Award-winning Dylan Bell and Suba Sankaran are international leaders in the a cappella world, having worked with legends such as the Swingles, the Nylons, and the New York Voices. They have performed in over 20 countries across 6 continents, and they are the co-artistic directors of SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival, the only a cappella festival in Canada.

Dylan and Suba first met in Toronto in 1993, singing in a jazz choir at York University called “Wibijazz’n’”: soon after, they started directing the choir together. At their year-end concert, Dylan and Suba performed an a cappella “director’s duet”, and FreePlay was born. What started as a typical voice-and-piano jazz duo began to evolve: more instruments were added, and more musical styles explored, to create a duo unique in its musical depth and variety. In 2007, FreePlay created the uniquely innovative, all-a cappella live looping performance style that has earned them international recognition.

The Ault Sisters apply their close vocal harmonies to their original songs as well as jazz standards that have been reimagined to provide a contemporary flair and fresh appeal. On disc and in performance, different sisters take the lead on different tracks, adding to the vocal variety, while their intricately interwoven harmonies are a signature part of their performances. They are equally at home singing a cappella or with a band.
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Their latest album, “Sisters In Song”, pays homage to the great sister acts who inspired them, such as the Andrews Sisters, McGuire Sisters and Pointer Sisters. “Sisters In Song” reached #1 album on the Canadian iTunes jazz chart in 2018 and is currently distributed worldwide through Believe.

The Ault Sisters have performed at theatres in Canada such as The Jane Mallett Theatre, Koerner Hall and the Living Arts Centre, and at clubs such as the Jazz Bistro, Hugh’s Room Live, The Jazz Room, and Lula Lounge. They have also performed at many festivals, such as The Beaches International Jazz Festival, The Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival, and the Brantford International Jazz Festival concert series.

Since forming in 2010, Countermeasure, has been earning standing ovations and critical acclaim worldwide. Led by award-winning composer/arranger Aaron Jensen, the group has shared stages with a cappella giants including Naturally 7 and The Swingle Singers and top 40 stars like Corey Hart and Blue Rodeo.
Countermeasure features 12 of Canada’s top vocal talents, performing innovative arrangements of pop favourites, classic jazz standards, and original songs. Their diverse songbook has equipped the group to headline international choral concerts, play the main stage at jazz festivals, entice club-goers onto the dance floor. Incorporating innovative live looping, instrument imitation, and vocal percussion, Countermeasure enthralls their audiences worldwide with their dramatically choreographed shows and flawless harmonies. They have won multiple awards from Contemporary A Cappella Society of America, include Best CAL Album, best video, and for songwriting. When they’re not jumping onto countertops for flashmobs, or providing the live soundtrack to National Film Board shorts, Countermeasure can be seen at high-profile jazz festivals, concert series, and galas, as well as on CBC Radio and TV, Global Television, Rogers Television, City TV, and CP24. They are a founding artist of SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival, Canada’s premier a cappella festival. They have wowed audiences on two U.S. and several Canadian tours, and in the UK at London a Cappella Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, London-area theatres,
and Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.. They performed for an audience of 1000 at the opening concert at the world-renowned Vocalmente Festival in Italy and are returning to Japan, having sold out their previous tour.

KUNÉ, formerly known as the New Canadian Global Music Orchestra (NCGMO), was created by The Royal Conservatory of Music to celebrate the cultural diversity and pluralism of our country as it turned 150. This ensemble brings together virtuosic musicians who have immigrated to Canada from the four corners of the earth as well as an Indigenous Canadian representative. The ensemble members were in residence at The Royal Conservatory starting December 2016 writing music together, participating in educational activities, and creating new traditions that reflect what Canada sounds and looks like today.

In the fall of 2019, KUNÉ completed their first OAC-sponsored US tour. In early 2020, KUNÉ received a National Creation Fund grant and in partnership with Banff Centre for the Arts premiered six of their compositions with the Winnipeg Symphony and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. KUNÉ’s debut record was also sponsored by the Banff Centre and is distributed by Universal Music Canada.

KUNÉ’s influences come from each member’s individual cultural upbringing. Kuné strives to create the feeling of grounded-ness and sense of being embraced and accepted in a new and unfamiliar place; generating and re-envisioning new memories and associations through music in a safe and accepting space; establishing an understanding that we are all experiencing the same struggles and joys together. KUNÉ strives to disrupt the “other-ness” narrative, absorbing the audience in a humanistic experience. While collaborating, fusing different cultures together in their creations, KUNÉ’s members retain their personal musical and cultural identities, expressing their musical language and personalities within the context of a musical framework.

With musicians from different backgrounds, KUNÉ is creating the sounds of Toronto. The group is finding a way to delve into a musical genre that has just begun to be explored, sharing it with the world through recordings, performances and social media.

KUNÉ – Canada’s Global Orchestra – includes:

Demetri Petsalakis, Musical Director – lyra, guitar & oud
Aline Morales – vocals & percussion
Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk – violin & viola
Ahmed Moneka – vocals & percussion
Dora Wang – dizi, xiao & alto flute
Lasso, djembe, n’goni, peul flute & tama
Luis Deniz – alto saxophone
Matias Recharte – drum, cajón & percussion
Paco Luviano – double bass & electric bass
Padideh Ahrarnejad – tar
Selcuk Suna – clarinet & tenor saxophone