Leading up to our show at Celebration of Nations on September 7 we will be featuring each of our artists! Today’s second Artist Spotlight is singer Nicole Joy-Fraser.
Nicole Joy-Fraser (Bear Clan/ Dene Zaa, Métis, European) has had the opportunity to work across Turtle Island with many celebrated companies such as Mirvish Productions, Factory Theatre, Native Earth, Red Sky, Nightwood, YPT, Stratford Festival, Blyth Festival, Charlottetown Festival, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, TSO, National Ballet, Nathaniel Dett Chorale and most recently Carousel Players as Mary Jane Mosquito. She also enjoyed performing across the pond in the multi-award-winning musical “Jerry Springer-The Opera” (West End) and in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” (UK and Athens Tour). Nicole is grateful and honoured to be collaborating with these talented artists and loves storytelling with Spy and Catherine. She still cherishes singing in their Dora-nominated, premiere production of “Giiwediin” which helped kickstart the reclamation of her Indigenous identity and healing journey. She currently lives in Niagara-On-The Lake with her partner and son.
Leading up to our show at Celebration of Nations on September 7 we will be featuring each of our artists! Today’s first Artist Spotlight is oboist Colin Maier.
Born and raised in Calgary, Colin Maier graduated from the University of Calgary in 1997 with a degree in oboe performance studying with David Sussman. Since 2009, Colin has been the oboist for the internationally renowned and critically acclaimed ensemble “Quartetto Gelato” playing 50-70 international concerts a year. During that time he has been heard on international radio broadcasts, seen on the BRAVO network, received the 2010 INDIE award for best classical ensemble. He has released 3 albums with Quartetto Gelato and 2 solo albums and has been a guest lecturer/recitalist at universities in Canada, US, Mexico and Bahamas.
Outside of being a musician, Colin has also worked for over 20 years as a dancer, actor, stuntman, singer, choreographer, acrobat and martial-artist. Colin had the honor of playing the devil fiddler in the flying blue canoe for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Opening Ceremonies.” Colin had also been seen in; “Lord of the Rings” (Mirvish), Fire (CanStage), “Forbidden Phoenix” (LKTYP), “KA” (Cirque du Soleil), “Amadeus” (Alberta Theatre Projects), “That Dance Show” (Saltance Productions), “Cats” (Neptune Theatre), Joseph’s Dreamcoat (StageWest/Drayton), “A Chorus Line” (StageWest), Sarah Brightman’s World Tour, and TV’s “Honey I Shrunk the Kids!”.
This combination of music and theatre is quite unique and he continues to find new, exciting and ground breaking ways to combine his two passions.
Leading up to our show at Celebration of Nations on September 7 we will be featuring each of our artists! Today’s second Artist Spotlight is singer Rebecca Cuddy.
Métis/Canadian Mezzo-Soprano Rebecca Cuddy’s recent career highlights include performing La Métisse, in the world premiere of Riel; Heart of the North (Steele/Weissensel) with Regina Symphony Orchestra, Mercedes (Cover Carmen) in Carmen, Frau Viehmann in Brothers Grimm and Toronto Concert Orchestra’s tour of Voice of a Nation in which she premiered a Métis song cycle by Ian Cusson.
Rebecca is proud of her Métis heritage and has a keen interest in Indigenous relations and music, along with contemporary composition. Earlier this season she joined Tapestry and Opera on the Avalon for the world premiere of Shanawdithit as Kwe/Spirit Chorus (Nolan/Burry). Rebecca is very pleased to join Unsettled Scores for Contraries and looks forward to her next Indigenous classical music performance in Soundstreams’ Two Odysseys in November 2019.
Rebecca completed her MA in Voice at the Royal Academy of Music, UK in 2017. www.rebeccacuddy.com
Leading up to our show at Celebration of Nations on September 7 we will be featuring each of our artists! Today’s first Artist Spotlight is percussionist Laura Savage.
Laura Savage splits her music career
between performing and teaching. She is the drum instructor at Royal St.
George’s College and co-owns the Mill House School of Music in East Toronto. As
a freelance performer she has appeared with numerous ensembles, including the
Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She has appeared many festivals and events
including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Canadian National
Exhibition, Luminato, the Northern Lights Festival, and at the Ottawa Chamber
Music Festival. Laura performs regularly with Savage Groove Dance Band, the
Regimental Band of the Queens Own Rifles of Canada, DFM Bassoon Quartet, and is
the Principal Percussionist for the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra.
