Soloist Archive

John Van Maanen - Bass

John Van Maanen began piano lessons at age six and a few years later joined the junior choir of his home church in Simcoe, Ontario, joined the senior choir there.  He also regularly serves as substitute organist for local churches.  John pursued musical studies at the University of Western Ontario, earning a Bachelor of Music degree (Honours Music Education) in 1991, and a Master of Music degree (Honours in Vocal Literature and Performance) in 1993.  Currently, John sings with Arcady and the Grand River Chorus, and is regularly featured as a baritone soloist.  A charter member of a Simcoe-based light opera society, he has performed lead roles in several productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.  John maintains a small singing studio in Simcoe and enjoys composing.  Two of his hymn tunes have been published in Canadian hymnals.  An anthem, ‘Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence,’ was published by Oxford University Press March 1, 2007.  John is delighted that local choirs such as Arcady and the Grand River Chorus are performing his music.  Four of John’s anthems are included in the Grand River Chorus in their CD – A Grand Christmas.  A longer work, ‘The Song My Paddle Sings,’ setting a poem by E Pauline Johnson, was among several Canadian compositions performed by the Grand River Chorus during their recent European tour. 

Eve Rachel McLeod - Soprano

Described as “possessing a beautiful voice” (Opera Canada) and “a fine instrument and strong stage presence” (National Post,) soprano Eve Rachel McLeod is quickly establishing herself on the stage in both concert and operatic performances. She has recently sung the Mozart roles of the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, and The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute. Other performances include the roles of Iris in Handel’s Semele, Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Philine in Mignon by Thomas, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream of Britten, Atahensic in the fully-staged première of John Beckwith’s Taptoo!, and Mrs. Gobineau and Lucy in the Menotti operas The Medium and The Telephone. Miss McLeod has appeared as a soloist with Bucharest Festival Chamber Orchestra, The Istanbul chamber Orchestra, Opera Lyra,  Toronto Masque Theatre, The Valley Festival near Ottawa, Aldeburgh Connection Recital Series, Lyrica Choir of Barrie, MountainView Connection Recital Series, Saskatoon Opera, Opera York, Aradia Ensemble, and with the Calgary Festival Chorus and the Calgary Chamber Orchestra. Ms McLeod studied at the University of Toronto, The Banff Centre, The Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme in Aldeburgh, England, the Chautauqua Institute in New York State, and Oberlin at Casselmaggiore, Italy. In 2005, she was a finalist of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme auditions in London, England, where she had the pleasure of singing on the main stage of the Royal Opera Covent Garden. Ms McLeod will be featured with the Aradia Ensemble on a new recording of Purcell's sacred music, to be released on the NAXOS label in 2007.

Jason Nedecky - Baritone

Baritone Jason Nedecky performs regularly as a soloist in recital and concert engagements. He has appeared with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Toronto Consort, Toronto Chamber Choir, Aldeburgh Connection Recital Series, Mountain View Connection Recital Series in Calgary, Aradia Ensemble, Talisker Players, Mooredale Concert Series, Toronto Masque Theatre, and the Valley Festival near Ottawa. On the operatic stage, Mr. Nedecky has performed with the Canadian Opera Company as the Messenger in La Traviata, and the COC Ensemble Studio in The Magic Flute, with the Saskatoon Opera as Escamillo in Carmen, in the title role of Don Giovanni at Opera NUOVA in Edmonton and the Brott Summer Music Festival in Hamilton, and in the Opera Atelier productions of  Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute, as well as Lully’s Persée, now available on video. Mr. Nedecky studied at the University of Toronto, in Baden bei Wien, Austria, in Aldeburgh, England, at L'Académie Musicale de Villecroze in Provence, France, and at the Banff Centre. Last summer, he was a soloist with Consort Caritatis on a tour of Eastern Europe. He will appear on the Naxos label in a new recording of Vivaldi's opera La Griselda, to be released in the next several months.

