Tuesday, June 10th

Paul Barna
Viola, Violin, Conducting
@paulbarnastrings

Paul Barna, has been seen as soloist, chamber player and orchestral musician throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Highlights of previous performances including performing for an opening game for the Hamilton Tiger Cats, recording for the JUNO's award ceremony with celebrated rock band, The Arkells, (He can also be seen and heard on several of their music videos) performing for the closing ceremonies of the Pan Am games of 2015 with Terra Lightfoot and the National Academy Orchestra as well as performances with the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony featuring Inuit throat singer, Tanya Tagaq. He recently performed with JUNO award winning artist, Jeremy Dutcher and is featured on an episode of Murdoch Mysteries, "Murder in F Major" In 2023, Paul was selected for the Aldershot Community Honour Roll award in recognition of his outstanding community contribution and commitment to the arts. In 2025, Paul was selected as recipient for Burlington's Community Builders Award for his excellence and contributions in education.

Paul's eclectic and vast repertoire combined with his keen interest in new music had led him to record on various CD's including a premier performance of Abigail Richardson's composition The Labyrinth with the Schulte Strings Chamber Orchestra, and recording Mahler's Ninth Symphony with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. (Disc had a JUNO nomination track, Isomorphia) Paul was also part of the Inaugural season of one of Canada's newest concert halls, Koerner Hall. Paul's string playing can be heard on a recent release of local folk/ blues artists Andre Bisson's latest new album, The Ballad of Lucy Stone and the recently released album Latchford. Paul recently collaborated with acclaimed soprano Kira Braun and can be heard on her latest recording of Morawetz's, From the Diary of Anne Frank.

Paul is currently a highly in demand freelance musician within the Greater Toronto Area, performing with various orchestras and ensembles. He has performed as soloist with the Mississauga Symphony, North York Symphony Orchestra, Symphony on the Bay and regularly appears with with Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Kitchener Waterloo Symphony, Esprit Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony and Sudbury Symphony as to name a few. He formerly studied viola with Mr. Steven Dann, however past teachers include Atis Bankas. He is also the owner and operator of a booking company, Paul Barna Strings where he books and coordinates specialized performances for weddings, events and galas. He is currently serving as Principal Second violin with the Burlington Symphony Orchestra in addition to freelance performances across southern Ontario.

Mr. Barna is a graduate of the Glenn Gould School of Music and Young Artist Performance Academy program at The Royal Conservatory of Music as well as successful apprentice from the National Academy Orchestra; Canada's only professional training orchestra.

Not only a devout performer, Paul is a sought after educator and instructor. He currently has a large and flourishing studio, Paul Barna Music Studio that has celebrated a decade of providing high level music instruction to students and currently serves as the primary violin instructor at Redeemer University. He founded and directs the Burlington Chamber Sinfonia; an ensemble comprised of advanced students with a focus on performing solo repertoire with the ensemble and runs an apprenticeship style program that hires advanced students and emerging artists to perform professionally. Many of his students are award winning and celebrated young musicians that can be heard in youth orchestras across Ontario. They have appeared as gusts soloists, hold concertmaster positions, principal section positions and various leadership positions within the ensembles, including the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. In November 2021, Paul helped to initiate a mentorship program with the Burlington Symphony where talented and hard working students were able to join the orchestra as a side by side in concert. His students regularly work towards completing Royal Conservatory examinations and participate in local competitions. Paul's students are routine prize winners at festivals, scholarship recipients at elementary to post secondary levels, and have gone on to win provincial competitions (Grade 10 Provincials Gold medal 2023). His teachings have led him to substitute at various music schools and institutions ranging from Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra, Mississauga Symphony Youth Orchestra and formerly Axis Music in Toronto; a string program developed for under privileged youth. He has also served as faculty assistant at the Interprovincial Music Camp in Parry Sound. In addition to loving his career and being an avid car nut, real estate enthusiast and horological aficionado, there are few things that bring Paul as much joy as successfully pulling off one of his elaborate, ingenious and oh so witty practical jokes/ pranks on unsuspecting students…

Prize winner in the 2023 Prix Ravel, Hong Kong-born Canadian pianist Dane Ko is active as recitalist, chamber musician and educator on international stages. In the 2024-25 season, Dane will tour in recital to Montreal, Toronto, Hong Kong, and Macau, where he will also give masterclasses and workshops at The University of Hong Kong, University of Macau, and the University of Toronto.

Dane's performance accolades include prizes at Prix Ravel, The Shean Piano Competition, The Glenn Gould School Chamber Music Competition, and the Canadian Music Competition "Stepping Stone". As soloist, Dane has performed in such venues as the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall, Koerner Hall of The Royal Conservatory in Toronto, and Le Château de Fontainebleau in France. Dane frequently appears in important festivals which in recent years included Mozarteum (Austria), Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival (United States), Domaine Forget (Quebec), and Fontainebleau (France). A radio veteran, Dane has given interviews and performances on Florida's Classical WSMR, Hong Kong's RTHK Radio 4, and CBC Radio One.

