Les Allt

Leslie Allt began his professional career at the age of fourteen in Halifax, N.S., performing in the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and appearing as a guest soloist with that orchestra the same year. Other musical interests, including folk, jazz and rock, led to work in these fields as well.

Leslie studied with Robert Aitken and Jeanne Baxtresser, and has performed in masterclasses for Julius Baker, James Galway and Pierre Boulez.

He has toured extensively throughout North America and Europe as Principal Flute with the Canadian Opera Company, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and, for the past decade and a half, the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, with which he has also appeared as a soloist. He is very active on the Toronto freelance scene, playing a diverse body of work including baroque music, television and radio commercials, movie scores, contemporary works, jazz, and tango.

Les is currently playing 13 different instruments in the Toronto production of Disney’s The Lion King.

Brian Barlow

Brian Barlow is a mainstay of the Toronto music scene and is one of Canada’s most recorded musicians, having performed on more than 500 albums. He has recorded and performed in concert with Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock, Branford Marsalis, Oscar Peterson, Anne Murray, Tony Bennett, Charlie Watts, Ringo Starr, Alanis Morissette and many other top international artists. For 17 years he was the percussionist with the Grammy Award-winning Boss Brass. Brian is also a highly regarded arranger and producer, and since 2003 has been the Creative Director of the Prince Edward County Jazz Festival.

Bob Brough

Born in Toronto, Bob Brough started playing saxophone when he was 14, and has never stopped. Bob has been best known as a tenorman who has appeared with various rock, jazz, and classical artists. He has recorded as a sideman on many recordings, including two Juno-nominated CDs with Time Warp. In addition to his own CD releases, A Decade of Favorites and Like A Spring Day, Bob can also be heard on Richard Underhill’s 2003 Juno award-winning CD Tales from the Blue Lounge.

Measha Brueggergosman

Born in New Brunswick, Canada, Measha completed her Bachelor of Music Degree at the University of Toronto, with a major in vocal performance. She was admitted into the University of Toronto's Opera Division in her second year. All four years she was invited to perform as a featured artist at the University's Vocal Showcase. Prior to studying with Mary Morrison at U of T, she had spent some of her junior and senior high summers on scholarships at the Boston Conservatory, and studied a year with Wendy Nielsen of the Canadian Opera Company. Adding German to English and French proficiency upon completion of the Goethe Institute Language Course, Measha started the 1999 Master's Vocal Program under Professor Edith Wiens at Robert-Schumann-Hochschulle in Dusseldorf, Germany.

At 22 Measha is a gifted singer whose public performance is impressive. A Marian Anderson International Vocal Arts Competition semi-finalist, she performed the role of the new Prioress in Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmelites, and premiered both the Canadian Andre Previn Song Cycle Honey and Rue with Symphony Nova Scotia, and the title role in the new Canadian opera Beatrice Chancy, performing in Toronto and Halifax in 1998-99, with interest from Edmonton and Winnipeg for the year 2000. Beatrice was also filmed for CBC Television. Measha is the recipient of a Canada Council for the Arts Award, and has been invited to perform in concerts in Spain and Germany, as well as in Canada and the U.S. She has also appeared as a soloist in support of Literacy NB Inc., and with the Kingston Symphony, Music Toronto's Young Artist Showcase, a Millennium Opera Gala with the Toronto Symphony, and The East Coast Music Awards.

Terry Clarke

Terry Clarke's natural rhythmic aptitude was obvious from an early age, and when he was twelve years old Terry began studying formally with the noted drum teacher and author Jim Blackley. Mr. Clarke eventually joined the world-famous pop vocal group The Fifth Dimension, travelling and performing extensively with them throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

Over the years, living in San Francisco, New York City, and Toronto, Terry has worked with noted jazz guitarist Jim Hall, piano legend Oscar Peterson, and The Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, among others. He has recorded well over 300 albums with various jazz artists, and is a familiar face at jazz festivals in Europe, Canada, Japan and the U.S.

As a jazz educator, Terry Clarke is currently an adjunct professor at The University of Toronto. In January of 2002 he was honored as "Drummer of the Year" at the first annual Canadian National Jazz Awards, and was also recently named as a Member of the prestigious Order of Canada.

Tara Davidson

Tara Davidson is a JUNO Award-winning alto and soprano saxophonist who has performed around the world at such prestigious venues as New York City's Carnegie Hall, the acclaimed North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, and The Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C. As a bandleader, Davidson has produced seven recordings since 2004 and performed on over forty recordings as a side person. Five of her recordings as a leader have been nominated by the JUNO Awards for "Jazz Album of the Year". Tara Davidson is proud to be a Yamaha Artist and plays their Custom Z alto saxophone.