Robert Kinar - Tenor

Tenor Robert Kinar studied voice in Montréal and later at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he completed a Master's degree in performance practice.  San Francisco Classical Voice  praised his operatic debut (Nemorino, L'Elisir d'amore) as "...engaging, sincere, impressive, believable."  He has appeared as soloist in numerous Montréal performances, including Mozart's Requiem, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, and Bach's Cantata No.21 "Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis".  Since becoming a member of Tafelmusik in 2004, Robert has been featured as a soloist in their performances of Haydn's St. Nicholas Mass, and Charpentier's In Navitatem domini canticum. 
Robert has recently sung for the Toronto Consort, Opera Atelier and the Bach Consort, and has been a member of La Chapelle de Québec for several years. He makes his second appearance with the Grand River Chorus in Haydn's Creation in April 2008.

Richard Cunningham - Countertenor

Although he has an impressive catalogue of solo appearances to his career, Richard is perhaps best known as a choral conductor.

Richard earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of Toronto. He has studied choral conducting with Derek Holman, Edgar Hanson, William Wright, Douglas Bodle, and Jon Washburn.

As a concert artist, Richard’s studies began at U of T with Lillian Weichel and Edgar Hanson. The grateful recipient of three scholarship grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Richard traveled to England to study with Timothy Penrose and James Bowman, two of the finest practitioners of the countertenor’s art. Richard also sang at Winchester Cathedral and St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, making many appearances before the Royal Family.

As a soloist, Richard has traveled through France, Holland, Germany, Britain, the United States and Canada, and has often been heard on the CBC. He has performed with the symphony orchestras in Toronto & Kitchener / Waterloo, the Hamilton Philharmonic and the English Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Hamilton’s Bach-Elgar Choir and the Philharmonic Choir in K/W. He has often performed with Tactus Vocal Ensemble, La Chappelle de Quebec and Les Violons du Roy in Quebec & Montreal, the Elora Festival Singers, and with Toronto’s baroque choir and orchestra - Tafelmusik. Richard has also been a frequent performer with the John Laing Singers in Hamilton.

Marion Samuel-Stevens – soprano

Soprano,  is a graduate The University of Toronto’s Voice Performance Program and is building a reputation as a performer of new music as well as oratorio singer. Marion’s oratorio Experience include Mozart’s “Coronation Mass” and “Vespers”, Vaughan Williams’ “Sea Symphony”, Haydn’s “Paukenmesse” and “Lord Nelson Mass”, Mendelssohn’s “Lobgesang” and “As the Hart Pants” and “Hear my Prayer” as well as Bruckner’s “Te Deum”, Gounod’s “St. Cecilia Mass”, Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and “Magnificat” as well as Faure’s “Requiem and Handel’s “Messiah” with groups including the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Guelph Chamber Choir, Toronto Classical Singers and Orpheus Choir.  In 2004 Marion won Symphony Hamilton’s Young Artist Competition and had the pleasure of performing three of Mahler’s Rückert lieder with the orchestra.  Marion will be performing Haydn’s “Creation” with the Guelph Chamber Choir and The Toronto Classical Singers this season as well as the role of Belinda in Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneus” and Anne Truelove in Stravinsky’s “The Rake’s Progress”.

 Marion is a avid supporter of new music and has performed Grigori Frid’s “Diary of Anne Frank” as Anne, Mark Adamo’s “Little Women” as Beth, as well as being called in to perform as the Soprano Soloist in David Del Tredici’s “Alice” on less than twenty four hours notice with the National Ballet of Canada. Other roles include Elle in “La Voix Humaine” by Poulenc, Helene in “Hin und Zuruck” by Shostakovich and most recently Estelle in Hugo Weisgall’s “The Stronger”. She has performed the Role of Ruth in Ronald Beckett’s opera “Ruth” in as well as collaborating with Elora composer Peter Skoggard on “War and Peace” as well as performances of Skoggard’s songs for solo voice.  Marion has also sung with the Guelph Symphony as the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”, Tytania in Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with Opera Nuova, scenes from Verdi’s “La Traviata” as Violetta and Lucy in Menotti’s “The Telephone”.  After spending two months in Austria this summer, Marion plans to return to Europe next spring to pursue further performance opportunities. 

Kevin Bradshaw - baritone

Kevin Bradshaw , a native of Toronto began his musical studies with Ned Hanson at the Church of St. Simon the Apostle. He is a graduate from the music faculty at Wilfrid Laurier University where he studied with Victor Martens, and the Music Theatre Programme at the Banff Centre of Fine Arts. He has appeared as a soloist with the Penderecki Quartet, Edmonton Symphony, Victoria Symphony, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in both Pops and Oratorio repertoire. He has performed the role of the Baker in Sondheim's Into the Woods and Sam in Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti. Mr. Bradshaw's past oratorio appearances include the Faure Requiem, Handel's Messiah, Brahm's Requiem and McCatrney's Liverpool Oratorio. He is currently a member of the Elora Festival Singers and works for the Alzheimer Society of Kitchener-Waterloo.