In addition to his performance activities, Dane is a passionate educator and an awardwinning research scholar. Dane serves as an instructor at McGill University Schulich School of Music, maintains a robust private studio, and is in demand as a masterclass clinician. A tribute to his late teacher, Marietta Orlov, Dane's ongoing doctoral project on the Romanian piano school centering on Professor Orlov's pedagogical legacy won the 2024 Canada Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral Award by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). In May 2024, Dane served on the inaugural Junior Jury of the Montreal International Piano Competition (CMIM).

Dane is indebted to his primary teachers: Marietta Orlov, Anna Fomina, Lydia Wong and Ilya Poletaev. Dane has also had the privilege to train with preeminent artistic personalities across Europe, Asia and North America in a variety of settings, including Robert Levin, Klaus Hellwig, Jan Jiracek von Arnim, Ronan O'Hora, Benedetto Lupo, Eric Le Sage, John Perry, Jeremy Denk and others. His formal studies at the University of Toronto and The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory culminated in a Bachelor of Music in piano performance, an Advanced Certificate in Performance, a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy and an Artist Diploma supported by full scholarships.

Dane also holds the ARCT diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music conferred with the National Gold Medal. Currently based in Montreal, Dane is a doctoral candidate at McGill University Schulich School of Music where he also serves as instructor of piano.

Dr. Connor O'Kane is a highly sought-after pianist, teacher, chamber musician, and conductor. Since his concerto debut with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in 2014, he has appeared as a recitalist in the United States, France, and across Canada. A laureate of major competitions, he was awarded the Canimex Second Prize and top award for piano at the Canadian Music Competition's prestigious Stepping Stone. He has performed in a variety of concert series including Ottawa's Chamberfest, Chateau Windrush, and the KW Chamber Music Society, and has appeared as a guest artist in faculty concerts at Western University, Brock University, and The University of Waterloo.

A passionate collaborative musician with an affinity for opera, Connor has worked on over 20 opera productions in a variety of roles. In 2024 he conducted opera performances at Western University (Britten's Albert Herring), Toronto City Opera (Bizet's Carmen), and at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, where he served as music director and conductor of Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges and Debussy's Prodigal Son. In 2025 he has further opera-related engagements with the Glenn Gould School and the Banff Centre.

Connor holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from Western University, where he studied with Stéphan Sylvestre. His doctoral research focused on the piano transcriptions of Sergei Prokofiev, particularly with relation to the ballets Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella. He has been awarded the SSHRC doctoral fellowship, the Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS-M), and the Canada Council Explore and Create grant. Connor also studied with David Jalbert, Heather Taves, and Joan Walker, with additional training at the Conservatoire de Lyon in the studio of Manuel Schweizer. He is a passionate and dedicated piano teacher, and an enthusiastic adjudicator at music festivals.

Canadian violinist Jennifer Burford eagerly searches for new musical experiences to develop her versatility as a musician. Jennifer holds a Bachelor's of Music Performance from University of Toronto where she studied with Mark Skazinetsky. She received her Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School and her Master's of Music Performance Degree from University of Toronto under the tutelage of Erika Raum. Jennifer joined the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra as concertmaster in their 2022 season. She also holds the position of Principal Second Violin with the chamber orchestra Canadian Sinfonietta and has performed with Esprit Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Toronto Concert Orchestra, Sinfonia Toronto, and Mirvish Productions. In addition to classical music, Jennifer has recorded and performed in jazz, funk, folk, pop, and klezmer genres. She is a founding member of the Queer Songbook Orchestra, a professional chamber pop ensemble, creating and performing a living archive of songs that have shaped the LGBTQ2S+ community. In addition to performance, Jennifer is a faculty member of the Oscar Peterson School of Music (formerly Royal Conservatory School). She enjoys teaching students of all ages and experience. Jennifer was recently certified as a teacher trainer in the Creative Ability Development method, which focuses on developing divergent thinking and musical artistry through teaching improvisation from an early age. At home, she enjoys exploring creative learning through music and art with her three sons.

An award-winning chamber musician, violist Caitlin Boyle has toured and performed extensively throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan.
As a member of the Cecilia String Quartet from 2006-2018, she received first prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition, as well as being
awarded prizes in the Bordeaux and Osaka String Quartet competitions. With the quartet Ms. Boyle recorded four albums on the ANALEKTA label. She currently plays as a member of the Shaw Festival orchestra at Niagara-on-the-lake, and is the violist with the Isabel String Quartet, quartet-in-residence at Queen's University. A passionate music educator, Ms. Boyle teaches violin and viola at the Hamilton Suzuki School of Music, privately out of her home in Hamilton, and adjudicates throughout Ontario. She has performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Munich Symphony Orchestra. She holds a position with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra, and is co-artistic director of the chamber music series 5 at the First. Ms. Boyle earned her Doctorate in Performance from the University of Toronto in 2015.

