began playing the recorder in a Carl Orff class for children at the Pars Music Institute in Tehran, Iran. In 2008 she began lessons with Reza Asgarzadeh, exploring the instrument more seriously. She attended master classes with Silvia Hintz on modern recorder techniques and Liam Finnelly on early music performance in Tehran. Since moving to Toronto in 2018, she has played in various ensembles and taken lessons with Alison Melville. Romina enjoys playing in groups and has played in concerts in Tehran and Toronto. She currently works as a software engineer.
Patricia Ahern has been a frequent soloist and core member of Tafelmusik since 2002. She was educated at Northwestern University, Indiana University, and the Schola Cantorum in Basel, Switzerland. She taught baroque violin at the Freiburg Conservatory in Germany and Oberlin’s Baroque Performance Institute, and has given masterclasses at McGill, York University, Wilfrid Laurier, University of Windsor, Western University, University of Toronto, University of Wisconsin, Grand Valley State University, California State University Long Beach, Sookmyung Women’s University (Seoul), and the Sydney Conservatorium (Australia). She has concertized throughout Canada, the US, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America, and has performed with Milwaukee Baroque, Ars Antigua, Chicago Opera Theater, Toronto Consort, Aradia, I Furiosi, Newberry Consort, Musica Pacifica, and the Carmel Bach Festival. Tricia has recorded for Sony, Naxos, and Analekta.
Leslie Allt is a Toronto-based poly-flutist who is known for combining finesse with versatility. As Principal Flute for the National Ballet of Canada and regular guest principal with the Hamilton and Kitchener-Waterloo orchestras, he is a respected classical orchestral player and soloist. He is also an avid chamber musician, and has performed with Art of Time, Amici Ensemble, New Music Concerts, Arraymusic, and for such festivals as Elora, Luminato, and Festival of the Sound. He has performed on traverso with the Nota Bene Baroque Players and LARK ensemble. Leslie is a also an experienced jazz musician. He appears on multiple recordings and has performed with such artists as Ray Charles, Sophie Millman, Diana Krall, and David Amram, as well as the Toronto International Jazz festival. Leslie’s practice room is full of international flutes too numerous to list. Whether it’s for penny whistles, panpipes, ocarina, or the Chinese dizi, he is regularly called on to play for film scores, recordings, and theatre productions such as The Lion King and Lord of the Rings. He was featured in Atom Egoyan's 'Feng Yi Ting’, and has performed on north Indian bansuri at both the Lincoln Center in New York, and Washington’s Kennedy Center.
In three decades of work at the Shaw Festival, Guy played in over 4000 performances. Recent work on stage includes King Charles III (Studio 180, Toronto); Agatha Christie’s comedy thriller Spider’s Web (Theatre Aquarius, Hamilton); the world premiere of Norm Foster’s The Writer (Foster Festival, St. Catharines); and The New Canadian Curling Club (Thousand Islands Playhouse, Gananoque, 2019; Western Canada Theatre Company, Kamloops and Vernon, British Columbia, 2020). On television he has been seen in Murdoch Mysteries, The Firm and Warehouse 13. Guy is also heard as the voice of Mr. Bear on Rupert the Bear. While working at the Stratford Festival, Guy received a Guthrie Award, and he has also received a Newton Award and a Paul Reynolds Award at the Shaw Festival. He has been an artist-in-residence at universities across Canada, and frequently teaches with colleague Sharry Flett, specializing in “Victorian Costumes and Customs.”
Brian Baty attended the University of Toronto where he studied the Double Bass with Joel Quarrington. He is currently principal double bassist of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra and also works as a freelance musician throughout Ontario where he regularly performs with orchestras in Windsor, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto, Hamilton and Kingston among others. Brian has also mentored and served as principal bassist for the National Academy Orchestra for the past two seasons. As a teacher, Brian has been a double bass Instructor at Lakehead University and the Kincardine Summer Music Festival and also maintains a private studio at his home in Kitchener, Ontario.
Karlie Boyle is a passionate and committed musician, teacher, composer, and arranger. Karlie started her studies at the age of 4 and continued with private teachers in viola, piano, composition, theory, and history. As well as private studies, Karlie attended Laura Secord Secondary School, the University of Toronto and completed her Bachelor of Arts in Music at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts. An active member of the growing arts community, Karlie has collaborated with several chamber ensembles such as the Brock University String Orchestra and the popular Niagara based string ensemble, Grace Notes; for whom she has written many arrangements. She has also worked for many years with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra's Summer Music Camp, as the Camp Director, which has fostered her passion for sharing the love of music with young people. She is currently the Director of Education and Administration for the Niagara Symphony and has enjoyed moving the education department forward!
David began his studies on the violin at the age of seven. His family having relocated numerous times allowed David to experience instruction from a number of teachers in various methods. David’s introduction to orchestral playing was with the Niagara Youth Orchestra in St. Catharines. After high school David earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Northwestern College in Roseville Minnesota. During his time in Minneapolis David was able to tour internationally as Concert master of the Continental Singers and Orchestra and of the Communique Singers and Orchestra. While in Minneapolis David studied with Roger Frisch, Associate Concert Master of the Minnesota Orchestra. Upon returning to St. Catharines David studied with Deryck Aird of the Bradley Institute of Music and at that time, Concert Master of the Niagara Symphony. David has been a member of the Niagara Symphony Association since 1989 and has also worked for the District School Board of Niagara as a secondary school music educator since 1989. He currently teaches music at Centennial High in Welland. David and his wife Deborah met while preparing a faculty recital for the Laura Secord Music Department where David began teaching. Since then they have formed the chamber ensemble now known as Glissandi; together with their friend and colleague Douglas Miller, principal flute with the Niagara Symphony. The past twelve years have been very full as the demand for their particular style of chamber music has increased. Performances and audiences have varied greatly providing many rich experiences. One of those was a concert tour of Southern England in the spring of 1997. Upon returning from that tour Glissandi set out to record their first CD entitled Serenity. He enjoys both teaching and performing and is looking forward to much more of the same. David and his wife Deborah have three children: Matthew, Nicholas, and Jessica.
Deborah Braun (harpist) is a native of St. Catharines and began her harp studies locally with Doris Scharing. She subsequently studied with Eilene Malone of the Eastman School of Music, Suzanne Thomas of the Buffalo Philharmonic, and Elaine Pamphilon of Cambridge, England. In additional to extensive solo and ensemble playing, she is harpist with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra and Glissandi.
Nick Braun is a graduate of Brock University’s Bachelor of Arts Music program as well as a former student in the Mohawk College Jazz Music Program in the field of drums and percussion. Nick has been writing music since the age of 15 with groups of various styles as well as producing his own albums typically playing all of the instruments and featuring guest musicians. Nick intends to continue to branch out in the fields of composition, music production, and live performance to hone his craft.
