Praised for his “authoritative voice” (Boston Musical Intelligencer) and “contagious sensibility” (Revue l’Opéra), Canadian-American Baritone, Raphaël Laden-Guindon maintains an active performing schedule in the US and Canada. In the 2023-24 season, he will appear as a guest artist in productions of Matthew Peterson’s Voir Dire as The Baritone and Britten’s Midsummer Night’s Dream as Quince with the Boston Conservatory. He was heard as Harapha in Handel’s Samson with the Cambridge Chamber Ensemble. His 2022-23 season featured a role debut and as the title role in Le nozze di Figaro with NEMPAC Opera and the Boston Festival Orchestra and the world premiere of Keiko Devaux’s chamber opera: L’écoute du Perdu with Musique 3 Femmes and Ensemble Paramaribo. Other credits include The Accomplice in Whispers: Echoes from the Halls and Belcore (Cover) in L’Elisir d’amore with Boston Opera Collaborative, the title role in Don Giovanni, Ophémon in L’amant anonyme (Chevalier de St-Georges), Bob in The Old Maid and the Thief (Menotti), Mr. Olsen in Street Scene (Weil), and Publio (cover) in La Clemenza di Tito (Mozart) with Opera McGill; Aristeo in Orfeo (Rossi), Corebo in La Didone (Cavalli) and Aristone in Xerse (Cavalli) with the Yale Baroque Opera Project. Raphaël holds a master’s degree from McGill University during which he was a recipient of both SSHRC and FRQSC master’s research grants. He is a staff singer at Trinity Church in the city of Boston.
Raphaël Laden-Guindon, bass
Conductor William Rowson is hailed as one of Canada’s most compelling and versatile young artists. He has worked with orchestras across Canada and currently serves as the Artistic and Executive Director of the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, as well as being the Music Director of the Stratford Symphony Orchestra. He is also on the faculty at the Vancouver Symphony School of Music. Recent guest conducting highlights include appearances with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Guelph Symphony Orchestra, the London Classical Soloists (UK), the Regina Symphony, and the Victoria Symphony, as well as return engagements with both the Saskatoon and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras.
An impassioned pianist who infuses his performances with emotion, Godwin seems to embody every note he plays, and his sentiment resonates in his listeners. In 2022, he took first place at the OSM Competition (and received the prize for best interpretation of the imposed Canadian work). He also placed first in piano at the National Music Festival (2015), won the Glenn Gould School Concerto Competition (2019), and took second place at the PianoArts North American Competition in Milwaukee (2022).
“Intensely soulful… Virtuoso” The New York Times
Daniel Clarke Bouchard began playing the piano at the age of five and gave his first piano recital at the age of six. He received the Grand Prize at the Joy of Music Festival held at McGill University. In 2009, he won the gold medal at the Montreal Classical Music Festival. In 2010, he won Gold at the Quebec Music Educators Association Competition. In 2011, Daniel won first place at the Canadian Music Competition and received the Yamaha, Canimex and Gilles Chatel scholarships.
Garry Gable has enjoyed a performing career that has taken him across Canada and into the USA and China in all types of classical music, musical theater, drama, television, radio, in-concert and stage presentations. He has taught and performed several times in China, where he is adjunct faculty in Music Universities and Conservatories in Wuhan, Tianjin, and Lanzhou. Garry has also been heard widely in
Donny Parenteau is a proud Métis Country Music artist & was born and raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Donny’s Saskatchewan Metis heritage goes all the way back to Louis Riel and the Northwest Rebellion 1885. Donny’s Grandfather was a fiddle player who supported his family by playing dances and performances all around Prince Albert & area. Donny picked up the fiddle at age 14 and his musically journey began becoming a multi-instrumentalist – singer songwriter making him today one of the highest nominated independent acts in Canada.
Conductor Rosemary Thomson has proven herself as a highly skilled musician with experience in conducting a wide variety of repertoire and programming innovative audience-centred presentations. Rosemary is currently in her sixteenth season as Music Director of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra (OSO). Under her leadership, the orchestra has blossomed and seen unprecedented audience growth. In 2020, Rosemary was appointed the Artistic Director for Opera Kelowna, where she recently conducted Berlioz’s rarely performed opera Béatrice et Bénédict (2022).
Acclaimed conductor Robert Franz, recognized as “an outstanding musician with profound intelligence,” has held to three core principles throughout his career; a commitment to the highest artistic standards, to creating alliances and building bridges in each community he serves, and a dedication to being a strong force in music education. As Music Director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director of the Boise Baroque Orchestra, Resident Guest Conductor of the University of Nort Carolina School of the arts Symphony Orchestra and as the former Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony, he has achieved success through his focus on each of these values.