Payadora Ensemble

“A World Class Contemporary Chamber Ensemble” – Ottawa Citizen

“The beloved ensemble that is tango and beyond. It is world. It is classical. It is jazz. It is tango…a delicious swirl of music that is the Payadora Ensemble.” – Classical 96.3 FM

Payadora is an award-winning chamber music ensemble that performs original compositions as well as original arrangements of a core repertoire drawing from Argentinian/Uruguayan Tango and Folk music. Made up of a group of players who are each musical powerhouses in their own right, this “superstar group” has combined their their deep knowledge of tango with their classical, jazz and world music backgrounds to create something entirely new. Payadora is officially endorsed by the Argentinian Consulate in Toronto for its adherence to the spirit of tango  Their performances convey joy, virtuosity, humour and their intense passion for the music that they play.  

“Each musician is a star soloist in their own right. Playing together has allowed them to develop and mature turning Payadora into a superstar group.” – The WholeNote

Payadora won the 2024 Folk Music Ontario Award for best album for their critically acclaimed album “Silent Tears: The Last Yiddish Tango.” The album reached #1 on the World Music Charts in Europe, accompanied by rave reviews, airtime, and press coverage around the globe, including the BBC, CTV, CBC television and radio, the Bangkok Post, NPR, and RTE Irish Public Radio. “…The most memorable release I have ever had the privilege to listen to and review” (WholeNote Magazine).  They have been named on “Best of” lists on NPR’s Rhythm Atlas, Finnish National Radio and CBC Classical.  They were also nominated for the Folk Music Awards as  “Best Performing Artists.”

Payadora won the German world music prize in 2024 (Weltmusikpreis RUTH award) and performed at the famous world music festival, Rudolstadt where they received the award. 

“Playful, Spontaneous and Sexy!” -Classical 96.3 FM

#1 Album on the World Music Charts Europe March 2023 Payadora Tango Ensemble Tops the World Music Charts Europe in March 2023 

They are currently touring  Tango Apasionado– a music act or music/dance performed with PointeTango Dance Company (fusion ballet/tango duo) and The Legend of Carau- a legend told through original music, illustrations, narration and videos of dance filmed in Argentina. They are also touring their album, “Silent Tears: The Last Yiddish Tango” , released by Six Degrees Records, the critically acclaimed for which they composed and arranged music based on testimonies of women who survived the Holocaust. It has received rave reviews and press coverage around the globe, including reports on the BBC, CTV, CBC television and radio, the Bangkok Post, NPR, and RTE Irish Public Radio. “Moving, heartbreaking… the most memorable release I have ever had the privilege to listen to and review.”– Wholenote 

Payadora’s lineup features some of the most respected chamber musicians in Canada: Rebekah Wolkstein (violin, vocals), Drew Jurecka (bandoneon, violin, mandolin), Joseph Phillips (double bass, guitar) Mark Camilleri (piano) and Elbio Fernandez (vocals). 

“With influences from Argentina to Eastern Europe to the great Astor Piazzolla, Payadora plays the tango like it’s meant to be: sultry, steamy, but with grace and precision. You  will be entertained!”  – Words + Music magazine

Founded in 2013, Payadora’s broad scope in tango draws from the height of Buenos Aires’ Tango tradition, including compositions by De Caro, Pugliese, Troilo, and Salgan, to the masterful, contemporary sounds of Astor Piazzolla and beyond. They compose and arrange their own repertoire. They created and recorded the score for a one hour film with PointeTango Dance Company with whom they are performing upcoming shows  at Toronto Summer Music Festival and various festivals. They have received creation and recording grants from Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council. They received a generous grant from the Canada  Council for the Arts to create a multi-arts digital presentation telling an Argentine folk tale through music, dance, illustration and words This project will be free to the public and online in June 2023. Their newest album was in the top 20 albums on the Transglobal World Music Chart.

Performance Highlights: 

In October, 2024 Payadora toured Atlantic Canada with Debut Atlantic. In January 2025, Payadora performed their show “Tango Apasionado” with PointeTango Dance Company across Florida including shows in Miami, Key West and Palm Coast.