Michael Bridge is a 21st-century musical maverick—toppling popular expectations of what it is to be a professional accordionist. “A wizard of the accordion” (CBC), he’s a virtuoso performer—appearing on stages from the “Snowcastle” in Yellowknife, NWT, to The Metropolitan Opera. Equally a master of the digital accordion—a computer shaped like an accordion—Bridge’s concerts capture both the energy and panache of stadium rock with the elegance and discipline of chamber music. It all began when Bridge was five, growing up in Calgary. His mom bought him a $5 accordion at a garage sale and Michael was hooked. Since then, he’s won numerous awards in Canada and abroad, including the 2024 Canada Council Virginia Parker Prize—the country’s highest honour for young musicians. Dr. Bridge received his DMA in accordion performance from the University of Toronto in 2023, studying with Prof. Joseph Macerollo (the first Canadian to do so), and he was a Rebanks Fellow at the Glenn Gould School. He gives 90+ concerts annually as a soloist, member of Bridge & Wolak and Ladom Ensemble, and with his partner, violinist Yolanda Bruno. He gives lectures and masterclasses at North American and European conservatories, and he teaches Music Business at the University of Toronto. Dr. Bridge embraces a musical aesthetic that is alternatively irreverent, deadly serious, meticulously prepared, and completely in-the-moment. He’s at home with classical, contemporary, jazz, and folk music, and has premiered over 60 new works. Ultimately, he aims to make your world more bearable, beautiful, and human—even if only for the length of a concert. www.michaelbridge.ca
Bridge & Wolak are a globe-trotting musical duo from Canada who create life-affirming concerts full of beauty, virtuosity and humour. Michael Bridge, accordion, and Kornel Wolak, clarinet (both also play piano), met over a decade ago and immediately established an artistic alliance based on the attraction of opposites: Wolak - intensely focussed with a world view infused with sardonic humour; Bridge- flexible and fearless with a playful wit. They share a love of classical, jazz and world music, a fascination with fusing genres and a passion for performance. They’ve logged about 350,000 kilometres on the road - from Kraków to Quito, from Nancy, France to Fargo, ND - about the same distance as a trip to the moon. Their concert offerings include a survey of musical hits from the 17th century to today, a program inspired by travel to the cosmos and a look at the outrageously scandalous behaviour of some of the greatest composers of all time. Their most recent production is Tangorium, a seductive, multi-media exploration of the evolution of the tango for orchestra and soloists. B & W have also developed an on-line music mentorship program for students wondering whether a life in the arts is right for them…and how to make a living if the answer is yes. Bridge & Wolak share an ambitious agenda - to create unforgettable experiences for audiences through bold original programs that are irreverent, meticulously prepared and completely in-the-moment. They invite you to join them on their slightly unruly musical adventures, wherever they might lead. www.bridgewolak.com Instagram: @bridgewolak Facebook: /bridgewolak
Harley Card is a Toronto based guitarist, composer, and singer-songwriter. In addition to leading his own groups, Card is known for his work with the eclectic Canadian bands; Hobson's Choice, Stoptime, Dream Logic, and Utopia Ontario. The Harley Card Quintet have completed three Canadian tours centred around their albums, "Hedgerow" and "The Greatest Invention." "The Greatest Invention" has garnered rave reviews since its international release in January, 2018. As a contributor to the jazz and creative music scene in Canada since 2003, Card has played at many premier festivals including The TD Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival, The Ottawa Jazz Festival, The Yardbird Suite’s All Canadian Jazz Festival in Edmonton, AB, In The Soil Festival in St. Catharines, ON, The Niagara Jazz Festival, and Something Else Festival in Hamilton, ON. A graduate of Applied Music from Mohawk College and Jazz Performance from the University of Toronto; Card was also a semi-finalist in the 2008 Montreux Jazz Festival Guitar Competition in Switzerland. During the winter of 2014, Card was an Artist In Residence at The Banff Centre. Card spent the summer of 2017 in New York City to study with master guitarist, Peter Bernstein. Card is on faculty at The University of Toronto’s Jazz Program in addition to teaching guitar, theory, and composition in his own private practice.
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In 2010, Andrew started INNERchamber in Stratford, and is its Artistic Director. He is a core member of London Symphonia, while also serving as Artistic Producer. Andrew also performs regularly with the Hamilton Philharmonic, and the Stratford Festival Orchestra. Andrew spent a number of years living in Sydney, Australia, where he was performing with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House. While in Sydney, he was awarded his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees with Distinction from the Australian Institute of Music while studying under Alice Waten and Sophie Rowell. He has performed recitals in Australia and Canada, including appearances as part of Stratford Summer Music. On baroque violin, he has performed with Nota Bene Baroque Players, the Aradia Ensemble, and at the Grand River Baroque Festival.
Liz Clarke (PhD Wilfrid Laurier University) teaches classes in popular narrative, serial storytelling, labour and film (production guilds and unions), film history, film theory, film and TV genres, and gender film and TV. Her past book project was on women in war films from 1908 to 1918. She also researches women writers in film and television from the silent period to contemporary female show-runners. She is currently researching the Directors Guild of Canada.
Gordon Cleland is the Principa Cellist of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra, the BurBurlington SSymphony Orchestra, the Southern Ontario Lyric Opera Orchestra and the cellist in the MD3 Piano Trio. He is a regularly featured artist for the Encore! Series at Brock University. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician on CBC FM and TV5, the international French television network. He freelances as an orchestral musician. Gordon has a strong commitment to music education as a faculty member at Brock University where he teaches cello and string techniques at Redeemer University d at Ridley College. He is an instructor with Suzuki Niagara and the Niagara Youth Orchestra and runs a private studio in the Niagara Region. He has been a featured performer for the Concertino Program of Jeunesses musicales,whose artists are chosen for their pedagogical skills and their abiity to communicate with young musicians. Gordon has adjudicated at numerous Festivals across Canada and at MusicFest. Gordon is also an organist and is the Music Director at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Hamilton. Gordon's musical education started in London, Ontario, and he completed his studies with a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music degrees from Boston University. His principal teachers were George Neikrug,Gisela Depkat and Walter Joachim.
