifax. She is also one of the original graduates of the Canadian College of Performing Arts in Victoria and completed her apprenticeship with the Chemainus Theatre Festival. Rachel has performed on each coast, in the US, and Europe as a classical soloist, chorister, and in musicals.
Some of Rachel’s favourite performances include soprano soloist for Handel’s Messiah, Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Eva person in Evita, and Woman One in Songs For a New World.
Rachel is producer and partner of the duo, Sounds Like Treble! with her husband, Dwight Siemens. Together they have performed on each coast, including for the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia.
Known for their versatility and humour, Rachel and Dwight perform music from the sacred, classical, musical theatre, and party piece repertoire. Rachel and Dwight are co-founders of the Chemainus Classical Concert Series (St Michael’s Presents) which features both established and up and coming professional musicians.
Over the years, Rachel has taught in several locations including from her Sounds Like Treble home studio, Shawnigan Lake School, St. Michael and All Angels Church, Adage Dance Studio and is currently contracted at Queen Margaret’s School.
Rachel and Dwight have two children, Theodore and Evangeline. When not doing the most wonderful and challenging job of parenting, Rachel helps students prepare for all kinds of goals, from simply having more confidence, to landing roles, or being accepted into programs. Rachel updates her skills by working with master musicians, and has completed an Applied Vocal Pedagogy course with Dr. Marvin Regier. Rachel is a member of the Cowican Valley Music Teacher Association.
Dwight
Siemens,
Piano
Music has been a life-long love for Dwight, who began exploring the piano at age four. He now has the equivalent of a Masters of Music degree in piano performance, having studied at the University of Lethbridge, The Mennonite University in Winnipeg, and the Banff Centre School of Fine Arts. He has worked with some of the finest pianists and performers in the world, including Betty Suderman, Irmgard Baerg, Glenn Montgomery, Mareck Jablonsky, Jean-Paul Sevilla (the teacher of Angela Hewitt) and Rosalyn Tureck. Through his teachers, Dwight can trace his musical education back to Chopin, Beethoven, and Bach!
Dwight has over twenty-five years experience as a pianist, performing numerous concerts in Western Canada, accompanying singers, string players and flautists and being a soloist as well. He has also been a resident pianist for several hotels and is currently a resident pianist at Chemainus Theatre Festival. He has composed in the neighbourhood of two hundred original compositions. These include, works for piano, a string quartet, a work for orchestra, an organ prelude, works for string instruments and piano, and many vocal works, including the music for musicals which have been performed at Chemainus Theatre Festival. He has also been rehearsal pianist and performing pianist for the Cowichan Consort Choir and Orchestra in Duncan.
Dwight has over twenty five years experience as a piano teacher and has taught piano at Chemainus Theatre Festival, Daves’ Keyboards in Victoria, Tom Lee Music in Victoria, in his own studio in Duncan, and at Queen Margaret’s School in Duncan.
In 1999 Dwight had the great joy of meeting Rachel Perkyns, who was hired as an acting apprentice at Chemainus Theatre Festival, where they did many performances together, and fell in love and got married…They formed the duo “Sounds Like Treble”, and also founded the recital series St. Michaels’ Presents, which now is Chemainus Classical Concerts. They have since had two children, Theodore and Evangeline, are wonderful children studying music, and a complete adventure to be with!