Musicians

Anastasia Tchernikova, conductor and artistic director

ENSEMBLE

Strings
Ema Nikolovska, concertmaster
Stefanie Hutka, violin
Taylor Nelles-McGee, violin
Laurence Schaufele, viola
Luca Casciato, viola
Rebecca Lim, viola
Brenton Chan, cello
Tess Crowther, cello
Evan Lamberton, cello
Josh Cole, bass

Winds
Katherine Watson, flute
Tristan Durie, flute
Aleh Remezau, oboe
Ernesto Rapoport, clarinet
Lewis Gilmore, clarinet
Omar Ho, clarinet
Kevin Harris, bassoon
Sheba Thibideau, bassoon

Brass
Matthew Ross, trumpet
Ben Promane, trumpet
Will Callaghan, horn
Amanda Bolger, horn
Bethany Curley. horn
Aubrey Kelly, trombone

Vocalists
Jelena Ciric, soprano
Tim Wong, counter tenor
Larissa Koniuk, soprano
Kate Applin, soprano
Alexandra Beley, mezzo-soprano

Keyboard
Wesley Shen, piano
Sarah Svedsen, organ

Composers
Kevin Lau
Bram Gielen
Chris Thornborrow
Sahlia Wong
Spencer Cole
James Rolfe
Edwin Sheard
Anna Höstman
Patrick Murray

Arrangers
Adam Scime
Jason Caron
Saman Shahi
Tze Yeung Ho
Edwin Sheard

Guest Artists

Fr. Jonathan Earys
Fraser Elsdon

CONDUCTOR AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Anastasia Tchernikova is a pianist, conductor and educator with a strong emphasis on ensemble work in an operatic and orchestral setting. A graduate of the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music Education, she is currently artistic and production assistant at Tapestry New Opera Works with the support of the Metcalf Foundation. Her recent engagements include assistant conductor to Brian Current’s chamber opera Airline Icarus with Soundstreams and assistant conductor of North York Concert Orchestra under David Bowser. Other noteworthy projects include West Side Story with St. Michael’s College, an original film score for wind ensemble by Bruno Degazio and Samuel Barber’s chamber opera A Hand of Bridge as part of the university’s New Music Festival, and guest conducting with GREX vocal ensemble, as well as Beethoven symphony readings at the Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School student union.  Anastasia has had the pleasure of working as music director and touring with the Bicycle Opera Project around southwestern Ontario, staging guerilla performances of contemporary Canadian opera scenes in interesting and unusual locations. This inspired her to launch her own initiative of facilitating collaborations and performance opportunities for young emerging instrumentalists, composers, singers and artists through the concert series Musica Reflecta. Additionally, Anastasia is a passionate and high-demand children’s piano teacher and has a strong interest in period performance. A native of Minsk, Belarus with a German background, Anastasia looks forward to being part of many more exciting projects in Toronto’s quickly expanding community of talented young musicians.-top-

 

ENSEMBLE

Violinist Ema Nikolovska (born in Skopje, Macedonia, 1993) is currently in her second year of undergraduate studies at the Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould school, where she studies with Paul Kantor and Barry Shiffman. Ema has performed as a soloist with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, the North York Concert Orchestra, the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Young Artists Performance Academy, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra. She has also appeared as a guest on Toronto’s radio station Classical 96.3 as a recipient of their 2011/12 scholarship for a music student. Ema also studies classical voice with Helga Tucker through the Royal Conservatory School.  Ema plays a 1696 Matthias Albani violin, generously loaned to her by a private donor.-top-

 

Stefanie Hutka (b. 1989) is a Toronto-based, classically-trained violinist.   Stefanie has been performing a variety of genres for over ten years, ranging from chamber music in Jacques Israelievitch’s Koffler Chamber Orchestra, to traditional Scottish fiddle music in The Scottish Accent band, to Canadian indie-rock with The Most Serene Republic.  In 2008, Stefanie founded the ensemble Strings in Motion Inc, in which she arranges and performs high-impact contemporary and top-40 works on strings.  In 2010, she graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music with her ARCT in Violin Performance.  Stefanie also runs a teaching studio and composes, performing her works at various Toronto festivals and for independent films.  In addition to her musical endeavors, Stefanie is completing her PhD in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Toronto, with research focusing on how the brain perceives both music and speech.-top-

 

A graduate of The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music under Erika Raum, Taylor has performed with ensembles that include the Scarborough Philharmonic, the Mimico Chamber Orchestra, Sneak Peek Orchestra, the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Academy Symphony Orchestra. Alumnus of Etobicoke School of the Arts and winner of the 2007 concerto competition, Taylor played in Chamber and Symphonic Orchestras (section 2003-2005, concertmaster 2006-2007). Scholarship awards include the Steven Staryk Scholarship for Violin and the Al and Bob Witworth Memorial Scholarship from 2008-2012, the RBC Financial Group Award for Excellence in String Performance in 2007, and the George Linton Music Scholarship in 2011. Recently, she has been touring with Miss Caledonia, a one person show with violin, including performances at the Victoria Playhouse in Victoria PEI, and the Banff Centre. In Summer 2013, she will be participating in the Orchestre de la Francophonie.-top-

 