Canadian soprano Othalie Graham continues to receive acclaim throughout the world and is known for her interpretations of the title roles in Turandot, Ariadne and Elektra and her commitment to Wagnerian repertoire. Opera News calls her "a vocally secure Turandot, her gleaming tones well suited to the ice princess's misanthropic resolve."
This season Ms. Graham will sing Turandot at Bellas Artes Mexico City, a Wagner Gala at the Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Festival in Sonora Mexico and The Verdi Requiem with Winston-Salem Symphony. Recently, she made her role debut
singing the Foreign Princess in Rusalka with Portland Opera , Ravel Shéhérazade, Isolde's Liebestod with the Harrisburg Symphony and Isolde Act 2 in concert with Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa. Additional performances include
Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana with Vancouver Opera the title role in Turandot with the Detroit Symphony, Detroit Opera, Opera de Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Arizona Opera, Gran Teatro Nacional del Peru, Teatro Cervantes Málaga Spain and Edmonton Opera. The title role in Aida with Opera Carolina, Toledo Opera, and at the Teatro Greco di
Siracusa; the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos with Festival Opera; covering Elektra at Teatro San
Carlo Napoli; and Minnie in La Fanciulla del West with the Nashville and Indianapolis Operas.

Recent concert highlights include all-Wagner programs in Mexico City and Peru, and with the Washington Chorus at The
Kennedy Center; Beethoven's 9th Symphony with The Philadelphia Orchestra; Verdi's Requiem with the Atlanta and Mississippi Symphonies; Serena in Porgy and Bess with Toledo Opera, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and Jacksonville Symphony; Isolde in Tristan und Isolde Simfonijski orkestar HRT-a Croatia and with the Washington National Chorus at The Kennedy Center; and the Britten War Requiem with the Fondazione Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi.

With an exciting and promising carrier in expansion, Christ Habib is becoming well known as an incredibly passionate musician who displays perseverance, discipline, and enthusiasm.

This musician has distinguished himself on several occasions, particularly through numerous competitions that he has won or of which he has been classified as a finalist, such as the first prize in classical guitar at the National Music Festival (FCMF) in Saskatoon (2019).

As well as stand-out appearances in numerous national and international competitions, Christ was recently named one of Canada's Top 30 Classical Musicians Under 30 (2020 edition). In October, 2020 he made his debut with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, with renowned conductor Alexander Shelley in a performance of Canadian composer Jacques Hétu's Concerto for Guitar and Strings, Op.56.

In 2019, he capped-off 12 years of studying at the Gatineau Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Patrick Roux with a Master's Degree and the Prize in Chamber Music. He also had the chance to perfect his art by studying with many Masters throughout the Boston International Guitar Academy and the Domaine Forget International Academy.

Named one of 2020's "Rising Stars" by BBC Music Magazine, flutist Lara Deutsch is a versatile soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player known for her engaging warmth and ability to connect with audiences. Recipient of the $125,000 Prix Goyer for 2019-2020, Lara was also a first prize winner of the
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal's 2014 Manulife Competition, at which she was awarded a total of seven prizes. Additionally, she was the Grand Prize Winner of both the National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition (2014) and the Canadian Music Competition (2010), as well as a laureate of the
Concours Prix d'Europe (2016).

An avid chamber musician, Lara's recent performance highlights include a ten-concert tour of the Northern United Kingdom, as well as recitals for the Under the Spire Festival, the Waterside Summer Music Series, the Scotia Festival of Music, New Classical FM's Zoomer Hall series, the National Arts
Centre (NAC) & Facebook's #CanadaPerforms initiative, Newport Classical (Rhode Island, USA), the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal's Virée Classique, Chamberfest, Music & Beyond, and the Allegra Chamber Music series, of which she was Artist-in-Residence for the 2019-2020 season. Among her
favourite collaborators are pianists Philip Chiu and Frédéric Lacroix, guitarist Adam Cicchillitti, and harpist Emily Belvedere, with whom she founded Duo Kalysta. She has recorded three chamber music albums on the Leaf Music Label: Origins (2019, Duo Kalysta), Night Light (2022, with Philip Chiu), and Wanderlust
(2023, with Adam Cicchillitti).

Lara is currently based in the Ottawa-Montreal area, where she has performed extensively with the NAC Orchestra, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, she has performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (of which she acted as Assistant Principal
Flute & Piccolo for the 2016-17 season), the symphony orchestras of Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Kingston, and the McGill Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Whenever possible, Lara enjoys performing for young audiences through educational outreach concerts. She is similarly dedicated to sharing her transformative experiences working with Olympic mental performance coach Jean-François Ménard, having hosted workshops internationally for performers of all
ages. In 2020, she joined the music faculty at Carleton University as a performance instructor and, as of 2023, now serves on the faculty of the Breno Italy International Music Academy.

Lara performs on a 14k gold Haynes flute, generously loaned by Canimex Inc. of Drummondville, Québec. She is incredibly grateful for the support of Mécénat Musica, the Canada Council for the Arts, and FACTOR in her ongoing projects, as well as for the years of invaluable guidance from her principal
teachers and mentors: Denis Bluteau, Tim Hutchins, Camille Churchfield, and Cathy Baerg. She is represented by Latitude 45 Arts.

