CLAIRE DE SÉVIGNÉ
Montreal-born soprano Claire de Sévigné recently graduated with a Master’s degree in opera from the University of Toronto (UT) under the tutelage of Darryl Edwards. She appeared as Lucia in Lucia di lammermoor and Gretel in Hansel and Gretel. Last year Ms. de Sévigné sang the roles of Flaminia in Il mondo della luna with an “Expressive voice and nice coloratura” (Opera Canada) and Cunegonde in Candide with UT.

Ms. de Sévigné recently returned from the Aspen Opera Theater Program where she understudied the role of Tytania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In June, Ms. de Sévigné performed with the Tafelmusik Baroque Institute and recently competed as a semi-finalist in the Palm Beach Opera Competition.

In March, she performed the role of Oksana in The Enslavement and Liberation of Oksana G with Tapestry New Opera. In December, Ms. de Sévigné performed Messiah with the Buffalo Philharmonic and performed in recital with the Aldeburgh Connection Young Artist Discovery Series.

Ms. de Sévigné earned her Bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from McGill University in 2009, where she appeared in many productions including La Rondine, The Rape of Lucretia, and Thésée. Last summer, Ms. de Sévigné appeared as Cleopatra in Handel’s Giulio Cesare with the Center of Opera Studies in Italy. In past summers, Ms. de Sévigné has attended the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute, Opera NUOVA, and Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center.

Ms. de Sévigné’s upcoming engagements include the role of Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare with Maestro Kevin Mallon and the Thirteen Strings Orchestra. She will also be attending Vancouver Opera’s Y.A.C.I.N training program in December.

ANDREW TEES
An Alumnus of the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble studio, Andrew Tees' "beautiful ringing baritone and "formidable stage presence" have made him one of Canada’s busiest baritones. This season marks Andrew's return the Canadian Opera Company’s stage to reprise his role as the Marquis D'Aubigny in La Traviata, as well as the Mill Hand in Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtstensk. A favourite with Opera York, he sings the title role in their production of Le Nozze di Figaro. He was asked back by Maritime Concert Opera to sing Germont in La Traviata. His oratorio demands include a debut with Toronto Mendelssohn Choir in Arvo Pärt's Passio. He sings Mozart's Requiem for both the Oakville Symphony and the Northumberland Symphony. He is back for the second year with Guelph Symphony for Handel's Messiah, which he will also perform in his return to the Oshawa Symphony. In the spring Andrew sings Vaughn Williams's Five Mystical Songs and the Brahms Deutsche Requiem for the Toronto Choral Society. He revisits the Toronto Philharmonia for an evening of Gilbert and Sullivan.

Last season, the handsome baritone won rave reviews for both Peter in Humperdink's Hansel and Gretel as well as the title role in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi for Opera York. As Marcello for Maritime Concert Opera's La Boheme he proved a natural for the role. He emerged as an ideal interpreter of Mendelssohn with his moving interpretations of St. Paul for Toronto's Pax Christi Chorale as well as a robust Elijah for Northumberland Symphony. For the Valley Festival Singers he was heard in Haydn's Missa in Tempore Belli. While for Hamilton's Bach Elgar Choir he sang Maurice Duruflé's Requiem. He wowed crowds for the Oakville Symphony and the Toronto Symphonietta in their respective Pops series. He sang recitals for London's Serenata Series as well as Nova Scotia's prestigious Three Churches Series.

Since leaving the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio Andrew has performed across Canada, Europe and the United States. He has garnered strong reviews for his rich robust baritone in roles such as Mozart’s Figaro, for both Opera Ontario and Pacific Opera, and for the role of Rossini’s Figaro for Opera York’s Barber of Seville. He has appeared with Edmonton Opera as Silvio in I Pagliacci. He revisited the role of Sonora with Vancouver Opera in Puccini’s Fanciulla del West, a role he first performed with the Canadian Opera Company.

Andrew’s film credits include John Smithson in Film Fours production of True Blue. The native Montrealer is also a three-time Canadian Champion rower.

The orchestra's members combine a passion for the vocal/instrumental tradition with expertise in the latest developments in early-music performance and twentieth-century techniques. They are professional musicians with a wide variety of experience and they play with many other ensembles, such as the Canadian Opera Company and
National Ballet of Canada orchestras, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, the Hamilton Philharmonic, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, the Windsor Symphony, and the Toronto Symphony.

Most are also active chamber musicians. Most perform on both modern and period instruments. Their repertoire includes the works of all the major composers from early Baroque to late twentieth century. Several contemporary works have been premieres.

Talisker Players performs regularly with a wide variety of choirs throughout southern Ontario The ensemble is led in performance by concertmaster Valerie Sylvester, and behind the scenes by manager (and principal violist) Mary McGeer.

IAN SADLER
Ian Sadler is a Canadian concert organist and choral director. Since taking first Prize in the USA's International Organ Playing Competition in Syracuse in 1986, Ian has devoted himself to the concert platform with organ recitals in Britain (Westminster Abbey, King's College Chapel, Cambridge), France (Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris), USA, Belgium, Holland, Sweden, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, and Denmark. In Canada, he has performed in inaugural series on new concert hall organs, including in Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall, Calgary's Jack Singer Hall, and the Winspeare Centre in Edmonton. As a regular performer in the North American International Liszt Festival, Ian has performed the complete organ works of Liszt, Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Reubke. In 1999, he represented Canada as the first Canadian member of the International Jury for the Liszt Organ Playing Competition in Budapest, Hungary.

Ian has performed concertos with The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, The Hamilton Philharmonic, and The Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra and with the Timmins and North Bay Symphony Orchestras. Ian's discography is extensive with a series of CD's on major organs in Toronto (Thomson Hall, Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, and St. James' Cathedral), a CD from Stratford of organ recital favourites entitled The Sadler Selection, and a CD devoted to the music of Mozart for the 250th Anniversary Celebrations. In 1999, Ian won a Juno Award. He has further recorded many programmes for the CBC and was featured last year on BBC's Radio 2 performing the organ music of Vaughan Williams. Ian's CD Romantic Music for Organ Vol. I, which was recorded at St. James' Cathedral in Toronto, was released in February 2008. In March of that year, he recorded a further CD on the fine historic Casavant organ of St. John's Cathedral, Newfoundland.

Born in England, Ian began his musical training as a boy chorister for five years at St. Paul's Cathedral, London. He attended The King's School, Canterbury from where he won the Organ Scholarship to Bristol University. During postgraduate study at London University, Ian was Organ Scholar at St. Paul's Cathedral for two years. Before moving to Canada, his final engagement in the UK was to play the organ in the movie Chariots of Fire. In 1980, Ian moved to Canada following his appointment as Director of Music at Toronto's Grace Church on-the-Hill and Choral Director at Upper Canada College.

Ian is Artistic Director of the Stratford Concert Choir, founder and conductor of the Stratford Children's Concert Choir, and Director of the Cathedral Singers of Ontario.

For his dedication to promoting the organ and Canadian music, both at home and abroad, The Royal Canadian College of Organists honoured Ian in 2007 with their highest award, “Fellow of The Royal Canadian College of Organists.”