Laurence Schaufele is a 22 year old student at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto. Laurence began his study of music at age seven with Bill van der Sloot in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Since then he has studied with Michael van der Sloot, Nick Pulos and is currently studying with Steven Dann. Laurence has had the opportunity to perform in masterclasses given by Roberto Diaz, James Boyd, Kai Gleustein, Pinchas Zukerman, Paul Nuebauer, Laurence Lesser, Paul Katz, Stefan Fehlandt, and Hank Guittart. Laurence has participated in the Banff Summer Master Class Program, Walnut Hill Summer Chamber Music Program, and has attended Morningside Music Bridge. Laurence has also been a prize winner at the national level of Kwanis music festival two years in a row.-top-

 

Luca Casciato started playing violin at the age of three and the viola at 16. He has studied under May Ing Ruehle, founder of the Toronto Suzuki Studio, Greg Campbell, and is currently studying with Eric Nowlin. He has performed and toured across Canada with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada as a Principal Violist. He is a full time member of the Iron Strings Quartet and is currently performing with the Hart House Orchestra and the Skule^TM Orchestra for their 2012/2013 seasons. Luca attended Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts and has performed with the CCAA Senior Chamber String Orchestra in Chicago and New York’s Carnegie Hall. He has participated in various summer music camps and festivals most recently including the Orford String Quartet Program. He will be joining the Orchestre de la Francophonie for their 2013 summer tour. Luca is also a passionate jazz musician, both as a violinist and guitarist. He is currently living in Toronto, Canada and pursuing his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto, specializing in Energy and Mechatronics.-top-

 

Rebecca Lim is a violist in her second year of the Performance Diploma Program at the Glenn Gould School where she studies with Steven Dann. Her musical studies began on the violin at the age six at the Royal Conservatory of Music. After six years of study she was accepted into the Young Artists Performance Academy. It was in her third year at the Academy when she picked up the viola for the first time in her life because of the shortage of violists in the student string orchestra. Also in that same year, Rebecca won the senior division of the Academy concerto competition on the violin and performed the first movement of Viotti’s 23rd violin concerto with the student orchestra. In her last three years of high school, she studied with Atis Bankas. It was finally when she was auditioning for universities that she came to her senses and auditioned for The Glenn Gould School on both the viola and the violin, and ultimately chose the viola.-top-

 

A native of Toronto, cellist Brenton Chan holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Toronto. He performs in chamber and orchestral ensembles all across Ontario, and has played in the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra under the batons of both Victor Feldbrill and Alain Trudel.

His thirst for knowledge has brought him to many music festivals in North America and Europe. His most recent sojourn was to Italy in 2011 for the 12^th International Festival of the Duchi d’Acquaviva where he studied with German cellist, Maria Kliegel. In addition to his own education, Brenton invests his time in the development of the next generation of musicians. He teaches privately, volunteers for the Toronto District School Board, and is a substitute teacher at the Classical Music Conservatory on Roncesvalles.

In the jazz realm, Brenton has worked with Canadian Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter, Molly Johnson, and has recorded with Canadian award winning artist, Laila Baili.Currently, Brenton studies under the watchful eye of Shauna Rolston. He enters his first year of Graduate Studies this fall at the University of Toronto.-top-

 

Tess Crowther, from Edmonton, Alberta began playing cello at age three. Tess has been the principal cellist of the Edmonton Youth Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra.  She has also played in the Edmonton Honours Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and has been invited to collaborate with the 2013 Indian National Youth Orchestra. In addition, she has participated in a variety of exchange programs across Canada as a soloist and chamber musician and received numerous scholarships and awards. Tess currently studies at the University of Toronto with Shauna Rolston.-top-

 

A native of Vancouver, Evan Lamberton now resides in Toronto where he studies with internationally-renowned cellist Shauna Rolston at the University of Toronto. Prior to moving to Toronto, Evan studied with cellist Ariel Barnes under whose tutelage he developed a strong passion for contemporary works and chamber music. In the future he hopes to explore both of these facets of the musical oeuvre in tandem.-top-

 

Bassist, composer, beat maker based out of Toronto. Originally from Langley, BC, Josh graduated from the Jazz Program at Capilano College in 2006 where he founded the critically acclaimed October Trio with Dan Gaucher and Evan Arntzen. In the years following Josh lived in Vancouver where he participated in the jazz community by playing with Brad Turner, Ron Samworth, George Mcfetridge, Dylan van der Schyff, Skye Brooks, the “fabulous” Bruno Hubert and many others. He was also active in the pop/rock community working with producer Jon Anderson (aka Jon Inc.), and Zaac Pick. Since moving to Toronto Josh has worked with THOMAS, Ken Aldcroft and Hugh Marsh amongst others.-top-

 

Katherine Watson is a fresh up-and-coming Toronto flautist, who recently completed her Artist’s Diploma Program at the the prestigious Glenn Gould School (GGS) of The Royal Conservatory (RCM) for flute, studying with Leslie Newman. She is in high demand as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral flautist, and has performed many world premiers of newly composed music. Katherine currently performs with the Sneak Peek Orchestra, The Bedford Trio (flute harp and viola), and this year she will be performing with the Toy Piano Composer’s ensemble. In the past, Katherine has performed with The Royal Conservatory Orchestra, the RCM New Music ensemble, the U of T Symphony Orchestra, the U of T Contemporary Music Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, and the Sir Ernest McMillian Chainsaw Gang. She has recorded for local film makers Andrew Cividio and J. Adam Brown, musician Emilie Mover and funk band Jay Spectre. Katherine teaches both flute and piano privately in the Toronto area, and is a volunteer conductor for the Canadian Flute Association’s Flute Choir. Katherine is the recipient of the 2011 Bobcaygeon Music Council Bursary.-top-

 

Tristan Durie is an accomplished young flautist who is currently active in a wide range of musical pursuits including performance, composition, recording engineering and production and contemporary music.

