The Saskatoon Symphony – Page 3 – Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra

Richard Carnegie, conductor

A double bassist by training, Richard Carnegie is passionate about teaching young musicians and has served as music director of the Saskatoon Youth Orchestra (SYO) since 2009.

Under his leadership, the SYO program has seen the addition of a chamber orchestra, conducting classes, a composition contest for young Saskatchewan composers, an annual concerto competition, expanded enrolment and a unique partnership with the University of Saskatchewan Department of Music.

A dedicated teacher, he has been an instructor of double bass at the University of Saskatchewan, and from 2014-2018 Richard taught with Sistema Saskatoon, an after-school program for students in grades 3-8 which focuses on the the ideal that every child should have the opportunity to enrich their lives through music and teamwork.

His birth certificate says he’s from Ontario, but Richard has called Saskatchewan home since 2006 after studies at the Manhattan School of Music (New York) and the Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School (Toronto) with Timothy Cobb and Joel Quarrington. He became the principal Double bassist for the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, and served in that position until 2022.

As a double bassist, Richard has performed solo recitals and had appearances with Prairie Virtuosi, Elixir Ensemble, Ritornello Festival and the YouTube Symphony in Sydney, Australia.

Richard has been invited to guest conduct the Saskatoon Symphony on five separate occasions for Pops and Family series concerts in repertoire ranging from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Suite to the music of Frank Sinatra and Astor Piazzolla. He has also served as guest conductor at summer music programs including the International Music Camp and the Regina Summer Strings.

In 2013 he was named one of CBC Saskatchewan’s Future 40, a list of 40 leaders and change makers in the province.

Mitchell Tyler, bass

Conductor, arranger, bassist and educator Mitchell Tyler is an Honours Bachelor of Music (Theory & Composition) and Bachelor of Education graduate of Western University, and has been a member of the Jeans ‘n Classics Band since 1992.

As a performer he has shared the stage with many artists including Rik Emmett (Triumph), Alan Frew (Glass Tiger), Roger Hodgson (Supertramp) and Lawrence Gowan (Styx), and played in the touring productions of Chicago (2015) and Mamma Mia (2012).

Mitchell is a part time contract teacher of string music and classical guitar with the Thames Valley District School Board in London, Ontario and has been a professional educator since 1993. He served as Orchestra London Canada’s Education Director from 2010 to 2013. He has extensive experience writing, developing, programming and conducting curriculum-linked educational content for symphony orchestras, currently offered through his company, Symphonic Kids. He has been the musical director for beloved children’s entertainment troupe, Dufflebag Theatre since 2008.

As a conductor, Mitchell has had the privilege of working with a wide variety of orchestras across North America. Recent guest conductor appearances include the Springfield Symphony, the Erie Philharmonic, the Duluth Superior Symphony, the Colorado Symphony, the Jacksonville Symphony and the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. He continues to immensely enjoy his work as Conductor with the Jeans ‘n Classics Rock Symphony, a local symphony add-on to the JNC rock band, formed in 2012 for select performances closer to home.

In his spare time, Mitchell enjoys coaching high school and club travel baseball, touring the ballparks of Major League Baseball and supporting his beloved Boston Red Sox.

Johnny Rutledge, vocalist

Based in Chicago, but born and raised in Toronto Canada, this talented guitar player and gifted singer’s career has been quite the journey.

Before becoming a pre-eminent studio session singer in constant demand, Johnny played in numerous bands performing in clubs and venues across Canada. Once he began singing radio and television commercials, he quickly became a recognized voice in households everywhere.

A recording artist in his own right, Johnny has recorded and performed with greats such as Kenny Loggins, R Kelly, Celine Dion, Diana Ross (Oprah Show), The Temptations, Peter Cetera, Gordon Lightfoot, Mavis Staples, and Anne Murray, to name a few.

Johnny moved to Chicago IL in 1989, where his gifts and talents as a singer continued to be in high demand. There he also co-partnered his own music composition/production company, writing and recording music for major brands and clients. In 2005 he co-wrote and produced the music for “The Doodlebops” which became a SOCAN award winning, number one childrens show across Canada and the U.S.

Drawing upon his Canadian roots and his love of hockey, Johnny also took on the challenge of becoming his son Jared’s goaltending coach. Studying under top NHL goaltending coaches at camps in the U.S. and Canada, he coached Jared all the way to a spot on the gold medal winning U.S. National Development Team. Johnny has since become a well known and sought after goaltending coach in the Midwest.