Rachel Desoer is a Canadian cellist. She studied at the Juilliard School, Oberlin College, McGill University and the Banff Centre. She graduated from Oberlin in 2008 with a Bachelor of Music degree.

Rachel was the cellist of the Cecilia String Quartet from 2010 to 2018. In this ensemble Rachel toured extensively around the world, recorded 4 albums on the Analekta label and taught chamber music at the University of Toronto.

Touring has allowed Rachel to perform at such inspiring venues as Wigmore Hall, The Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Konzert Haus Berlin and many more. The Cecilia Quartet also made educational programming a priority and performed hundreds of presentations for schools. In 2014, the quartet created a concert series called Xenia concerts specifically designed for children on the autism spectrum and their families. Exemplifying their commitment to the equal representation of women in music, Rachel spearheaded the commissioning of 4 string quartets by Canadian women composers in 2016.

Rachel continues to play recitals and chamber music regularly. She has worked in orchestras, most notably, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Canadian Opera Company. Currently, Rachel is the principal cellist of Symphony Nova Scotia. Rachel performs on a Vuillaume from ca. 1850, generously loaned by the Symphony Nova Scotia Society.

Rachelle Courtney is a Canadian jazz singer and music educator with over 15 years' experience teaching musical theatre and contemporary voice to professional and aspiring singers.

Recipient of the 2023 Forest City London Music Award for Jazz Vocals, Rachelle attributes her success as a jazz singer to the years she spent studying music at Humber College in Toronto with some of the finest jazz musicians in the country. In complement to her jazz background, Rachelle also holds a Diploma of Music Theatre from the Randolph College for the Performing Arts, which has significantly informed her performing practice, and is evident in her captivating stage presence, and ability to find the emotion and intention in a song's lyric. Her understanding of jazz has been shaped not only by the training she received from world-class musicians and educators, but also by the opportunities she has been given to perform and be part of the broader jazz community. From choral ensembles to big bands, Rachelle has enjoyed a rewarding career performing and collaborating with many different groups. She has been a featured singer with the Swing Shift Big Band at venues such as The Rex, and the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, and has recorded accompanying vocals for singer Lori Cullen on her album "Buttercup Bugle", with performances at Hugh's Room and the Harbourfront Centre Theatre. She has graced the stage in her hometown at the Westben Arts Festival Theatre, and Stirling Festival Theatre; and has performed as both a lounge singer and main-stage vocalist aboard Holland America and Celebrity cruise lines, touring the world and developing an international following. Her debut album "Unforgettable" has been featured on Toronto's Jazz FM91 and other radio stations across the country.

In addition to performing, Rachelle holds a Masters of Music Education from Western University where she has worked as a teaching assistant and vocal coach. She loves working with youth, and enthusiastically devotes her time as a voice teacher and adjudicator to young students pursuing careers in musical theatre and contemporary music. Rachelle is a contributor to the Conservatory Canada Contemporary Voice Exam Syllabus, and is a member of both the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and the Ontario Registered Music Teachers' Association.

Rachelle lives in Southwestern Ontario with her jazz pianist husband, Nevin Campbell, and three daughters. She enjoys performing locally at concert halls, festivals, restaurants, and private functions.

Praised for "her sweet and distinct tone…breathtaking in colour," Dr. Laurel Swinden embraces a multi-faceted career as a performer, educator and scholar. Laurel has been an invited performer and teacher in Argentina, Peru, Belgium, Puerto Rico, the Sichuan Conservatory (China.) She has performed throughout the United States and Canada as a soloist and as a member of the NAFTA Duo and PanAmerican Flute Trio. Dr. Swinden's Celebrating Women! recordings with pianist Stephanie Mara can be heard on Spotify, Naxos and CBC Music. As part of the Flute New Music Consortium, Laurel co-commissions and premieres new works for flute. She is the Principal Flute of the Stratford Symphony Orchestra, Associate Principal Flute/Piccolo of the Scarborough Philharmonic and has performed with the New World Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Mississippi Symphony, Symphony of the Americas and with various orchestras throughout southwestern Ontario, Canada. A dedicated teacher, Dr. Swinden teaches flute at Wilfrid Laurier University and the Laurier Academy of Music and Arts. Laurel serves on the National Flute Association Pedagogy Committee. Dr. Swinden is an examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music, the Glenn Gould Professional School and adjudicates at festivals across North and South America.

Ian has been a professional musical theatre performer for over 35 years and is currently the Canadian regional rep for Musical Theatre Educators' Alliance. He is a graduate of Queen's University (Bachelor of Music in voice) and Sheridan College (Diploma in Music-Theatre Performance). He has been on faculty in the Music Theatre - Performance department at St Lawrence College since 2014 and has been a voice teacher at Sheridan College in the Music Theatre Performance program.