He is very active as a performer and freelancer in Toronto, with recent performances including, solo recitals at the University of Toronto, Ali Berkok’s new 12 piece silent film score for “Battleship Potemkin”, the 2011 world premier of Jonathan Harvey’s Vajra, interdisciplinary new music concerts with “The Sixth Sphere” ensemble, opera productions with Opera Bel Canto, The Classical Music Consort’s Haydn Bicentenary Celebration, C.O.C noon hour contemporary music concerts, an evening of Contemporary French Music at the Alliance Francaise, performances at “The Rex” and an “Orford Sur la route” concert in Bromont, Quebec.

He holds a Bachelor of Music Performance with a minor in Composition from the University of Toronto where he studied flute with Prof. Douglas Stewart (Principal Flute – Canadian Opera Company) and composition with Prof. Norbert Palej.  Tristan is the proud and grateful recipient of the 2010 James Craig Opera Orchestra Award, the 2009 Percy Faith Award, the 2009 and 2010 David and Marcia Beach Summer Study Awards,  the 2010 Jean A. Chalmers Award as well as a CBC Radio Canada Galaxy award.-top-

 

Aleh Remezau was born in Belarus where he began studying piano at age six and oboe at age 12. After coming to Canada, he continued his oboe studies with an in-demand oboist and teacher, Clare Scholtz. Since, Aleh has played in masterclasses given by world renowned musicians such as Alex Klein, Hansjorg Schellenberger, Elaine Douvas and Sherry Sylar. He has most recently attended Domaine Forget Music Academy where he received an Excellence Award and an invitation for the 2013 season. Aleh has performed in many different venues in the Toronto area, including the Living Arts Centre, Macmillan Theatre, Toronto Centre for the Arts, and Roy Thompson Hall. As an active oboist, he appeared in a number of orchestras, including University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra with maestro David Briskin, Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, Scarborough Philharmonic, and Mississauga Symphony Orchestra under the baton of maestro John Barnum.
Aleh is also a chamber musician collaborating with vocalists and wind quintets as well as a proud member of the Triceratoning Trio which performs around the city. Currently, Aleh is pursuing his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Toronto under Clare Scholtz.-top-

 

Ernesto Rapoport is currently in his final year of the Concurrent Teacher Education Program at the University of Toronto and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, focusing on music education and teaching French as a second language. Currently a student of Max Christie, Ernesto has had the chance to play in a variety of contexts including the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Youth Orchestra, the KW Windjammers, the HMCS York Band and the University of Toronto Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble. As well as being a Clarinetist, Ernesto is an avid chorister and music educator. Some of his experiences include working at the National Music Camp of Canada, the Toronto District School Board’s “Music by the Lake” camp, and being a clinician for the TDSB. Ernesto has a secret love for arranging a cappella music, and playing in pit bands. Ernesto is a recipient of the Robert and Jean Liss Scholarship in Music Education at the University of Toronto.-top-

 

Clarinetist Lewis Gilmore was singled out as one of “the best” during the performance of Mahler’s Third Symphony at the 2012 National Orchestral Institute that “rose spectacularly to [the] challenge, … passing with flying colors” (Washington Post). Lewis has collaborated with the Art of Time Ensemble in the staged, live premiere of Gavin Bryars’ “I Send You this Cadmium Red.” Put on by Canadian Stage in Toronto, the featured quartet of musicians “subtly characterized… colours by emphasizing instrumental pigments” (Toronto Sun).

Appearing as a member of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, Lewis has also performed with the Michigan Philharmonic and the Music School Festival Orchestra at the Chautauqua Institute.

Lewis will appear in April as part of the wind quintet Windtastic5 at the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music society. And continuing a long tradition of solo and chamber music recitals, Lewis will perform Messiaen’s mammoth Quartet for the End of Time among other works this spring.

Lewis graduated with highest honors from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Music degree and is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School. His main teachers include Joaquin Valdepeñas, Daniel Gilbert, and Monica Kaenzig.-top-

 

His passion for orchestral music led him to playing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (side-by-side concerts), Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, University of Toronto
Symphony, and the Orford Arts Centre Wind Octet Faculty. Omar Ho has been
awarded scholarships from Alain Trudel, the Orford Arts Centre, Womens
Musical Club of Toronto, and the Toronto Musician’s Association. He is a UTSO Concerto Competition winner and this past July, received 3rd prize in the International Woodwind Festival in Iowa.

Omar is in his 3rd year of the Clarinet Performance program studying with David Bourque and additionally with Max Christie. He has also participated in masterclasses with Wenzel Fuchs (principal clarinetist of the Berlin Philharmonic), James Campbell, Imani Winds, St. Lawrence String Quartet, and the Gryphon Trio.-top-

 

Bassoonist, Kevin Harris made his solo début with the Edmonton Symphony in 2010, performing Beethoven’s Romance Cantabile for flute, bassoon, piano and orchestra. Since then, he has performed as a soloist and with various chamber groups at the Art Gallery of Ontario, The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), and for private functions in and around Toronto. As an orchestral musician, Kevin has performed with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Edmonton Youth Orchestra, the New Edmonton Wind Sinfonia, the Sneak Peek Orchestra, and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra.

