The Peterborough Singers

Michael Newnham

Music Director Michael Newnham is best known for his intense and inspiring conducting style, based on a deep knowledge of the score and informed by a strong interest in languages, cultures and history. A born communicator, his open and direct contact with musicians and audiences creates performances full of expression and energy.

Along with his duties at the PSO, he is also presently (since 2018) Music Director of Orchestra Toronto. During his tenure as Music Director of Symphony New Brunswick (2009-2018), Newnham was instrumental in bringing that orchestra to new artistic heights and raising its profile on the national level.

In addition to his performances in his native Canada, Newnham has also appeared at the helm of many orchestras and opera companies throughout Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Italy and South Korea.

Endowed with a special passion and gift for working with young musicians, Michael was the founding conductor of the Kawartha Youth Orchestra, and has been a faculty member at Music at Port Milford for several years. His involvement in educating young musicians is not limited to Canada; he spent two years as a guest professor and orchestra conductor at Taegu-Hyosung University in South Korea.

Originally from Hamilton, Newnham is a graduate of the conducting class of Prof. Bogusław Madey at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Poland. He also studied at the Indiana University School of Music and at the University of Toronto.

He is a recipient of several awards, including the “Order of Merit” from the Republic of Poland, the “Best Conductor” Award from the East Slovakian State Opera, and the Turzanski Award for his services in promoting Polish music and culture in Canada.

Before taking up the baton, Newnham began his musical career as a trombonist, playing with the Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphonies, as well as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. He currently lives in Peterborough with his wife, cellist Zuzanna. He is an avid reader, proud father to two daughters and a passionate home barista.

Syd Birrell

The rumours are true. I’m retiring! After 35 years, this year’s Messiah concerts will be my last as Artistic Director of the Peterborough Singers.

This is a bittersweet moment. Bitter, because the Singers has given many of the most memorable moments of my life. How can I ever forget directing Handel’s Messiah the night my son, James, died of cancer? The dozens of Messiah concerts since have played a key role in the healing journey of everyone who grieved with us, and healed with us.

But, this moment is also sweet. While I will desperately miss standing at that podium, I can rest knowing that, after 35 years, the choir is healthier than ever. After much reflection, I decided that now, when the choir is at its best, is the time to pass on the baton. I want to hand my successor – whoever they may be – a healthy, thriving, well-oiled machine.

This is what Syd’s Legacy Fund is for — not a monument, but a toolkit. It will help with the things that make the choir soar: world-class soloists who lift the roof, programs that bring music into communities, and all the invisible gears that keep the machine running. It’s about ensuring the next conductor walks into a room full of possibility.

If the Peterborough Singers has ever made you smile, cry, sit up straighter, or hum on the way home, I hope you’ll consider supporting this next chapter. Your gift will help keep the music alive…for the next 35 years!

Jacob Abrahamse

Jacob Abrahamse is a critically acclaimed tenor, praised by Opera Canada as a “gifted tenor” and an “impressive Alfredo” in La Traviata. Known for his dynamic stage presence and refined vocal artistry, he regularly performs across North America in opera, oratorio, and concert settings.

In the 2025/2026 season, Abrahamse debuts at The Dallas Opera as The Snake/The Vain Man in Rachel Portman’s The Little Prince and returns to The Santa Fe Opera as an Apprentice Singer, performing as the Street Vendor in Puccini’s La Bohème and covering Don Curzio in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. As an oratorio soloist, Abrahamse performs in the North American premiere of Norbert Palej’s Missa Super Terminos (Elmer Iseler Singers/MacMillan Singers) and in Haydn’s Die Schöpfung (Peterborough Singers/Peterborough Symphony Orchestra).

In 2023/2024, Abrahamse performed as the Tenor Soloist in Mozart’s Requiem (Mississauga Chamber Singers) and Handel’s Messiah (St. James Cathedral Choir and Orchestra; Choral Connection). As a member of Santa Fe Opera’s internationally renowned Apprentice Program for Singers, Abrahamse performed as Count Almaviva in scenes from Il barbiere di Siviglia and covered Faninal’s Major Domo and First Lackey in Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier. Abrahamse earned praise for his portrayal of Alfredo in La Traviata (Brott Opera), with Opera Canada calling his performance “remarkable” and highlighting his “particularly stellar passages” in De’ miei bollenti spiriti; O mio rimorso!” He also portrayed Frederic in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance (COSA Canada), Ralph Rackstraw in Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore (Saugeen Opera Festival), and Broddess/Overseer Pitts in Okoke’s Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed that Line to Freedom (Nathaniel Dett Chorale).

Abrahamse has performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall as the Tenor Soloist in Mendelssohn’s Elijah. He also appeared as the Tenor Soloist in Bach’s Mass in B Minor with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and as the Tenor Soloist in Handel’s Messiah with ensembles including the choir and orchestra of St. James Cathedral, members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Peterborough Singers, and the Georgian Bay Concert Choir.

A champion of contemporary opera, Abrahamse has performed roles in works by Dean Burry, Lloyd Burritt, and Abigail Richardson-Schulte. He made his operatic debut by creating the starring role of the Holy Child in the Dora Mavor Moore award-winning production of R. Murray Schafer’s The Children’s Crusade.

Melissa Wotherspoon

Melissa Wotherspoon is a distinguished musician and educator, renowned for her artistic vision and dedication to community engagement. Since 2010, she has been an integral member of the soprano section of the Peterborough Singers, where she has also championed the choir’s outreach and fundraising initiatives through innovative YouTube videos. Melissa’s passion for music is evident in her commitment to excellence and her ability to unite individuals from diverse backgrounds in a warm, inclusive atmosphere.

Her musical journey began at Markham District High School, where an inspiring music program and dedicated teachers ignited her passion for musical excellence. This experience also fostered her commitment to education, leading her to pursue studies at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education after completing her undergraduate degrees in science and music at the University of Guelph.

Currently, Melissa serves as the Arts Lead at Clarington Central Secondary School, where she directs vocal and theatrical ensembles, mentors young artists, and advocates for inclusive arts education with creativity, compassion, and a deep belief in the power of music to bring people together.

Peterborough Symphony Orchestra

William Kraushaar

Shannon McCracken

Karolina Podolak

Polish-Canadian soprano Karoline Podolak is recipient of many international awards and prizes, most recently including Grand Prize at the 2023 George and Nora London Foundation, First Prize and Audience Choice Prize Winner at the 2022 Canadian Opera Company Competition, and Second Prize at the 2023 Loren L. Zachary Vocal Competition. Podolak has participated in various young artist programmes and has twice been named ‘Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques’ of Théâtre Lyrichorégra 20.

Operatic highlights of the 2024/25 season include a house debut as Adele Die Fledermaus at Edmonton Opera, Kate Pinkerton Madama Butterfly for Canadian Opera Company as well as concert performances as Papagena Die Zauberflöte at Daegu Opera House. Elsewhere this season, performances include Markopoulos Liturgy of Orpheus at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, an appearance with Orchestra Toronto, and recital at Opéra National de Bordeaux.

In November 2019, Podolak made her operatic debut at Silesian Opera House as Zuzia in the academic premiere of Stanislaw Moniuszko Verbum Nobile, returning later that season as Adele Die Fledermaus. Other previous highlights include the title role in The Cunning Little Vixen at Canadian Opera Company, Violetta La Traviata for Bulgaria National Opera, Staatstheater Augsburg and Southern Ontario Lyric Opera, as well as Le Feu, La Princesse & Le Rossignol in Ravel L’Enfant et les sortilèges for Opéra de Montréal.

In concert, Podolak has appeared with the Toronto Concert Orchestra, Southern Ontario Lyric Opera, Toronto Sinfonietta, Opera de San Miguel in Mexico, Meininger Staatstheater, The Symphony Orchestra of Zabrze Philharmonic and Silesian Philharmonic. She has performed regularly for the Polish Consulate and Legislative Assembly of Ontario in Toronto, and has been a featured soloist in the Congregation of Polish Choirs in Warsaw.

Karoline Podolak graduated from Ryerson University’s RTA School of Media and completed a Master’s degree in Opera Performance at the K. Szymanowski Academy of Music, Katowice. She continues her studies with Kinga Mitrowska.

Ian Sadler

Ian Sadler began his musical training as a boy chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, UK. He was awarded a Music Scholarship to The King’s School, Canterbury and following high school, was awarded the Organ Scholarship at Bristol University. At age 17, he passed the Fellowship examination of Trinity College of Music, London. During postgraduate study at London University (1978-80), Ian was the Organ Scholar at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Before moving to Canada, his final engagement in the UK was to play the organ in the movie, Chariots of Fire.

Ian moved to Canada in 1980 following his appointments in Toronto as Director of Music at Grace Church-on-the-Hill and Choral Director at Upper Canada College. He has since gone on to appointments as Organist of St. James’ Cathedral, Toronto and most recently as Director of Music at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Ontario.

Highlights of Ian’s career have included, representing Canada as the organist for the United Nations 50th Anniversary Celebrations in San Francisco, being awarded the honorary adjunct position of Professor of Music by Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario – a position which he held for 8 years – representing Canada as the first Canadian juror at the International Liszt Organ Playing Competition held at the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary, and winning a Juno award for a CD recording by his Burlington Chamber Choir, Pro Musica.

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, ‘Fellowship of The Royal Canadian College of Organists’.

2025 marks the 25th Anniversary of the founding of Ian’s choir, The Cathedral Singers of Ontario. Founded in 2000, this choir has since acted as choir-in-residence for a week each winter and summer at a total of 29 different British Cathedrals. In January 2025 the choir undertook its 35th visit with its 3rd residency at Westminster Abbey.