Sheila Dietrich

Sheila is a recent graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, in both the Performance and Opera Diploma programs, where she studied with Victor Martens. Recently, Sheila had the opportunity to sing with members of Opera Ontario in recital at the Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, and also to sing with the Wilfrid Laurier Symphony Orchestra as winner of the 2004 Concert Competition. Her stage credits include Peep-Bo (The Mikado), The Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors) Abigail Williams (The Crucible), Cassandra (The Trojan Women by Canadian Bruce Nicol), La Petite Chaperon Rouge (the Canadian Premier of Louis Aubert's La Forêt Bleue), and Helen (A Midsummer Night's Dream). Sheila regularly sings with various choirs including the Grand River Baroque Festival Choir and the Elora Festival Singers, and The Mendelssohn Choir both as chorister and soloist.

Ebony & Ivory

Andrew Gilpin, who rebelled against formal music lessons at the tender age of seven, is a completely self-taught pianist and composer. Although this meant he never had much homework, Andrew always kept the pedal to the metal and never rested until he had the notes just where he wanted them.

When he isn’t performing, composing, or arranging, Andrew fills his time with web site design, reading, and assembling his scale model of Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machine.

Fred Jacobowitz was born in Brooklyn, NY and can still speak “Brooklynese.” In addition to his musical training, Fred has studied ballet, jazz and acrobatics, and can still do handsprings and cartwheels!

He is happily married to cellist Bonnie Thron and has a 7-year-old son named Louie.

When not immersed in musical activities, Fred turns his energies to house and home, having recently built a kid-sized computer hutch for his son.

Dennis Giesbrecht

Tenor Dennis Giesbrecht began his operatic career singing roles such as Alfredo, Hoffmann, Don Ramiro and Peter Quint with the Canadian Opera Company ensemble. Since that time he has appeared with the major opera companies of Canada in standard repertoire roles such as Almaviva in Barber of Seville and Malcolm in Macbeth, as well as performing new works such as singing Colin Jarvis in the world premiere of Harry Somers’ Serinette.

Along with various tours of Great Britain and the Continent, Mr. Giesbrecht’s European credits include Paolino in the Opera de Chambre de Geneve production of Il Matrimonio Segreto.

More recently, Mr. Giesbrecht has moved more heavily into the concert and oratorio field, counting over 60 oratorios in his repertoire. The Evangelist part in the Bach Passions is his special love, and he has appeared with many groups here and abroad in that role. Mr. Giesbrecht has appeared with Symphony Nova Scotia, Winnipeg Symphony, Saskatoon Symphony, and Toronto Symphony as well as with the Mendelssohn Choir and many other organizations. He recently appeared with the Winnipeg Symphony in the world premiere of Victor Davies’ oratorio Revelation which was broadcast on CBC radio and television.

Tom Hazlitt

Tom Hazlitt is a highly sought-after musician who performs constantly on stages around the world. His work with the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra took him to the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, and he has also toured Europe with The Esprit Orchestra. Tom has appeared in many concerts with the Mendelssohn Choir, the Elmer Iseler Singers, Talisker Players, and the Mantini Sisters. Mr. Hazlitt has been a frequent guest of The Wayne Gilpin SINGERS, and is featured on Ebony & Ivory’s debut CD, Red Hot!

John Johnson

A Toronto native, John Johnson studied music at Humber College and began his professional career in 1979. Within four years he established himself as a force on the Toronto music scene. His strong, emotional playing and versatility was desired by many groups and he became an integral part of diverse bands such as The Montuno Police, The Barlow Group, Manteca and Boss Brass. Mr. Johnson, a first call player for many producers and contractors, has been featured on numerous television and film soundtracks, records and jingles. As an educator, John has served on the faculty of Jazz Studies at Humber College in Toronto, instructing in saxophone.

Sherri Karam

Lyric soprano Sherri Karam is known internationally for her beautiful voice and dramatic sense. Winner of many awards, including the prestigious Markus Herdink award for Oratorio at the International Vocal Competition, Ms. Karam performs throughout North America and Europe with major orchestras and choirs. Most recently, she gave the world premiere of Holman’s Magnificat at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, and performed with the Vancouver Bach Choir.

George Koller

With performance and/or producer credits on over 500 CDs, George Koller has played with a great number of diverse artists in his impressive musical career: The Shuffle Demons, Phil Woods, Peter Gabriel, Loreena McKennitt, Bruce Cockburn, Holly Cole, Ian Tyson, to name only a few. Recognized primarily as a bass player, George plays a variety of instruments and sings as well. His playing of Indian stringed instruments is featured in the motion pictures Such a Long Journey and Possible Worlds, and on recordings from Loreena McKennitt, Jane Siberry and Bruce Cockburn.