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declassified. is a dynamic musical quartet that reimagines the classical music experience by boldly incorporating popular tunes into its repertoire. With a core of string trio enriched by the evocative sounds of piano and vocals, the ensemble delivers a unique program that spans art songs, operatic arias, and inventive pop arrangements. Imagine a fully classical twist on a beloved rock anthem or an instrumental, jazz-tinged interpretation of a favourite pop song. These unique arrangements further highlight the ensemble’s creative approach to blending tradition with innovation, expanding the appeal of classical music by presenting programs that resonate with non-traditional audiences. Every performance is meticulously curated to welcome listeners into an engaging environment, ensuring that everyone is both included and captivated by the artistry on stage. Rooted in and proudly connected to the Niagara community, the group features a diverse lineup of seasoned musicians: Dr. Leanne Vida singing and playing piano; Karlie Boyle playing viola and percussion, Annie Slade playing violin and singing; and Ian Slade playing both upright and electric bass. Together, these artists not only embody a high level of performance excellence but also showcase the multifaceted career possibilities available to music graduates—teaching, performing, arts administration, and beyond. More than just reinterpreting familiar pieces, declassified. serves as an inspiring example for musicians and audience members alike, demonstrating that classical technique can be both rigorous and refreshingly unconventional. Their work celebrates the boundless versatility of a musical education and ignites the creative spark that connects tradition with today’s vibrant artistic expressions.
Canadian-American violist and violinist Sarah de Niverville performs throughout the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario, and has been a core member of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra since 2018. Prior to pursuing graduate studies in Victoria, British Columbia, Sarah held a position in the viola section of Symphony New Brunswick during the 2013-14 season. In addition to performing with the Niagara Symphony, Sarah maintains a busy freelancing career, having played as guest Principal Viola with the Ontario Pops Orchestra and the Southern Ontario Lyric Opera, and also appearing as a section player with the Esprit Orchestra, Sinfonia Toronto, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the TO Live Orchestra, Toronto Operetta Theatre, London Symphonia, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, the Casa Loma Symphony, Opera York, the Ontario Philharmonic, the Toronto Sinfonietta, the Toronto Arab Orchestra, the Kingston Symphony Orchestra, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, the Timmins Symphony Orchestra, the North Bay Symphony Orchestra, the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, the Scarborough Philharmonic, the Guelph Symphony Orchestra, and the Galiano Ensemble of Victoria. She was a four-time member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada between 2013 and 2016, acting as Co-Principal Viola for three summers. Although based in Canada, Sarah has also performed in the United States, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, China and Italy. Outside of classical music, Sarah has shared the stage with Michael Bublé, Josh Groban and Sarah Slean, and was a guest musician on OKAN’s Juno Award-winning album, Okantomi. Additionally, she has appeared as a featured musician extra on an episode of CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries. Sarah earned her Master of Music in Performance at the University of Victoria under the tutelage of Joanna Hood of the Lafayette String Quartet. She previously earned her Bachelor of Music in Performance from the Université de Moncton, studying with Nadia Francavilla and Isabelle Fournier."
Quebec native Dominic Desautels is the Principal Clarinetist at the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra in Toronto, and is considered among the most inspiring clarinetists of his generation. Recognized internationally for his unique artistry, he began playing the clarinet at 15 and made his solo debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at 21, also being hired later that season as guest principal clarinet. He studied at the Glenn Gould School (Joaquin Valdepeñas) and the Université de Montréal (Jean-François Normand). Upon graduation in 2007, he was appointed principal clarinetist of Brazil’s acclaimed Orquestra Filarmônica de Minas Gerais, then Symphony Nova Scotia, before joining the Canadian Opera Company in 2017. He also held the principal chair at the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra from 2018 to 2022. Desautels was the first clarinetist to win a top prize at the Canadian Music Competition’s Stepping Stone (33rd edition), leading to a 40-recital tour for Jeunesses Musicales of Canada. Among his concerto projects is the world-premiere recording of Paul Frehner’s Cloak clarinet concerto, with the Hamilton Philharmonic and conductor Gemma New (Centrediscs, 2023). Released in January 2026 on ATMA Classique, his recording of Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time was met with critical acclaim, including being featured as CBC In Concert’s Album of the Week. In 2023 he became the first Canadian (and second North American) invited as the guest International Soloist at the Deutsche Klarinetten-Gesellschaft (German Clarinet Association), at its 25th biennial conference in Munich. Ambassador for Seggelke Clarinets (model 1000 in mopane wood), Dominic Desautels is an endorsing artist for Silverstein and Légère. He performs annually at Scotia Festival of Music, where he also mentors clarinet students from around the world.
Canadian soprano Sheila Dietrich is a versatile and in-demand young performer whose style and vocal technique shine in both concert and operatic roles. Ms. Dietrich has appeared as a concert soloist with ensembles across Canada including Les Violons du Roy, Capella Intima, The Toronto Continuo Collective, Nota Bene Baroque Players, TACTUS, The Toronto Classical Singers under Jurgen Petrenko, The Elora Festival Singers and The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir under Noel Edison, The Guelph Chamber Choir under Gerald Neufeld, and The Bach Elgar Choir under Howard Dyck. Operatic roles include Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors | Menotti), Pitti-Sing (The Mikado | Sullivan), Belinda (Dido & Aeneas | Purcell), Venus (La Dafne | Gagliano), Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Britten), Abigail Williams (The Crucible | Ward) and La Petite Chaperon Rouge (La Foret Bleue | Aubert). A Kitchener-Waterloo native, Ms. Dietrich received her Bachelor of Music Performance and Opera Diploma from Wilfrid Laurier University where she studied with Victor Martens. Ms. Dietrich continues to study with Laura Pudwell. In 2015, Ms. Dietrich made her Carnegie Hall debut as a featured soloist in an evening devoted to the music of Purcell under the direction of Richard Egarr. She was also a finalist in the 2015 New York Oratorio Society Solo Competition and was awarded the Johannes Somary Prize. More information, including a full rep list, and upcoming performance dates, can be found at Sheila’s website: www.sheiladietrich.com.
Canadian mezzo-soprano Jennifer Enns Modolo has delighted audiences across the country with her clear, unaffected voice and meaningful singing. As an accomplished concert soloist, and with a repertoire that ranges from early music to contemporary, she performs regularly with ensembles throughout Ontario and across Canada including the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, the Elmer Iseler Singers, the Grand Philharmonic Choir, the Nota Bene Period Orchestra, and the Spiritus Ensemble. She is a member of the Hamilton based ensemble Capella Intima, which specializes in performing exciting concerts of lesser known 17th century vocal and operatic music. In addition to performing with large and small ensembles, Jennifer also delights in the art of the solo recital and collaborates frequently with lutenist Magdalena Tomsinska and pianist Lorin Shalanko. Recent and upcoming engagements include a Copland’s ‘In the Beginning’ with the Da Capo Chamber Choir, a program of early Christmas music with Capella Intima and the KW Symphony Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with the Hamilton Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Coronation Mass with Fanshawe Chorus London, J.S. Bach’s Cantata 182, ‘Himmelskönig, sei wilkommen’ and the Easter Oratorio with Spiritus Ensemble, and “Sacrum and Profanum” with counter tenor Daniel Cabena and lutenist Magdalena Tomsinska as part of the Nota Bene Baroque Players concert series. Jennifer is featured on several Aradia Ensemble recordings, including Handel’s Israel in Egypt (Naxos, 2008), Vivaldi Sacred Music, Volume 3 (Naxos, 2008) and singing the role of Eustazio in Handel’s Rinaldo (NAXOS 2005), all under the baton of Kevin Mallon.