Over the years, Ian has performed vocal styles from Operetta to Pop/Rock. His vocal pedagogy studies include NATS Conference (Chicago), Penn State Vocal Pedagogy (Mary Saunders-Barton, Bel Canto, Can Belto), Somatic Voicework TM (Levels I, II, III with Jeanie LoVetri), Soul Ingredients TM (Dr. Triniece Robinson- Martin, Princeton University), Boston Conservatory Vocal Pedagogy (Kevin Wilson, Jared Trudeau), and Rock the Audition Teacher Training (Sheri Sanders). He continues his studies of contemporary commercial voice with such courses on Belting, Training Transgender Voices, What is Mix?, Voice Acoustics, and Vocal Health and Pathologies.

As an actor/singer Ian has worked at such theatres as the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Shaw Festival, Charlottetown Festival, American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco and played Harry Bright in US National Tour of Mamma Mia! where he toured to over 144 cities across Canada, the US, and Mexico. He has worked with Tony nominated directors Frank Galati, Susan H. Schulman, Gary Griffin, Brian Macdonald, and Brian Bedford; Olivier nominated director Phyllida Lloyd; and esteemed Canadian directors Donna Feore, Robert McQueen, Jackie Maxwell, Christopher Newton, and Richard Monette. He has sung internationally with The Orchestra Japan across Japan and Taiwan. You can also see him in guest starring roles on CBC's Diggstown and Murdoch Mysteries.

JUNO award-nominated, award-winning, and internationally renowned contemporary folk artist Dayna Manning has been recording and touring for over 25 years. She released her first album with EMI Canada and Nettwerk Music Group in 1997, and has written and recorded four solo albums and three as a founding member of the acclaimed folk trio, Trent Severn.

Dayna is a community arts leader, mentor, singer/songwriter, producer, engineer, and author. As a performer, she has it all; an unmistakable voice, compelling songwriting, and fingerpicking skills that are rarely rivalled. Ask anyone who has seen Manning perform, she is simply mesmerizing.

Dayna is well known for weaving local history and storytelling in her songwriting, including tributes with Canadian ties to The Band's Richard Manuel; Father Goose himself, Bill Lishman; and may be known most for her beloved tribute to the snow day, "O Snow". Her first book Many Moons: A Songwriter's Memoir includes a foreword by Col. Chris Hadfield, and was listed as one of the best books of the season by Canadian Living Magazine. The accompanying soundtrack is a 'greatest hits' of Dayna's writing.

Dayna received the 2023 Forest City London Music Award for Ontario Independent Recording Artist of the Year, and was nominated for Producer of the Year at the 2021 Canadian Folk Music Awards for her latest album, Morning Light. The video for her song, "You You You" won the 2021 FCLMA for video of the year.

Dayna's current artistic work includes adapting a local play into a musical, and she will celebrate the release of her 8th studio album in her hometown of Stratford, Ontario, with a performance at the Stratford Festival's Tom Patterson Theatre on July 14th, 2025.

Celebrated for her warm, expressive voice and dramatic immediacy, soprano Frédérique Vézina has earned acclaim on concert and opera stages in Canada and internationally. After completing her Voice Studies at McGill University in Montreal, she joined the prestigious Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Studio in 2002. This led to her becoming a member of the Juilliard Opera Centre at the world-renowned Juilliard School in New York. Her experiences working with eminent mentors in opera, art song, and stagecraft deeply inform her teaching today.

Over the course of her performing career, Frédérique Vézina brought to life a wide array of leading roles, including Mimì (La Bohème), Tatyana (Eugene Onegin), Ellen Orford (Peter Grimes), the Countess (Le nozze di Figaro), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Micaëla (Carmen), the Governess (The Turn of the Screw), Wellgunde (Das Rheingold), and Hanna Glawari (The Merry Widow). A defining moment in her career came in 2010 when she created the title role in the world premiere of John Estacio's Lillian Alling.

Throughout this journey, she had the privilege of collaborating with distinguished conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, James Conlon, Hans Fricke, Jacques Lacombe, Kent Nagano, Bernard Labadie, and Richard Bradshaw, among others.

Today, Frédérique Vézina is passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience with the next generation of singers. Since 2010, she has been an esteemed educator, first at Western University and, since 2013, at the University of Toronto, where she is a valued member of the voice faculty. In addition, she serves as co-director of the France-Canada Academy of Vocal Arts, which runs in Toronto (Canada) and Tours (France) each year. She frequently offers masterclasses and serves as an adjudicator for music festivals and competitions.

Her teaching philosophy centers on cultivating a deep awareness of the body as the singer's instrument, providing students with the autonomy and technical mastery to support their artistic expression. In addition, her work with singers strives to develop profound and meaningful expressivity rooted in the intimate personalization of text and character.
Frédérique Vézina also contributes to Opera Canada from time to time, sharing her insights on the art form she loves. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys supporting her children in their various endeavors and hosting memorable gatherings with friends.