As a member of the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, Kevin has worked with leading conductors such as Leon Fleisher, Johannes Debus, Peter Oundjian, and Julian Kuerti. He has also had the opportunity to play with the orchestra in public rehearsals led by the highly influential conductors Zubin Mehta and Sir Roger Norrington.

Kevin has performed several solo recitals at the RCM, including performances as part of an annual concert series organized by bassoonist Nadina Mackie Jackson showcasing the bassoon concerti of Antonio Vivaldi. As a chamber musician Kevin has performed in recitals at the RCM with his quintet ‘Windtastic5!’ and the ‘Somewhat Dragons’ ensemble.-top-

 

Bassoonist Sheba Thibideau is a versatile musician in the world of classical and contemporary music. In the classical realm, She is principal bassoonist of the Markham Symphony Orchestra, Celebrity Symphony Orchestra and Opera Bel Canto. Sheba has also been a hired musician for Theatre Under the Stars, the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra and the New Westminister Symphony in British Columbia. In 2004, she performed with the Kwantlen University College Wind Symphony as concerto soloist. In addition, she has given solo recitals at Roy Barnett Hall and Walter hall.

Sheba is currently in collaboration with pianist Jialiang Zhu and oboist Aleh Ramezau in the trio Triceratonin with repertoire ranging from Francais Poulenc to Jenni Brandon. Assembled in 2011, the ensemble has since been performing in the downtown Toronto area.   As a way of giving back to the community, Triceratonin performed a community outreach concert at Tapestry at Villiage Gate West, a cutting edge retirement community in Etobicoke.  Sheba has also performed in solo recital at this venue. She has also been been involved in similar community work with her participation in Artsway Vancouver, a concert series given within the city of Vancouver’s hospitals and retirement homes. Currently, the trio is arranging their own series of outreach programs in various elementary and middle schools for the upcoming year.  Triceratonin very excited to be selected for the 2012 Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival supported by Lincoln Center and The Juilliard School in New York City.  Sheba attended the festival with scholarship and work placement.

In addition to classical enjoyment, Ms. Thibideau also finds herself at home in contemporary performance.As part of New Music Concerts 2011 season, Sheba performed the world premier of “Vajra,” a small ensemble piece by British composer Jonathan Harvey at the Betty Oliphant Theatre in Toronto. She also performed the Canadian Premier of Chen Yi’s “Feng” for woodwind quintet at a ceremony hosted by the University of Toronto recognizing Chen Yi’s achievements and contributions to modern repertoire.

A further testament to her versatility is seen in her jazz collaborations. With the Andrew Downing Ensemble, she was involved in multiple projects including a contemporary jazz scoring to a controversial Wikileaks video. This performance was selected to be performed again at the Music Graduate Students Association Symposium of 2011. In February of the same year, the group performed her own arrangement for the undectet to Brad Mehldau’s “Don’t Be Sad.” Sheba continues her collaborations with this ensemble in a jazz/classical fusion soundtrack accompanying Sergie M. Eisenstein’s 1920s film, “Battleship Potempkin.” She is also currently working with a local jazz/classical fusion sextet with performances in the downtown Toronto area.

Ms. Thibideau is thankful for her past and present teachers including, Nadina Mackie Jackson, Allan Thorpe, Jesse Read and Julia Lockhart. She is also appreciative of her experience in master classes led by Christopher Millard, Gustavo Nunez, Fank Morelli to name a few.-top-

 

Born and raised in Bermuda, Matthew Ross studied with Conrad Roach for 6 years before coming to Toronto for university. He is currently studying trumpet performance at the University of Toronto and has studied with Anita McAlister since his first year. During his time at U of T Matthew has played in numerous ensembles including the gamUT contemporary music ensemble, wind ensemble, 1 O’Clock jazz ensemble, symphony orchestra, “Debrassy Next Generation” brass quintet and Klezmer ensemble. Outside of school Matthew enjoys playing flugelhorn with the Weston Silver Band. Matthew is looking forward to working with Anastasia and the Musica Reflecta team!-top-

Ben Promane graduated from the University of Toronto studying trumpet performance under the tutelage of Jim Spragg and Anita McAlister. He recently completed a three-month contract as Co-principal Trumpet with the National Academy Orchestra. He performed regularly with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, 10 O’Clock Jazz Orchestra, and First Brass Quintet. Ben acted as Principal Cornet in the Hannaford Street Youth Band for the 2009 and 2010 seasons and has performed as a soloist on many occasions. Recent performances include: the Art of Time Ensemble, Kindred Spirits Orchestra, Orchestra Toronto, the Royal Conservatory Orchestra and NYCO Symphony Orchestra. Ben has performed under the baton of Peter Oundjian, Alain Trudel, David Briskin, Stéphane Denève, Role Cole, and more recently, Boris Brott and Andrew Burashko. Ben also enjoys performing in the jazz realm. He has had the opportunity to play with the Jazz FM Big Band and the National Jazz Awards Orchesta. He was fortunate enough to the join the Paul Read Orchestra at the Rex Hotel and the Terry Promane/Dave Young Big Band in Walter Hall. He has also performed with the Alex Dean Combo and the 11 O’Clock Jazz Orchestra at the University of Toronto.