Ian Sabourin

Canadian countertenor Ian Sabourin is a rising star in the world of early music and opera, known for his exceptional timbre, powerful high notes, and dynamic artistry. Raised in Ottawa and now based in Montreal, Ian is rapidly making a name for himself in Canada’s classical music scene. Described as “stunning” with a “powerful timbre” that listeners can enjoy for hours, Ian has captivated audiences at renowned festivals such as the Lamèque Baroque Festival and with esteemed ensembles including Orchestre Classique de Montréal, Ensemble Caprice, and Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal. He has been recognized for his artistry with several prestigious awards, including the Stingray Rising Star Award from Opéra de Montréal and Discovery of the Year – Vocalist from Mécénat Musica. These accolades have greatly supported his growing career, providing invaluable exposure and opening doors to new opportunities. A former street performer, Ian is deeply passionate about making the countertenor voice more accessible to a wider audience. This love for sharing the beauty of his voice with listeners from all walks of life has been a guiding force in his artistic journey. His recent season has featured key performances such as Bateau B in Laurence Jobidon’s new opera Le Phare and Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea at Opéra de Montréal – Atelier Lyrique and David in Handel’s Saul with and Caelis Academy Ensemble, Ian’s voice is increasingly sought after for both concert and opera stages, with upcoming performances that include Tolomeo in Giulio Cesare at the Lachine Music Festival (July 2025) and Giulio Cesare in Giulio Cesare at OperOttawa (November 2025), and Bach’s St. John Passion with Choeur Classique de Montréal (January 2026) and Bach’s Magnificat with Ensemble Art Choral and Ensemble Caprice (June 2026). In addition to his stage performances, Ian’s recent concert work has included Handel’s Dixit Dominus with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and Handel’s Giulio Cesare scenes with Galileo Orchestra. His extensive training has included a Master’s in Vocal Performance from McGill University, where he studied with mezzo-soprano Annamaria Popescu, and a Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from the University of Toronto, where he studied with countertenor Daniel Taylor. Ian is currently continuing his development at Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier Lyrique, where he is their first-ever countertenor, and studying with renowned teachers Lena Hellström-Färnlöf and Laura Brooks Rice. Ian’s growing success is a result of his hard work and dedication, supported by recognition from several award organizations. The Developing Artist Grant from the Hnatyshyn Foundation, where he placed second in 2024, has provided vital resources for his continued artistic growth. Other honours, such as being a semi-finalist on the TV show Quel Talent! (2024) and winning 3rd Place in the Emerging Artist Award from Early Music Vancouver (2023), have further fueled his journey and helped raise his profile within the industry. Ian also received the Aida Fund Scholarship from Jeunesses Musicales Canada Foundation (2024), which has supported his vocal development. Fluent in both English and French, Ian continues to make a name for himself as an artist with a promising future, one performance at a time. With a passion for making the countertenor voice accessible and a growing repertoire of roles, Ian is poised to become a leading figure in the classical music world in the years to come.
www.iansabourin.com

Alex Dobson

British-Canadian baritone Alexander Dobson has been praised for his musical and dramatic artistry on both opera and concert stages. He was lauded for his “gripping embodiment of Wozzeck” (Journal Voir) in a production of the Berg opera with Théâtre du Nouveau Monde and Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Other roles of note include the title role in Don Giovanni, the Count/Le Nozze di Figaro and Thomas Betterton/Prince of Players, all with Florentine Opera, and Guglielmo/Così Fan Tutte, Belcoré /L’elisir d’amore and Ned Keene/Peter Grimes, all with L’Opera de Montréal.

Acclaimed for his accomplished blend of stagecraft and vocal ability, Mr. Dobson is particularly in demand for contemporary stagings. His recent performance as “The Master” in Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie’s production of Against Nature was praised for its “clarity and sustained feeling” (The Globe and Mail ) More recently Alex sang in the world premiere of The Night Falls by Ellis Ludwig Leone with Ballet Collective and made the Canadian premiere in Angels Bone with Loose Tea Theatre in Vancouver and Toronto singing the role of Mr. XE. Dobson was also acclaimed as “The Pilot” in Soundstreams’ production of Airline Icarus, a new opera by Brian Current. The recording of Airline Icarus was the winner of the JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year in 2015. The recording of Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players, with Florentine Opera and the Milwaukee Symphony, was released in April 2020 on the Reference Recordings label and received two GRAMMY(r) nominations. Alexander made his London debut at the Linbury Theatre with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in the premiere of The Midnight Court by Ana Sokolovic. He was also acclaimed for his appearances in a staged performance of Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony directed by Atom Egoyan at Spoleto Festival USA, and as King Karl in Schubert’s Fierrabras with Toronto’s VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert.

Other opera engagements include Raimbaud/Le Comte Ory for Edmonton Opera, Maximilian/Candide with Calgary Opera; “Guillaume” in the French version of Così fan tutte with Opera Lafayette; Count Almaviva/The Marriage of Figaro with Against the Grain; Marcello/La Bohème with Saskatoon Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, and on television in BRAVO’s StreetScenes version of the work; Silvio/Pagliacci for L’Opéra de Québec; Mercutio/Roméo et Juliette for L’Opera de Montréal and also for Opera Ontario; Harlequin/Ariadne auf Naxos for Calgary Opera, Sonora/La fanciulla del West with L’Opera de Montreal; and Aeneas/Dido and Aeneas with The Theatre of Early Music. He has sung Escamillo/Carmen in concert with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.

Concert performances of note include Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast with Toronto Symphony and Sir Andrew Davis, Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfayer with Orchestre Métropolitain, Faure Requiem with the Windsor Symphony, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the combined National Arts Centre Orchestra and Orchestre Métropolitain. He has sung Mozart’s Requiem with the Milwaukee Symphony and San Antonio Symphony and Haydn’s Seasons with the Cleveland Orchestra. Alexander has sung Handel’s Messiah with Philadelphia Orchestra (Cristian Macelaru, conductor), Calgary Philharmonic (Nicholas McGegan), Kansas City Symphony, Orchestra London, National Arts Centre Orchestra (Paul Goodwin), St. Thomas Church in New York, Edmonton Symphony, Grand Philharmonic Choir, Elmer Isler Singers, Boris Brott Festival, and Spiritus Chamber Choir, Brahms Requiem with Pacific Chorale, Orchestre Metropolitain, Peterborough Symphony, Seattle Symphony and Bach’s St. John Passion with Bach Society of St. Louis. Among his many Canadian engagements this past season were Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Hamilton Philharmonic.

Mr. Dobson is also a dedicated recital artist. Composer Derek Holman wrote the song cycle Daybreak and a Candle End especially for Alexander and the Talisker Players. Mr. Dobson has also performed Dichterliebe with Talisker Players Chamber Music and Coleman Lemieux Dance Company, and Schubert’s Winterreise to great acclaim in Montréal, Victoria, England, Paris, and, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin at the piano, in Toronto. Alexander has also been heard frequently on CBC Radio Canada in recital and concert.

Alexander graduated from the University of Toronto Opera Division and the Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario with Honours. He is also an alumnus of the Music Theatre Program at the Banff Centre, the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, the Steans Institute for Young Artists at Ravinia, and L’Atelier Lyrique de L’Opéra de Montréal. Alexander is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, including those from the International Voice Competition of Paris (including the Edward Marshall Association Award for Outstanding Baritone), the Jeunesses Musicales National Competition, the Marilyn Horne Competition (Music Academy of the West), and the Jacqueline Desmarais Competition.

An ardent singer since childhood, Alexander’s solo début was at twelve years old, as a treble soloist in the Canadian premiere of Lloyd Webber’s Requiem under conductor Elmer Iseler.

Alex is currently Professor of Applied Voice at Mount Allison University.

Michael Colvin

Highly in demand on prestigious stages around the world, Irish-born, Canadian-raised tenor Michael Colvin has garnered critical acclaim for appearances as Duke of Cornwall in new productions of Reimann’s Lear at Opéra National de Paris, Teatro Maggio Musicale di Fiorentino and Salzburg Festival; Monostatos Die Zauberflöte, Bardolfo Falstaff and Rodolphe in a new production of Guillaume Tell at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; The Witch Hansel and Gretel and Monostatos Die Zauberflöte at the Canadian Opera Company; Herod Salome, Bob Boles Peter Grimes, and Painter/Second Client in William Kentridge’s acclaimed production of Lulu for English National Opera.

Following on the heels of a successful return to the 2023 Salzburg Festival as Bardolfo Falstaff, Michael’s 2023/24 season began with a highly anticipated company debut at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala in one of his signature roles: Bob Boles in Robert Carsen’s new production of Peter Grimes conducted by Simone Young. Other highlights of the season include his debut at Madrid’s Teatro Real in Reimann’s Lear and his Hamburg Opera debut as Arturo Lucia di Lammermoor.

The 2022/23 season marked a return to Opéra National de Paris for Monostatos in Robert Carsen’s Die Zauberflöte and Spoletta Tosca under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. He also appeared with the hometown Canadian Opera Company as Basilio Le Nozze di Figaro, Second Jew/Herodes cover Salome and Spoletta Tosca. Other recent highlights include Monostatos at both the Royal Opera House and the Canadian Opera Company and Don Basilio Le Nozze di Figaro at the Opéra National de Paris, also conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.

Closely associated with English National Opera, Michael’s many appearances with the company include Herod in a new production of Salome; Arturo in David Alden’s production of Lucia di Lammermoor; Painter/Second Client Lulu; Flute A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Peter Quint The Turn of the Screw under the baton of the late Sir Charles Mackerras and the title role in Peter Grimes conducted by Edward Gardner.

At home in Canada, he has been seen as Dr Caius Falstaff, Basilio Le Nozze di Figaro, and the Witch Hansel and Gretel, all with the Canadian Opera Company. Other engagements include Cornwall in Reimann’s Lear at Opéra National de Paris and Teatro Maggio Musicale di Fiorentino; Laios in Enescu’s Oedipe and Cornwall Lear at the Salzburg Festival; Rodolphe Guillaume Tell and Bardolfo Falstaff at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; L’Aumonier Dialogues des Carmélites for Dutch National Opera; and Jaquino Fidelio with Le Cercle de l’Harmonie in Lyon and Paris. A fine Britten interpreter, he has performed to great acclaim the role of Bob Boles Peter Grimes at English National Opera; the Enescu Festival; Opera de Oviedo; Vlaamse Opera; with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski; and Accademia di Santa Cecilia and Sir Antonio Pappano.