The Eybler Quartet came together in late 2004 to explore the works of the first century and a half of the string quartet, with a healthy attention to lesser known composers such as their namesake, Joseph Leopold Edler von Eybler. The group brings a unique combination of talents and skills: razor-sharp ensemble skills, technical prowess, expertise in period instrument performance and an unquenchable passion for the repertoire. The Toronto- based ensemble’s live performances have consistently garnered praise as “glowing and committed”, “spirited” and “lively and energizing”. Their recording of Joseph Haydn’s Op. 33 String Quartets for the Analekta label was called “simply a treasure” by Early Music America, “the tempos are beautifully chosen, the ensemble perfect, and the intonation absolutely pure. This is music-making that reflects the deeply human and attractive qualities found in Haydn the composer—good humor, wit, and invention.” Their recording with clarinetist Jane Booth won praise from Gramophone for being “totally engaging performances that breathe life into Backofen’s music”. Their most recent release, Beethoven Quartets, Opus 18 nos. 1-3 garnered this praise from Gramophone: “…the revelations flood in: the swiftness with which the Eyblers take the great Adagio of Op 18 No 1 allows violinist Aisslinn Nosky’s almost vibrato-free period-instrument tone to sound breathtakingly fragile.” Violinists Julia Wedman and Patricia Ahern, and violist Patrick G. Jordan are members of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. Cellist Margaret Gay is much in demand as both a modern and period instrument player. This summer the group will again be on the faculty at the Banff Centre as part of the EQ: Evolution of the String Quartet program. In September 2022 Patricia Ahern joined the group, replacing founding member Aisslinn Nosky.
After completing a Bachelor of Music degree at Boston University School for the Arts, Margaret Gay accepted an invitation to the Banff Centre for Fine Arts, where she completed the winter programme. From there she moved to Toronto, where she earned a Master’s degree at the University of Toronto and began a remarkably active freelance career performing on both modern and period ‘cello. Margaret performs regularly with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony, Opera Atelier, Mississauga Sinfonia, Baroque Music Beside The Grange, the Eybler Quartet, and Ensemble Polaris, a group exploring the traditional music of various Nordic countries. She is the Artistic Director of The Gallery Players of Niagara, an organization based in the Niagara Region that presents chamber music. She was for many years a member of Modern Quartet, a string quartet dedicated to the performance of new works, the Burdocks, a foursome specializing in works of the 20th century, and Critical Band. In the summers she has performed at the Carmel Bach Festival, Stratford, Elora, Parry Sound, Grand River Baroque, and Lameque Baroque Music festivals, as well as teaching ‘cello and coaching chamber music at the Toronto Board of Education Music Camp, and the University of New Brunswick Summer Music Camp. Margaret can be heard on numerous CD’s, including a recent release from Analekta of Joseph Leopold Eybler's string quartets Op. 1, Ensemble Polaris, Not Much Is Worse Than A Troll, a Hungaroton disc of 17th century English theatre music, Ah! How Sweet It Is To Love, O Bali, from New Music Concerts, and, A Curious Collection for the Common Flute.
Glissandi, is a Niagara-based trio that has been performing together for over twenty-five years. They are featured regularly in Niagara's finest venues, and are members of the Niagara Symphony. Glissandi has recorded three CDs and each of the members is an established freelance musician of their own.
Interro Quartet combines passionate performances with a commitment to arts education and accessibility. Featuring violinists Dr. Eric Kim-Fujita and Dr. Sang Kyun Koh, violist Dr. Maxime Despax, and cellist Sebastian Ostertag, Interro Quartet has quickly established themselves through performances at Music Mondays, the Arts and Letters Club, Festival L’Art de la Musique, Heliconian Hall, Thursday at Noon Series (University of Toronto), and the Midwest Violin Caucus (University of Northern Iowa), the West End Micro Music Festival, and Music Toronto’s Celebration of Small Ensembles. As grant recipients from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council, Interro Quartet has commissioned, recorded, and premiered new chamber works, including the innovative joint composition “Alchemy Quartet” featuring composers Roydon Tse, Erica Procunier, Matthew Emery, and Abigail Richardson-Shulte. This work complements a varied concert repertoire that includes Hildegard von Bingen, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Norma Beecroft, as well as quartets by Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, and Prokofiev. Recent collaborations include performances with Philip Chiu, Lloyd Van’t Hoff, Quatuor Sabayon, and the Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra. The name Interro comes from the "Interrobang" symbol that indicates both a question and an exclamation mark. Through unique programming, outreach, and collaborations, the quartet aims to question and energize chamber music for an ever-changing world.
Jennarie (she/her) [pronounced “Jenna-ree”] is a Toronto-based independent artist who blends pop, R&B, and jazz into a sound that is soulful, bold, and rooted in emotional truth. Proudly queer, plus-size, and neurodivergent, she creates music that uplifts underrepresented communities and celebrates self-love. In 2024, her empowering track Never Been Small went viral in response to online body-shaming, catching the attention of SZA and Meghan Trainor, amassing millions of views on Instagram and Tik Tok, and surpassing 2 million streams on Spotify. The song is featured in Rosebud Baker’s 2025 Netflix comedy special The Mother Lode. Jennarie now releases her debut EP of the same name, a project that has already made a powerful impact across Canada, the U.S., and Europe. With six songs that are as musically sophisticated as they are emotionally fearless, Never Been Small is sparking conversations around body positivity, mental health, and the process of healing from trauma. The EP challenges the beauty standards of 2025 while offering a message of radical self-love that brings communities together across borders. Its undeniable musicianship and high-caliber production (Nick Tateishi) showcase Jennarie’s rare ability to merge jazz-trained precision with R&B soul and pop sensibility. Tracks like “Melodies” highlight this artistry, blending classic acoustic songwriting with lush horn and string arrangements, cementing Jennarie’s place as one of the most exciting new voices to emerge on the international stage. Jennarie has performed at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival and Pride Toronto, was selected for the RBC x MusiCounts First Up program, and has recently been awarded the Second Place Prize Winner for Canada's Walk of Fame Emerging Musician Program (2025-26), in partnership with RBC and Stingray Music. She has received support from FACTOR, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Chalmers Foundation.
