Garry Gable

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
recital with his spouse/pianist Kathleen Lohrenz Gable.

A resident of Saskatoon since 1994, he has taught vocal studies and directed the Music Theatre Ensemble as Associate Professor at the University of Saskatchewan. He is a past recipient of the Provost’s Award for Outstanding Teaching at the University of Saskatchewan. Among his many students over the years are multiple winners of Canadian Music Festival National Finals Competitions, Gordon Wallace Opera Competitions, SMFA Provincial Competitions, the Saskatchewan and Manitoba Young Artists Competitions, the Canada West Music Festival, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (Regional), and the Netherlands National Opera Auditions. He has also been a guest vocal instructor for the opera training programs Vancouver Summer Opera Studio, and Bel Canto in Tuscany, in Greve-in-Chianti, Italy.

Symphony appearances include Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, the Bruckner Mass in F, William Walton’s Façade, Brahms’ Ein deutches Requiem, and narrations of How the Grinch stole Christmas, and The night before Christmas.

In Saskatchewan, Garry has performed with Persephone Theatre, and Regina and Saskatoon Symphonies, and Saskatoon Opera Association. Roles include Maurice in Beauty and the Beast, and as Mr. Potter in the musical adaptation of Its a Wonderful Life, Balthazar and Melchior in Amahl and the night visitors, Frank in Die Fledermaus, Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Alcindoro in La Bohème, Dr. Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro, Zuniga in Carmen, Il Bonze Madama Butterfly, and Pangloss in Candide (Regina Symphony).

Garry is looking forward to reprising How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with the SSO.

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.

Donny spent twelve years touring the world with United States Country singer Neal McCoy; recording on multi-platinum selling albums & playing on numerous shows, including performances on The Grand Ole Opry & The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Alongside McCoy, Donny has shared the stage with country music icons such as; Charlie Daniels, Merle Haggard, Tim McGraw, Shania Twain, and Reba McEntire to name a few. 

After starting his solo career in 2003, Donny has garnered over one hundred nominations at eight major award shows, including three JUNO nominations, and his first USA nomination for “Best Country CD” at the 2014 Native American Music Awards. 

Donny’s album, Bring It On, is the only album placed in a time capsule at the Regina Legislative Building to be opened in 100 years and was included because of his song, “Deep in the Heart of Saskatchewan”. 

Donny’s latest CD released in 2018, “Favourite Hymns of the Metis”, gave him his latest 2019 nomination for Indigenous Artist of the Year with the Sask Music Awards. He is delighted to have collaborated with the Gabriel Dumont Institute on a number of projects focused on Métis culture.

 Donny continues to perform, teach at his Donny Parenteau School of Music, and speak his message of inspiration and “Bully Free Zone” tours at schools across Western Canada.

In April 2020 Donny was awarded the Saskatchewan Country Music Awards Legend’s & Legacy 

In August 2020 Donny was the 1st performer selected to re open TCU Place in Saskatoon Saskatchewan which was also filmed by Sasktel and show on Sasktel Max.

October of 2020 was one of the first full band performances Donny was able to do since the pandemic performing a virtual Indigenous Day Live in Regina Saskatchewan. 

Donny’s 2020 single Never Came Down Again was released in April 2020 and climbed the Indigenous Music Countdown Top 40 all the way to #2  

Donny’s single Bring it On Featuring Brad Johner made it to #5 on the Indigenous Music Countdown Top 40 and #68 on Canadian charts.

Donny’s single released June 2021 Snow White with Kenny Shields along with a video of never-before-seen footage of the two of them on stage. Donny released this to pay respects to his dear departed friend. 

Donny’s single These Days was released Sept 2021 and is currently #2 on the Indigenous Music Top 40 Countdown & spent 6 weeks at #1 on MBC radio in Saskatchewan.

In April 2022 Donny was awarded the Saskatchewan Country Music Awards Producer of the Year.

Donny’s last single Time Off for Bad Behavior also did well for him and is very excited to release his new single called Roll On Aug 29th 2022

Feb of 2023 Donny released his single It Will Be Alright with Me featuring R & B artist Jully Black. The song went to #3 on the Indigenous Music Top 40 Countdown and is currently being played on Sirius XM Indigiverse.  Donny’s latest single It’s All I Need was released June 2023 and became his first #1 on the Indigenous Music Top 40 Countdown and is currently being played on Sirius XM Indigiverse.   

In Jan 2023 Donny as founder and president launched an organization called Saskatchewan Indigenous Music Association. Saskatchewan Indigenous Music Association established to help dreams become reality for Saskatchewan Indigenous musicians.

So far in 2023 Donny will continue live performances, school presentations & teaching at his Donny Parenteau School of Music. 

 

Show Highlights:

Winter Olympics -2010

Tours France -2012

Rideau Hall for The Governor General – 2012

Live on Parliament Hill Canada Day -2012

JUNO Awards Gala- 2013

Barcelona Spain – 2014

Nashville TN – 2015 

Performed the 1st ever Half Time Show at the New Mosaic Stadium July 1st 2017 (Canada’s 150th Birthday)

2020 – 40th Anniversary of Gabriel Dumont Institute

2023- – Sask Winter Games  

              July 1st Canada Day celebration with Lieutenant Governor  

             Inaugural Saskatchewan Indigenous Music Awards

https://www.donnyparenteaumusic.com/

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).

Equally at home conducting orchestral, choral, contemporary, or operatic repertoire, Rose has enjoyed an over thirty year career at the podium. Prior to her time at the OSO, Thomson was the Resident Conductor and Chorus Master at the Calgary Philharmonic and the Conductor in Residence for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. For fourteen season, Rose was the conductor of Toronto’s new music ensemble Continuum, with whom she toured Canada and Europe, and conducted several recordings of music by Canadian composers. She has also led a number of Canadian orchestras as an invited guest, including those of Edmonton, Kingston, National Arts Centre, Regina, Toronto, Thunder Bay, Vancouver, and Victoria.

In the operatic field, she was, for four seasons, the Assistant Conductor to Richard Bradshaw for the Canadian Opera Company. She has guest conducted for numerous opera companies, including Tapestry Opera where she was nominated for a 2019 Dora Award for Music Direction of the world premiere of Shanawdithit by Yvette Nolan and Dean Burry. Thomson recently made her Vancouver Opera debut, conducting Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore and conducted the premiere of Pomegranate by Amanda Hale and Kye Marshall for the Canadian Opera Company in 2023. Other operatic conducting has included engagements with Opera Garden (Scotland), Calgary Opera, and Highlands Opera Studio.

Inspired by training she received from Hans Graf, Boris Brott and Bramwell Tovey, Thomson enjoys a reputation for working with emerging artists in both festival and university programs. Ms. Thomson serves as a Regional Director for the Canadian Music Centre and sits on the Advocacy and EDI committee with Orchestras Canada. Her work has been recognized with the Honour in the Arts Award through the Kelowna Civic and Community recognition program as well as the Okanagan Arts Awards in the Music category. In 2021, she was awarded the Community Spirit Award by the BC Provincial Achievement Foundation.

Rosemary is a national mentor and integral part of the Women in Musical Leadership initiative, a program run by Tapestry Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.