Recent concert engagements include Shepherd Oedipus Rex at the Edinburgh International Festival; a recital with Scottish Opera as part of their Sir Walter Scott and Opera series; Beethoven Missa Solemnis for the Richard Eaton Singers of Edmonton; Mahler Das Lied von der Erde for Louisville Orchestra; Handel Messiah with National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Seattle Symphony, Vancouver Symphony and Toronto Symphony Orchestra; Haydn Creation with New Mexico Symphony; Schubert Mass in A Flat at Festival Vancouver; Beethoven Symphony No.9 with Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and l’Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec; Elgar Dream of Gerontius; Haydn Die Schöpfung and Verdi Requiem for the Elora Festival.

Janelle Lucyk

”Such an angelic voice. Her expressiveness is beyond words. It’s as though she’s channeling God.” – (YouTube)

Janelle Lucyk is a leader among an emerging generation of Canadian artists specializing in old music and historically informed performance, taking ideas from conception to the stage.

Janelle is the artistic director of Ménestrel, her ensemble with Kerry Bursey which produces alternative early music mixing ancient repertoire with oral folk traditions. Since 2022, Ménestrel has been producing a “Messiah-on-the-go!” congregating twenty emerging performers from across Canada to perform Handel’s masterpiece in historic Nova Scotian venues. Janelle is director of the new series ArtChoral at La Grande Salle du 9e, the recently reopened historic Art Deco venue in Montreal. Following mentor and arts champion Barbara Butler, Janelle is Artistic and Administrative Director of Musique Royale (est. 1985), a music presenter based in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia which enriches historic spaces through the sharing of world class early music, and much more. Programming includes over seventy concerts throughout the year in venues across the spectacular maritime province.

Performing well over a hundred concerts last year, she gave concerts in all of Canada’s thirteen provinces and territories, and was in residency in Europe through the summer. Janelle is Mécénat Musica’s 2025 Vocal Discovery of the Year.

In fall 2022, Janelle was invited by legendary organist Xaver Varnus to perform at his two sold out performances in Hungary, including at the spectacular Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest. She has had the good fortune of working as a soloist with the Kings College Chapel Choir under five-time Grammy winner Paul Halley on many unforgettable concerts including Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 and Selva Morale e Spirituale and multiple Bach Passions. Janelle graduated in 2014 with distinction from the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles in Belgium and completed her Masters in Management at Durham University in the UK where she was awarded the Best Soloist by Music Durham, and Best Female Soloist by her peers. While in Europe, she formed Voces Desuper, an ensemble performing regularly in the magnificent Cathédrale de Saints-Michel-et-Gudule, and especially at the Te Deum ceremony for the King and Queen of Belgium.

Janelle is ever grateful to the Canada Council of the Arts, the Federal Department of Canadian Heritage, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Mécénat Musica, Arts Nova Scotia and Brent Rinaldi for their support.

Lillian Brooks

Canadian mezzo-soprano Lillian Brooks has been praised for her “lyric sound” (Ludwig van Toronto), “easy handling of coloratura” (Schmopera), and noted for her “wonderful sensitivity to story and the development of song” (FYI Music). The 2024/2025 season sees Lillian debut with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra for Mozart’s Kronungsmesse, and make returns to both Chorus Niagara and the Grand Philharmonic Choir for Bach’s B Minor Mass and Handel’s Messiah, respectively.
This past season, she made her debut with the Grand Philharmonic Choir for Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, and joined both the Peterborough Singers and Chorus Niagara for their presentations of Handel’s Messiah. Other recent engagements include Handel’s Messiah with Brott Opera, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with Chorus Niagara, and Mahler’s Ruckert Lieder with innerCHAMBER.
In 2015, Lillian made her professional debut with Chorus Niagara singing Mozart’s Requiem under the baton of Robert Cooper. Her love for oratorio and concert work continues to grow as she finds herself in high demand for her interpretations of oratorio repertoire, including Handel’s Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Bach’s St John Passion and St Matthew Passion, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Durufle’s Requiem, and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. She was elated to perform the Canadian premieres of both Last Light Above the World by Alan Bevan and The Cross of Christ by Romulo Delgado.
Equally at home on the operatic stage, her roles include Fenena in Nabucco and Lucia in Cavalleria Rusticana with Toronto City Opera, and a return to Toronto’s Koerner Hall for the Royal Conservatory’s production of Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. Futher opera credits include Bradamante in Alcina (Handel), Annio in La clemenza di Tito (Mozart), Mrs. Nolan in The Medium (Menotti), Filipyevna in Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky), Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte (Mozart), Flora in La Traviata (Verdi), Cornelia in Giulio Cesare (Handel), and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart).
Lillian enjoyed two years with Calgary Opera as a member of their McPhee Artist Development Program during their 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons. During her time in Calgary, Lillian had the pleasure of performing as The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Hansel in Hansel & Gretel. Lillian also had the opportunity to participate in new-music workshops as part of Calgary Opera’s “Opera Labs” series, working with Canadian conductors and composers such as John Estacio, Dean Burry, Kelly Marie Murphy, Jean-Claude Picard, and Johannes Debus.
Lillian’s musical journey has led to numerous accolades for her dedication to the craft. In 2015, she was awarded the prestigious Hnatyshyn Foundation Developing Artists Grant, while graduating cum laude from York University, where she studied with Canadian mezzo-soprano Catherine Robbin, and earned first prize in their annual Concerto Competition. Lillian received her Artist Diploma in Vocal Performance from the Glenn Gould School in 2017 and went on to participate in the 2018 Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme in Aldeburgh, UK, where she studied with internationally acclaimed faculty including Matthew Rose and Anne-Sofie von Otter.
Canadian mezzo-soprano Lillian Brooks has been praised for her “lyric sound” (Ludwig van Toronto), “easy handling of coloratura” (Schmopera), and noted for her “wonderful sensitivity to story and the development of song” (FYI Music). The 2024/2025 season sees Lillian debut with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra for Mozart’s Kronungsmesse, and make returns to both Chorus Niagara and the Grand Philharmonic Choir for Bach’s B Minor Mass and Handel’s Messiah, respectively.
This past season, she made her debut with the Grand Philharmonic Choir for Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, and joined both the Peterborough Singers and Chorus Niagara for their presentations of Handel’s Messiah. Other recent engagements include Handel’s Messiah with Brott Opera, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with Chorus Niagara, and Mahler’s Ruckert Lieder with innerCHAMBER.
In 2015, Lillian made her professional debut with Chorus Niagara singing Mozart’s Requiem under the baton of Robert Cooper. Her love for oratorio and concert work continues to grow as she finds herself in high demand for her interpretations of oratorio repertoire, including Handel’s Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Bach’s St John Passion and St Matthew Passion, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Durufle’s Requiem, and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. She was elated to perform the Canadian premieres of both Last Light Above the World by Alan Bevan and The Cross of Christ by Romulo Delgado.
Equally at home on the operatic stage, her roles include Fenena in Nabucco and Lucia in Cavalleria Rusticana with Toronto City Opera, and a return to Toronto’s Koerner Hall for the Royal Conservatory’s production of Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. Futher opera credits include Bradamante in Alcina (Handel), Annio in La clemenza di Tito (Mozart), Mrs. Nolan in The Medium (Menotti), Filipyevna in Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky), Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte (Mozart), Flora in La Traviata (Verdi), Cornelia in Giulio Cesare (Handel), and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart).
Lillian enjoyed two years with Calgary Opera as a member of their McPhee Artist Development Program during their 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons. During her time in Calgary, Lillian had the pleasure of performing as The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Hansel in Hansel & Gretel. Lillian also had the opportunity to participate in new-music workshops as part of Calgary Opera’s “Opera Labs” series, working with Canadian conductors and composers such as John Estacio, Dean Burry, Kelly Marie Murphy, Jean-Claude Picard, and Johannes Debus.
Lillian’s musical journey has led to numerous accolades for her dedication to the craft. In 2015, she was awarded the prestigious Hnatyshyn Foundation Developing Artists Grant, while graduating cum laude from York University, where she studied with Canadian mezzo-soprano Catherine Robbin, and earned first prize in their annual Concerto Competition. Lillian received her Artist Diploma in Vocal Performance from the Glenn Gould School in 2017 and went on to participate in the 2018 Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme in Aldeburgh, UK, where she studied with internationally acclaimed faculty including Matthew Rose and Anne-Sofie von Otter.

Leslie Fagan

Leslie Fagan is a world-renowned soprano, a dedicated educator and mentor, and a proud Canadian artist.

Hailed by critics as “nothing short of astonishing” and “in a class of her own,” she has for decades performed under the baton of noted conductors at many of the world’s most famous music venues. Leslie is perhaps most famous for her storied performances of Handel’s Messiah, which have soared out from stages in New York, London, Kyoto and beyond. Leslie has performed at many of the world’s most famous music venues, including Royal Albert Hall, Lincoln Center, Bordeaux Opera House, and – 16 times and counting – at the world-famous Carnegie Hall.

Her career reads as a journey in the company of many of music’s most famous names. She has sung Stravinsky and Debussy in France, Bach in Germany, and Mendelssohn in Manhattan. She has dazzled audiences with concert performances in Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Netherlands. She has shared the stage with such luminaries as Victor Borge, Lois Marshall, and Maureen Forrester. She has interpreted the legendary operas of Mozart, Puccini, and Donizetti.

Leslie has performed on CBC radio and television, BBC radio and television, and National Public Radio, among other platforms. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where she studied with Madame Irene Jessner and Lois Marshall, and has studied privately with famed performers and composers in France and Italy.

Leslie has adjudicated international vocal competitions at the highest level, including the Oratorio Society of New York’s annual Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition.

When not on the world stages, Leslie is an Associate Professor who teaches aspiring singers at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Leslie is co-founder of the Canadian Art Song Project, whose mandate is to champion the legacy of Canadian song. The first two CDs in the series, “Thread of Winter” and “Halibut Cheeks and other Love Songs” have been received with rave reviews. www.canadianartsong.ca

As a recipient of the Order of Ontario, Leslie is recognized for her sustained artistic excellence, her commitment to educating the next generation of vocal performers, and her championing of the great Canadian songbook though the Canadian Art Song project. www.lesliefagan.com

Venabrass

Venabrass is a brass ensemble from Toronto, Ontario. Formed primarily from the Venables family, this brass group displays ensemble virtuosity at its finest. As individuals, members of the Venabrass have travelled around the world as both soloists, conductors and composer both as freelance, professional and through The Salvation Army. The early days of the group was merely family members playing music together. This grew into touring at Christmas time, performing annual concerts, recording, and travelling to Africa. Venabrass now exists beyond just the Venables name with other high caliber musicians included. However, it still maintains its Salvation Army musicianship, to which, they desire to serve God first and foremost through their music and strive towards the highest degree of music excellence in that service.