Johnny embraces his multifaceted lifestyle with passion and commitment. Juggling between his two loves keeps him happy, healthy and ready to sing.

Dave Dunlop, guitar

Dave has been a pro guitarist, songwriter, singer, and educator for the past 30 years. Currently, Dave balances his studio work with his touring life as a member of the award-winning duo of Rik Emmett/Dave Dunlop, and Jeans ’n Classics. Emmett and Dunlop won Smooth Jazz Album of the Year and Duo/Group Of The Year in 2007 on the strength of their debut album, Strung-Out Troubadours.

Dave has been an integral member of the Jeans ’n Classics band since 2005, winning rave reviews for his handiwork in many shows, including the music of Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton, among others.

Dave was lead guitarist and writer in rock band The Full Nine, signed to Disney’s Mammoth Records in 2001. They had chart success with the single, Not Over. He’s also been a faculty member at the National Summer Guitar Workshop, and has had sideman stints with Bo Diddley, Mike Reno (Loverboy), Ron Sexsmith, and many others. In 2008 Dave joined the re-formed Hall Of Fame act Triumph, supporting the original line-up of Rik Emmett, Gil Moore and Mike Levine.

In 2005 he established Room 9 studio in his Toronto home, where he has been busy recording and producing projects non-stop ever since. His 2016 debut album, Monarch Girl spent 5 weeks at number one on the Maple Music charts. Of late he has up-and-comers Lyric Dubee, and The Launch finalist Trevor LaRose in his studio.

Dave endorses D’Addario strings and picks, Dean guitars, and Godin guitars.

Kevin Adamson, keyboards

Kevin Adamson is a Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer, arranger and producer who joined the Jeans ‘n Classics band in 2013.

Classically trained on piano as a child at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Kevin earned a Bachelor of Music from McGill University’s prestigious jazz program in Montreal. He soon became one of the most in-demand musicians in Toronto, playing with such artists as Kim Mitchell, Ian Thomas, Michelle Wright, Ron Sexsmith, Justin Hines, and Rik Emmett, and more.

On the international stage, Kevin toured the world with Roger Hodgson (of Supertramp), throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and across North America, from festivals, to arenas, to London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall.

Equally at home in a recording studio, Kevin co-produced Dominic Mancuso’s 2010 album “Comfortably Mine”, which went on to win a Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year. In 2016, Kevin’s orchestral arrangement of Ian Thomas’ song “The Runner” was featured on Ian’s album “A Life in Song”.

Kevin endorses Nord and Roland keyboards, as well as Radial Engineering DIs and mixers.

Rique Franks, vocalist

Best known for her four duets with Dan Hill (In Your Eyes, Hold Me Now, Sometimes When We Touch and Can’t We Try), Rique Franks has sung, toured, recorded and/or written with many Canadian and international recording artists, including Roger Hodgson (Supertramp), Alannah Myles, Alexander O’Neal, Martin Fry (ABC), Alan Frew/Glass Tiger, Bruce Guthro, Glen Lewis, Eddie Schwartz (Writer for Pat Benatar), Lisa Dalbello, Ronnie Greenfield-formerly Spector (The Ronettes), Lorraine Segato (Parachute Club), Alfie Zappacosta, Stephan Moccio, Marc Jordan – the list goes on and on.

This core artist and featured soloist with Jeans ‘n Classics is also a busy session singer and voice actor in Toronto. Rique has lent her voice to many original projects, and has sung and/or read thousands of memorable commercials for countless products.

Unlike most singers Rique started late, after being discovered in her mid twenties by Marvin Dolgay (Tambre Productions) and Doug Paulson (TV’s Thrill of a Lifetime). She joined the union (ACTRA), and sang her for her first jingle the very next day. That jingle (for Thrifty’s Jeans) won an award, and work suddenly snowballed. Rique still considers many of the people she first worked with in those early days (Lisa Dalbello, Neil Donell, David Blamires, Johnny Rutledge, and others) as major influences.

Rique recently ended a 20-year run as the on-air speaking voice of Showcase Television/Showcase Diva, saying, among other things, “Viewer discretion is advised”…a lot.

Rique’s own songs are available at iTunes, and other online music retailers.

Celebrating Margaret Wilson

Our beloved principal clarinet Margaret Wilson is retiring after 47 seasons with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.

We are fairly certain that Margaret is the longest-serving principal clarinet of any organization in Canada. She’s also close to having been the longest-serving principal clarinet in North America beaten out only by Stanley Drucker of the New York Philharmonic whose 49 years made the Guinness Book of World Records. Needless to say, Margaret has given an incredible amount of her time and talents to the SSO and her retirement is well-earned.