Ben spent last summer at the prestigious Domaine Forget Brass Academy studying with Manon LaFrance. He toured British Columbia in May 2012 with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra performing in Vancouver, Nanaimo and Victoria.-top-

 

Will Callaghan is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Music where he studied with Harcus Hennigar. He has played in a variety of ensembles around southern Ontario including the Heliconian Choir and Orchestra, Windago, Symphony on the Bay, and the Corktown Chamber Orchestra as well as taking part in master classes and conferences with the Rome Summer Musical Arts (RomeSMARTS) program in Italy. An alumnus of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Will’s primary passion is orchestral music, however he avidly enjoys chamber music, playing with such groups as Viper Windstorm, Die Zauberquintet, Priscilla Queentet of the Desert, and Quartet Bijoux. You can hear Will on the National Youth Orchestra’s 2011 CD featuring works such as Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier Suite and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony 15. Will is very excited to join his friend Anastasia as both musician and assistant producer for Musica Reflecta.-top-

 

A recent graduate of the Glenn Gould School of Music, horn player Bethany Curley is excited to be part of Toronto’s classical music scene. She can be seen performing regularly with Toronto’s up-and-coming Sneak Peek Orchestra, as well as in numerous orchestral and chamber music engagements throughout the GTA. She has twice been a member of the prestigious National Youth Orchestra of Canada, including performing on their 2009 Juno-nominated album, and touring western Canada in 2010. In 2009 Bethany was featured as a soloist in two concerts with the Georgian Bay Symphony performing Saint-Saens’ Morceau de Concert and Mozart’s fourth horn concerto, as well as hosting the performances.

While at Glenn Gould, Bethany studied under Christopher Gongos of the Toronto Symphony. She earned a Master’s degree in performance from the University of Victoria, where she studied with Kurt Kellan, retired principal horn of the Calgary Philharmonic, and a Bachelor’s degree in performance from Wilfrid Laurier University where she studied with Nina Brickman, formerly of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.-top-

 

Trombonist Aubrey Kelly grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan.  She studied with teachers David Dick and Richard Raum throughout her high school years, before moving to Victoria, BC in 2006 to study music at the University of Victoria.  She completed her Bachelor’s degree in 2010, and her Master’s degree in 2012, under the direction of teachers Scott MacInnes and Ian McDougall.  While in Victoria, Aubrey enjoyed working as an active freelance musician, and performed and recorded in a wide range of musical settings – from big bands, to indie rock bands, to chamber ensembles, to orchestras including the Victoria Symphony.  Aubrey is excited to have made the move to Toronto this fall, and feels very lucky to have the opportunity to study at the Glenn Gould School with teacher Gordon Wolfe.  She looks forward to all that the next two years will bring, and hopes to take in as much of the amazing Toronto arts scene as possible!-top-

 

VOCALISTS

 Jelena Ciric is a Toronto-based vocalist, music educator, and writer, and a recent graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music. She can be heard singing everything from classical art song to jazz, pop, original compositions, and Serbian folk music. Jelena’s work and teaching emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration and direct communication with the audience. She is passionate about new Canadian works. Learn more at www.jelenaciric.com.-top-

Kate Applin is lauded for her passionate work in the operatic community. In 2010, at age 23, Kate founded Metro Youth Opera, offering Young Artists in Toronto their first opportunities to perform complete roles and be compensated. Kate acts as Artistic Director and President of MYOpera and is currently in her third season with the company. Kate holds a B.Mus. and Op.Dip. from Wilfrid Laurier University, where she studied with Kimberley Barber and Christiane Riel. She continues private studies with Joel Katz in Toronto. She has studied at Opera NUOVA (Edmonton, AB), where she performed Héro in Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict and the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy (Sulmona, Abruzzo), where she performed Zerlina in Don Giovanni. During her time with Opera Laurier, Kate was seen as Anne Egerman (A Little Night Music), Sister Mathilde (Dialogues of the Carmelites), and First Witch (Dido and Æneas) among others. With her own Metro Youth Opera, Kate has performed Despina (Così fan tutte) and Adina (L’elisir d’amore). In October 2012, she was a featured soloist with Musica Reflecta, performing James Rolfe’s Six Songs for Voice and String Ensemble-top-

 

Canadian Mezzo-Soprano Alexandra Beley recently completed her Master of Music degree in Operatic Performance at the University of Toronto’s Opera Division, where she studied with Professor Lorna MacDonald. From a young age Alexandra realized her love for opera with her involvement in the Canadian Children’s Opera Company. She recently sang Dorabella in U of T’s Opera Division production of Così fan tutte where her performance was noted as “quite charming” (Keira Grant). Alexandra had the pleasure of performing Dorabella earlier in the year with Metro Youth Opera’s inaugural production. Additionally at the Opera Division, Alexandra portrayed the roles of The Marquise of Birkenfeld in Donizetti’s La fille du Régiment (2012) and La Marchande in Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias (2011). Other roles include Marcellina in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (2012), Cherubino in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera NUOVA (2011), Mère Marie de l’Incarnation in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites (2009) and Countess Charlotte Malcolm in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music (2010)both with Opera Laurier. In the summer of 2011, Alexandra understudied Judith Forst as Irene in John Estacio’s Lillian Alling with The Banff Center’s Opera as Theatre Program. She recently preformed at the Bayfield Festival of Song as a young artist under the direction of Stephen Ralls and Bruce Ubukata. This season, Alexandra can be seen with Musica Reflecta, Green Door Cabaret, Vesnivka Choir, and Opera By Request.-top-