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Many of you also donate to our choir and sponsor soloists and concerts. You have our heartfelt thanks:

Lesley Bouza

While initially trained in saxophone at the University of Guelph, Lesley discovered the potential of her singing voice in her early twenties and has never looked back. She then went on to study voice at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama before returning to Canada to become an active Toronto based musician. She delights in taking every opportunity to use her eclectic skill-set performing jazz, pop, musical theatre and classical genres. Some of Lesley’s career highlights include Lesley Sings Joni, a Joni Mitchell tribute concert at the 2018 Elora Festival, Steve Reich at 80 with Soundstreams, Dido and Aeneas at Carnegie Hall with Les Violons du Roy and a tour of Taiwan as a member of the Swingle Singers.

In addition to being a busy performer Lesley is an accredited music therapist. This provides her with the opportunity to connect with others through music and to support them in their exploration of music as a tool for their own well-being.

Christopher Dunham

Christopher Dunham of Niagara Falls, Ontario has captivated audiences with his “vocally powerful and dramatic” as well as “robust and agile” baritone voice (Opera Canada), across North America and Europe.

A graduate from L’Atelier Lyrique de L’Opéra de Montréal and Atlanta Opera’s Young Artist Residency Christopher is the winner of the Desmarais Development Bursary three years in a row and the Jeunesses Musicals Canada’s Young Mentorship position. Christopher is equally comfortable in concert, opera, recital, circus and burlesque.

Some of his roles include: The Brother in Seven Deadly Sins (Atlanta Opera), Figaro in The Barber of Seville (Brott Opera), Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette (Jeunesses Musical Canada), Argante in Rinaldo (Pacific Opera Victoria), Dandini in La Cenerentola (La Musica Lyrica), Schaunard in La Bohème and Escamillo in Carmen (L’Opéra de Montréal).

David John Walsh

David Walsh, born and raised in Toronto, and finished his Diploma of Opera Performance at the University of Toronto with Honours in 2022.

From there David has participated in a wide range of vocal performances. In 2024, David debuted a reimagined version of Ravel’s A Spanish Hour as the lead role. He made his debut as Jenik in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride with the Canadian Institute of Czech Music in Collaboration with Opera by Request. In 2023, he performed as the Tenor Soloist for Chorus Niagara’s Messiah, debuted the role of the Governor/Vanderdendur in North York Concert Orchestra’s production of Candide, as well as El Remendado in No Strings Theatre’s production of Carmen. In the winter of 2023, David made his debut with the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra as Count Almaviva in a concert performance of The Barber of Seville. In 2022/23 David sang with the Canadian Opera Company Chorus for both their Fall and Spring seasons. He made his debut as Martin in Aaron Copland’s opera The Tender Land in Spring 2022 with U of T Opera. A highlight of 2022 was when he was asked to perform as the Tenor soloist in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana with Chorus Niagara. At U of T Opera in Fall 2021, he made his role debut as Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville.

As well as an avid singer, David is an avid biker. This form of transportation is the way he practices a lot of his repertoire. So, if you ever see a blur of red hair and hear some Rossini or Fauré on the downtown streets of Toronto, you have most likely encountered David Walsh.

Jonathan Liebich

Bass-Baritone Jonathan Liebich is known for a rich and expressive voice and has enjoyed performing in Canada and Europe. He is delighted to return to the Peterborough Singers, having recently appeared with them in the Requiems of Verdi and Fauré.

Jonathan is particularly passionate about the oratorio repertoire and audiences have been riveted by his commanding performances of repertoire including the Requiems of Brahms, Mozart and Duruflé, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Mass in C, Ninth Symphony, Bach’s St. John’s Passion and Christmas Oratorio, Haydn’s Creation and Lord Nelson Mass, and Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs with numerous orchestras and choirs including the Elmer Iseler Singers, Stuttgart Music Festival under the baton of Helmuth Rilling, the Vancouver Bach Choir, Vancouver Symphony and Kingston Symphony. He has been recorded and aired on CBC Radio2 several times.

He has also navigated many operatic stages in roles such as Count Almaviva and Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, Papageno in The Magic Flute, The 4 Villains in Tales of Hoffmann, Belcore in Elixir of Love, Sam in A Masked Ball, El Dancairo in Carmen, and Baron Douphol in La Traviata. Several of these were on Vancouver Opera’s Mainstage. He is also an alumnus of the Vancouver Opera Touring Ensemble with whom he performed Mozart’s Magic Flute in over 200 schools throughout his home province of British Columbia. Jonathan enjoyed working with St. Anne’s MADS as the Pirate King in their award winning production of Pirates of Penzance, including a performance at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton England. He has been on two European tours performing The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro.

Since 2011 Jonathan has shared his love and passion of choral music through his direction of the New Song Chancel Choir in Port Perry, where he currently resides with his family.

In his spare time, he is a Divisional Assistant Manager with the Toronto Transit Commission.

Colin Ainsworth

Colin Ainsworth has been praised for his “exquisite control and emotional directness” and has long distinguished himself not only with his interpretations of the major Classical and Baroque tenor roles but also by his performances in contemporary opera. His many roles have included the title characters in Orphée et Euridice, Pygmalion, Castor et Pollux, Idomeneo,
Roberto Devereux and Albert Herring; Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Ernesto in Don Pasquale, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Fenton in Falstaff, Tonio in La Fille du Régiment, Nadir in Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Pylades in Iphigénie en Tauride, Renaud in Lully’s Armide, Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Steuermann in Der fliegende Holländer. An avid supporter of new works, he has appeared in the world premieres of John Estacio’s Lillian Alling at the Vancouver Opera, Stuart MacRae’s The Assassin Tree at the Edinburgh International Festival, Victor Davies’ The Transit
of Venus with the Manitoba Opera, and Rufus Wainwright’s Prima Donna at Sadler’s Wells in London and at the Luminato Festival. Other past opera engagements have included appearances with the Royal Opera (London), Canadian Opera Company, Seattle Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre, Glimmerglass Opera, L’Opéra Français de New York, Vancouver Opera, Opera Atelier, Pacific Opera Victoria, Calgary Opera, and the Greek National Opera. Most recently, he made his debut with Opera Columbus in Lully’s Armide and with Teatro Nacional São Carlos as Pylades in Iphigénie en Tauride.

Also a prolific concert singer, Mr. Ainsworth has appeared with the Cincinnati Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Pygmalion, Vancouver Symphony, Calgary Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra of San Francisco with Nicholas McGegan, Music of the Baroque with Jane Glover, Mercury Baroque in Houston, Les Violons du Roy in Montreal, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra in Toronto. He has also appeared at the Lanaudière, Montreal Baroque, Elora and the Aldeburgh Connection festivals, and has toured throughout Germany. His vast concert and recital repertoire includes Bach’s Mass in B Minor and St. John’s Passion, Handel’s Messiah, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Mozart’s Requiem, Schubert’s Dichterliebe and Die Schöne Müllerin and Janácek’s Diary of One Who Vanished.

Mr. Ainsworth’s growing discography includes Vivaldi’s La Griselda (Naxos), Castor et Pollux (Naxos), Schubert Among Friends (Marquis Classics), Gloria in Excelsis Deo with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra (CBC Records), the collected masses of Vanhal, Haydn, and Cherubini with Nicholas McGegan (Naxos), and the premiere recording of Derek Holman’s The Heart Mislaid which was included on the Aldeburgh Connection’s Our Own Songs (Marquis Classics). He also appears in a live DVD recording of Lully’s Persée with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra (Euroarts). He has also realeased a new disc, A Play of Passion, featuring the music of Derek Holman with Stephen Ralls and Bruce Ubukata. Mr. Ainsworth’s recent highlights include the title roles in Actéon and Pygmalion with Opera Atelier with performances at Chicago’s Harris Theater and the Palace at Versailles after which, he joined Pacific Opera Victoria for his role debut as Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata. He then made his role debuts with Opera Atelier in the title role of Mozart’s Idomeneo and as Lensky in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin with Seattle Opera. On the concert stage, he joined the Guelph Chamber Singers, Uxbridge Messiah Singers and the Cellar Singers for Handel’s Messiah, Bach Elgar Choir for Beethoven’s Mass in C, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra for Bach’s Magnificat, and the Oregon Bach Festival for Berlioz’ Roméo et Juliette with John Nelson and Mozart’s Requiem with Jane Glover.

This coming season, he joins the Festival of the Sound for an evening of Italian arias, Opera Atelier for their production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Handel’s La Resurrezione, a recital tour in the Okanagan Valley, Calgary Opera as Camille in The Merry Widow, Handel’s Messiah with the Grand Philharmonic Choir, returns to the Oregon Bach Festival for Bach’s B Minor Mass, St. John Passion, and St. Matthew Passion.

Midori Marsh

Midori Marsh is an American-Canadian soprano, hailing from Cleveland, Ohio. She received her Bachelors of Music at Wilfrid Laurier in 2017 and her Masters of Music in Opera at the University of Toronto in 2020. In fall 2019 she took home both first prize and audience choice award at the Canadian Opera Company’s Centre Stage competition and recently completed her third year with the COC’s young artist ensemble. While at the COC she was seen as Nella in Gianni Schicchi, the soprano soloist in Mozart’s Requiem, Annina in La Traviata, Papagena in Die Zauberflote and Frasquita in Carmen. A “polished and poised performer”, with “a truly gorgeous, expressive sound” she is a known quantity in the Canadian Opera scene, performing with Tapestry Opera, Against the Grain Theatre, the TSO, the National Arts Centre and more. In
2020 she was named one of the CBC’s “30 hot Classical Musicians under 30” and in 2022 she was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her portrayal of Papagena in the COC’s 2022 production of The Magic Flute. She took first prize at the 2023 Quilico awards, was a semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2023 Laffont competition and a 2023 Lotte Lenya finalist. Recently she took home both first prize and audience choice award at the Mildred Miller International Voice Competition. Upcoming performances include appearances with Wolftrap Opera, Calgary Opera, the TSO, and more.