Wilson Laurencin

Wilson Laurencin is a world-class musician in the truest sense. He was born in England to West Indian parents and moved to Canada with his family when he was 11 years old. During his childhood Wilson was exposed to a variety of different musical styles, and is comfortable playing many kinds of music including jazz, R&B, soca, rock and pop.

Mr. Laurencin studied drumming at the Drummers Collective in New York City. Throughout his career Wilson has had the opportunity to work with some great talents, including Paul Shaffer, Victor Wooten, John Patitucci, Shirley Eikhard, Nelly Furtado, Alannah Myles, and Walter Ostanek.

Iain Macpherson

Mr. Macpherson studied at Wilfrid Laurier University with David Falk. Following the third year of his honours music degree, he attended the Oberlin Summer Institute of vocal pedagogy in Oberlin, Ohio, where he was fortunate enough to work with Professor Richard Miller over a two-week vocal pedagogy intensive and masterclass program. After returning to Laurier and completing his degree, Mr. Macpherson was subsequently accepted into the Artist Diploma program at the University of Toronto; there, he was able to complete the three year diploma in only two, under Professor Darryl Edwards.

Iain's many performances as tenor soloist in Handel's Messiah have taken him from around Ottawa to Toronto, Charlottetown, and Bermuda.

An avid performer, Mr. Macpherson continues to offer vocal recitals, was concertmaster of the Kanata Symphony Orchestra for a ten year period, and is currently Music Coordinator for Rideau Park United Church.

Barbara Mantini

Barbara is best known as one of the dynamic “Mantini Sisters”, a trio of singing sisters who have performed across Canada and the United States in their own productions of Moments To Remember, The Ladies Of Broadway and Home for the Holidays, as well as numerous symphony concerts with renowned conductor Howard Cable. Barbara has been a featured soloist with orchestras across Canada, including Niagara Symphony, Symphony Nova Scotia and the Hamilton Philharmonic. Audiences have seen her perform in such shows as Nunsense, Oliver, Mikado, and Anne of Green Gables. Barbara’s many voices can be heard in the animated cartoons Marvin The Tap Dancing Horse, The Busy World of Richard Scarry, and many others. Two of Barbara’s productions, which she is most proud of, are her two sons, Robert and Andrew.

Carol McFadden

Carol McFadden has been involved in the music profession for 25 years. Carol has taught (piano, theory, singing) both privately and for several years at the Royal Conservatory of Music, worked as a church musician (organist and choir director) and performed as a professional accompanist. She is editor of the new theory series, "Understanding the Language of Music" by David Walden, founder of the Centre Wellington Community Singers, and was Musical Director for the new Waterloo Stage Theatre's productions of The Secret Garden and What About Luv? Carol now lives and works in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

Kevin Muir

Kevin Muir was born and grew up in Brantford, Ontario, where he studied violin, double bass and piano before attending the University of Western Ontario. While completing his honours degree in Theory and Composition at Western, he joined the double bass section of Orchestra London. After graduating, he won the bass position with the Stratford Festival Orchestra, and has been playing there for the last five seasons in several different productions.

As well as performing with various jazz groups throughout the province, he has also freelanced in other Ontario orchestras, and performed in the Livent, Inc. Vancouver productions of Sunset Blvd. and Show Boat.

Laura Pudwell

Laura Pudwell is well known to local audiences through her many appearances here. Her rich mezzo-soprano voice has been heard in oratorios in most major Canadian cities and her international career continues to develop as she returns to the Far East for performances at the Singapore Festival with Opera Atelier. Ms. Pudwell has performed with such groups as Tafelmusik and her discography includes Full Well She Sang with the Toronto Consort and Haydn Masses with the St. Lawrence Choir.

Sophie Roland

Sophie Louise Roland, a native of Quebec City, is currently enrolled in her senior year of the Bmus program at Wilfrid Laurier University in the studio of Victor Martens. She has received several vocal awards, including the M. Forrester Music Scholarship.

Since her arrival in Waterloo, Sophie has performed extensively the Renaissance and Baroque repertoire with the WLU Baroque Ensemble and the Laurier Viol Consort. Among the oratorio roles she has performed are Joachim and the Attendant in Handel’s Susanna, Giustitia in Caldara’s Vaticini di Pace, the alto soloist in Messiah, and, most recently, the alto soloist in Vivaldi’s Dixit Dominus.