 

KEYBOARDS

Hailing from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Sarah Svendsen was first introduced to the organ at age 15 through beginner scholarships from the Halifax Centre of the Royal Canadian College of Organists (RCCO), studying with organist Wayne Rogers. After one year of study, she received a silver medal for the highest mark in Atlantic Canada for her Royal College of Music grade 7 organ exam. The following year, Sarah spent 10 months in Denmark as a Rotary International Exchange Student, studying throughout that time with organist Randi Mortensen at the world-famous Odense Domkirke.
Sarah holds a Bachelor of Music in organ performance from the University of Toronto. While completing her undergraduate degree, Sarah placed second in the 2011 Royal Canadian College of Organists National Organ Playing Competition, winning the Casavant Prize. A busy recitalist, some of Sarah’s most recent engagements have included the 2012 Calgary Organ Symposium Young Artist Platform Series, the 2012 Copenhagen International Organ Festival, as well as the 2012 Stratford Summer Music Festival. Sarah is currently studying under organist Dr. Patricia Wright, the Minister of Music at Toronto’s Metropolitan United Church. Sarah serves as Assistant Organist at Metropolitan United Church, and is acting Publicity Chair on the Executive of the Royal Canadian College of Organists Toronto Centre. Sarah is also a member of the organ duet Organized Crime Duo, a Ensemble dedicated to making organ music fun and accessible. For more information on Organized Crime Duo please visit their website: www.organizedcrimeduo.com -top-

 

COMPOSERS

Described as a “self-assured voice” (Barczablog) with a “masterful control over his idiom” (Classical Music Sentinel), Kevin Lau is quickly establishing himself as one of Canada’s brightest emerging composers. His music has been commissioned and performed by over twenty ensembles including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Hamilton Philharonic Orchestra, Toronto Philharmonia, Toronto Concert Orchestra, Orchestre de la Francophonie, Hannaford Street Silver Band, Via Salzburg, and the Esprit Orchestra. He is the recipient of the 2010 Karen Kieser Prize in Canadian Music, and his music is featured on violinist Conrad Chow’s debut CD, “Premieres” (2012 Cambria Music.)

Kevin is also active in other areas of composition, having composed the scores to fifteen films, including the Canadian feature “Gooby” (co-composed with Ronald Royer) and the History Channel documentary “UFOs: The Secret History.” He has provided orchestral arrangements for various artists, including Juno-nominated singer Suzie McNeil, and served as music director for multiple theatrical productions, including the Mississauga Chamber Society’s cross-cultural fusion show, “Carpet of Dreams.” In 2007, Kevin co-founded the Sneak Peek Orchestra with conductor Victor Cheng, which recently premiered his Cello Concerto (with soloist Rachel Mercer.)

Kevin recently completed his doctorate in music composition from the University of Toronto under the supervision of Christos Hatzis. He served as composer-in-residence for the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra (2010-12) and was one of two emerging resident composers at the Banff Centre (summer of 2012). He was recently appointed Affiliate Composer of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (2012-14).-top-

 

Bram Gielen is a composer, bassist, and pianist living in Toronto. On the heels of a childhood and adolescence studying classical piano and playing in a ton of weird bands, he went on to study the double bass at the University of Toronto’s Jazz program, graduating in 2008. His first large work, Biggish Kids, premiered at SummerWorks’ Musical Works in Concert series, and is in development for a longer run in 2013. In addition to his own work, Bram can be found writing the occasional film score and contributing to various live and recorded musical projects around Toronto.-top-

 

Chris Thornborrow’s interests as a composer have led him to an eclectic array of projects that include concert music, film, theatre and education. He is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Toy Piano Composers, a collective that premieres new works by emerging Canadian composers and encourage curiosity and humour while showcasing new music in an engaging, playful environment. The group has just completed its fourth season and premiered dozens of new works.

His music has been performed by Digital Prowess, TorQ Percussion, junctQín Keyboard Collective and the Array Ensemble. His piece Overcome for string orchestra won the 2011 University of Toronto Orchestra Composition Competition. He has scored several films including Brandon Cronenberg’s The Camera and Christopher Merk which premiered at TIFF and aired on CBC, as well as the award winning film We Ate the Children Last, which also premiered at TIFF and has since been presented across Canada, the United States and Europe.

With a keen interest in education, Chris teaches ear training, sight singing, composition, theory and piano, and founded a music program at International Summer Camp Montana in Switzerland.

Chris is a DMA candidate at the University of Toronto and has received a number of fellowships and travel grants for his research and compositions.-top-

 

Toronto-born composer Sahlia Wong holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition from the University of Toronto. Her primary mentor was Gary Kulesha and her other teachers included Christos Hatzis, Norbert Palej and Alexander Rapoport. Her music has been played by the St. Lawrence String Quartet, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra string quartet, the Kindred Spirits String Orchestra, the University of Toronto’s Master Chorale, the Boomwhacker Orchestra, and the Windsor Centre for the Creative Arts choir. In addition to her concert music, Sahlia has scored several short films by filmmakers and animators from Sheridan College and Ryerson University, and written tracks for independent video game projects. These projects have given her the chance to experiment with numerous musical genres.  In addition to composing she enjoys performing, accompanying vocalists and instrumentalists as a collaborative pianist, and teaching piano, voice and theory.