Payadora has presented concerts and sold-out shows in Poland, Austria, Brazil, Argentina, at the National Arts Centre, Ottawa Chamberfest, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, Stratford Summer Music, Toronto Summer Music, Festival of the Sound, Vancouver Island MusicFest, Toronto Jazzfest, the COC’s World Music Series at the Four Seasons Centre and the World Accordion & Tango Festival in Victoria, Music in the Morning in Vancouver and Vancouver Island Music Festival.  Payadora has also collaborated with the London Symphonia, the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony and the Hannaford Street Silver Band, as well as with PointeTango Dance Company, which explores the intersection between classical dance and Argentine tango.  Their sold-out 2023 European tour (Madrid, Copenhagen, Budapest and London) included a live-to-air BBC performance. 

 In November 2025, they will be featured once again with the London Symphonia.

While rooted in the folk drumming traditions of Japan, the ensemble’s principal aim is to rejuvenate this ancient art form by producing innovative and exciting music that seeks to create a new voice for the taiko. Taking its name from founder Kiyoshi Nagata and the Japanese word shachu meaning group, Nagata Shachu, has become renowned for its exacting, physically demanding and energetic performances on the taiko, as well as for its diverse repertoire. Their playing is the combination of unbounded spirit and passion with the highest levels of musicianship and discipline.

Nagata Shachu has the unique distinction of being the only group outside of Japan with the sponsorship of four major Japanese drum manufacturers, a testament to their mastery of the art form. In addition to having recorded five CDs of original music and four DVDs, Nagata Shachu, has produced its own annual concerts focusing on the presentation of new works. For the last seven years, Nagata Shachu has produced a three-concert season, featuring collaborations with both local and international artists.

Featuring an arsenal of taiko (including the massive O-Daiko drum), bamboo flutes, the three-stringed shamisen and an array of gongs, cymbals, shakers and wood blocks, Nagata Shachu will take you on a musical journey beyond all borders

Our mission is to create inspiring experiences of contemporary Indigenous arts and culture that transform society. We drive our passion forward and elevate Indigenous arts and culture in ways that celebrate, uplift, and respect Indigenous cultures.

Now in our 20th year of performance (dance, theatre, music and media), Red Sky’s work highlights the originality and power of contemporary performance, enabling new creations to expand the breadth and scope of Indigenous-made work in Canada.

The vision of Red Sky Performance derives from its creator Sandra Laronde (Misko Kizhigoo Migizii Kwe) which means “Red Sky Eagle Woman” in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibway) language from the Teme-Augama Anishinaabe (People of the Deep Water). Her vision is dedicated to expanding and elevating the ecology of contemporary performance informed by Indigenous worldview and culture.

Laronde’s concept of performance explores the relationship between movement, live music, theatricality, and image. Her engagement in these disciplines involves collaborations with dancers, musicians, composers, choreographers, visual artists, actors, writers, designers, researchers, and culture keepers are integral to Red Sky Performance’s distinct productions.

Touring since 2003, we have delivered over 2,755 performances across Canada including international performances in 17 countries on four continents, including two Cultural Olympiads (Beijing and Vancouver), World Expo in Shanghai, Venice Biennale, and Jacob’s Pillow, among others. At the same time, we remain deeply rooted and invested on a grassroots level and regularly perform in urban, rural, and reserve communities across Turtle Island.

We are the recipient of 16 Dora Mavor Moore awards and nominations, two Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, three International Youth Drama Awards from Shenzhen, China, and the Smithsonian Expressive Award, among other recognitions.

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale is Canada’s first professional choral group dedicated to Afrocentric music of all styles, including classical, spiritual, gospel, jazz, folk and blues. The 21 classically trained outstanding vocalists of The Nathaniel Dett Chorale have shared the stage with internationally recognized artists such as Juno Award-winning jazz pianist Joe Sealy, singers Molly Johnson and Jackie Richardson, and opera star Kathleen Battle and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble has performed for such luminaries as opera singer Jessye Norman and Dance Theatre of Harlem founder Arthur Mitchell. The Chorale has performed at events honouring world leaders Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, personality Muhammad Ali, and pianist Oscar Peterson and was the only Canadian ensemble invited to perform as part of the celebrations surrounding the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama in January of 2009.