Research at Brock University is featuring Dr. Spy this week for their “Find the answer” series. In this video, Dr. Spy talks about land-based composing and how he views the land as an artistic collaborator.
Leading up to our show at Celebration of Nations on September 7 we will be featuring each of our artists! Today’s second Artist Spotlight is singer Conlin Delbaere-Sawchuk.
Conlin Delbaere-Sawchuk is a singer and
steel-string guitarist who draws inspiration from his heritage, fusing Métis
folk traditions with contemporary musical genres and styles. He
holds a Bachelor of Music in classical voice performance from the University
of Ottawa. In addition to his performance practice, he has
worked extensively as a presenter and workshop facilitator, sharing his passion
for Métis history, Canadian music, and creative processes. He is currently
a JD candidate at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law.
Leading up to our show at Celebration of Nations on September 7 we will be featuring each of our artists! Today’s first Artist Spotlight is horn player Iris Krizmanic.
Iris Krizmanic holds the position of principal horn in the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and third horn in the Niagara Symphony. She graduated from the Glenn Gould School, having studied with principal horn of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Neil Deland, and Associate Principal horn, Christopher Gongos. A multi-talented musician, Iris is also an accomplished singer and she plays the cello. She has participated in the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute as a vocalist, has performed in musicals and G&S productions as a cellist, and she loves performing chamber music, especially with her woodwind quintet, Quintagious!
Leading up to our show at Celebration of Nations on September 7 we will be featuring each of our artists! Today’s second Artist Spotlight is trombonist Justin McLean.
Justin McLean is an Ojibwe Bass Trombonist from Sudbury, Ontario. Since 2013, he has performed on bass Trombone with the Timmins Symphony, Sudbury Symphony, the Northern Brass Choir, Pembroke Symphony, Thunder Bay Symphony, and has made appearances on CBC Radio. Although Justin is primarily a bass trombonist, he also performs on euphonium, and tuba. Justin regularly assists and mentors amateur and semi-professional groups throughout the Sudbury area, including directing the Hark Wind Ensemble’s recording for Mozart’s Grand Partita. He performed in the premiere of “Contraries: a Chamber Requiem”, in 2018. Most recently he completed a residency with the inaugural “Indigenous Dramaturgies Gathering” at the “Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.”
Leading up to our show at Celebration of Nations on September 7 we will be featuring each of our artists! Today’s first spotlight is our bassoonist, Kevin Harris.
Kevin Harris is an active freelance orchestral bassoonist, performing with the Niagara Symphony, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Windsor Symphony, Against the Grain Theatre, and the Toronto Concert Orchestra. He also enjoys belonging to several chamber ensembles: his woodwind quintets Blythwood Winds and Quintagious!, and the electric pop bassoon quartet DFM. Always interested in discovering and creating repertoire for these groups, Kevin is an avid arranger, crafting everything from Mozart arias for woodwind quintet to ‘80s pop standards for four amplified bassoons.
Kevin’s quintet “Quintagious!” is playing a show on September 12th, 7:30pm at Heliconian Hall.
Leading up to our show at Celebration of Nations on September 7 we will be featuring each of our artists! Our first Artist Spotlight is singer Everett Morrison.
Everett Morrison is an Aboriginal (Cree) bass-baritone. Everett is originally from Moosonee, Ontario and now resides in Wikwemikong, Ontario. Everett is a band member of The Crees of Waskaganish Quebec.
He is a graduate of Cambrian College’s Music Program (Voice) and a Graduate from Laurentian’s Music Program (Voice).
Everett has studied with Marion Harvey-Hannah and Dr. Robert Hall. He has performed throughout Northern Ontario and Northern Quebec. Everett also facilitates Voice Workshops for Aboriginal Youth. Everett made his professional debut spring of 2017 with the Canadian Opera Company. He sang the role of the Wandering Spirit war chief of the Crees in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of the Canadian opera Louis Riel. Everett also sang at the National Arts Centre of their production of Louis Riel in June of 2017. Then in July of 2017 in Quebec City for Opéra de Québec / Festival d’opéra de Québec in Louis Riel.
Everett made his Opera in Concert debut singing the role of David Joe in Victor Davies world premiere of the opera The Ecstasy of Rita Joe March 2018. Everett sang the bass solos for unsettled scores. Contraries a requiem which was based on Residential school. It was in partnership with The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto June of 2018.
