The Soloists

Concert 2 - Handel’s MESSIAH

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. 

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.

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.

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 singing studio in Simcoe and enjoys composing. Two 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, and more anthems are being prepared for submission to publishers.John is also delighted that local choirs are performing his anthems: Arcady presented three of his pieces in an April 2007 concert of music by Arcady composers, and the Grand River Chorus is including four anthems in their upcoming Christmas CD. 

Concert 3 - The Creation by Franz Joseph Haydn

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.