To hear more of her music, you can visit her Soundcloud page and YouTube channel -top-

 

From North Vancouver, British Columbia, percussionist/keyboardist/vocalist Spencer Cole is evolving his musical direction in multiple paths stemming from a classical origin based on his piano and voice studies as a child. Twice, he has trained and toured with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, later gaining acceptance to the University of Toronto’s jazz and classical programs. He graduated in 2008 with a performance degree in jazz drum set from the studio of Terry Clarke. During this time, he performed in classical percussion ensembles; attended the School for Improvised Music in Brooklyn where he studied with Jim Black and Tyshawn Sorey; he has worked with world class musicians such as Clarence Penn and Scott Colley at the Banff Centre International Workshop for Jazz and Creative Music under the direction of Dave Douglas. Spencer is also becoming an active composer having written several compositions for small ensembles, string orchestra and jazz orchestra.

More recently, he has diverged into performing with the theatre-percussion ensemble ‘Scrap Arts Music’ which has completed several international and world tours and will embark on a tour of the Netherlands in the new year. Additionally, and involving less dancing than the former, Spencer has been busy playing pit orchestra gigs such as “High School Musical”, “42nd St.” (of the Stratford Festival), and ”Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”, as well as performing throughout the Toronto art scene with various improvised, jazz, pop, and rock outfits.-top-

 

Toronto composer James Rolfe (b. Ottawa, 1961) has been commissioned and performed by ensembles in Canada, the USA, Europe, and New Zealand. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2000, the K. M. Hunter Music Award in 2003, the 2005 Louis Applebaum Composer Award, and the 2006 Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music.

Mr. Rolfe’s operas include Beatrice Chancy (1998, performed in Toronto, Dartmouth, and Edmonton) and Inês (2009, nominated for a Dora Award), both produced by The Queen of Puddings Music Theatre Company. Tapestry New Opera Works co-produced Elijah’s Kite in 2005 with the Manhattan School of Music. The Canadian Opera Company premiered Swoon in 2006, and has since commissioned a new opera. Other current projects include new works for Soundstreams Canada, Tarragon Theatre, Canadian Art Song Project, TorQ Percussion Quartet, Aventa Ensemble, Continuum, and Coleman Lemieux Dance.-top-

 

Anna Höstman’s compositions have been performed across Canada and internationally, in Italy, the U.K., Mexico, Russia and China. They are significantly informed by her interest in abstract photography, the natural world, and intermedia collaboration. Her work has been supported through commissioning, travel and creation grants from the Canada Council of the Arts, the BC Arts Council, a three-year residency with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, university fellowships, as well as a Joseph Bombardier Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada for her doctoral studies at the University of Toronto. Anna is very grateful to have had the opportunity to work closely over the years with her primary composition teachers Gary Kulesha and Christopher Butterfield, as well as with James Rolfe, John Celona, and Gordon Mumma. Collaborating with new music ensembles and performers continues to be a source of inspiration and happiness.-top-

 

Patrick Murray’s original music has premiered at the Norfolk Festival (Connecticut), Atlantic Music Festival (Maine), Sounstreams’ Salon 21 (Toronto), as well as in concerts by the Peabody Percussion Ensemble, Canadian Men’s Chorus, Windago Ensemble, Grand Philharmonic Choir, DaCapo Chamber Choir, and Cantabile Chamber Choir. His choral work The Echo was the winner of the DaCapo Chamber Choir’s 2011 nationwide NewWorks competition. Most recently, Patrick received the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Fellowship to study at the Norfolk Festival 2012 New Music Workshop with composer Martin Bresnick. Patrick completed his undergraduate music studies at the University of Toronto, studying composition with Norbert Palej and Gary Kulesha, piano with Henri-Paul Sicsic, and conducting with Ivars Taurins.-top-

 

ARRANGERS

As a young composer and performer living in Toronto, Adam Scime has been praised as “…a fantastic success…” (CBC) and “…clever…charged…” (Torontoist). Adam has received several performances by Canadian and International professional soloists and ensembles. Recently, Adam was selected to participate in the Chrysalis Composers Workshop with the Continuum Contemporary Ensemble, during which his piece Fixity was performed under the baton of Christopher Butterfield. In the summer of 2010, it was announced that Adam’s piece “Vagues, a Prelude for Piano and Electronics” was selected as the winning composition for the Electro- Acoustic Composers Competition hosted by acclaimed American pianist Keith Kirchoff. Subsequently, Mr. Kirchoff performed “Vagues” as part of his 2011 North American Tour. In January of 2011, renowned Canadian soloist Nadina Mackie Jackson premiered Adam’s “Concerto for Bassoon, Electronics, and Chamber Orchestra.” Adam was also appointed Composer in residence with the GamUT contemporary ensemble for the 2010/2011 concert season, a residency that saw the commissioning of two new works, and one new installation.

In March of 2011, New Music Concerts premiered Adam’s new trio, “After the rioT, for Flute, Double Bass, and Piano” for a concert celebrating the music of Jonathan Harvey. In the spring of 2011, Adam was selected by The Canadian Contemporary Music Workshop to write a piece for a concert commemorating the passing of Canadian composer Ann Southam. In early 2012, the premiere of Adam’s new Opera, “Rob Ford An Operatic Life” attracted an audience of over 800 people, and was received with much critical praise. In March of 2012, Adam’s piece “Mirage” was selected as the winning composition in the Esprit Orchestra composition competition. “Mirage” was subsequently performed as part of Esprit’s regular season and broadcast on CBC Radio. Most recently, Adam was awarded the 2012 Karen Kieser Prize in Canadian music.

