Canta Arya School for Strings is a Registered Charity located in Kingston, Ontario. Founded in 2002 by
Denise Williams and Karen-Michele Kimmett and based on the Suzuki teaching method, the bilingual
school today has over sixty violin students from four to sixteen years of age with three teachers
offering lessons from the beginner to advanced level. Throughout the year, students have the opportuni
ty to perform in solo recitals, gala group concerts,
master classes, workshops and retirement home recitals. The school’s acclaimed senior ensemble, Canta Arya Strings, has performed extensively throughout
Ontario including performances in Ottawa, at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, for her Imperial Highness,
the Princess Magaba of Japan, at the Westben Festival and the Kiwanis Festival. They are regular
participants and award winners in the Kiwanis and Provincial Music Festivals. Performing an eclectic
mix from Celtic to classical, the group participates annually in the Symphony House Tour. This past
season has included an Ottawa concert and master classes with Witold Swoboda and Annette-
Barbara Vogel. Canta Arya’s outreach extends beyond Kingston with students regularly participating in summer
camps and workshops across the province including an exchange with SSSG in April 2014. For the past fourteen years, Canta Arya's Outreach program has donated violins, music, CDs
and support for teacher training in the townshiips of South Africa, enabling a generation of orphans to
benefit from the discipline and joy of having music in their lives. Through the 'Hope Through Music'
project, hundreds of children have benefited from Canta Arya's ongoing support with several students
going on to study music in a university setting.