In September 1977, Margaret Bluhm arrived from British Columbia and began her career as an artist in residence and the principal clarinet of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. Lucky for us, Margaret met her husband within the first month of moving to Saskatoon and her prairie roots only continued to grow.

She began playing the clarinet in grade 7 as a part of her school’s band program. (We love our band teachers!) In a 2020 chat with Music Director Emeritus Eric Paetkau Margaret mentioned that she didn’t know anything about the instrument when she picked it out but “it wasn’t too big” and that she “loved it from the very beginning”.

It’s incredibly special to have talent like Margaret be a part of an organization for so long. She has played well over a thousand concerts with the SSO, in Saskatoon and the surrounding area, including shows at TCU place, chamber shows at venues like the Bessborough and now Grosvenor Park United, elementary schools around the city, assisted living facilities, toddler shows, tours, and so much more.

We aren’t the only ones that have benefited from Margaret’s talents. She has collaborated with musicians and groups around the city as a performer, and she has taught many young clarinettists over the years. Between her private studio and her work at the University of Saskatchewan, Margaret has an incredible legacy of students who have benefited from her wisdom.

Margaret is always a joy to play with. Not only is she talented and incredibly well-prepared, but she has a calm and joyful presence. This presence seems to radiate out and elevate every ensemble she performs with. Ask any of our musicians and they can tell you how Margaret has influenced them over the years both as artists and in their everyday lives.

At our concert on May 4, 2024, CEO Mark Turner will gift Margaret with the title Clarinet Emeritus. While she will no longer be our principal clarinet as of next fall, she will always have a place with the SSO. We hope you join us in giving Margaret a very well-deserved standing ovation. We owe her that, and so much more.

While we are very selfishly sad to see her go, we look forward to seeing photos of Margaret’s incredible garden (with 18+ varieties of tomato plants) and hope that she has a well-earned rest before she tackles her next adventure. (Perhaps she’s learning other new instruments? At one time she was learning the bassoon!)

In 2020 we did a series of “Meet the Musician” interviews hosted by Eric Paetkau while everyone was isolating at home. So you can hear Margaret chat a little bit about herself, and answer questions that came up in the chat from friends, fans, and colleagues.

(We’ve learned a lot about live streams since the spring of 2020!)

We have so many fond memories of working and making music with Margaret, and we’re grateful to have captured the last few years of our time together on video. You can revisit many wonderful Margaret moments over on ConcertStream.tv

As a special treat, we will finish with some lovely photos and a link to Margaret’s holiday treat Pfeffernüsse!

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Judith Yan, conductor

Equally adept at conducting symphony, opera, and ballet, Judith Yan’s career has taken her internationally, conducting for major companies in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. She has held Staff Conductor positions at San Francisco Opera, Canadian Opera Company, and National Ballet of Canada.

Her recent debuts were celebrated with critical acclaim: “In her Vancouver Opera debut, Canadian Conductor Judith Yan really shone in the pit, bringing extraordinarily lyrical and expressive playing from the Vancouver Opera Orchestra.” (Vancouver Opera, La Boheme, Opera Canada 2018). “Under the direction of Canadian conductor Judith Yan, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra is simply wonderful.” (West Australian Ballet, Don Quixote, Greg Ross, 2018). “Judith Yan, her Seattle Opera debut, conducted the orchestra with vigour and deep sympathy for the score.” (Seattle Opera, An American Dream, Classical Voice America, 2017). “Under the baton of Judith Yan, the music just came to life.” (Kentucky Opera, Orfeo, Arts-Louisville Reviews). “The Edmonton Symphony played splendidly under Judith Yan…coaxed many vivid, dramatically transparent moments from the players.” (Edmonton Opera, La Traviata, Opera Canada 2019).

While with the San Francisco Opera, she served as Staff Conductor, assistant to Maestro Sir Donald Runnicles, where her performances of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress for San Francisco Opera was included in the San Francisco Chronicle’s Top Ten Classical Performances of the Year. Prior to San Francisco Opera, she served as the first Conductor-in-Residence of the Canadian Opera Company, where she made her debut with Britten’s Rape of Lucretia. As the Principal Conductor of Opera on the Avalon since 2010, she has lead numerous productions including Ours, Shawnadithit, Tosca, La Boheme, Tosca, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, La Traviata, Albert Herring, and Dead Man Walking.