Future projects include a commission from The Jumblies Theatre Company for Soprano, Cello, Choir, and Electronics, and a large chamber work commissioned by New Music Concerts for the 2012/2013 concert season. Adam has also been selected to participate in the 2012 National Arts Centre composer training program, and the Vocalypse “Opera From Scratch” workshop. Adam is continually seeking new ways to become involved in the local new music community. He recently created a new concert series, known as “Fuze,” in Toronto as a vehicle to promote the creation and performance of new Canadian works that feature electronics.

In addition to his activities as a composer, Adam also performs regularly as a double bassist. Interesting performance projects have included performances with the Array Contemporary Ensemble, Toronto’s 2009 Nuit Blanche Arts Festival, during which Adam performed under music director Brian Current for a performance of James Tenney’s installation piece, “In a Large Open Space.” In December of 2011, Adam performed double bass in Juliet Palmer’s massive theatre creation, “Like an Old Tale.” In January 2012, Adam traveled to China with the Ontario Festival Orchestra on a tour of five cities over a two-week period. Adam is currently studying with Gary Kulesha at the University of Toronto where he has been awarded a full fellowship to study as a Doctoral student in composition. Previous to his current position at U of T, Adam studied composition at The University of Western Ontario, where his teachers included Peter Paul Koprowski and Paul Frehner. Adam has also received private lessons with Anders Hillborg, Chen Yi, and Osvaldo Golijov.-top-

 

Jason Caron has been composer for 3 years, but a musician for a few more. Beginning his post-secondary studies at Lakehead in 2007, he studied composition for two years with Dr. Aris Carastathis and orchestration and analysis with Dr. Darlene Chepil-Reid after a two year struggle with being a fairly mediocre classical trombonist. He began his graduate studies at the University of Toronto in 2011, studying with Dr. Norbert Palej. He has had performances with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, the Lakehead University New Music Ensemble, has participated in University of Toronto Student Composer Concerts, and participated in a reading with Esprit Orchestra. He hopes to finish his Masters this year and to continue his studies afterward with whoever wants to put up with him for another few years. Aside from composing, he’s also in some choirs, including U of T’s MacMillan Singers, Trinity College Choir, and is an Ontario Youth Choir alumni.-top-

 

Saman Shahi started his musical education at the University of Toronto in Composition and Piano performance in 2005, and recently finished his Master’s degree in Composition under the supervision of the world-renowned Canadian composer Gary Kulesha. He is an active emerging composer throughout Canada. He has also been active as a Pianist and conductor with ensembles and festivals such as Gamut, Toy Piano composers, North Dale Concert band, Tirgan, and Beaches jazz festival.-top-

 

Tze Yeung Ho, a Norwegian-Chinese composer, was born on April 30, 1992 in Oslo, Norway. He currently resides in Toronto, Canada and studies composition at the University of Toronto. Three years prior to his studies at the university, he had private composition instructions from the well-established Canadian composer, Dr. Alexander ‘Sasha’ Weinstangel. Tze Yeung has also worked with other Canadian composers such as Maria Molinari and Andrew Staniland in various composition workshops held in the Canadian Music Centre. As well, Tze Yeung held a position as assistant copyist in Eighth Note Publications in Markham, Canada. He currently studies composition under Gary Kulesha.

Tze Yeung’s repertoire ranges from solo suites to orchestral suites. Various works such as his orchestral suite Formal Affairs, his chamber work for twelve instruments Duodecet, and his Vocalise for soprano and piano quartet were performed by the Unionville High School Symphony Orchestra members. His Concerto Grosso was recently performed and recorded by the Blue Bridge Festival Orchestra in Sutton, Canada. He has also won various prizes within the Toronto community such as the first place in Kiwanis Music Festival in composition class in the year 2009 and one of Alliance of Canadian New Music Project’s student composition awards in 2007.-top-

 

Guest Artists

Ordained in 1985, Fr Jonathan Eayrs has served as a parish priest in the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia in fishing communities along the South Shore to downtown Halifax. Returning to Toronto with his family in 2001 he has assisted at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, St Thomas’s Huron Street, and as Incumbent at Church of the Advent. He is delighted to be here at St Barnabas as its new pastor and to discover the musical depth and diversity of this parish – home to a four-part choir, marvelous pipe organ as well as the Musica Reflecta ensemble and its conductor!

Fr Jonathan began life as a westerner, first in Winnipeg, then in the village of Swansea in Toronto across from High Park. In between, he spent time at Vaughan Road Nursery School where one of his earliest memories is of his mother making a papier maché figure for the school’s staging of Peter and the Wolf. He is delighted to be carrying on the family tradition in his role as narrator in this production.-top-

 

Fraser is an actor and a writer. Selected acting credits include Romeo and Juliet (Theatre by the Bay),The Corpse Bride (Theatre Panik), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (The Globe), Hero & Leander (Common Descent), Breaking News (Triangle Pi), Shakespeare’s Clowns, Spirits and Jesters (Theatre by the Bay), The Pied Piper of Hamelin (Gadz/Theatre Aquarius), Love’s Labor’s Lost (George Brown).  Fraser is a graduate of George Brown Theatre School.

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