Jennifer Enns Modolo

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 Bach Elgar Choir, the Grand Philharmonic Choir, the Nota Bene Period Orchestra, and the Spiritus Ensemble. She is also 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.

Recent and upcoming engagements include “Sacrum and Profanum” with counter tenor Daniel Cabena and lutenist Magdalena Tomsinska as part of the Hammer Baroque Series, Handel’s Messiah with the the Bach Elgar Choir and Hamilton Symphony Orchestra, the Menno Singers, Spiritus Ensemble, the Guelph Chamber Choir and the Peterborough Singers, Mozart’s Requiem with the Grand Philharmonic Choir, the Guelph Symphony Orchestra and Redeemer University, Gwyneth Walker’s “A Heart in Hiding” with the Da Capo Chamber Choir, and selections from Berlioz’s “Les Nuits D’été” with the KW Chamber Orchestra.

When she is not performing, Jennifer teaches full time as an elementary school music educator.

Graham Robinson

Born on Vancouver Island, Toronto-based baritone Graham Robinson has established himself as a sought-after interpreter of song, oratorio, and opera from the baroque to the contemporary. Recent performances include Handel’s Messiah and J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion with the Cellar Singers, Corydon in Purcell’s The Fairy Queen with Confluence Concerts, and the Evangelist Quartet in Pärt’s Passio with The Elora Singers.

Graham holds an undergraduate degree in music from the University of Victoria and a master’s degree in Vocal Pedagogy from the University of Toronto where he studied under Lorna MacDonald. Through Tafelmusik’s Summer Baroque Institute, Graham has received historically informed baroque performance coaching by Peter Harvey and Ivars Taurins.

Graham is passionate about ensemble singing and can be found singing regularly with Tafelmusik Baroque Chamber Choir, The Elora Singers, the Elmer Iseler Singers, and Soundstreams Choir 21, with whom he has participated in Juno winning and nominated recordings. Graham is a founding member of both the Aspirare Vocal Collective and Toronto’s Trinity Bach Project.

Graham keeps a private voice studio in Toronto’s downtown core where his pedagogical process focuses on singing as a narrative artform and utilizing the physiological mechanics of the human body to produce natural, uninhibited vocalization. His students have performed onstage at the Canadian Opera Company and been accepted into top tier post-secondary music programs.

Felix Deák

A native Torontonian, cellist and gambist Felix Deák freelances and tours regularly in Canada and Europe. When he’s not making music or cooking, he’s making memories with his dog, Scout.

Christopher Bagan

Christopher Bagan is a versatile artist, equally at home on modern and historical keyboard instruments. He is in high demand as a collaborator, chamber musician and basso-continuo specialist. He has performed with many of the leading baroque singers, instrumentalists and conductors in North America and abroad. Christopher is particularly active in the field of baroque opera, working as the assistant conductor at Opera Atelier and as coach and repetiteur at the Canadian Opera Company. In 2015- 16 Christopher was the Early Keyboard instructor at Case Western Reserve University and the head of Harpsichord at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He is currently on Faculty at the University of Toronto, working with the students in the historical performance program. He is also on faculty as a historical keyboard coach in the Canadian Opera Company's elite Ensemble training program.

Adam Bishop

Tenor Adam Bishop has performed for audiences across Canada and abroad in art song, oratorio, and opera. He has had the privilege of performing for Prime Ministers, Royalty, and regularly performed the Canadian and US National Anthems for the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2010, Bishop undertook the role of Le Prince Charmant in Massenet’s Cendrillon at the Glenn Gould School. Led by Maestro Uri Mayer, these were the inaugural operatic performances in the world-class Koerner Hall. Other roles include Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore, Ferrando in Così fan Tutte, Le Chevalier de la Force in Les Dialogues des Carmélites, and the Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

Locally, Mr. Bishop’s recent performances include Bach’s St. John Passion with the Peterborough Singers, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, and performances of Handel’s Messiah with the Uxbridge Chamber Choir. Other highlights include Handel’s Messiah with the Regina Symphony Orchestra and the Peterborough Singers, Mozart’s Requiem with the Georgian Bay Concert Choir. Charpentier’s Te Deum and Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man with the Regina Philharmonic Chorus, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Toronto Classical Singers and Talisker Players conducted by Jurgen Petrenko as well as performances of Vaughan Williams’ Hodie, Stainer’s Crucifixion, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Britten’s St. Nicolas Oratorio.

Mr. Bishop holds a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Toronto, and is a graduate of the Artists Diploma program at The Glenn Gould School. Former teachers include Dr. Darryl Edwards, Monica Whicher, Carol-Lynn Reifel, and Fr. Paul Massel. He has participated in elite training programs such as the Highlands Opera Studio under Richard Margison, and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute.

Joshua Wales

Tenor Joshua Wales holds a degree in voice performance from McGill University, with further training at the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute and Orford Arts Centre. Recent highlights include several seasons in the Canadian Opera Company chorus, as well as Against the Grain Theatre’s staged production of Handel’s Messiah (Dora Award for Best Ensemble). On the oratorio stage, he was the tenor soloist in Mozart’s Requiem (Grand River Chorus), Handel’s Athalia (Victoria Conservatory), Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Corktown Orchestra), and Messiah (Grand River Chorus, Arcady Baroque Ensemble.) Past opera credits include the title role in Charpentier’s Orphee (Orford Arts Centre), Anthony in Sweeney Todd (Alexander Theatre), Spirit of the Masque in Britten’s Gloriana (Voicebox: Opera in Concert), and Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Summer Opera Lyric Theatre). He has also performed with Opera Atelier, Opera Five, and Tapestry New Opera. He has an MD from McMaster University and is a palliative care physician in Toronto.

Lillian Brooks

Canadian mezzo-soprano Lillian Brooks has been praised for her “lyric sound” (Ludwig van Toronto), “easy handling of coloratura” (Schmopera), and has been noted for her “wonderful sensitivity to story and the development of song,” (FYI Music). During the 2023 season, Lillian will appear with chamber ensemble InnerCHAMBER (Stratford, ON), for an intimate performance of Mahler’s Ruckert Lieder and returns to Chorus Niagara in March 2023 for Beethoven’s epic oratorio, Missa Solemnis. To close out the season, Lillian will be seen performing the role of Mrs. Anderssen in the Royal Conservatory Presents: A Little Night Music (Sondheim), alongside a star studded all-Canadian cast.

Lillian made her professional debut in 2015 singing Mozart’s Requiem with Chorus Niagara, under the baton of Robert Cooper. Her love of oratorio and concert works has continued to grow, as she performs as a soloist in repertoire such as Handel’s Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Bach’s St John Passion and St Matthew Passion, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Durufle’s Requiem, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, and the Canadian premieres of both Last Light Above the World by Alan Bevan and The Cross of Christ by Romulo Delgado. Equally at home on the operatic stage, her past roles include Bradamante in Alcina, Annio in La clemenza di Tito, Third Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Flora in La Traviata, and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro.

Lillian enjoyed two years with Calgary Opera as a member of their McPhee Artist Development Program during their 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons. She appeared as The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors and Hansel in Hansel & Gretel as a part of the cohort. Lillian also had the opportunity to participate in new-music workshops as part of Calgary Opera’s “Opera Labs” series, working with Canadian conductors and composers including John Estacio, Dean Burry, Kelly Marie Murphy, Jean-Claude Picard, and Johannes Debus.

Recent highlights include singing with Toronto City Opera (Fenena in Nabucco, and Lucia in Cavalleria Rusticana), Chorus Niagara (Handel’s Messiah), VOICEBOX Opera in Concert (Sister Bridgeman in Florence: the Lady with the Lamp), and Toronto Operetta Theatre as part of the world premiere performance of A Northern Lights Dream by Michael Rose, singing the role of Fetill/Third Lady. Other opera credits include Mrs. Nolan in Menotti’s The Medium, Filipyevna in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, and Cornelia in Handel’s Giulio Cesare.

Lillian’s musical journey has led to numerous accolades for her dedication to the craft. In 2015, she was awarded the prestigious Hnatyshyn Foundation Developing Artists Grant, while graduating cum laude from York University, where she studied with Canadian mezzo-soprano Catherine Robbin and earned first prize in their annual Concerto Competition. Brooks received her Artist Diploma Program in Vocal Performance from the Glenn Gould School in 2017 and went on to participate in the 2018 Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme in Aldeburgh, UK, where she studied with internationally acclaimed faculty including Matthew Rose and Anne-Sofie von Otter.

January 2023

Lesley Bouza

While initially trained in saxophone at the University of Guelph, Lesley discovered the
potential of her singing voice in her early twenties and has never looked back. She then went
on to study voice at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama before returning to
Canada to become an active Toronto based musician. She delights in taking every
opportunity to use her eclectic skill-set performing jazz, pop, musical theatre and classical
genres. Some of Lesley’s career highlights include Lesley Sings Joni, a Joni Mitchell tribute
concert at the 2018 Elora Festival, Steve Reich at 80 with Soundstreams, Dido and Aeneas
at Carnegie Hall with Les Violons du Roy and a tour of Taiwan as a member of the Swingle
Singers.

In addition to being a busy performer Lesley is an accredited music therapist. This provides
her with the opportunity to connect with others through music and to support them in their
exploration of music as a tool for their own well-being.

