Students at Mount Royal University are demanding answers after the contracts of two highly-esteemed music instructors were not renewed.
Some students moved from across the world to study with the pair.
“The impression in Australia at least was there's not much musically speaking in Calgary,” said Sophie Serafino, MRU conservatory student. “But I was told if you're going to study with anyone up there, Bill van der Sloot is the guy."
"I moved all the way to Calgary two years ago to study with Mr. Kadz especially. I chose him. I didn't choose the city, I didn't chose the university," said Lou Dunand-Vincent, MRU conservatory student.
Program manager Bill van der Sloot and cello instructor John Kadz are being let go by the university. Van der Sloot managed the academy for gifted youth, and Kadz has been with the school for nearly 40 years.
Students say they were only given a week’s notice before classes begin, and have begun a petition to get both men reinstated. So far, 1,300 people have signed it.
But Charlie Webber, Dean of Continuing Education, said the sagging economy has affected the school, and adjustments needed to be made.
"There's never a good time to make any kind of a change like that,” he said. “What we're doing is moving ahead with our programming in new directions, new ways, we're adding music that reflects the kind of diversity and history of our city."
A protest is planned for next Thursday on the steps of the Bella concert hall, and the Dean said he is open to listening to the students, but will not reinstate the two instructors.
