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.

The Toronto Mass Choir (TMC) remains at the forefront of the Canadian gospel music scene, bringing its distinct, world-class sound to the global stage. Under the direction of Artistic Director Karen Burke, an Associate Professor of Music at York University, and Executive Producer Oswald Burke, this 40-member choir and five-piece band represent a diverse range of denominations from across the Greater Toronto Area. This collaborative spirit is the heartbeat of the ensemble, fostering a powerful unity that resonates through every performance. Known for a unique fusion of contemporary, traditional, and Caribbean influences, TMC has earned significant critical acclaim, including  a Juno Award for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year and a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gospel Music Association of Canada. Their artistry is defined by a soulful blending of reggae, calypso, and ska with traditional gospel foundations, creating a vibrant musical identity that is uniquely Canadian. Their storied history includes landmark collaborations with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Christian McBride, and gospel legends such as Take 6 and Tramaine Hawkins. From headlining major stages like the Ottawa Bluesfest and the Toronto Jazz Festival to international tours across Europe and the Caribbean, TMC continues to break new ground. Whether performing in grand concert halls like Roy Thomson Hall or at intimate community festivals, the choir remains dedicated to its mission of uplifting audiences through the transformative power of gospel music. As they continue to innovate, the Toronto Mass Choir stands as a premier cultural ambassador for Canada’s rich choral tradition.

Other musicians and composers knew of Paganini’s compositions, and even the great Rossini – himself composer of numerous operas – once sighed with relief and said it was a stroke of luck for Italian composers that Paganini did not compose operas, for with his talent, he would outshine all other composers.

The “Paganini Ensemble Vienna” is committed to these rarely played (chamber music) compositions.
Indeed, Paganini’s chamber music is exceptionally demanding of the musicians who interpret it. These are not pieces composed for a soloist and accompanists – to the contrary, they demand a maximum of every instrument, be it the violin, guitar, viola, or violoncello.

The “Paganini Ensemble Vienna” has set its goal high in presenting this rarely played programme which offers unique insight into Paganini’s extensive oeuvre for the violin, guitar, viola, and violoncello. These works offer not only technical virtuosity and moments of tremendous passion, but also passages expressing great tenderness, suffering, and joy. Indeed, these emotional elements are essential to understanding the music of Nicolo Paganini, who once said „We must strongly feel to make others feel“

Mario Hossen is the founder of the Paganini Ensemble Vienna. He is a Bulgarian-Austrian concert violinist, considered as one of the leading interpreters of Paganini Music. He made his debut as a soloist with an orchestra at the age of eight. As a concert soloist of international acclaim, Mario Hossen has performed with renowned orchestras such as the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, the Bruckner Orchestra, the Orchestra della Scala di Milano, the English Chamber Orchestra. Hossen‘s musicological and artistic endeavors are focused among other things on source research on Niccolo Paganini. Mario Hossen performs on G.B. Guadagnini Violin (1749), which is placed at his disposal by the Austrian National Bank. He plays all concerts exclusively with his preferred strings, the Vision Titanium Solo strings manufactured by Viennese company Thomastik-Infeld

Marta Potulska is a laureate of several international competitions including 1st prize at the Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria (2007) and at the International Bled Competition and Festival in Slovenia (2011), she is also the recipient of a special award at the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition on the Isle of Man, UK (2006). Marta Potulska is an active participant in many international music festivals such as Salzburger Festspiele, Styriarte, Eggenberger Schlosskonzerte, St Gallen Festival, Austria, the Park City Music Festival, in Las Vegas, USA, the International Suzuki Institute in Salt Lake City, USA. She is currently a member of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Wien International Soloists Ensemble and Varietas Ensemble as well as a member of Ensemble of Burgtheater in Vienna.

Liliana Kehayova, a forth generation musician, received her Master degree in cello performance in the Vienna Conservatory studying with Lilia Schulz-Bayrova. As a passionate solo and chamber music performer, Ms. Kehayova has participated in numerous music festivals & recitals throughout Europe. She performed as a soloist with orchestras such as Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Mitteleuropa Orchestra Udine, North Czech Philharmonic, Varna Philharmonic Orchestra, New Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Orphica among others. She has performed in venues such as Musikverein (AT), Athenaeum (RO), Rudolfinum- Dvorak Hall and Smetana Hall (CZ), Palau de la Musica Catalana (ES) & Bulgaria Hall (BG). In 2012, Liliana was honoured with the grand scholarship of the Austrian foundation “Alban Berg”.

Alexander Swete is one of the leading and internationally most sought-after guitarists in Austria. His expressive playing, sense of sound and virtuosic ease delight both critics and audiences. During his studies at the Conservatory in Bregenz with Georg Gaupp-Berghausen and at the Vienna Music Academy with Konrad Ragossnig he had already achieved great success in prestigious international guitar competitions (Havana / Cuba and ARD Munich). His international breakthrough started in 1991 after winning the 1st prize at the International Guitar Competition of Radio France in Paris, the world’s most important competition for guitar. Alexander Swete is professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and is D’Addario Artist, playing on D’Addario Pro Arte Nylon strings.