Monette Gould is a soprano with many years of professional experience as a performer and teacher. Born in New Brunswick, she moved to Toronto, Ontario, to pursue her stud-ies in music. Monette holds two performance diplomas, an A.R.C.T. and a Performance Licentiate, from The Royal Conservatory of Music, and an Opera Performance Diploma from the University of Toronto.

Monette returned to New Brunswick to teach voice at Mount Allison University and l'Université de Moncton. She also teaches privately and works with high school students who want to prepare to enter university music programs. She has also taught courses such as Diction for Singers, Sight-singing, Dictation and Aural Skills, and has given workshops on Stage Presence, How to Practice, Options in Music, and How to Set Up a Private Studio. She is highly regarded and is in very high demand as an adjudicator and clinician across the country. Many of her students have excelled, continuing to some of the best interna-tional graduate programs, winning prestigious awards, competitions and scholarships, and some are making their living singing in opera houses in Canada and the USA.

Monette has appeared in several opera productions, and her roles include Fiordiligi in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, the Countess in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, and Tatiana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, just to name a few. In 1998, she appeared as Mimi in Opera New Brunswick's production of Puccini's La Bohème. For the Canadian 150th Anniversary, she performed with the NBYO, which commissioned a piece by Canadian composer Howard Shore. She has recently toured with Ventus Machina Quintet and will be touring with them again in 2025. Monette continues an active career as a soloist, performing in recitals and concerts throughout the Maritimes.

She lives with her husband Jonathan, and her two chihuahuas, Merle and Olive, who also love to sing.

Greg Hellems is an accomplished theatre educator and professional, currently serving as the Head of Musical Theatre at Wright State University, where he also teaches Acting and Musical Theatre. With a wealth of experience as a director, choreographer, and educator, Greg has helped to shape the theatre community both regionally and nationally.

Greg began his professional career as a performer in theme parks and industrial shows before transitioning into regional theatre and Off-Broadway. He honed his directing, choreography, and writing skills at Kings Entertainment Company in Cincinnati, creating shows for theme parks in the U.S. and Canada. Greg's freelance work spans industrial shows, cruise lines, and touring productions, with credits including Carnival Cruise Lines, Legoland Windsor (UK), Paramount Parks Inc., Cedar Fair, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

At Wright State, Greg's directorial and choreographic work includes acclaimed productions such as Alice By Heart, Cabaret, Sister Act, Mamma Mia, A Little Night Music, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. He also assistant directed WSU's regional premiere of States of Independence with Tina Landau and Ricky Ian Gordon. Additionally, he has directed or choreographed productions at the University of Cincinnati - College Conservatory of Music, Northern Kentucky University, Xavier University, Miami University, and James Madison University. Greg's extensive teaching experience includes the Advanced Performance Academy at Columbus Children's Theatre, the High Scholl Musical Production and Intensive at Interlochen Arts Camp, and the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music -Prep.

In addition to his work in Ohio, Greg has directed and choreographed for various renowned theatres and institutions, working regionally at theatres like Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Hot Summer Nights. the Human Race Theatre Co., Zoot Theatre, and Mountain Playhouse, among others Greg's regional credits include Shipwrecked, The Cake, Sex With Strangers, The Glass Menagerie, Band Geeks! A Funny Thing …Forum, Little Shop of Horrors, and Music Man. Notable collaborations include direction and staging for Leonard Bernstein's Mass and choreography for South Pacific for the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Most notably he served as assistant director to Tin Landau for the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's Sycamore Trees at the Signature Theatre in Washington, DC in 2010

A member of Actors Equity, an associate member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, and a founding member of the Musical Theatre Educators Alliance, Greg has earned recognition for his award-winning work in musical theatre and play direction. He holds a BS in Communications/Theatre from James Madison University and an MFA in Directing from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.

Jessica Watson is a classically trained actor, dialect coach and theatre educator based out of Toronto, ON. Originally from Acton, ON, she attended the University of Alberta before pursuing her master's in acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, where she specialized in classical acting, dialects, stage combat, and comedy. Since returning to Canada in 2020, Jessica has been working on screen as an actor and writer (under a stage name) while assisting Canadian playwrights and screenwriters as a developmental editor. She's worked as a standup comedian, a university recruiter, a public speaking coach, and is currently a series regular on a Hallmark television series.

Jessica has been performing for over fifteen years and brings a broad and unique array of methods and disciplines to her work. In the Canadian film industry, she is widely regarded as a versatile and transformative actor, appearing in a wide variety of roles across film and television. When she's not performing, Jessica teaches speech and performance to youths through the UK-based performance training program Stagecoach and is a private audition and dialect coach for adult and youth theatre and film actors alike. She's a passionate advocate for arts accessibility and education, and has first-hand experience in the transformative, confidence boosting power of the performing arts.

Sarah is the recipient of the 2024 Member of the Year Award (TMA 149) and a JUNO-nominated violinist and educator. She is a founding member of the Madawaska String Quartet (est. 2001) and a violinist with CONTAQT New Music. A passionate educator, she is on faculty at the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Taylor Academy. Her students have been accepted into the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, Interlochen, university music programs, and have received Gold Medals in Royal Conservatory examinations. In 2021, she was appointed to the RCM College of Examiners.

