Meet the Executive
Ms. Thuy Vi Bach joined ORMTA in October 2008 and has been a treasurer for ORMTA Etobicoke-
Mississauga branch since September 2013. She has a thriving Etobicoke studio Bach to Music Studio where she provides online and in-person lessons to 67 students (ages 5 to 20). Ms. Thuy has also been active as a pianist for a worship team, an adult choir and a children choir at her Vietnamese Baptist Church in Mississauga since 2011.
Her students had won many awards throughout the years, among them are RCM Level 2 Gold Medal in
2003, scholarships from Milton Festival, ORMTA Etobicoke-Mississauga branch competitions,
Vietnamese Talent Show and Peel Festival. Recently, her advanced student Matthew Dao won 1st place
at the ORMTA GTA level Provincial Instrumental Competition in June 2022 and a 2nd place at the
Provincial level at the Kingston ORMTA Convention, in July 2022.
Ms. Thuy is the winner of the ORMTA Contribution to Teaching Award (OCTA) awarded at ORMTA
Convention in Kingston in 2022.
Ms. Thuy was studying under the guidance of Christopher Kowal, Jana Skarecki, and Martha Dorland. In 1998-2004 in addition to teaching piano daily in the evenings, Ms. Thuy was also a Parenting
supply teacher for the Toronto District School Board, working at 14 different schools around GTA. When
her second child Lucas was born in April 2004, Ms. Thuy decided to only focus on teaching piano.
Lisa Iwasaki is a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, University of Toronto and Southern Methodist University in music education, psychology, and piano performance. A nationally certified teacher, she has been active with the Music Teacher’s National Association, Rochester Piano Teachers’ Guild, and the Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association. Formerly on the faculties of the Royal Conservatory and of the Eastman School of Music, Ms. Iwasaki is currently active as an adjudicator, examiner, teacher and accompanist.
Soprano Sofia Peycheva has performed as a soloist with Simfonietta Sofia, NMA
Orchestra, Three Seven Ace Opera Company, Toronto Summer Opera Workshop
as well as various solo recitals and concerts in Canada and abroad.
Sofia holds Bachelor degree in Music from York University (Canada) and a Master
Degree in Classical Singing from National Academy of Music (Bulgaria). She
founded her independent vocal studio Sofia’s Voice Studio in Etobicoke in 2015,
which she successfully runs since then. Sofia is a Certified RCM teacher, member
of NATS Ontario and has been with ORMTA since 2018 joining the executive team
in 2022. Her students have won various awards and scholarships at Contemporary Showcase, NATS Showcase (Provincial and Regional Auditions), Peel Music Festival, Kiwanis Music Festival, North York Music Festival, OMFA Provincial Finals, ORMTA Branch Competition and regularly obtain First Class Honours and First Class Honours with Distinction at RCM Vocal Exams.
Rocco Signorile has been an active ORMTA member since 2019. He began his own mobile piano studio in 2012 while finishing up his Bachelor of Business Administration degree at York University’s Schulich School of Business. When he realized how much he enjoyed teaching and his studio enrollment rapidly increased, he decided to teach as a full-time career. In 2016, Rocco began studying with the late Etob-Miss ORMTA member, Virginia Taylor. She guided him into obtaining both his Associate Diploma (ARCT) of Piano Performance and ARCT in Piano Pedagogy with the Royal Conservatory. His students frequently win awards at festivals and competitions, such as the Contemporary Showcase Mississauga Festival and ORMTA branch competitions. His students also obtain first class honors and first class honors with distinction standings in RCM practical exams on a regular basis. Rocco is currently preparing for his Licentiate in Piano Performance exam while he continues to teach over 50 students in their homes on a weekly basis.
Paula Stellato is a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto as well as the University of Toronto (Music English, Education). She has taught private music lessons and Elementary School for over 30 years. Paula is a Certified Teacher with the Royal Conservatory of Music. She maintains a busy studio, teaching students from near and far. She teaches in person as well as online, and her online students are from Australia, United States and Ontario. Paula is new to ORMTA and is happy to get involved with the Etobicoke-Mississauga Branch. Her students have won awards at the Contemporary Showcase and ORMTA branch competitions. Her students also obtain first class honours in RCM practical exams.