As a conductor of symphony, she served as the Artistic Director of Guelph Symphony Orchestra for 8 seasons, where she expanded the orchestra’s symphonic and operatic repertoire with works by composers Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky, Philip Glass, Francis Poulenc, Leonard Bernstein. Along with new works and premieres, she added operatic repertoire by Puccini, Verdi, Strauss, Humperdinck, and created the unique Triple-Feature “Symphony, Opera, and Ballet” Gala. As a guest conductor, she has collaborated with orchestras such as Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and Saskatoon Symphony.

As a conductor of ballet, she has conducted over 90 performances at the Four Season’s Centre for the National Ballet of Canada, working with the world’s foremost choreographers including John Neumeier, Ronald Hynd, and James Kuldelka. With National Ballet of Canada and as a guest internationally, she has conducted the ballets of Balanchine, Cranko, Aldous, Bart, Harvey, Kiliàn, Lander, Stowell, Wright, and Grigorovich. Since 2010, she has had a close association with several ballet companies, including Hong Kong Ballet, conducting the company’s production of Swan Lake as well as premiering four of the company’s productions: Cynthia Harvey’s Sleeping Beauty, Terence Kohler’s The Nutcracker, Nina Ananiashvili’s Don Quixote, and the Asian world-premiere of Anna-Marie Holme’s Le Corsaire. She conducted the Polish premiere of Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew in 2015 for Polish National Ballet, at Teatr Wielki in Warsaw.

In 2014, she made her Seoul conducting debut with Korean National Ballet, conducting the Korean Symphony in Yury Grigorovich’s La Bayadère, returning in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019 to conduct Patrice Bart’s Giselle, Grigorovich’s Swan Lake, and a revival of La Bayadère. She made her Australian conducting debut in 2017 with West Australian Ballet, conducting the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in Lucette Aldous’s Don Quixote, returning in 2018 for the world-premiere of Krzysztof Pastor’s Dracula and 2019 for Greg Horsman’s La Bayadère.

Recent performances include 3 critically acclaimed world-premieres: Jack Perla’s An American Dream for Seattle Opera and John Estacio’s Ours for Opera on the Avalon, Krzysztof Pastor’s Dracula for West Australian Ballet, company debuts with National Arts Centre Orchestra for Cynthia Harvey’s Sleeping Beauty, Teatr Wielki in Warsaw for the Polish premiere of Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew, West Australian Ballet and West Australian Symphony for Lucette Aldous’s Don Quixote, and Yury Grigorovich’s La Bayadère for Korean National Ballet and Korean Symphony.

2018/19 season included Vancouver Opera for La Boheme and Edmonton Opera for La Traviata, the season-opening gala concert for the Elora Festival, a revival of the opera Ours at Opera on the Avalon, Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8 and Beethoven’s Mass in C with Guelph Symphony Orchestra, productions of Greg Horsman’s La Bayadère and the world-première of Krzysztof Pastor’s Dracula for West Australian Ballet.

For 2019/20, she opened both Korean National Ballet’s season with Yury Grigorovich’s Swan Lake, and Edmonton Opera’s with Verdi’s Rigoletto, Sleeping Beauty with West Australian Ballet, and concerts with Guelph Symphony Orchestra.

During the pandemic seasons of 2020/21 and 2021/22, she travelled to Hong Kong Ballet for a production of Don Quixote, made her debut with Saskatoon Symphony in programme of Sibelius, Copland, and Bernstein, and conducted a concert with Opera on the Avalon and Newfoundland Symphony. In 2021/22, she made her debut with Kentucky Opera with Orfeo, and returned to Saskatoon Symphony with a programme of Franklin and Tchaikovsky.

This 2022/23 season includes productions with Opera Omaha for Suor Angelica, New Orleans Opera for a new production of Madama Butterfly, Opera on the Avalon for Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers, San Francisco Opera (Merola) for The Rape of Lucretia, continues her collaboration with Saskatoon Symphony, opening its 92nd season with a Canadian premiere of Gipps’s Symphony No. 2, Forsyth’s Viola Concerto, and a world-premiere SSO commission of Canadian composer, Christos Hatzis. She returns to Saskatoon in November for a programme of De Falla and Ravel, and again in 2023 for a concert of Copland and Wagner.

Also in the 22/23 season is the much anticipated world-premiere of Laura Kaminsky and Lisa Moore’s February for Opera on the Avalon.

Judith is fluent in English and Cantonese. She is a Canadian citizen and American Resident, eligible to work in USA, Canada, and Hong Kong.

https://judithyan.com/

Avery Lafrentz, soprano

Hailing from the sunshine capital of Canada, Estevan, Saskatchewan, soprano Avery Lafrentz is currently working to make her mark in the bustling opera scene of London, England.