Sarah Jerrom is a JUNO-nominated Canadian vocalist, pianist, composer and arranger specializing in jazz and creative music, taking her inspiration from lyric-driven melodies, genre-defying instrumentation and experimental soundscapes. As a bandleader, she has released four critically-acclaimed albums to date: Magpie, (2024, TPR Records), Dream Logic (2021, TPR Records), The Yeats Project (2017), and Illuminations (2007). The original works on each album showcase a jazz-informed approach to Sarah’s interpretation of contemporary songs, poetry and storytelling. Headliner performance highlights include the Toronto and Markham Jazz Festivals, 918 Bathurst, the Eastman School of Music, Brock University’s Centre for the Arts, The Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, and many of Toronto’s top jazz clubs. Sarah maintains a private studio of voice, piano, and writing students. She has taught at Humber College’s jazz program and was on vocal faculty at the Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music in Chennai, India in 2010. Sarah completed her Master of Music in Jazz Writing at the Eastman School of Music (2026), where she studied composition and orchestration with Christine Jensen, Dave Rivello, and Daniel Pesca. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Voice from the University of Toronto (2005), studying with Heather Bambrick, Terry Promane, and Phil Nimmons. In addition to her formal education, Sarah has studied composition with renowned Canadian composers Christine Jensen, Rick Wilkins (O.C.), and Andrew Downing.
Patrick Jordan, a native of West Texas, studied with Susan Schoenfeld before moving to Boston in 1981 to study with Walter Trampler. Mr. Jordan holds a Bachelor's degree from the New England Conservatory and an Artist's Diploma in Chamber Music from the Longy School, where he began several years' study with Eugene Lehner. Now a resident of Toronto, Mr. Jordan is a member of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra with which he tours throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico, Asia and Europe. He is also the Artistic Administrator and violist with the Gallery Players of Niagara. He has been a member of the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra since 1997 and has appeared with the New York Collegium as well as the American Classical Soloists. While living in Boston, he performed regularly with D.C. Hall's Band (a recreation of a 19th-century dance and concert band),the van Swieten Quartet, a period instrument string quartet, and the Handel & Haydn Society Orchestra. He was a member of the Boston Quartet, a modern instrument string quartet, and the Really Eclectic String Quartet (RESQ), a group that explored popular dance and lyrical music from many cultures. From 1988 to 1993 he was Lecturer in Violin and Viola at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA; he is currently on the faculty of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He has recorded for Sony, Sony Classical, Dorian, Newport Classic, NorthStar, Analekta and Northeastern.
Cathi MacDonnell earned a Bachelor of Music in Performance Degree from the University of Toronto. Her primary bassoon teachers have been David McGill, Kathleen McLean, Tom Elliott and James McKay and studied contrabassoon with Steven Braunstein. She is a member of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra as well as a freelancer with many orchestras throughout Ontario, including the Windsor Symphony, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, London Symphonia, Hamilton Philharmonic, and The Stratford Festival. In addition to her orchestral work, Cathi has performed with several chamber ensembles across the region, including wind trios and quintets. Cathi has served as a mentor with the National Academy Orchestra, Niagara Youth Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and has taught at the University of Windsor, and Redeemer University, as well as maintaining a private studio in her home in Stoney Creek. Cathi is a proud mother of three, grandmother of five and is an avid supporter of Manchester United!
James Mason is highly regarded as one of Canada’s most prominent oboists. He came to Canada in 1975, accepting the position of Principal Oboe with the Saskatoon Symphony and Lecturer in Woodwinds at the University of Saskatchewan. Since 1979 he has been the Principal Oboe of the KitchenerWaterloo Symphony and Canadian Chamber Ensemble. He has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in Germany, Holland, Spain, South America and Japan as well as the United States and Canada. Mr. Mason has many recordings to his credit and is heard regularly on CBC radio, for which he has recorded most of the standard chamber music and solo oboe repertoire, along with several new works for oboe and orchestra and oboe and strings written specifically for him. Mr. Mason has appeared as guest Principal Oboe with the Boston, Toronto and Montreal Symphony Orchestras, along with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Since 1981 he has been a regular performer at both the Elora Festival and the Festival of the Sound in Parry Sound, Ontario. Over the years, Mason has been a very familiar face in the musical life of southwestern Ontario. He and his wife, violinist Julie Baumgartel, were founding Artistic Directors of the Grand River Baroque Festival. Jim has also appeared as performer, audience member and heckler at INNERchamber in Stratford. He has performed and recorded on numerous occasions with the Gallery Players. He was on the faculty at Wifrid Laurier University for 37 years. In 2000, in recognition of his contribution to the arts, Mason was given the Kitchener Waterloo Arts Award for Music.
Rob McBride has been an active presence on the Toronto jazz scene for more than two decades, performing at many of the city's premier jazz clubs and at venues throughout the Greater Toronto Area. He attended the Humber College Jazz Program, where he studied with renowned Canadian bassist and pianist Don Thompson. Throughout his career, Rob has performed with a diverse range of acclaimed artists, including Ted Warren, Carmen Spada, Fergus Hambleton, the Niagara Symphony, John Sherwood, John Neudorf, Jeffery Arthur, Sarah Jerrom, Barbara Mantini, Carissa Neufeld, Richard Whiteman, and many others.
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Borys Medicky's multi-faceted musical career keeps him busy as harpsichord soloist and continuo player, a church musician and a sought-after harpsichord technician and maker. He co-founded and co-directed the Toronto Continuo Collective, an all-continuo ensemble dedicated to fostering an increased interest in the stylish basso continuo accompaniment of seventeenth-century vocal and instrumental music. From 2006-2014 he was the artistic director of the Kitchener-based Nota Bene Baroque Players. He has served as organist of the Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist in Toronto for close to two decades In 2017 he joined the faculty of music at Western University, where he coaches the early music studio and has taught classes in harpsichord performance and the history of early keyboards. He resides in Kitchener, Ontario with his wife and three always-hungry cats.