The multi-faceted vocalists of the Chorale, whose talent stretches beyond the traditional expectations of a classical chamber choir, seek to broaden their vision to include all styles and genres of music, from classical to jazz, folk, blues and popular music, as appropriate to the traditions of the African Diaspora.

The Chorale’s vision is to be a premier performer of Afrocentric composers – past, present and future – and to be a touchstone for the education of audiences and communities regarding the full spectrum of Afrocentric choral music.

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale’s mission is to build bridges of understanding, appreciation, and acceptance between communities of people, both Afrocentric and other, through the medium of music. The Chorale seeks to dissolve the barriers of stereotype, to empower humans in general, and those of African descent in particular.

The Chorale adds another dimension to all of its activities by creating a cultural and historical context for its music. All of the Chorale’s concerts and outreach initiatives include an educational element, and our conductor and singers draw audiences together by increasing their knowledge of Afrocentric music and culture, with the aim of fostering pride in those of African heritage, and informed admiration in those of other cultural backgrounds. The Chorale builds vibrant and healthy communities by uniting its audiences in a love of Afrocentric choral music, and by creating a deeply-contextualized understanding of the complex roots of this music.

D. Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, conductor
Christina Faye, collaborative pianist
Jaideep Goray, ASL Interpreter

Sopranos:
Ann-Marie Barrett-Tandy
Anaïs Kelsey-Verdecchia
Ineza Mugisha
Alison Ryan
Jewel Scott
Karen Weigold

Altos:
Jenna Cowans
Alexandra Garrison
Sarah Mole
Ianjai Mounsey-Ndemo
Érika Wood

Tenors:
Jacob Abrahamse
Ryan Downey
Nicholas Gough
Jamie Hillman
Adam Wicks

Basses:
Wade Bray
Victor Cheng
Ryan Hofman
Jeremy Nasmith
Dérrell Woods

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:

Rolston String Quartet

Luri Lee & Jason Issokson, violins
Hez Leung, viola
Peter Eom, cello

With their debut recording, “Souvenirs” recently named BBC Music Magazine ‘recording of the year’, Canada’s Rolston String Quartet continues to receive acclamation and recognition for their musical excellence. As the 2018 recipient and first international ensemble chosen for the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award from Chamber Music America, their accolades and awards precede them. In 2016, a monumental year, they won First Prize at the 12th Banff International String Quartet Competition, Grand Prize at the 31st Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition, and Astral’s National Auditions.

Recent highlights include debut performances at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, The Freer Gallery, and Chamber Music Houston, two major Canadian tours under the Prairie Debut and Debut Atlantic touring networks, and three European tours with dates in Leipzig, Berlin, Lucerne, Heidelberg, Barcelona, and Graz among others. Their 2019-20 season includes concerts at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music, Texas Performing Arts, Chamber Music Northwest, and Calgary Pro Musica; the chamber music societies of Detroit, Fort Worth, Kansas City, Philadelphia, and Vancouver; and the Louvre Museum. As Süddeutsche Zeitung states, “they showed such delicacy, slender elasticity, impeccable intonation, and such eminent sense of tonal balance…This is a new bright star on the truly not empty string quartet sky of our day.”

Notable collaborations include performances with renowned artists Janina Fialkowska, Gary Hoffman, Nobuko Imai, Miguel da Silva, and David Shifrin, as well as the St. Lawrence, and Dover Quartets. The quartet are associated artists at the Queen Elizabeth Music Chapel, and completed a two-year term as the Yale School of Music’s fellowship quartet-in-residence in spring 2019. Previously, they were the graduate quartet-in-residence at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Keeping in the teaching tradition, they have taught at the Yale School of Music, University of Toronto, and the Bowdoin International Music Festival among others. Primary mentors include the Brentano Quartet, James Dunham, Norman Fischer, and Kenneth Goldsmith, and the quartet has received additional guidance from the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Miguel da Silva, and Alastair Tait.