Teresa Van Der Hoeven – soprano

Originally from Kingston, Ontario , Soprano Teresa van der Hoeven moved to Montreal to pursue musical studies at McGill university.  At university, she studied with renowned vocal teacher Jan Simons.  While still a student, Teresa began her solo career singing the Rutter Requiem with the Kingston Symphony,  CoretteÕs Laudate Dominum with I Musici de Montreal, and the part of the Angel in the Mozart version of HandelÕs Messiah with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

Other highlights include singing ÒAnitraÓ in GriegÕs Peer Gynt with the National Arts Center Orchestra under Franz-Paul Decker, and the Faure Requiem with Les Violons du Roy under Bernard Labadie.

Ms. van der Hoeven sings often with the Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montreal under Christopher Jacks  ±on.  Solo appearances include the Montreverdi Vespers, HandelÕs Messiah and Dixit Dominus, PurcelsÕ Dido and Aneas, the Bach Magnificat, and the Lecons de Tenebres by Couperin among many others. Tours with the ÒStudioÓ took Teresa to France and Luxembourg singing Desmerest and to the east coast of Canada singing Monteverdi.
 
She toured toured Germany and the Czech Republic with the Ottawa Choral society singing the Brahms mass in G and the Mozart Requiem, and toured France  with Les Violons du Roys singing works of Vivaldi.

Recent engagements included her debut with the LÕopera de Quebec singing the 2nd lady in MozartÕs Magic Flute, HandelÕs Messiah with the MeloÕs Ensemble in Kingston,  works of Carrissimi at the Vancouver Early Music Festival under the direction of Herve Niquet, and a pops program of Sondeim and Weil with Orchestra London (ontario).

Teresa now makes her home in Toronto where she studies with Catherine Robbin.

Trevor Bowes – bass

Victoria-born baritone Trevor Bowes has been called "a singer with a potential-star rating" (Sir Kenneth MacKellar) and is quickly gaining the attention of audiences across the country.  Mr. Bowes is based in Toronto where he is a masters candidate in the University of Toronto's opera division. He has also studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, and the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme in Aldeburgh, England. Trevor's "light but very dramatic voice" (Opera Canada) has been heard in opera, oratorio and recital across Canada with companies including Opera In Concert, the Aldeburgh Connection, I Furiosi Baroque Ensemble, Pacific Opera Victoria and the Confederation Centre for the Arts, Charlottetown. His various operatic roles have included Le Comte Des Grieux (Manon), Enrico (Il Campanello), Cadmus (Semele), Death (Savitri), Leandre (L'Amour des Trois Oranges), Simone (Gianni Schicchi) and his oratorio performances have included Haydn's Creation, Handel's Messiah and Mozart's Requiem. Recent performances include Sleep/Winter in Purcell's "Faery Queen" under Harry Bickett at the 2005 Aldeburgh Festival and the role of Papa Costanzo in John Estacio's "Filumena" in the 2005 Banff Summer Arts Festival.  This season Mr. Bowes will be featured in recital with the Aldeburgh Connection Young Artists Series and will be the bass soloist for Bach's Cantata 71 in the Toronto International Bach Festival under Maestro Helmut Rilling.  For more information, please visit www.trevorbowes.com.

Devon Wastle – soprano

Christopher Edwards – tenor

Tenor Christopher Edwards' studies in music were at the University of Toronto (Godfrey Rideout) and the Royal Conservatory of Music (Megan Rutledge,  Helen Simmie, Lois MacDonnell). Mr. Edwards' first professional engagement, as tenor soloist at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church,Toronto lasted for 17 years until his relocation to the USA in 1994. Several appearances with the Canadian Opera Company chorus in 1983 led to his oratorio debut in 1984 singing the role of Obidiah in Mendelssohn's Elijah, followed by Bach's Mass in B minor and Handel's Messiah the following year. Subsequent appearances on the concert stage in Toronto include Bach’s Magnificat, numerous cantatas and the St. John and St. Matthew Passions (solos and Evangelists), Mozart's Requiem, Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 2 (Lobgesang), and Elgar's Dream of Gerontius.