For more information, visit https://paganiniensemblewien.com/

Hampton Avenue features founder/director Debbie Fleming, Dylan Bell, Suba Sankaran and Tom Lillington. All members are in-demand session singers who have appeared on numerous jingles, albums and film soundtracks. Winner of Jazz Report’s Vocal Jazz Group of the Year, Hampton Avenue’s recent highlight performances include SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival and Toronto Beaches International Jazz Festival.

Violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon, cellist Roman Borys, and pianist Jamie Parker are creative innovators with an appetite for discovery and new ideas. They have commissioned over 85 new works, and they frequently collaborate with other artists on projects that push the boundaries of Classical music.
The Trio tours regularly throughout North America and Europe. It enjoys longstanding relationships with prominent festivals and arts incubators like Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Orford Music Academy, Music Toronto, Ottawa Chamberfest, and Festival del Lago International Academy of Music in Ajijic, Mexico. Gryphon Trio often performs triple concerti with the world’s major symphony orchestras and smaller chamber orchestras.

Gryphon Trio’s prolific recording catalogue includes 22 releases on Analekta, Naxos, and other labels; it is an encyclopaedia of works for the genre. Honours include 11 nominations and three Juno Awards for Classical Album of the Year in 2004, 2011, and most recently in 2019. In 2013, Canada Council for the Arts presented Gryphon Trio with the prestigious Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts.

The Gryphons are deeply committed to community engagement, education, and the development of next-generation audiences and performers. They conduct masterclasses and workshops at universities and conservatories. They are ensemble-in-residence at the Isabel Bader Centre for Performing Arts in Kingston, Ontario, and artists-in-residence at Trinity College, University of Toronto. Since 2010, the Trio’s ground-breaking outreach program, Listen Up!, has inspired 16 Canadian communities to collaborate on large-scale multifaceted arts creation projects. The Trio leads Orford Music Academy’s Piano Trio Workshop and directs the Classical Music Summer Programs at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

From 2007 to 2020, Roman Borys was Artistic Director of the Ottawa Chamber Music Society; Annalee Patipatanakoon and Jamie Parker served as OCMS’ Artistic Advisors. Mr. Parker is the Rupert E. Edwards Chair in Piano Performance at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music. Ms. Patipatanakoon is Associate Professor of Violin and Performance Area Chair of Strings.

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.

Dévah recently released their third album Prometheus, just on the heels of their second
album 2112, which features a full length instrumental tribute to Canadian icon RUSH’s suite
of the same name. Prometheus has been featured in various Prog Rock journals and
podcasts, and 2112 was featured in the UK magazine PROG (Dévah’s second write up in this
publication). Dévah’s tribute to Rush’s 2112 led to being invited to perform at A Night for
Neil, the tribute event held for Rush drummer Neil Peart.

A multi-genre (note: not cross-genre) string quartet, Dévah has held residencies at the
University of Toronto’s New Music Festival performing works on both acoustic and electric
instruments, and at San Jacinto College in Texas as visiting artists, where they provide
masterclasses and composer workshops with both sets of instruments.

Dévah’s notable performances include Canada Day at Yonge and Dundas Square (twice),
the countdown launch for the Pan Am Games, The 2022 Canada Games, and featured guest
artists at Interprovincial Music Camp’s CAMP ROCK. When in electric mode, Dévah
performs high energy sets with effects pedals and wireless cables, enabling them to
encourage interaction with the audience through movement. Dévah Quartet’s shows are
often performed by memory and backed by a drummer, and at times accompanied by a
projection artist.

No stranger to multi-disciplinary collaboration, Dévah has performed live with dancers,
including Toronto’s A2D2 Aerial Dancers, and a special collaboration with ballet dancers for
the Kubrick: A Clockwork Orange installation party for the Toronto International Film
Festival.

Classically trained, Dévah Quartet’s members are active principal players in Toronto-based
ensembles. Violinist Sharon Lee is Concertmaster of Toronto Concert Orchestra, violinist
Emily Hau is Principal Second of Sinfonia Toronto, cellist Liza McLellan was cellist of
Quartetto Gelato for nine years, violist Moira Burke plays for Mirvish productions.
Dévah became Yamaha Canada Artists in 2011, and D’Addario Canada Artists in 2013.

collectif9 presents new programmes every season in Montréal, Canada, and their national and
international touring schedule includes performances in chamber music series, festivals,
universities, and more. Highlights include concerts in the Festival de Música de Morelia
(Mexico), La Folle journée de Nantes (France), Festival de Lanaudière (Québec), Shenzhen
Concert Hall (China), and Sound Unbound (Barbican Centre, London). The ensemble continually
explores new repertoire and new artistic partnerships with composers, video artists, poets,
lighting designers, and other inspired collaborators, to create multidisciplinary projects that
come to life in acoustic or amplified settings.