Alex Dobson

Recognized for his “ringing, present sound” and “rich, flexible, baritone”, British-Canadian Alexander Dobson has been praised for his musicality and dramatic awareness on both opera and concert stages. Some roles include the title roles in Wozzeck and Don Giovanni, as well as Guglielmo (Così Fan Tutte), Belcoré (L’elisir d’amore), Ned Keene (Peter Grimes), The Count (The Marriage of Figaro), and Marcello (La Bohème), Alexander has appeared with conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Trevor Pinnock, Nic McGegan and Paul Goodwin; on the stages of L’Opéra du Montréal, Opera Ontario, Milwaukee’s Florentine Opera, Calgary Opera, Opera Lafayette, Royal Opera House Covent Garden and with the Toronto Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre Métropolitain, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Tafelmusik and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Recent engagements include Handel’s Messiah in New York, Jacksonville and Halifax, Escamillo in Carmen with the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony and Pulcinella with Artis Naples, Florida, Raimbaud in Edmonton Opera’s production of Rossini’s Le Comte Ory, Against Nature with Citadel and Compagnie and Il Conte in Le Nozze di Figaro with Florentine Opera. Upcoming engagements include Das Lied von der Erde with the Ontario Phlharmonic, Winterreise with Société d’art vocal, St. Matthew Passion with the St. Louis Bach Society, Angel’s Bone with Loose Tea Opera and Mozart Requiem with Arion Baroque Orchestra.

More information can be found about Alexander at:

schwalbeandpartners.com/project/alexander-dobson-baritone/

Ian Sabourin

Ian is a Canadian countertenor raised in Ottawa and based in Montreal, renowned for his unique sound, powerful high notes, and diverse repertoire. He has been awarded the Fellowship Stingray Audience Award and recently joined the Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier Lyrique as their first countertenor. Ian is also a professional chorister in Montreal with various professional ensembles such as Ensemble Caprice, Harmonies des Saisons, and Ottawa Bach Choir.

Upcoming performances include his soloist role for Handel’s Israel in Egypt with Choeur Classique de Montreal, his soloist role for Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with The Peterborough Singers, and his debut with ODM as Ottone from L’incoronazione di Poppea.

Ian’s clarity and evenness of tone have been highly praised in his 2022/2023 season, which includes covering a staged version of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater at Edmonton Opera, as soloist in Bach’s Mass in B Minor and Solomon in Handel’s Solomon with Caelis Academy Ensemble in Ottawa, touring with Musique Royale for Handel’s Messiah, and as Orlando in Handel’s Orlando with Opera McGill in his final year of studies.

Ian also appeared as a bass-baritone on contemporary ensemble Lyrico’s debut album ‘Noel à l’Opéra,’ recorded with Orchestre Philharmonique et Chouer Mélomanes. In July 2022, at the Lameque Baroque Festival, Ian’s voice was described as “stunning, with a powerful timbre – the kind of voice you can listen to for hours without getting tired.”

Ian earned a Masters in Early Music/Opera Performance from McGill University, where he studied with mezzo-soprano Annamaria Popescu. He also holds a Graduate Diploma in Voice Performance from McGill University, where he studied with soprano Dominique Labelle. Ian obtained his Bachelors in Music from the University of Toronto, where he studied with countertenor Daniel Taylor.

Jonathan Liebich

Bass-Baritone Jonathan Liebich is known for a rich and expressive voice and has enjoyed performing in Canada and Europe. Most recently he has appeared in performances of Messiah with the Uxbridge Messiah Singers and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Cantorei Sine Nomine.

Jonathan is particularly passionate about the oratorio repertoire and audiences have been riveted by his commanding performances of repertoire including Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Mass in C, Ninth Symphony, numerous of Bach’s Cantatas as well as St. John’s Passion, Brahms’ German Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Haydn’s Creation and Lord Nelson Mass, Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs and the Requiems of Mozart, Fauré and Duruflé with numerous orchestras and choirs including the Elmer Iseler Singers, Stuttgart Music Festival under the baton of Helmuth Rilling, the Vancouver Bach Choir, Vancouver Symphony and Kingston Symphony. He has been recorded and aired on CBC Radio2 several times.

He has also navigated many operatic stages in roles such as Count Almaviva and Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, Papageno in The Magic Flute, The 4 Villains in Tales of Hoffmann, Belcore in Elixir of Love, Sam in A Masked Ball, El Dancairo in Carmen, and Baron Douphol in La Traviata. Several of these were on Vancouver Opera’s Mainstage. He is also an alumnus of the Vancouver Opera Touring Ensemble with whom he performed Mozart’s Magic Flute in over 200 schools throughout his home province of British Columbia. Jonathan enjoyed working with St. Anne’s MADS as the Pirate King in their award winning production of Pirates of Penzance, including a performance at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton England. He has been on two European tours performing The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro.

Since 2011 Jonathan has shared his love and passion of choral music through his direction of the New Song Chancel Choir in Port Perry, where he currently resides with his family.

In his spare time, he is a Program Manager with the Toronto Transit Commission.

Ernesto Ramirez

Mexican tenor Ernesto Ramírez is garnering rave reviews for his distinctive Italianate sound, “wonderfully fluid line and brilliant high notes,” combined with his “suave, nuanced lyricism.” Ernesto recently debuted as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Mexico’s Opera de Leon, Rodolfo in La bohème with Pacific Northwest Opera, and sang his first Don Jose with Opera Kelowna’s Carmen and in concert with Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.

Ernesto has performed to great acclaim for audiences in France, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, and the United States. In 2014 while engaged as a cover for the title role of Roberto Devereux with the Canadian Opera Company, he was thrilled to share the stage in performance with soprano Sondra Radvanovsky.

Ernesto begins the current season covering the Duke in Edmonton Opera’s Rigoletto, and is the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Hamilton’s Bach Elgar Choir; Alexander Cann, conductor. In 2020, Ernesto debuts in Against the Grain Theatre’s Bound, a reaction to those displaced, dehumanized and mistreated by recent geopolitical conflict, with original text by director Joel Ivany. Composer Kevin Lau infuses his own music onto the backbone of Handel’s music.

Operatic roles for Ernesto include Raoul in the Canadian Premiere of Meyerbeer’s Les Huegenots, Arturo in I Puritani, and Alfredo in La Traviata with Sarasota Opera

His “resplendent tenor” has been heard in performances of Verdi’s Requiem with Brott Music Festival, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Niagara Symphony and Kingston Symphony. Opera companies in Zurich, Quebec, Montreal, Tel-Aviv and Mexico City have welcomed him as a guest artist in their Opera Galas. He also performed at The 150th Anniversary of Puccini, a gala hosted by Simonetta Puccini.

Ernesto earned a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance from the University of Guadalajara in Mexico, and graduated from Boston Universityʼs Opera Institute. He has received awards from The Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions in Los Angeles, the Society of Singers Foundation and the New West Symphony Young Artist Prize.

Geoff Bemrose

Geoff has been involved in theatre and music for as long as he can remember. He has a great deal of experience as a singer, musician, actor, producer, director, and stage manager. As a teacher, he has had the pleasure of mentoring hundreds of young performers over the years.

Geoff is a founding member of Art for Awareness and enjoys raising awareness of social issues through various arts performances. He directed the AFA production of RENT at Showplace, performed as Javert in Les Miserables (St. James Players), and played bass in the band for Hedwig and the Angry Inch (AFA). Other performance credits include Dan Goodman in Next to Normal (AFA), Billy Flynn in Chicago (St. James), and he is a member of the local rock group North Hope. Directorial credits include Chicago: High School Edition, Mamma Mia, Damn Yankees, The Drowsy Chaperone, Little Shop of Horrors, The Laramie Project (LCS), Anything Goes & Guys and Dolls (Adam Scott Musical Theatre). He was also the tech director of the Peterborough Singers’ productions of Carmina Burana and SOUL II as well as the technical consultant for 4th Line Theatre’s Young Company.

Geoff is currently a Theatre and Outdoor Education teacher at Lakefield College School where he directs Musicals and the LCS Rock Choir. He also leads the school record label “Grove Records” and is the Technical Director of the Bryan Jones Theatre.

Alex Halliday

Alex Halliday returns to the Ensemble Studio for his second year after studying opera at the University of Toronto. Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland, he ventured home to obtain his Bachelor’s of Music (Performance) from the Memorial University of Newfoundland. After graduating, he pursued an Opera Masters from the University of Toronto and then went on to work for the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio where he is still currently contracted. Alex makes his COC debut this season as Guccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi.

Jacob Abrahamse

Jacob Abrahamse created the starring role of the Holy Child in the Dora Award-winning premiere of R. Murray Schafer’s The Children’s Crusade. Soundstreams Canada’s production of Schafer’s opera afforded Abrahamse the opportunity to work alongside director Tim Albery, conductor David Fallis, and mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta. Abrahamse subsequently presented at Moses Znaimer’s Idea City, alongside Randi Zuckerberg, Pete Worden, Ali Velshi, and Preston Manning.

Abrahamse sang his debut performance of G. F. Handel’s Messiah with the Peterborough Singers in 2016. He reprised the Messiah with the Theatre of Early Music and Schola Cantorum. As a guest soloist for the Northumberland Orchestra and Chorus, Abrahamse performed Saint-Saëns’s Oratorio de Noël and W. A. Mozart’s Krönungsmesse.

With the Hamilton Philharmonic, Abrahamse performed the role of Tintin/Sergio in Lloyd Burritt’s opera, Miracle Flight 571, and the role of the Fenian in the premiere performance of Abigail Richardson-Schulte and Anna Chatterton’s opera, Shot: The Story of D’Arcy McGee. With COSA Canada, Abrahamse created the role of Orfeo in the workshop of Dean Burry’s Il Giudizio di Pigmalione. He has also performed as Ralph Rackstraw in Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, Richard in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore, Frederic in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, and as Oebalus in W. A. Mozart’s Apollo et Hyacinthus.

An accomplished recitalist, Abrahamse has sung programs at the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, the University of Toronto’s Walter Hall, the Canadian Music Centre, and the Royal Conservatory of Music. In 2013, he performed Estonian art songs alongside Norman Reintamm and Trio Estonia. Abrahamse reprised this repertoire in concert with the Grammy Award-winning RAM Koor in 2015. In 2021, he participated in The John Beckwith Songbook project, produced by Confluence Concerts. Abrahamse has performed alongside Russell Braun, Barbara Hannigan, Krisztina Szabó, Colin Ainsworth, Daniel Taylor, Rik Emmett, Murray McLaughlin, Ian Thomas, and Dan Clancy.