Performances while in the USA include the roles of Uriel (Haydn's Creation) and Caspar (Mennotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors) in addition to numerous Messiahs and Bach works.

Since returning to Canada in 2000 Mr. Edwards' attentions have also focused on the lighter works of Gilbert and Sullivan with roles of Nanki-Poo (Mikado), Marco (Gondoliers), Dr Daly (Sorcerer), Cyril (Princess Ida) and Capt. Corcoran (Pinafore). For the past 4 years he has held the position of Artistic Director for the Wandering Minstrals of St. James, Simcoe, creating their new productions of Iolanthe (2004), Starship Pinafore (2005), Sorcerer (2006) and Ruddigore (2007).

In addition to occasional solo appearances with the Grand River Chorus and Arcady, Mr. Edwards is proud to be a chorister of both groups.

Jordan Stumpf - baritone

Jordan Stumpf is an 18 year old recent graduate of the International Baccalaureate Program at Cameron Heights in Kitchener, but is currently a resident of Guelph, Ontario.  Jordan was a member of the K-W Philharmonic Youth Choir for four years making occasional appearances with the Adult Choir as well.  In his final year of highschool, Jordan was a member and soloist with the University of Waterloo Chamber Choir and a choral scholar at First United Church in Waterloo.  Jordan was a guest soloist with the K-W Symphony in their debut performance of The Lord of the Rings Symphony, with performances at Centre in the Square and Roy Thompson Hall.  For the past two years, he has also sung solos at Kitchener-Waterloo’s Choralfest at Centre in the Square, at the head of over 750 highschool music students.  In addition to being a well known performer amongst his peers, Jordan has conducted a self-founded choir, helped coach young adult voices, and has several unpublished compositions to his name.  Currently, Jordan is the youngest member of the DaCapo Chamber Singers, and is always seeking new musical challenges for himself.

Amanda Kind, soprano

Amanda made her debut with the Grand River Chorus in our tribute to Mozart last season, and is happy to be back.  Originally from White Rock, BC, Amanda is an honours graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts, Kwantlen University College Music Conservatory and the University of Waterloo.  Selected credits include:  La Traviata (Opera Ontario), Masterclass (First Stages Theatre Port Hope), The Mikado (WRGSS), Seussical (KWMP), Bach Magnificat, Mozart Coronation Mass, Handel’s Messiah (University Singers), The Tempest (Theatre of the Arts), Pirates of Penzance (Chemainus Theatre Festival), Menotti’s The Telephone, Yeoman of the Guard (Victoria Opera Society) and Spirit of A Nation (Vancouver Island Company). Amanda will perform Fauré’s Requiem with the Renaissance Singers of Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge in October of 2006 and Handel’s Messiah with the University of Waterloo Singers in December 2006.  Much thanks to family, friends and teachers as well as Richard and the choir for this wonderful experience!

Paul Jeffrey, tenor

Paul Jeffrey, tenor, has been singing in choirs for most of his life.  A graduate of St Michael’s Choir School in Toronto, he studied voice with Stephanie Kramer at the University of Waterloo and sang with the University Chamber Choir and the Renaissance Singers, both directed by Richard Cunningham.  Paul attended the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute in 2006 where he was privileged to study with both Rufus Muller and Ann Monoyios and was the tenor soloist in the Charpentier Missa Assumpta est Maria at the final concert.  He currently sings with the renowned Tafelmusik Chamber Choir in Toronto as well as Arcady Baroque Ensemble, and he is a member of the St James Cathedral Choir of Men & Boys in Toronto.  Other solo engagements include concerts with the Renaissance Singers, Arcady and the Kitchener Waterloo Chamber Orchestra.