Alison Melville's career as a player of recorders and historical flutes has taken her across North America and beyond, most recently to southern Spain. Besides making regular appearances with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, the former Toronto Consort and Ensemble Polaris, she is Artistic Co-Director of North Wind Concerts and collaborates in numerous artistic endeavours in Canada and beyond. Alison has played in venues ranging from Tokyo’s Bunkamura Hall and NYC’s Carnegie Hall to cinemas, convents, gardens, libraries, barns, ferries, school gymnasiums, and prisons. Her extensive international TV, film and radio credits include the soundtracks of The Tudors, CBC-TV’s beloved ‘The Friendly Giant,’ films by Atom Egoyan, Malcolm Sutherland and others, and broadcasts in the UK, Iceland, and New Zealand. Alison can be heard on over 65 CDs, including several critically acclaimed solo recordings. She has taught for various universities, colleges and workshops across Canada and the USA, notably for the Oberlin Conservatory (OH) from 1999-2010. Wearing a different hat, Alison is also sometimes found making monotype and collagraph prints. www.alisonmelville.com
Douglas Miller is a versatile soloist who is active within various symphony orchestras, chamber music series, mega-musicals, film and television recordings. He has performed with the Toronto Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, and Kitchener Waterloo Orchestra. He is current principal flute of the Niagara Symphony and a former Instructor at Brock University. As theatre musician, he is a regular member of the pit orchestras in Toronto productions such as The Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera, The Wizard of OZ, and Les Miserables. In The Lion King, and The Lord of the Rings, he played a collection of ethnic bamboo flutes, several of which he built himself. In 2004-2006 he toured North America with Hal Princes' production of EVITA, celebrating the show's 25th anniversary. He has been a member of the Shaw Festival Orchestra in various productions since 1991 and performs regularly at the Stratford Festival. One of his many online videos with guitarist Timothy Phelan was used for a seminar in the music curriculum at Brock University in 2021. He has performed with Diana Krall and has made videos with Idina Menzel, Jonathan Antoine, and Chantal Kreviazuk. He is heard on the soundtracks of many films and TV series such as CBC's Road to Avonlea and David Suzuki's Nature of Things. Mr. Miller's diverse education includes a Master of Music in flute from University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Music and Licentiate with Distinction in saxophone from McGill University, where he completed a year of graduate studies in recording engineering. A graduate of the Royal Conservatory's Orchestral Training Program, he also spent a year of Advanced Studies in Music at the Banff Centre followed by private studies in Vienna. He is a founding member of The Gallery Players of Niagara and has produced three CDs with his trio Glissandi. He regularly performs his multimedia show, 'Flutes en Route!' a showcase of ethnic flutes from around the world. He makes his home in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Michelle Odorico is a versatile musician who freelances with a variety of groups in the Greater Toronto Area. Specializing in baroque violin, Michelle has performed with groups including Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Elixir Baroque Ensemble, Gallery Players of Niagara, Nota Bene Baroque Players, Elora Festival Singers among others. Some highlights include a memorized tour of Bach with Tafelmusik throughout Canada, US, China, Korea and Australia. She has also toured with Opera Atelier to Chicago and the palace in Versailles. Nowadays Michelle has settled in Hamilton, often playing pop arrangements with the Toronto String Quartet and teaching violin at the Hamilton Suzuki School of Music. She spends the rest of her time enjoying her three young children.
Adrian began his musical journey in 2016 when he got an electric guitar for Christmas. After deciding in 2019 that he was going to pursue a formal music education, Adrian began to study classical guitar at Brock University. He began lessons with Timothy Phelan in September of that year. After four years, he completed a Bachelor of music degree with a concentration in performance. Adrian enjoys playing classical, rock and jazz guitar, composing music, and playing and performing in various ensembles. While continuing to grow his career by performing for events and gigs, Adrian is studying to become a versatile and well-practiced performing musician. He is now beginning his Master’s degree in Music and Creativity at the University of Münster in Germany, studying under Marcin Dylla. Adrian continues to explore music so he can share his art and express his ideas with people from all around the world.
Hamilton tenor Bud Roach maintains a busy schedule of performances from the Baroque to the contemporary. Recent highlights include performances with the Toronto Consort, Soundstreams, the role of the Sailor in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with Les Violons du Roy (Richard Egarr, conductor) in Montreal, Quebec City, and Carnegie Hall, appearances with the Hamilton Philharmonic, and a new recording (along with performances in Toronto and New York) with his ensemble Capella Intima. Bud’s recordings for the Musica Omnia label have been recognized internationally as ground-breaking achievements in historically-informed performance practice. “Roach is marvellous throughout….Five stars” (Early Music Today, UK). Recent recital appearances include Toronto (Early Music Centre), the Midtown Concert Series (New York), and the Boston Early Music Festival Fringe Series (“revelatory concerts”- Early Music America, 2013). Highlights for the 2016-17 season include concert appearances with the Toronto Consort, La Chapelle de Quebec, the Hamilton Philharmonic, Bach Elgar Choir, Nota Bene Baroque Players, the Menno Singers, the Spiritus Ensemble, Soundstreams Canada, Talisker Players (Cole Porter), and Toronto Masque Theatre, as well as solo recitals in Boston, New York, Guelph, and Thunder Bay. With Capella Intima, Bud leads programmes in Hamilton, Toronto, and Kitchener, and will also be presenting a lecture/recital on the self-accompanied performance tradition of the alfabeto aria at the Historical Performance Institute, Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University. Bud is also the founder and Artistic Director of the successful HAMMER BAROQUE concert series, presenting some of Canada’s finest early music performers. www.budroach.com
Anna Ronai has performed at major venues in Europe, North America and China, including the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall in New York, Gläserner Saal, Musikverein, and Schubert Saal, Konzerthaus in Vienna. Anna has collaborated with distinguished singers as Brigitte Fassbaender, Michelle Breedt, Bernarda Fink, Robert Holl, and Members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Anna is a graduate of the Music University of the Arts Vienna, where she earned two Masters degrees, one in Piano Performance and the other in Collaborative Piano. She maintained positions at the Vienna and Innsbruck Conservatories, and a faculty position for piano, piano chamber music at the Institute for European Studies in Vienna. She has played for master-classes with esteemed artists including Brigitte Fassbaender, Christa Ludwig, Thomas Hampson and Linda Watson. Anna has appeared and placed in several major Lied Duo competitions such as the Robert Schumann Duo Competition in Zwickau, Germany, the East & West Artists International Auditions in New York, and Schubert und die Moderne in Graz, Austria. In 2009 Anna moved to Canada, and is a Vocal / Opera Coach at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. In Fall 2020 Anna joined Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo as the piano instructor, where she has also been an instrumental accompanist since 2019. She is an active performer at concerts and recitals across Ontario and abroad. Performances with the Trio d’Argento include “Music Toronto” (the world-premiere of ”Manidoog” by native composer Barbara Croall). Recent collaboration with Vienna based Flutist Ulrike Anton and the “Exil.arte” Institute in Vienna included several concerts in Europe and at the Holocaust Education week in Toronto .
A graduate of the performance programme at the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Patricia Kern, Baritone David Roth has sung on the opera and concert stage in Canada, the US, Great Britain, and Germany. He has appeared recently in concert with notable organisations such as Tafelmusik, The Toronto Consort, La Chapelle de Québec, I Furiosi, The Alderborough Connection, and Capella Intima. He has sung in the professional choruses of the COC and Opera Atalier, and appeared as Figaro and Don Alfonso in Weimar, Germany, with Lyric Opera Studio Weimar and Theater Rudolstadt respectively.
