Meet the judges for the 2023 Canadian Music Class Challenge

CBC Music and MusiCounts have teamed up again for this year's Canadian Music Class Challenge, searching for greatness, innovation and fun in music classrooms, programs and libraries across the country.

From elementary to high school, to community and private music classes, the Canadian Music Class Challenge wants to showcase your take on one of the great Canadian songs from our list for this year. We can't wait to see and hear what you come up with! So gather all your classmates and show our judges your best, creative performance.

Heidi Wood 

Heidi Wood finds great joy in directing choirs of all ages and teaching through music. As a vocalist, she has extensive experience, both as a soloist and as part of choirs, including Luminous Voices. She's a high school choral specialist, helping students of all abilities to develop a love of music and singing. Groups under her direction are consistent gold award recipients who have been recognized at Cantando Festivals for both traditional choral music and vocal jazz ensembles. They also received the honour of best live performance at Canada's Top Choirs high school competition in 2022. Wood was recently recognized with the Con Spirito Award presented by Choir Alberta in 2022 for her contributions to choral music, was nominated for an Excellence in Teaching Award in Alberta in 2016 and is a three-time finalist for MusiCounts' Teacher of the Year.

Cait Nishimura

Cait Nishimura is a Canadian composer, musician, and educator based in Waterloo, Ont. Known for writing melody-driven, programmatic music, Nishimura won the Canadian Band Association's composition prize in 2017. Her music has been presented at the Midwest Clinic, MusicFest Canada, and numerous other conferences and festivals across North America. She is committed to creating contemporary music that's approachable, relevant and enjoyable for all, and she is passionate about setting a positive example for future generations of musicians — especially those from historically underrepresented groups.

Hussein Janmohamed

Educational consultant, singer, choir conductor, artistic curator and composer Hussein Janmohamed is on a mission to foster unity, unleash creative potential and embrace diversity through the power of music. With a broad background in choral singing, he has performed with renowned choirs like Chor Leoni, the Phoenix Chamber Choir, the Elmer Iseler Singers and the National Youth Choir of Canada. As a choir conductor, he has led UBC Choirs, regional and national Ismaili Muslim Youth Choirs, the Nai Syrian Children's Choir, and more. He is dedicated to youth development, and has been recognized with the Irene Miller and Koshkish Fellowship in Music at the University of Toronto and the B.C. Choral Federation Malcolm McDonald Youth Leadership Award.

Julie Nesrallah

Whether regaling us with stories as the host of Tempo on CBC Music or completely enthralling us with her beautiful mezzo-soprano voice, Julie Nesrallah has earned her spot among Canada's arts and entertainment elite.

In 2014, Nesrallah was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal for her cultural contributions to Canada. She has sung on stages all over the world, even performing "God Save the Queen" for Prince William and Kate Middleton. Nesrallah has also performed her solo recording Impressions de France at New York's illustrious Carnegie Hall. Her musical tastes span as far and wide as her vocal range, and she can't wait to hear the variety of arrangements that come from Canada's music programs.

Odario Williams

Odario Williams is a Guyanese-born entertainer who grew up in Winnipeg. Today, Williams resides in Toronto and is the lead vocalist for the award-winning hip-hop collective Grand Analog. As an entertainer, Williams wears many hats, describing himself mainly as a storyteller. Aside from being an actor, songwriter, producer, teacher, journalist and poet, Williams is no stranger to the CBC airwaves: he is the host of Afterdark on CBC Music.