Abrahamse holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance with Honours from the University of Toronto and a Master of Arts in English Literature from Trent University. He has been bestowed with a Lieutenant Governor’s Award, the Albert and Wilhelmine Francis Scholarship in Music, the Greta Kraus Scholarship, the Queensmen of Toronto Richard Bowles Memorial Scholarship, and two civic awards from the City of Peterborough. Abrahamse has appeared in the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, National Post, CBC, MacLean’s Magazine, and Opera Canada.

Martina Myskohlid

Martina Myskohlid is a Canadian coloratura mezzo-soprano with an adventurous spirit and the drive to fulfil an international career. Martina is a current member of the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal. She recently graduated with honours from Yale University, earning the Master of Music degree.

This well-travelled mezzo has crossed Canada coast-to-coast, participating in the intensive Opera NUOVA in Edmonton, Alberta, and Wendy Nielsen’s Vocal Techniques Workshop in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick. Venturing through Europe after receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto allowed Martina to fully immerse herself in a variety of cultural customs as well as participate in countertenor Michael Chance’s “SienAgosto” summer intensive program in Siena, Italy. These experiences further developed her desire to perform internationally.

A spontaneous risk-taker who brings a fresh and unique point of view to the stage, Martina’s recent credits include performances with the Orchestre Métropolitain and the Orchestre symphonique de Laval. Her recent opera roles include Paula in Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas with Yale Opera, Despina in Mozart’s Così fan Tutte with Toronto Lyric Opera Centre, Elmire in Mechem’s Tartuffe with Opera NUOVA, and scene performances in part of the Yale Opera Scenes performances, which include the title role in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Cherubino in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, and Béatrice in Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict.

Martina is equally dedicated to performing at the highest level outside of opera. She was recently featured as the alto soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra in Waterbury, Connecticut and premiered the work Sanctus per soprano, controtenore, flauto e clarinetto, by French-Canadian composer Francis Patrick Ubertelli in Toronto. Her background in musical theatre also fostered her love for Broadway, which she studied for six years before turning to opera.

In the 2021 season, Martina was a finalist in the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal competition, and was awarded the Encouragement Award in the Metropolitan Opera National Competition. In her graduating year at Yale, she performed a solo recital with piano, and appeared in the Yale Opera Duets and Yale Scenes Showcases. Upon graduating from Yale, she was awarded the David L. Kasdon Memorial Prize, given to an outstanding singer at the School of Music.

www.martinamyskohlid.com

Christine Slevan

Christine Slevan has been singing, teaching, and conducting in Peterborough for over 30 years. She taught music at Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School from 1992-2012, where she encouraged and mentored many young singers. Many of these former students have been or are currently members of the Peterborough Singers’ family, with some eventually going on to pursue professional music careers. As a member of All Saints’ Anglican Church, she often conducted the choir for various church services, including these two great works by Vivaldi and Faure.

Recently retired in 2021, Christine was delighted when Director Syd Birrell called her and asked her to be a part of this wonderful event with proceeds going to three worthy organizations. Bringing these two pieces to life with such an enthusiastic and talented group has been an extraordinary experience, and she wishes to thank all the members of the Peterborough Singers for this opportunity.

Shannon McCracken

Shannon McCracken is a singer, actor, voice-over artist and teacher. She has performed across Canada, and is equally at home in plays and musicals, film and television, and on the concert stage.

Favourite stage credits of Shannon’s include Esme in the world premiere of Buying the Farm at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre, Raising the Barn and Living History with Globus Theatre, Galinda in Wicked (CMTP/Toronto Fringe), Amalia in She Loves Me (CMTP), Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro (Opera Laurier), Eileen in Wonderful Town, and Oklahoma! and The Sound of Music (Capitol Theatre). Her oratorio work includes Handel’s Messiah with the Peterborough Singers, the Grand River Chorus and Wilfrid Laurier University’s chamber choir and orchestra, Vivaldi’s Gloria with Choral Connection, and Bach’s Magnificat in D Major with the Northumberland Orchestra and Choir. As well as frequenting as a guest soloist for choirs and orchestras, Shannon has been featured in cabarets at the Banff Centre, with New Stages, alongside Colm Wilkinson, at the inaugural Women of Musical Theatre Festival in Toronto, and her recital and concert work have taken her across the country.

Shannon is a proud member of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, holds an Honours BMus in Voice Performance from Wilfrid Laurier University, and is an alumnus of the Banff Centre’s Musical Theatre Professional Intensive, the Victoria Conservatory of Music’s Advanced Singers Program, and the Theatre 20 Conservatory. When she’s not on stage, set or in the booth, she’s either teaching from her home studio in Peterborough, or walking her dog in the woods.

shannonmccracken.com
@shannonkmccracken

Venabrass

Venabrass is a brass ensemble from Toronto, Ontario. Formed primarily from the Venables family, this brass group displays ensemble virtuosity at its finest. As individuals, members of the Venabrass have travelled around the world as both soloists, conductors and composer both as freelance, professional and through The Salvation Army. The early days of the group was merely family members playing music together. This grew into touring at Christmas time, performing annual concerts, recording, and travelling to Africa. Venabrass now exists beyond just the Venables name with other high caliber musicians included. However, it still maintains its Salvation Army musicianship, to which, they desire to serve God first and foremost through their music and strive towards the highest degree of music excellence in that service.

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2020-2021 Season Advertisers

The Singers wish to acknowledge those businesses, services, and individuals who supported us in 2020-2021 through purchasing advertising.

Many of you also donate to our choir and sponsor soloists and concerts. You have our heartfelt thanks:

Megan Murphy

Megan Murphy is a graduate of York University’s Fine Arts program and has worked as an actor in film, television, theatre and radio for more than two decades. She is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory and the Seneca College Documentary Filmmaking Institute.

Most recently she co-created The Verandah Society, a theatrical experience of storytelling and song, with singer/songwriter, Kate Suhr. They premiered their latest show at 4^th Line Theatre in August 2021. She co-hosted a morning radio show on Star 93.3FM for over a decade. Her feature documentary, “Murphy’s Law”, won Best Documentary Film at the Fingal Film Festival in Ireland and her short film, “Towns End” won an audience Choice Award at the Vox Popular Film Festival. She is a public speaker and published writer and can be found at www.murphyslawfilm.com. She is thrilled to be joining the Peterborough Singers once again this year.

Leslie Fagan

Leslie Fagan has delighted audiences and critics alike at Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Bordeaux Opera House, and Roy Thomson Hall and has performed under the batons of such noted conductors as Sir David Willcocks, Hans Graf, Jukke Pekke Saraste, Kent Tritle, Heinz Ferlisch, Victor Borge and Elmer Isler.

Highlights of Fagan’s past engagements include: a solo concert of music of Stravinsky and Debussy with the Bordeaux Aquitaine Symphonie Nationale, France; Bach’s Weinachts Oratorium in Stuttgart, Germany; Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England; Tafelmusik Orchestra and Choir in Toronto, Ontario; and engagement as guest soloist at the International Choral Festival in Gouda, Netherlands. On the opera stage, she has sung the title role in Donizetti’s Linda di Chamounix; Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte; Sophie in Massenet’s Werther; Musetta in Puccini’s La Boheme and Nanetta in Verdi’s Falstaff. At the Aldeburgh Festival in England, she performed the roles of Tytania in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

Fagan is a proud Canadian, whose performances at home have led her from Massey Hall to the Massey Ferguson Dealership in Exeter and myriad venues between. Her recordings include her debut solo album Le Miroir de Mon Amour, A Song for all Seasons with The Toronto Children’s Chorus, Handel’s Messiah with the Fanshawe Symphonic Chorus, and Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with Chorus London. Her project of promoting Canadian Art Song has come to fruition with two recordings of beautiful compositions from across Canada, “Thread of Winter” and “Halibut Cheeks & Other Love Songs.”

Fagan has performed on CBC radio and television, BBC radio and television, and National Public Radio.

Laura Pudwell

Mezzo-soprano Grammy-nominated Laura Pudwell’s reputation as a superb vocalist has been well-established as a result of her performances in London, Paris, Salzburg, Houston, Vienna and Boston. Her vast repertoire ranges from early music to contemporary works. She is equally at home on the opera, oratorio or recital stage, and has received international acclaim for her recordings. A frequent guest of many national and international presenters, she has had the privilege of working with many outstanding conductors, including Hans Graf, Hervé Niquet, Andrew Parott, Ivars Taurens, David Fallis, Brian Jackson, John Sinclair, Bernard Labadie, Lydia Adams, Howard Dyck and Robert Cooper.

On the opera stage, Pudwell has performed across Canada with such companies as Opera Atelier, the Calgary Opera, Vancouver Early Music and Festival Vancouver, as well as with the Houston Grand Opera and the Cleveland Opera. Her many roles include Cornelia (Giulio Cesare), Marcelina (Le Nozze di Figaro), Nerone and Arnalta (L’Incoronazione di Poppea) Mrs. Quickly (Falstaff), and Dido/Sorceress (Dido & Aeneas), which also was an award-winning recording performed by Pudwell in Paris. She is a regular participant in many festivals, including Festival Vancouver, the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, the Banff Summer Festival, the Elora Festival, the Boston Early Music Festival, the Grand River Baroque Festival, and the WinterPark Bach Festival in Orlando. She appears regularly with the Toronto Consort, and is a frequent guest soloist with Tafelmusik, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Toronto Chamber Choir, Symphony Nova Scotia, the St. Lawrence Choir, Le Concert Spirituel, Chorus Niagara and the Menno Singers.

Pudwell lives in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario with her husband and two children.

Alex Mathews

Baritone Alex Mathews performed solo and chorus roles with the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, Canadian Opera Company, and Toronto Symphony Orchestra from the age of 6 to 18 in performance venues around Toronto. Alex attended high school at St Michael’s Choir School in Toronto. At Western University, Alex was an active member of the opera program throughout his undergraduate and master’s degrees.

He is currently pursuing his Diploma in Operatic Performance at the University of Toronto, under the tutelage of Wendy Nielsen. Most recently, he performed the role of Elviro in Händel’s Serse at Chautauqua Summer Music Festival, Count Gil in Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s Il segreto di Susanna at the University of Toronto, and took part in the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s Opera in the 21st Century program.