A uniquely virtuosic and entertaining chamber ensemble performing original music inspired by Klezmer, Yiddish Swing, Jazz and Classical music. This groundbreaking ensemble features the extraordinary talents of Eric Abramovitz, the principal clarinetist of the Toronto Symphony and the Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist and arranger, Drew Jurecka, virtuosic violinist/vocalist/composer, Rebekah Wolkstein founder/leader of the acclaimed Payadora Ensemble, Juno-nominated bassist, Michael Herring and Juno-award winning pianist, Jeremy Ledbetter. This ensemble is redefining the traditional boundaries of Yiddish music, blending classical mastery with innovative compositions and soulful arrangements. This band has an exhilarating trajectory. A mere 6 months after Abramovitz and Wolkstein came up with the idea to form a band, they had a full show of original music and inventive arrangements. Their debut performance was a live to air broadcast with a studio audience at Zoomer Hall in Toronto for Classical 96.3FM in May, 2024. Since then, they have sold out shows for Ashkenaz, Toronto Summer Music Festival, Jewish Music Week in Toronto and headlined the ‘Put a Yid on it’ festival in Winnipeg. They performed at many of the top chamber music festivals in Canada in 2025 — Toronto Summer Music, Ottawa Chamberfest, Stratford Summer Music, Eloria Music Festival, Tuckamore Festival in Newfoundland — and completed a sold-out 11-show tour of Florida. Their debut album won the Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Instrumental Compositions in 2026. In January 2027, the band returns to Florida for another tour and continues performing across Canada and the USA.
Annie Slade is a Niagara-based arts administrator specializing in audience development and community partnerships. As a life-long lover of all forms of artistic expression, she aspires to support artists in creating accessible, inclusive, and engaging experiences for audiences of all ages. With nearly a decade of experience in the non-profit arts industry in roles that include education, marketing, fundraising, and audience development, Annie brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for collaboration to her role as General Manager of Carousel Players. She also holds an MA in Arts Management from Queens University. When not behind the curtain as an administrator, Annie is a vocalist and violinist performing regularly throughout the Niagara Region as a member of the Avanti Chamber Singers and Grace Notes String Ensemble.
Ian Slade is a part-time musician from the St. Catharines area who has been performing on the Double Bass for upwards of 15 years. After learning to play in the local N.E.I.M. Program (Niagara Elementary Instrumental Music), and graduating in 2018 from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Orchestral Performance on Double Bass, Ian has come full circle to teach young aspiring musicians through the NEIM program himself.
Jonathan is a specialist in period instruments of the lute and guitar family, with a background in classical and electric guitar. His performances offer "exciting and technically brilliant" (Marvin Dickau) displays of the wealth of the musical language, and are engaged in inspiring and educating audiences. Versatile as a soloist, chamber musician and continuo player, Jonathan frequently distinguishes himself across Canada, the United States, and Europe. He is active in the rich early music scene throughout Canada, and can be seen performing music on period instruments, solo and with ensembles such as Aureas Voces (Halifax), Pacific Baroque Orchestra (Vancouver), Les Méandres (Montréal), and in festivals and series including Music and Beyond, Festival Montréal Baroque, Musique Royale, and Hammer Baroque. In 2020 he gave a solo concert tour of British Columbia for Living Room Live, performing music for the baroque guitar. He forms part of Duo Oriana with Toronto based soprano Sinéad White, with whom he shares the role of Artist in Residence at St. James Cathedral, Toronto for the year 2022. Upcoming engagements include performances with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, and a recording project with Duo Oriana. He has extensive experience in contemporary classical music, having premiered and performed large-scale works on classical, and electric guitar in series such as Live@CIRMMT and Montréal/Nouvel Musique. With the Cygnus Trio he has taken part in the commissioning and premiering of multiple compositions, all of which are recorded on their 2018 album ‘Amalgam’. He is also deeply interested in developing repertoire for historical instruments, which can be heard through his own compositions and in composer collaborations. In September 2020 he premiered Toronto based composer Arie Verheul van de Ven's piece "Mosquito Touch" for solo theorbo, accompanied by animations by visual artist Alex McLeod. His classical guitar studies began in Penticton, British Columbia with Selwyn Redivo and he received a bachelor of music with a double major in guitar and lute performance at McGill’s Schulich School of Music where he was recognized for outstanding achievement in Lute. He studied with Jérôme Ducharme and Sylvain Bergeron. In 2020 Jonathan received a Master's in the Performance of Early Music at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya in Barcelona, studying in the studio of Xavier Diaz-Latorre. His master’s research on historical stringings on the baroque guitar received the highest marks and is published in RECERCAT which presents research carried out at institutions in Catalunya. Jonathan is also passionate about caring for and protecting the natural world. He has worked as an educator for the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, and can always be heard supporting at-risk species on this Earth that he loves. If he’s not practicing, or performing with instrument in hand, you’ll often find him appreciating life outdoors.
Ellen Torrie is a preeminent soprano, songwriter, and performance curator currently making waves in Montréal. Known for their crystalline tone, versatility, and storytelling gifts, Ellen is sought after by various ensembles in Montréal and across Canada. Mentored by Suzie LeBlanc and Dominique Labelle, Ellen earned a master’s degree in early music vocal performance from McGill University in 2022. This was followed by a standout tenure as inaugural Emerging Artist for Early Music Vancouver’s Bach Festival. They returned the following year to sing the role of St. Catherine in the festival’s project Milton in Love alongside soprano Myriam Leblanc. Ellen is featured on Leblanc's new album with Ensemble Mirabilia Amour Fou released February 9. Ellen’s previous studies in music therapy positioned healing and connection as the focal points of their performance life. Ellen is currently exploring the practice of self-accompanying early music on baroque guitar. As a queer non-binary artist, Ellen is guided by the knowledge of their queer elders and ancestors in the research and performance of radically inclusive stories as they continue to develop musical languages to explore that which is most richly human.