Last season, Sophie appeared in recital with Viva Voci in the Schubertfest series, in a Telemann concert in the Laurier Music at Noon series and at the Elora Festival. In opera, she has recently performed at WLU the roles of the Statue in the North American première of Michael Purves-Smith’s new opera Le chien de Watteau; Maurya in Vaughan Williams’ Riders to the Sea; the Mother in Ravel’s L’enfant et les Sortilèges; and Mercure in Platée, a ballet-bouffon by Jean-Philippe Rameau.

Her upcoming performances include an appearance in Viva Voci’s Poulenc Series and a Carissimi recital at the Festival de musique ancienne de Sillery in Québec.

Neil Spaulding

Neil Spaulding currently holds the position of Second Horn with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. He studied French horn with Scott Wilson, Wayne Jeffrey and Eugene Rittich at the University of Toronto and with Ifor James in Freiburg, Germany. Neil has been a freelance musician performing with orchestras across Canada since 1990 and has been a musician with the HPO for the past 13 years.

Valerie Sylvester

Valerie Sylvester, Niagara Symphony Orchestra concertmaster, enjoys an eclectic musical career. She was introduced to the violin in the Niagara region by her grandfather, who played in local dance bands and was a member of the Niagara Region Musicians' Association. She now plays violin and viola as well as Baroque violin and bass viola da gamba. She received a Master's Degree in violin performance from Mannes School of Music in New York after completing undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto.

Valerie is concertmaster of Opera York, Talisker Players Choral Orchestra, and is a founding member of Nota Bene Baroque Players. She also freelances, and has performed with many of Ontario's orchestras including Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Orchestra London, Esprit, and Tafelmusik.

In addition to working as an orchestral musician, Valerie is an active chamber musician, a founding member of Harmonie, Musathena, and the Yorke String Quartet, as well as a frequent guest soloist with the Toronto Continuo Collective. She has participated in the premieres of many new Canadian works and enjoys interacting with composers and arrangers. Valerie has played for many touring artists, and was a member of the onstage band for the hit television show Canadian Idol for its last five seasons.

Elizabeth Turnbull

Elizabeth Turnbull, a winner in the Metropolitan Opera Competition, North American finalist in the International Bernstein Song and Oratorio Competition, and recipient of a Canada Council Career Development Grant, is a mezzo-soprano with a growing reputation in the U.S. and Canada.

The renowned conductor Helmuth Rilling chose Ms. Turnbull for his CBC recording of Haydn’s Harmoniemesse and Mozart’s Litaniae Lauretanae with the Vancouver Cantata Singers. Further performance credits include appearances with the Aldeburgh Connection in Toronto, the New Music Concert Series, Messiah with the Edmonton Symphony, Elijah at the Elora Festival, a concert co-starring with Richard Margison for the Esprit Orchestra, and the world premiere of Victor Davies’ Revelation with Bramwell Tovey and the Winnipeg Symphony. A founding member of the Bach Consort of Toronto, her recordings with this ensemble are available at record stores throughout Canada.

Ms. Turnbull is represented by Dean Artists Management.

Robert Venables

Robert Venables is the Principal Trumpet of the ESPRIT Orchestra, the Toronto Concert Orchestra and the Ontario Philharmonic. He has performed extensively with the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada. For 10 years Robert was the Principal Trumpet for The Phantom of the Opera in Toronto. He has also held Principal Trumpet positions with the Windsor Symphony, Orchestra London and The Hamilton Philharmonic. As a Cornetist Robert is the Principal Cornet of the Hannaford Street Silver Band. He has performed as soloist with the International Staff Band, The Amsterdam Staff Band, and the Canadian Staff Band (Salvation Army Brass Bands) as well as the ESPRIT Orchestra and the Toronto Concert Orchestra.

Robert is the Conductor and Music Director of the Intrada Brass of Oakville, Co-conductor of the York Regional Police Male Chorus, and Leader of the Choir (Songsters) of the North York Temple, Salvation Army. His wife Rhonda is his official accompanist and along with their six children are all musicians in the Salvation Army.

Monica Whicher

Elegance and flawless technique combined with an intuitive theatrical sense are the hallmarks of soprano Monica Whicher’s performances on the concert and opera stage. The works of Mahler, Bach, Grieg, and Bizet reflect her artistic range.

On the international circuit, Ms. Whicher performed Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Exsultate, Jubilate with Helmuth Rilling in Bilbao, Spain and she has also been heard with the symphonies of Barcelona, Utah, and Minnesota, Festival Lanaudiere in Quebec, the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival and Music at Blair Athol in Scotland.

Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, Bizet’s Te Deum and Gubaidulina’s Hommage à T.S. Eliot joined Brahms’ Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Israel in Egypt, plus the passions, masses and cantatas of Bach as Ms. Whicher’s repertoire in recent seasons for Canada’s major symphonies and choral organizations.

Ms. Whicher is represented by Dean Artists Management.