David Walsh

David Walsh, a native of Toronto, is currently going into his first year of Opera Performance at the University of Toronto after finishing a Bachelor of Music in Performance there earlier this year. He started classical vocal training in his last year of high school, began his studies in Music Education at the University of Toronto, and then auditioned successfully for voice performance two years later to follow his true passion.

From there David has participated in a wide range of vocal performances. Recently he became a part of the Orpheus Choir of Toronto as a Sidgwick Scholar and a highlight at the beginning of this year was when he placed as a prize winner in the Toronto Mozart Vocal Competition. At U of T Opera this past season, he made his debut in Le Nozze di Figaro as Don Curzio. He was asked to perform as part of the chorus for Opera Atelier’s production of Idomeneo in 2019. He was asked back to the Opera Atelier Chorus for this season for their production of Don Giovanni. In the spring of 2018 he was invited to perform with the Against the Grain Theatre as a chorus soloist for the opera Orphée et Eurydice. In May 2017, he was an opera chorus member in the critically acclaimed Oksana G, a new Canadian opera premiered by Tapestry Opera, where he had the honour of working with many esteemed artists. He is part of the Cor Unum Ensemble, an ensemble run by young adults from across Toronto.

As well as an avid singer, David is an avid biker. This form of transportation is the way he practices a lot of his repertoire. So, if you ever see a blur of red hair and hear some Fauré on the downtown streets of Toronto, you have most likely encountered David Walsh.

Simona Genga

Named one of the CBC’s “30 hot Canadian Classical Musicians under 30” Mezzo-Soprano Simona Genga, is known for her” vocal plushness, amplitude and range which are mature beyond her years”(Opera Canada). In the 19/20 season, Ms.Genga graduated from the Canadian Opera Company’s prestigious Ensemble Studio after winning both First Prize and Audience Choice Awards at their Centre Stage Competition in 2017. During her time with the COC, Ms. Genga has debuted the roles of Berta in il Barbiere di Siviglia, Gertrude in the OYA Hansel and Gretel, Second Maid in Elektra, premiered the role of Cindy in Wow Factor: A Cinderella Story, and was preparing the High Priestess in Aida and the role of Mrs. Macaroni in Ian Cusson’s new opera Fanstasma which has now been postponed.

Simona’s training includes working with Highlands Opera Studio, the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, The Franz Schubert Institut, the Chautauqua Institute, a Masters in Opera at the University of Toronto and most notably returning as a Gerdine Young Artist, to sing Annina in Patricia Racettes’ directing debut of La Traviata at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.

Simona is a grateful recipient of a 2019 Sullivan Foundation Career Development Grant, the 2017 Norcop Song Recital Prize, Career Grants from the Hnatyshyn Foundation, the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation, multiple Ruby Mercer Awards, the Christina and Louis Quilico Competition, where she won third prize in 2019 and with OTSL’s 2018 Barbara and Stanley Richman Award for demonstrating “exceptional potential for a significant career.

Midori Marsh

Soprano Midori Marsh was recently named by the CBC as one of Canada’s hot classical musicians under 30. Past engagements include Sarah Thorpe in No One’s Safe and Johan’s Mother in Silent Light (Banff Centre); Frasquita in Carmen (Waterloo Symphony); Arminda in La finta giardiniera, Rose Maurrant in
Street Scene, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, and Mary Crawford in Mansfield Park (UofT Opera); Annina in La Traviata (Cambridge Symphony Orchestra); Zerlina in Don Giovanni (Portland Summer Opera Workshop); Laurie Moss in The Tender Land and Antonia in The Tales of Hoffmann (Opera Laurier). In October 2019 she took home both the first prize and the audience choice award at the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio Competition, and is currently a member of the COC’s young artist ensemble for the 2020-2021 season.

Beau Dixon

Beau Dixon is an award-winning actor, musician, playwright, music director and sound designer.

As an actor, Beau has performed on many reputable theatre stages throughout Canada. NOW magazine and Toronto Star have listed him among Toronto’s top ten theatre actors, multiple years in a row.

As a playwright, Beau has had his plays commissioned, performed and produced across the country. His award-winning play, Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story (recently published by Scirocco Drama Books), garnered him a Calgary Critic’s Award for Best Individual Performance and two Dora Mavor Moore Awards for Best New Play and Best Individual Performance.

Born in Detroit, the birthplace of Motown, Beau has music in his roots and developed a passion at an early age. After discovering the music of Stevie Wonder in his parents’ record collection, Beau insisted on taking piano lessons at age six. His first music gig was at age twelve, playing piano for his father’s church services in London, Ontario. After high school, he pursued music full time as a multi instrumentalist and lead singer for rock bands, touring in the United States, Canada and Europe. He has written and produced songs for radio and television and has appeared on numerous albums. In 2000, Beau started his own recording studio (Sound Kitchen Studio) in Peterborough, Ontario.

In 2010, Beau co-founded Firebrand Theatre, a touring company whose mission is to bring Canadian stories to life for students and educators in elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools throughout Canada. He has been inducted into Peterborough’s Pathway of Fame and is a K.M. Hunter Award finalist.

As a sound designer, he was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for the production of Rifles at the Shaw Festival and Praxis Theatre. Beau has recently taken on the role of music director for Sheridan College and Lakefield College School, and in summer of 2021 he was curator and music director for the Stratford Festival’s production of Freedom: The Spirit and Legacy of Black Music.

As an artist of mixed race, Beau proudly carves the legacy of his ancestors into all of his work and publicly advocates racial inclusion.

Doug Sutherland

Doug Sutherland is a pharmacist who played trumpet throughout high school and continued in university with the Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra. He then packed his trumpet away for 25 years, only bringing it out to serenade his kids during their (suddenly shortened) baths. He now plays regularly to be ready to meet the high musical standards required of Syd Birrell and others.

Rob Phillips

Rob Phillips has been performing on the piano in the Peterborough area for the past thirty years. At age six, he began classical piano studies and soon, with the encouragement of his piano teacher, fell in love with boogie woogie piano. In high school, he started up his first pop/rock/soul groups and also began jazz piano studies with the great Brian Bowne. After studies at Trent University, Phillips was awarded a scholarship to the University of Alabama to study jazz and classical piano. After formal studies, Phillips began teaching, performing, and recording with many local musicians. A six-year stint as one of the musical directors for The Second City theatre company, as well as being musical director for many local groups, has Phillips performing with a variety of well-known musicians. Over the years, he has performed with The Rick Fines Trio, the Chelsey Bennett Band, Beau Dixon, Ada Lee, Bridget Foley, Ronnie Hawkins, The Lemon Sisters, The Weber Brothers, and The Three Martinis comedy improv group. Every Thursday, The Rob Phillips Jazz and Blues Trio plays the The Blackhorse pub.

Curtis Cronkwright

Curtis Cronkwright is a professional drummer and teacher working in the Peterborough area. Curtis received a diploma of music from Mohawk College, majoring in jazz drumming. Throughout his career, Curtis has been lucky enough to have played, and continues to play, with some of the area’s top musicians including, Slips ‘n’ the High Fives, The Lemmon Sisters, Chelsey Bennett, Mike Graham, Beau Dixon, Bridget Foley, The Channel Cats, The Kawartha Jazz Ensemble, the Peterborough Pop Ensemble, Michael Bell, and Rob Phillips. In addition to playing with these great artists, Curtis also teaches drums privately in his home and at Lakefield College School.

Steve McCracken

Steve McCracken has called Peterborough his home for the past twenty-five years. As owner of the local music shop, B Flat Music , he has continued to develop his musical interests by performing, writing, and arranging. As band leader of the Channel Cats, he performs regularly at the Lakefield Jazz Festival alongside Bridget and the Gospel Girls as well as with other local jazz musicians. In 2000, Steve founded the Peterborough Jazz & Blues Workshop, a high school aged jazz-blues combo, which emphasizes improvisation. Many of Steve’s students have developed successful careers in the music world. Steve has written many of the band charts for Beatles III. He is pleased to be performing once again with the Peterborough Singers.

Andrew Affleck

Bassist Andrew Affleck has worked for Juno award-winning musicians Susan Aglukark and George Fox and has toured with bands such as the Good Brothers and Lace. He has performed with comedian and actor Bob Newhart and performed for the Queen, two Canadian prime ministers, and the Prime Minister of France. Andrew has been nominated four times for Canadian Country Bass Player of the Year.

Barry Haggarty

Guitar player par excellence, Barry Haggarty has played with the best in the business. Barry played guitar for the legendary Ronnie Hawkins before forming his own touring band and releasing the single “Come To Me” with Ixtland Records. Barry later joined Bentwood Rocker, releasing an album with Quality Records entitled Take Me to Heaven. Barry released another single with Capital Records “Second Wind.” Barry has co-written a number of songs with fellow Peterborough native Cyril Rawson and has played sessions in Nashville for Lucille Starr and for a then up-and-coming young singer, Shania Twain. After releasing an independent single, “Doesn’t Mean A Thing,” Barry toured with The Family Brown and was the guitar player on the television
series Ronnie and the Brown’s, starring Ronnie Prophet and The Family Brown.

Barry was nominated for three years running from 1990 to 1992 as Guitar Player Of The Year with the Canadian Country Music Association. In 1991, Barry opened his own recording studio, Haggarty Sound Studio, in Peterborough, Ontario.

He has since produced independent artists such as Montana Sky, Mark Ekins, and Danny Bronson. Over one hundred CDs and cassettes have been released by independent artists, companies, and organizations from Haggarty Sound Studio.

The year 1999 marked a milestone for Barry as a singer, songwriter, musician, producer, and studio owner with the release of his premiere independent CD, Old Days. “Give Me A Break,” the first single release from this CD has been nationally charted by RPM. Barry has had the pleasure of working with Valdy and Natalie McMaster in the studio.

Recently, Barry has been working very hard on new projects of his own! Haggarty Sound Studios has been given a fresh new look to enhance artists’ recording experience. In September 2013, he was honoured to be inducted into the Peterborough Pathway of Fame!

Celebrate with us the legacy of our founder Syd Birrell in his last season as artistic director.

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