Cellist and B.C.-boy Michael Unterman enjoys a varied performing career on both modern and baroque cellos. He proudly joined the ranks of Tafelmusik in 2023 and also serves a co-principal cellist of Boston Baroque and A Far Cry. Of late he has performed and recorded with ensembles including the Cramer Quartet, Ensemble Caprice, The Knights, and Ruckus, and performed at Baroque Music Montana, the Carmel Bach Festival, and Staunton Music Festival. He has also enjoyed past stints as a member of Portland Baroque Orchestra and as the Artistic Director of Five Boroughs Music Festival. He pursued musical studies at the New England Conservatory and The Juilliard School with Laurence Lesser, Natasha Brofsky, and Phoebe Carrai, and was a Fulbright Scholar to Barcelona, Spain, where he studied with Lluis Claret and Quartetto Casals. Behind-the-scenes work has been an important part of Michael’s musical life, leading him roles in fundraising, artistic planning, and curation, his work being praised as “just the kind of imaginative artistic agenda that more groups should be prodded to try” in The Boston Globe and “gorgeous and remarkably unified” in the Washington Post. His early mentors and musical role models include his long-time cello teacher Judy Fraser, his quartet coach Heilwig von Koenigslow, the former directors of the Banff Centre Tom and Isobel Rolston, and his mother and pianist-collaborator Kathy Bjorseth, and all of whom instilled an enduring drive to bring about nurturing spaces for music and musicians.
Canadian soprano, Maria Vetere, has performed in Canada, the United States, Great Britain, South America, and Europe and is quickly establishing herself as a world-class Italian soprano. In 2019, she gave a triumphant debut at New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall and has been featured and reviewed in Opera Canada Magazine, the New York Times and international newspapers. Reviews have deemed “her singing not only combines the tonal beauty of Tebaldi but just a touch of Callas’ cutting edge” (The Philadelphia Local). “Vetere drew an abundance of meaning and beautiful vocal technique, earning the huge applause which followed.” (Operawire), “Everything—from her spot on pronunciation to her exquisite dynamics—lived and breathed Mimì” (Opera Canada). “Vetere is a rising star.” (U Globo, Brazil). She has performed under the baton of legendary Maestro Richard Bonynge and has received numerous awards and recognitions for her singing, including the highest honour of the NYIOP International Auditions for vocal excellence in a female voice and she was inducted to the Niagara Falls Cultural Wall of Fame in 2021 for her global contributions to opera and vocal pedagogy. Roles include: Mimì (La Boheme), Violetta (La Traviata), Desdemona (Otello), Leonora (Il Trovatore), Aida (Aida), Margherita/Elena (Mefistofele), Norma (Norma), Suor Angelica (Suor Angelica), Manon (Manon), Giselda (I Lombardi) and Elisabetta (Don Carlo). Dr. Vetere is also a highly sought after vocal pedagogue and scholar. The Vetere Studio International boasts a roster of over 60 artists on 5 continents. She continues to dedicate her life’s work to the betterment and maintenance of Italian vocal technique and style, and focuses her academic research on the period from Verdi to Verismo, called La Scapigliatura. Dr. Vetere is also the director of Opera Niagara and has established numerous international opera programs, including the newly designed Summer Opera Festival of Niagara (SOFON) in 2023.
Leanne is thrilled to be performing with the Gallery Players this season! Upon completion of an Honours Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance at Brock University, she attended Western University Canada to complete two graduate degrees: a Master of Music in Voice Performance and Literature, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance. Leanne has extensive operatic, music theatre, and recording credits, and has performed throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe. Leanne is the voice instructor at Brock University, and is also the adjunct professor of voice at Niagara University, a music instructor at Ridley College, as well as maintaining a small home teaching studio. An active performer, Leanne sings in 2 choirs (Avanti Chamber Singers, The Edison Singers), 3 bands (High Fidelity, Temple of Night, Minuscule), and frequently performs as a soprano soloist and session musician. Recent research projects include a curriculum of Canadian Art Song, and the development of a meditation technique for singers and performers. When not making music, Leanne can be found at her local yoga studio, cultivating her wild perennial garden, or immersed in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
The Toronto Star declared "under Warren's direction, the orchestra sounded full-bodied and alive!" and "...sounding luscious and regal, Warren accomplished his task". Daniel Warren has conducted the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, The Colorado Symphony Orchestra, The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, Hamilton Philharmonic, Orchestra London, the Windsor Symphony, Symphony New Brunswick, The Thunder Bay Symphony, The ERGO and Continuum ensembles and the Canadian Chamber Ensemble. Many of these performances have been heard on CBC radio. Warren served as Resident Conductor of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony for fourteen years and, more recently, as Creative Advisor and conductor for Orchestra London Canada. For the past twelve years he has been conducting at the Westben Arts Festival Theatre in performances of opera, choral and orchestral programs. Comfortable with virtually all genres of orchestral music, Warren has conducted such notable opera singers including John Fanning, Gary Relyea, Susan Platts, Donna Bennett, Karina Gauvin, Jane Archibald, Daniel Lichti, Virginia Hatfield, Jennifer Enns Modolo, James McLean, and Mark Dubois. Other artists include Anne Murray, Barenaked Ladies, Roger Hodgson of Supertramp, Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo, Neil Donell (lead singer, Chicago) Louise Pitre, Holly Cole, Denzal Sinclair, Martin Fry of ABC, Laurence Gowan of Styx, Jeans ‘n Classics and Cirque de la Symphonie. Recent Opera and Ballet engagements include conducting the world premiere of Brian Finley's opera "The Pencil Salesman", Massenet's "Cendrillon", Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro", Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” at Westben and Opera Kitchener’s "Die Zauberflöte", The Nutcracker with Ballet Jörgen and the Minnesota Ballet. Other acclaimed conducting engagements have taken Daniel Warren to the United States, Austria, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. As a conductor and as a trumpet soloist Warren has recorded both on CD and in live television broadcast. He has toured extensively with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Canadian Chamber Ensemble throughout Canada, the United States, England, France, Holland, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and throughout South America. Also active as an arranger, Daniel Warren’s work was recently played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, England. His symphonic arrangements span Classical, Jazz, Broadway and Rock styles and have been performed by orchestras in Canada, the USA, England and Asia. He has arranged for such artists as Quartetto Gelato, Payadora, David Rogers, Louise Pitre, Michael Dore, Donna Bennett and Stephen Michaels Kabakos. He resides with his wonderful wife and family in their rural, owner-built home.
Violinist Julia Wedman brings an "infectious vitality" to music (Victoria Times Colonist). Her playing has been described as "highly communicative", and "extraordinarily lithe and intuitive" (Globe and Mail). Originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Julia completed her studies in music at the University of Western Ontario, the University of Toronto and Indiana University at Bloomington. With a life long passion for chamber music, she formed her first serious string quartet at age 15 and performs with a wide collection of chamber ensembles including the Eybler Quartet, I FURIOSI Baroque Ensemble and L’Harmonie des Saisons (Montreal). She joined the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra in 2005, and is regularly featured as a soloist with the group on their home series in Toronto as well as on tours in Canada, the U.S.A, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Germany, China and Korea. Always interested in the latest research in period performance, Julia joined the Accordes! Ensemble in 2019 at Oxford University (UK) in their ground-breaking research into 19th Century performance practice, which culminated in a CD of music by Tchaikovsky and Fuchs.