Commitment to Teaching

 Johanne holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Western Ontario, where she studied voice, organ, and composition. Her musical training began in early childhood under the guidance of her mother, Kirsten Moller, a professional concert pianist and organist from Denmark. Her mother was taught by Johanne’s great aunt, Ellen Gilberg, a performer and pedagogue at the Copenhagen Conservatory who studied extensively with the renowned teacher Isidor Philipp. Through this lineage, Johanne’s pedagogical heritage is connected to the tradition of Frédéric Chopin. Johanne’s mother also studied with Georg Vásárhelyi, one of the few students of Béla Bartók.

This background reflects a deep and multi-generational tradition of performance and pedagogy, shaping Johanne’s own musical development. It fostered in her a strong sense of musicality, intuitive understanding, and sensitivity to expression, which continues to inform her approach to music-making and teaching. Her studies expanded to include piano, voice, pipe organ, performance, music history, and composition.

 

Johanne maintains an active teaching and performing career. She teaches from her home studio and at the Bowmanville Long & McQuade studio, and is a certified piano instructor with the Royal Conservatory of Music. She also serves as a choral instructor with SONG (Sounds of the Next Generation), where she leads two children’s choirs in this Northumberland-based non-profit program providing free music education to youth. In addition, she holds the position of Vice President of the Whitby branch of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association.

 

As a performer, Johanne works as a freelance collaborative artist, accompanying voice students and local musicians. She also appears as a soloist in both piano and voice and has been an active chorister for many years.

 

Committed to ongoing professional growth, Johanne was nominated for and completed the TATI (Teacher’s Artist Training Institute), a program focused on helping music educators adapt their teaching to diverse learning needs. Her teaching philosophy reflects both her training and her pedagogical lineage: she works with clear long-term goals while remaining responsive in the moment to each student’s needs. Lessons are adapted in real time to support technical growth, confidence, and musical understanding. She creates structured long-term plans tailored to individual goals while maintaining flexibility in approach. Through collaboration with local musicians and educators, she also provides meaningful performance opportunities for her students. While rooted in classical training, she is committed to helping students explore the musical styles and goals that inspire them most.