Her chamber collaborations have included Adrianne Pieczonka, Measha Brueggergosman, Jan Lisiecki, and James Campbell. She has performed at Festival of the Sound, Ottawa Chamberfest, and 21C at Koerner Hall, and International appearances include the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK), Bang on a Can, MoMA, and Mass MoCA (USA), as well as Festival Ibero Americano (Puerto Rico).

Sarah received her training in Japan under Koichiro Harada of the Tokyo String Quartet at the Toho Gakuen School of Music. She later earned a Master's degree from the University of Toronto and an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School. Her discography includes the JUNO-winning Bestiary I & II by Bekah Simms.

As a freelance violinist, Sarah has performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet of Canada, Esprit Orchestra, and The Lion King musical.

Canadian pianist Dr. Joy Lee enjoys a multi-faceted career as a collaborative pianist, teacher, soloist, and adjudicator. Driven by her passion for music and education, she has performed at prestigious events including the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. during President Barack Obama's inauguration celebration, the Banff Centre for the Arts, and venues across Canada's Northwest Territories.

Dr. Lee holds both a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music in Solo Piano from the University of Toronto, where she studied with the celebrated pedagogue Marietta Orlov. Her deep love for vocal music and its rich repertoire led her to pursue a second Master of Music in Collaborative Piano Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, under the mentorship of renowned collaborative pianist Martin Katz. She later earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Professor Steven Philcox.

As a Lecturer in Music and Worship Arts at Tyndale University, Dr. Lee is dedicated to inspiring and equipping the next generation of musicians. A sought-after adjudicator, she has adjudicated for the OMFA Provincial Finals, Sudbury Music Festival, and Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival. Her 2025 adjudicating engagements include the ORMTA Eastern Zone Competition, and the OMFA Provincial Live Music Festival.

Recognized for her artistry and exceptional collaborative skills, Dr. Lee was honoured with the Gwendolyn Williams Koldofsky Prize in 2018. In 2017, she and soprano Maeve Palmerearned second prize at the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition, showcasing their dynamic partnership. In 2023, she made her Carnegie Hall debut as part of the Canada at Carnegie series, and—alongside soprano Stéphanie McKay-Turgeon—was invited to perform works by Henri Dutilleux at Maison Dutilleux-Joy in Candes-Saint-Martin, France.

Dr. Lee has served on the faculty of the University of Toronto Choral Conducting Symposium (2022 & 2023), and collaborates regularly with ensembles including the
Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto, MacMillan Singers (University of Toronto), Tyndale Singers, and the Tyndale Community Choir. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the North Toronto Songbirds, fostering community connection through the arts. She is excited to work with the Chamber Choir this summer at the 2025 Toronto Summer Music Academy's Community Program as the ensemble's Collaborative Pianist.

Czech-Canadian cellist Katerina Juraskova has been acclaimed for her "electrifying spells, natural intensity, beautiful phrasing and sonority" (Santa Barbara Independent). She holds Doctoral and Master's degrees from McGill University, as well as degrees from Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal, Conservatoire européen de musique de Paris (France), and the International Menuhin Music Academy (Switzerland). For 9 years she was the Principal Cellist and Soloist for l'Orchestre Classique de Montréal (formerly the McGill Chamber Orchestra) and recently appeared as a soloist in the Schumann concerto with LCO. Other Principal Cello positions and solo appearances include La Pietà, Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, Montgomery (AL) Symphony Orchestra, and National Academy Orchestra (Hamilton, ON). Her career as a soloist and a chamber musician has taken her to major concert venues on four continents. In Canada she has performed with Festival of the Sound, Montreal Chamber Music Festival, Montreal Bach Festival, Magisterra Soloists, and Jeffery Concerts.
Her teachers have included František Pišinger, Radu Aldulescu, Denis Brott, Antonio Lysy, and Christopher Rex. A certified Suzuki cello instructor, she has studied the Suzuki Method in Chicago, IL, with Tanya L. Carey.

Dr. Juraskova is currently on the faculty of Forest City String School in London, ON, and Suzuki Talent Education Program in Birmingham (AL). She has taught cello and chamber music at the International Menuhin Music Academy, Wilfried Laurier University's String Academy in Waterloo, lectured at the University of Montreal and the Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute, and served as an adjudicator for the National Tour of the Canadian Music Competition, the Sherbrooke Music Competition in Québec, and Kiwanis Provincial Finals. Her students won auditions for youth orchestras in Birmingham (AL), London and Kitchener-Waterloo, and top prizes at Kiwanis Festival.

She lives with her husband and son in London, ON, where she is active in the city's cultural life and has a private studio.