Daniel Cabena, alto

Daniel Cabena, alto, completed an Honours Bachelor of Music degree at  Wilfrid Laurier University where he studied voice with Daniel Lichti and  received the Alumni Gold Medal in Music.  He lives in Montreal where he  studied with Jan Simons and is now a doctoral student at l'Université de  Montréal under the tutelage of Mark Pedrotti and Suzie LeBlanc.  He has sung  as a chorister under the direction of Christopher Jackson, Bernard Labadie,  Denis Menier, Peter Schubert and Helmuth Rilling, and as a soloist under Ron  Beckett, Larry Beckwith, Boris Brott, Noel Edison, Davis Fallis, Gary  Kulesha, Gerald Neufeld, Richard Cunningham and Raymond Perrin.  Daniel is honoured to have been the recipient of a number of awards and scholarships including the Gladys  Whitehead and Henry and Mabel Krug Memorial Sholarships, the Charles Martin  scholarship, and a scholarship from the Imperial Order of the Daughters of  the Empire for his work at WLU.  Recently, he was awarded a scholarship from  Les Fonds George Cedric-Ferguson on his acceptance into the Atelier d’Opéra  at l'Université de Montréal where he looks forward to singing the role of  Nutrice in the Coronation of Poppea in the spring. Daniel was the winner of  the 2002 Guelph Spring Festival Competition and appears on a number of  recordings on the Chestnut Hall label.

Shannon Mercer, soprano

Ottawa native soprano Shannon Mercer, has been hailed as “one of Canada’s most promising sopranos”.  In July, Ms Mercer was awarded the 2006 Virginia Parker Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts and in October she received the Women’s Music Club of Toronto “Artist of the Year” award for 2006.  As a graduate of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio Program, she returned in October to sing the role of Despina in Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte, the first production in the opening season at the new Four Seasons Opera House in Toronto.  She spent most of 2005 in Vienna studying German Operatic repertoire, and that year made her Lincoln Center Debut in an all-Mozart recital.  Recently, Ms Mercer revisited the role of Grace Goodbody in The Midnight Court with Queen of Puddings Contemporary Music Theatre Company at Covent Garden.  Upcoming engagements include, her Calgary Philharmonic debut in Messiah and her debut with l’Opera de Montpellier in the title role in Marin Marais’ Semele.  Her second CD featuring works by Mondonville will be released in March 2007 under the Analekta label. http://www.shannonmercer.com/

Dane Wendell

Dane Wendell is glad to be back singing with the Grand River Chorus again after making his debut with the Chorus in the season ending Tribute to Mozart concert last year.  Dane is a first-year student in the Faculty of Music at Wilfred Laurier University studying with Kimberly Barber.  Most recently, Dane could be seen singing with Helmuth Rilling in the Festival Ensemble Chorus in Stuttgart, Germany.  Other recent credits include; La Traviata with Opera Ontario, The Mikado with The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Waterloo, Seussical the Musical with Kitchener Waterloo Musical Productions, Annie get your Gun with The Community Players, Canadian composer John Estacio’s opera Filumena with the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts in Banff, Alberta, as well as being this year’s featured soloist in Messiah with the University of Waterloo Choir under Gordon Burnett.  Dane has been a member of the UW Chamber choir under Richard Cunningham and done solo work with that choir in performances with the Kitchener Waterloo Chamber Orchestra.

Carol Ann Feldstein

CAROL ANN FELDSTEIN is a gifted performer  whose musicality and stage presence combine to make her a favourite with audiences everywhere. She has been featured in the Canadian Premiere of St. Carmen of the Main at the Guelph Spring Festival and the world premiere of Harry Sommer's Serinette at the Sharon Festival.  Her Pops programmes have been hailed as highlights of various symphonic seasons.  Oratorio performances include the Raminsh Magnificat at the International Choral Festival, McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio, Beethoven's 9th Symphony and Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes with the Edmonton Symphony as well as Handel’s Messiah and the Mozart Requeim.  Ms. Feldstein’s cabaret presentations of Andrew Lloyd Webber-The Man and His Music, Bernstein on Broadway and Love Under the Lights have toured throughout North America. In addition to her work as a vocal adjudicator, Carol Ann is a member of the Juno nominated Elora Festival Singers and teaches privately.