A globetrotter in pursuit of her passion, Avery’s voice has graced stages in Italy, Austria, England & the United States in both opera and concert engagements. Whether embodying the fiery spirit of Vitellia ‘Clemenza di Tito’ or tugging at heartstrings as Anna Maurrant ‘Street Scene’ and Suor Angelica in ‘Suor Angelica’, Avery’s performances exude boundless potential.

Not content with just scaling operatic mountains, she maintains a close relationship with song repertoire – especially by Berg, Strauss, Wagner and contemporary song – earning the support of the Art Song Foundation of Canada to participate as a professional fellow at SongFest in Los Angeles.

A true scholar of her craft, Avery holds a Master of Music in Voice and Opera Performance from McGill University as a Wirth Family Fellow, where she sang multiple lead roles with Opera McGill. McGill University also employed her as a Research Assistant in the Schulich School of Music. She holds two Bachelor degrees in Arts & Science, and Music from the University of Toronto where she earned the Douglas Bodle – St. Andrew’s Graduating Award.

Currently honing her craft at the esteemed Guildhall School of Music and Drama in the UK, with the support of the Guildhall School Trust, Avery is a force to be reckoned with, earning a coveted spot in their prestigious Opera Studio. This past year she has performed multiple recitals and events including a concert version of ‘Les Misérables’ with Cameron Mackintosh Productions, contemporary music with the UBU ensemble, and an upcoming Shakespeare recital with Nicky Spence OBE and Dylan Perez.

Under the tutelage of the distinguished pedagogue, researcher, and author Janice Chapman, Avery continues to refine her artistry, blending tradition with innovation in her quest for vocal freedom.

This spring she will return to Saskatchewan to perform Paul Carr’s ‘Requiem for an Angel’ with the Regina Philharmonic Chorus and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.

She would like to thank her teachers, coaches, and mentors for their generous support along the way including:

Janice Chapman, Michael Pugh, Dominique Labelle, Elizabeth Koch, Patrick Hansen, John Mac Master, Michael McMahon, Steven Hargreaves, Elizabeth MacDonald, Jo Greenaway, Darryl Edwards, Stephanie Weiss, Robert Loewen, Evanne Wilhelm,

& the one who started it all … her mom, Arlene.
It takes a village!

Avery is a dedicated and hardworking individual, always looking for new opportunities to improve and showcase her talent. In her spare time, she indulges in her love for art by drawing and painting.

With her strong sense of discipline, passion for music and love of opera, song, and visual art, Avery is poised to leave an indelible mark on the world of opera and beyond!

https://averylafrentz.com/

Julie Nesrallah, mezzo-soprano

Mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah is a singer, actress and broadcaster who dazzles audiences with her engaging personality and her rich, expressive voice. Miss Nesrallah has sung for leading opera companies, symphonies, festivals and chamber music ensembles across Canada and the U.S. and around the world. Julie débuted as Isabella in Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri at Pacific Opera Victoria and went on to perform major roles including The Composer in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, Suzuki in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Cenerentola in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Carmen in Bizet’s Carmen and Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto, among others.

Concerts and festivals include engagements in Paris, Vienna, Hong Kong, Jordan, Macau, Brazil. In 2015, Miss Nesrallah sang at Carnegie Hall in New York City in a concert for harp and voice. She sang God Save the Queen for “Will and Kate” the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their first visit to Canada on Parliament Hill in a performance that was viewed around the world. She was the sole vocalist in “An Evening for Peace” for Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan in Montreal.

Currently, Miss Nesrallah is the host of Tempo on CBC Music, Canada’s national classical music program; and is also the executive producer and star of Carmen on Tap, a company she created that performs Bizet’s opera Carmen as dinner theatre. Julie has been the recipient of several distinguished awards including the Canada Council for the Arts Emerging Artist Award, and most recently the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her cultural contribution to Canada’s performing arts.

Miss Nesrallah graduated with honours from Carleton University in Ottawa where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in music and continued her studies at McGill University in Montreal graduating with a Performance Diploma.

Richard Carnegie, conductor

Mitchell Tyler, bass

Johnny Rutledge, vocalist

Dave Dunlop, guitar

Kevin Adamson, keyboards

Rique Franks, vocalist

Celebrating Margaret Wilson

Judith Yan, conductor

Avery Lafrentz, soprano

Julie Nesrallah, mezzo-soprano

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