Named one of the "30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30" by CBC Music in 2020, it was said of pianist Jean-Luc Therrien that he "[…] was able to stand out through his frank playing, […] not hesitating to go off the beaten track to reveal to us his personal reading of certain passages. A very refreshing performance. » (La Scena Musicale)

With his playing always resolute, committed and sincere, the native of Repentigny in Quebec has for several years led an active career as a soloist, chamber musician, collaborative pianist and educator throughout the world. Among other collaborations, he has shared the stage with notable musicians and ensembles including cellist Colin Carr, cellist Zlatomir Fung, The Happenstancers and the Claudel-Canimex Quartet. In February 2022, he was a soloist with the Royal Conservatory of Music Orchestra at Koerner Hall (Toronto) under the baton of conductor Tania Miller. As a soloist, he also collaborated with Jeunesses Musicales Canada (2016) and Debut Atlantic (2022 and 2025) for concert tours in Quebec and the Maritimes.

Finalist and prizewinner in several competitions including the NTD International Piano Competition in New York City, Mauro Paolo Monopoli Prize in Italy, the Canadian Music Competition Stepping Stone and the Luigi Zanuccoli International Competition in Italy, Jean-Luc Therrien has stood out in many other notable competitions such as such as the Sendai International Piano Competition in Japan, the Lyon International Piano Competition, the Roma International Piano Competition, the Prix d'Europe Competition, the OSM Standard Life Competition, etc.

In addition to being an active performer, Jean-Luc has adjudicated for organizations such as Debut Atlantic and given Masterclasses in music schools around the world including the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec and the Dalhousie University. He also has two albums to his credit, released on the labels Orpheus Classical and Klarthe;  these are available on most online music streaming platforms. He also shares his recordings in video format on his YouTube channel (Jean-Luc Therrien, pianist). 

Photo credit: Gaetz Photography

Montreal-based, Brigitte Poulin is an active and accomplished soloist, chamber musician and teacher whose repertoire covers all periods. A proponent of 20th and 21st century music, Brigitte has commissioned and premiered more than fifty works for solo piano, prepared piano and various chamber ensembles.

Graduated from the Université de Montréal (DMus), the Vienna Music Academy and the Montreal music Conservatory, Brigitte has been several times artist in residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts.
Brigitte counts among her faithful collaborators doublebassist Ali Yazdanfar and pianist Jean Marchand. She has also founded two contemporary chamber ensembles: Ensemble Transmission and Trio Phoenix.

Brigitte Poulin teaches as a part-time lecturer at The Schulich music School of McGill University. She is also accompanying at both McGill Schulich School of Music and Université de Montréal. She is regularly called upon to adjudicate for Arts Councils grant proposals as well as Music Festivals across Canada. She is as well a member of the Summer Academy of Orford Music. As well since September 2021, she is teaching piano at the École de musique de Verdun and the Villa Sainte-Marcelline.

Her most recent CD recordings include: Folklore imaginaire music by Ana Sokolović (Naxos), Pierrot lunaire (Atma), Transmission, and her own solo CD Édifices Naturels (Dame). Her performances can be heard on Naxos Records and YouTube.

Jelica Mijanović is an award-winning Canadian-Montenegrin guitarist and recording artist. She has garnered international recognition as a soloist, lecturer and adjudicator in over 40 international festivals and musicology conferences across a dozen countries. Jelica won 11 international guitar competitions, published two books, and received over thirty scholarships during her academic journey. She obtained MA in Music Pedagogy and an MA in Music Performance in Switzerland, where she also worked as conservatory teachor and university adjunct professor. Currently, Jelica teaches at Mohawk College while pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Toronto. Fluent in French, English, Italian, German, Spanish, and Montenegrin, she brings a global perspective to her musical pursuits.

In 2024, Jelica's artistic and academic contributions were honoured with three prestigious awards. She made history as the first guitarist from the University of Toronto to win the DMA Recital Competition and secure the doctoral Canada Graduate Scholarship. Additionally, she received the Newcomer Artist Award from the Toronto Arts Foundation. She also released her solo album 'Meridians - Guitar Music from Six Continents,' funded by the Ontario Arts Council.

Jelica Mijanović is an award-winning Canadian-Montenegrin guitarist and recording artist. She has garnered international recognition as a soloist, lecturer and adjudicator in over 40 international festivals and musicology conferences across a dozen countries. Jelica won 11 international guitar competitions, published two books, and received over thirty scholarships during her academic journey. She obtained MA in Music Pedagogy and an MA in Music Performance in Switzerland, where she also worked as conservatory teachor and university adjunct professor. Currently, Jelica teaches at Mohawk College while pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Toronto. Fluent in French, English, Italian, German, Spanish, and Montenegrin, she brings a global perspective to her musical pursuits.

In 2024, Jelica's artistic and academic contributions were honoured with three prestigious awards. She made history as the first guitarist from the University of Toronto to win the DMA Recital Competition and secure the doctoral Canada Graduate Scholarship. Additionally, she received the Newcomer Artist Award from the Toronto Arts Foundation. She also released her solo album 'Meridians - Guitar Music from Six Continents,' funded by the Ontario Arts Council.