Gerry King

Gerry King has been singing for as long as he can remember, starting with the junior choir of the First Presbyterian Church in Missoula, Montana, where his mother was the junior choir director.  He began his professional music career as a French Horn player in Vancouver, B.C.  After performing with ensembles as diverse as the Vancouver Symphony, the Tommy Banks Orchestra and the Pacific Brass Guild, as well as many chamber groups, he began working as a singer and instrumentalist with the Renaissance group the Towne Waytes.  He has sung with numerous cathedral choirs across North America in centres as far flung as Vancouver and Houston.  Locally, Gerry has sung for many years with the Renaissance Singers and has performed as a soloist with them and with the Conrad Grebel Chamber Choir, the Grand River Chorus and the University of Waterloo Concert Choir.  In recent years, with his wife and accompanist Carol King, he has performed many lieder recitals across Canada and in the US, including several performances of Schubert’s Winterreise.  They have recently recorded Winterreise to be released in the Fall of 2006.

Vicki St. Pierre – contralto

Vicki St. Pierre’s warm, lush voice has been described as “rich with both a darkness and brilliance.” 

Vicki has performed with major symphonies, choirs and opera companies across Canada from Halifax and Fredericton to Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, and in the United States.  She is equally at home singing repertoire ranging from Early Music to New Works, Art Song to Pops Programs.  Vicki has performed a number of première performances, yet is gaining a fine reputation as an interpreter of baroque music, having often performed with Opera Atelier and Tafelmusik in Toronto.

Recent and upcoming engagements include Ms. St. Pierre’s debut appearance at Roy Thompson Hall, concerts with the Toronto Consort,
The Coronation of Poppea with Opera Atelier, Dido and Aeneas in Quebec, performances with Tafelmusik, debut performances with the Elora Festival Singers, and Beethoven 9th with the Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra, She is currently working on her Doctorate in Voice Performance at the University of Toronto.

Christopher Fischer – tenor

Tenor Christopher Fischer has earned a reputation as a versatile and intelligent performer in a great variety of roles, in both oratorio and recital. Primarily a specialist in Baroque and twentieth-century works for orchestra and chorus, particularly those of Handel and Britten, he has scored a number of recent critical and audience successes in both early and contemporary musical spheres. Working with such conductors as Gerald Neufeld, Robert Cooper and Boris Brott, Christopher has emerged as a compelling interpreter of the music of Monteverdi, Rachmaninov, Carissimi and Beckett. Highlights of the past season include: Mozart’s Requiem with the Menno Singers of Kitchener-Waterloo; the role of the Narrator in Beckett’s opera, Ruth, with the Arcady ensemble; excerpts from Mendelssohn’s unfinished oratorio, Christus, and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, with the London Singers; Rachmaninov’s All-Night Vigil (“Vespers”) with the Orpheus Choir of Toronto; and Monteverdi’s virtuosic Vespro della Beata Vergine with the Guelph Chamber Choir and Musica Viva Orchestra. In 2010/2011, Christopher will be appearing in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Masterworks of Oakville, and also in a concert version of Mozart’s opera, The Marriage of Figaro, with the Guelph Symphony Orchestra.

Christopher holds an undergraduate degree in vocal performance from Wilfrid Laurier University, a Master of Music degree in choral music education from Arizona State University, and diplomas from Conservatory Canada and the Royal Canadian College of Organists. When not singing on the concert stage, he is the Director of Music Ministries at Knox Presbyterian Church in Guelph, Ontario, in which city he also teaches private students in voice, piano and organ, and serves as the tenor section leader of the Guelph Chamber Choir. He looks forward very much to performing the beautiful Monteverdi Vespers once again, this time with the Grand River Chorus.
 

Richard Whittall – countertenor

Countertenor Richard Whittall has been singing professionally since the age of 11, first under Dr. Derek Holman as a treble. While studying at McGill University for his Bachelor degree in philosophy he joined La Chapelle de Québec under Bernard Labadie, and Le Studio Musique Ancienne de Montreal under Christopher Jackson. Under the ad hoc tutelage of countertenor Matthew White, his "forceful falsetto tone" (Montreal Gazette) landed him gigs as a soloist for Richard Cunningham with the Renaissance Singers in Kitchener, Susie Napper's Les Voix Humaines alongside Nathaniel Watson and Suzie LeBlanc in Montreal, the Lameque Baroque Music Festival in New Brunswick, and in numerous other festivals. He now resides in Toronto working at the University of Toronto in student services, and has been singing with Tafelmusik since December 2005, and is studying with Patricia Kern.

