Biography 

For Ms. Kundert’s complete CV, click here
Presenters and producers, please find her condensed program bio here

Linda Kundert holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles and a Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Calgary (U of C).  She also has an Associate Teacher’s Diploma in Piano from the Mount Royal University Conservatory (AMRC) and an ARCT Piano Teacher’s Diploma from The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM).

For three summers, she attended the Banff School of Fine Arts as a scholarship student.  Ms. Kundert’s performance experience includes recordings for CBC radio and giving solo and chamber recitals both in Canada and the United States.  Her performance teachers were Peter Turner, Priscilla King, Willard Schultz, James Bonn, Adam Wibrowski and Charles Foreman.  She studied voice as a minor at U of C and USC, with Christine Johnson, Mia Yu, and Donald Bell.

Ms. Kundert is a member of the RCM Senior College of Examiners since 2000, and is Co-Founder, President & Artistic Director of the Calgary Arts Summer School Association, operating as Cassa Musical Arts, since 1993.  Ms. Kundert is actively involved in many music teachers’ associations (Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association (CFMTA), Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Piano Diploma Association (PDA), Music Coterie, and RCM Alumni Association - Calgary Branch).  

She received the ARMTA Recognition Award in 2006, the CFMTA Hugheen Ferguson Distinguished Teacher Award in 2011, the Calgary Community Achievement Arts Award in 2015, and the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) Teacher of Distinction Award in 2016.  She was Chair of the national CFMTA “Peak Performance” Conference held in Calgary in 2005.

Ms. Kundert has been a successful independent studio teacher for over forty years.  She joined the Mount Royal University Conservatory teaching team in 2014.  She taught at Ambrose University in Calgary in 2009 and 2013, and she was a Mount Royal College Branch Teacher in the 1980’s.  She worked as a piano coach for Musicamrose from 1993-1996, and was an accompanist for the Elaine Case voice studio for many years.  She has worked as a reviewer and editor for the Frederick Harris Music Company, and she has adjudicated many festivals, given many workshops and conducted numerous masterclasses throughout Canada. 

Many of her former students are professional musicians.  Her current students continue to excel in performance and compete in festival classes.  Some have played in the Calgary Concerto Competition (C3) and have performed with orchestra, and others have successfully competed in the Canadian Music Competitions (CMC).  Students continue to win awards for highest marks, including RCM gold medals, and have been finalists in the Honens Pro Am Competition and the CFMTA National Piano Competition.  Two students performed in New York’s Carnegie Hall and at the Lincoln Center in 2011.  Another two performed with the Calgary New Arts Orchestra in 2015.  Ms. Kundert’s students also excel in composition at the local and provincial music festivals, and in the CFMTA, ARMTA, and APTA composition competitions. 

Cassa Musical Arts has been one of her major projects since inception, and each summer Cassa has offered a minimum of eight programs to students aged four and up. Producing sessions complete with concerts and musicals, and commissioning works, have been a passion for Ms. Kundert.  In 2020, Cassa offered online programs which included: Cassa Playwriting, Songwriting, Jazz, Piano, Adult Piano, Musical, Staging and Pedagogy.

For fun, she likes to travel, listen to live music, ride horseback and plays competitive slow pitch. For Ms. Kundert’s complete CV, please click here.

Linda’s work with Cassa Musical Arts

Linda is also president and artistic director of Cassa Musical Arts, a multi-disciplinary arts school that offers a broad program of arts-based curriculum. Cassa is entering its 30th year this year, and attending one of Cassa’s programs would be a great way to get to know Linda, and the significant legacy she has created for arts education in Canada. Click any of the links below to learn more about Cassa!

Who is Cassa, what does Cassa do?
List of Cassa Programs, complete
Cassa’s Box Office offerings for the general public

workshop reviews

"Very well done today. I heard many comments of "I've learned so much today..." and "I've learned so many new things..." as I left the building. Good stuff."
-Janice Dahlberg

"It was a pleasure to be there. Thank you for such an excellent workshop. I appreciated (that you) provided handouts and created such a comfortable and enthusiastic atmosphere."
-Alicia Romero

"Hi Linda - just wanted to tell you how much I appreciated your workshop this morning.  Although you had mentioned most of that over the course of the past few years, it all came together and made sense - you are an excellent presenter!  Thank you for your inspiration."
-Alison Crabb

"If I must be honest, I thought your workshop was one of the best I have been to for several reasons:
a. You showed such a desire to share your knowledge freely;
b. You spoke to us in a conversational tone rather than lectured us, and involved us in your demonstrations;
c. You made us feel that our issues and problems were important to you and you gave practical ways to deal with them;
d.  We came away inspired and wanting to put new ideas into operation;
e.  We had many good laughs as you were very humorous, and so we all enjoyed ourselves as well as feeling we were learning;
f. This was an extremely well-prepared workshop from someone who has had a great deal of experience, and who genuinely loves to help piano teachers develop their skills."
-Laurainne Williams

Here it is May and I have been using the wonderful tips and ideas you gave at the APTA  February Session ever since. To mention a few, my students have loved the composing and I must admit that some of them have really surprised me. The "GIG" books are a real hit and you should see some of the creative covers. The towel over the hands and the cleaning bag for strengthening the fingers have been real helps with some of my students as well. I can't thank you enough for such an informative morning! Your discipline, kindness and genuine love of  music and teaching are an inspiration. Thank you again, "From the Trenches."
-Wendy Wells