Steven Bélanger – tenor

A graduate of both Queen's University and McGill University, tenor Steven Bélanger has been associated with many ensembles of all sizes and genres across Canada. While living in Montreal he performed regularly with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM), Opéra de Montréal, the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal (SMAM) and Viva Voce. He has been a featured soloist with the McGill Baroque Orchestra, Le Choeur du Vieux-Montreal, Voix Libres and the OSM, and has also appeared with the Kingston Symphony Orchestra and the Quinte Symphony. Festival appearances include the Montreal Baroque Festival, the Festival international de Lanaudière, the Montreal/New Music International Festival, Festival Vancouver, the Lamèque International Baroque Music Festival in New Brunswick and the Festival Internacional Cervantino in Mexico. He has recorded for such labels as Decca, ATMA and Naxos, and has recorded music for television as well as for the Cirque du Soleil. Steven currently lives in Vancouver, is a full-time member of the Vancouver Chamber Choir and continues to perform with La Chapelle de Québec and Les Violons du Roy.

Andrew Tees – bass/baritone

Andrew Tees continues to impress with his “rich ringing baritone” and “formidable stage presence”.  Last season the tall baritone premiered with Ottawa’s Opera Lyra as the title character in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, a role he then reprised for Opera York.  He returned to Opera Lyra as Marquis D’Aubigny in Verdi’s La Traviata.  With Maritime Concert Opera he appeared as Escamillo in Carmen.  He reprised his most familiar role as Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro for both Brampton Lyric Opera and Toronto’s Opera By Request.  He will debut as Claudius in a new operatic setting of Hamlet by Mark Richards for the Stratford Summer Music Festival.  He sang a role debut of Scarpia for Toronto Opera Centre’s concert performance of Tosca.  His oratorio commitments included Faure’s Requiem for the Northumberland Symphony, Duruflé’s Requiem for the Kingston Chamber Choir and Bruckner’s Te Deum with the Toronto Choral Society.  He also debuted with the Oakham House Choir singing Hayden’s The Seasons. No stranger to pops repertoire, Andrew recorded Cole Porter selections for Bravo Television. An active recitalist, this year Andrew performs in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Andrew has sung Mozart’s Figaro for Opera Ontario and Victoria’s Pacific Opera.  For Edmonton Opera he played a passionate Silvio in I Pagliacci. Opera Canada called his interpretation of Giorgio Germont for Maritime Concert Opera “an exceptional triumph” in their production of La Traviata He debuted with Manitoba Opera as Escamillo a role he has repeated with Opera York.  He was a wonderful Danilo for Orchestra London’s production of Merry Widow.   The house baritone for Opera York, he has appeared as Marcello in Boheme, Figaro in Barber of Seville, Peter in Hansel and Gretel as well as the title role in Gianni Schicchi.   He shared the role of Gandalf with John Fanning in the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus’ premiere of Dean Bury’s The Hobbit.  He was a swashbuckling Pirate King in Cleveland Opera’s Pirates of Penzance.  An alumnus of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio his many roles with that company include a powerful Tarquinius in Rape of Lucretia, a role he repeated for Amsterdam’s Opera Centrum, Donald in Billy Budd, Sonora in Fanciulla del West which he reprised for Vancouver Opera, Madrigalist in Henze’s Venus und Adonis which he also sang for Dutch Radio Orchestra at the Concertgebouw, and Fiorello in the Barber of Seville.  While at the COC he understudied Billy Budd, Marcello, Don Giovanni, Rossini’s Figaro and Belcore.

His oratorio performances include the Messiah, Joseph Hayden’s Nelson Mass as well as his Missa in Tempore Belli, Carmina Burana , Mozart Requiem, Brahms Requiem, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols as well as the Five Mystical Songs and both Mendelsohn’s St Paul and Elijah.  A captivating concert performer, he has appeared in Pops concert with the Toronto Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, Toronto Philharmonia, Oakville Symphony, Oshawa Symphony, Windsor Symphony, Thunder Bay Symphony.  He is also experienced in musical theatre having sung such roles as Karl Magnus in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music,  Maximillian in Candide, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Lun Tha in the King and I, as well as Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pooh Bah in The Mikado and Giuseppe in The Gondoliers.  The three time Canadian Champion rower has also been seen in Film Four’s production of True Blue. Andrew has been generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts to continue his studies with esteemed American baritone Timothy Noble.