Abigail Freeman, Voice

Abigail Freeman, Voice Ms. Freeman has been heard in the roles of the Queen o f the Night and Papagena (The Magic Flute), Despina (Cosi fan tu, tte) Blonde (Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail) , The Chair in A Chair in Love, Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos), Ännchen (Die Freischutz), Suor Genoveffa (Suor Angelica), Fanchette (Le marriage aux lanternes) and as Ophelia in Mark Richards’ Hamlet. She has also been the featured soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Bach cantatas Wachet auf and Wachet, betet, and has performed with the Brott Festival, Oshawa Opera, Toronto Opera Collaborative, Opera by Request, the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, the Mississauga Festival Choir, the Georgetown Bach Chorale, Counterpoint Chorale, and is a regular performer with Windmill Music. Freeman completed a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Toronto (Canada) and a Master of Music Degree from Binghamton University (United States). She maintains a private music studio in Mississauga and is the Assistant Conductor of the Mississauga Festival Youth Choir and is the Music Director at the Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga. She is a member of O.R.M.T.A. and N.A.T.S. Brad Kukko, Guitar Canadian guitarist Brad Kukko currently resides in Thunder Bay, ONT. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music Degree from Lakehead University in 1998. Upon completion of his bachelor’s degree Mr. Kukko continued his guitar studies with Dr. Jeffrey McFadden at the Royal Conservatory of Music (R.C.M.) in Toronto from 1998 to 2007. While at Lakehead University and the R.C.M. Brad received many awards for his playing at the Lakehead Music Festival, R.C.M., Peel Music Festival, and Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival. Mr. Kukko performed in and audited the R.C.M. Toronto’s advanced teacher master class taught by pianist Boyanna Toyich (2002 and 2003). This master class featured performers on double bass, piano, voice, violin, and guitar. Brad was awarded two scholarships from the Guitar Society of Toronto to study abroad at the “Guitar on the Mediterranean Festival” in Cervo, Italy (2004) and the “East Carolina Guitar Festival” in Greensboro, North Carolina (2005). Mr. Kukko has performed in master classes taught by Denis Azabagic, Roland Dyens, Adam Holzman, Wilma van Berkel, Andrew Zohn, Stephen Aron, Lorenzo Micheli, and Matteo Mela. Brad enjoys teaching guitar and theory to students of all ages. He is a R.C.M certified guitar instructor at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels. Many of his students have been awarded R.C.M. Ontario regional gold medals for guitar and consistently win scholarships and prizes from the Toronto Kiwanis Festival, North York Music Festival and Ontario Music Festivals Association (OMFA) provincials. An experienced festival adjudicator, Brad’s recent engagements have been with the Ottawa NCR Kiwanis Music Festival (2020), Calgary Performing Arts Festival (2019), Kiwanis Guelph Music Festival (2019), and the St. Catherine’s Kiwanis Music Festival (2018). Brad plays classical guitars made by Canadian luthiers Jeff Sigurdson and Rene Wilhelmy. For more information check out Brad’s website bradkukko.com. In addition to music Brad enjoys cross country skiing; playing hockey; saltwater fly fishing for Bonefish, Permit, and Tarpon; saltwater fly tying; and reading. Lisa Tahara, Intermediate and Senior Piano Born in Japan and raised in Canada, pianist Dr. Lisa Tahara first came to public attention with her concerto debut aged 15. Critically acclaimed performances followed in venues across Europe, Mexico, Canada and the United States. A prizewinner at both the Canadian Music Competition and Canadian Concerto Competition in addition to numerous other awards and scholarships internationally - Lisa has given concerts extensively both as a chamber musician and soloist. Most recently, she was awarded first prize at the 2019 International Piano Concerto Competition held in Budapest, Hungary which led to a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Danube Symphony Orchestra. Her vast repertoire has seen concerto performances with orchestras across Canada including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec. A sought- after chamber musician and collaborative pianist, she has over twenty years of experience working with instrumentalists and vocalists in addition to choral and instrumental ensembles. A devoted and passionate music educator, Lisa Tahara recently joined the faculty at the University of Toronto and teaches a number of undergraduate students. She is also an active adjudicator across Canada and member of the College of Examiners for the Royal Conservatory of Music. Within her private teaching studio, her students have been awarded many top prizes in local music festivals. Lisa Tahara studied at the University of Victoria and University of Toronto, in addition to programs in Europe at the Mozarteum Salzburg and in Vienna alongside masterclasses with artists such as Emanuel Ax, Menahem Pressler and Andras Schiff. More information can be found at www.lisatahara.com Mary-Elizabeth Brown, Strings Dr. Mary-Elizabeth Brown has followed parallel paths as a concert violinist and pedagogue for more than 2 decades. In addition to a rich career as a soloist and concertmaster, she is a sought-after teacher, clinician, adjudicator, and speaker in Canada and abroad. Since founding the AVIVA Virtual Young Artist Program (the first web-based Suzuki program in the world) in 2012, she has touched lives around the world, taught thousands of lessons to students on five continents via webcam, piloted projects aimed at accessibility, and trained hundreds of teachers. Mary-Elizabeth is recognized as a pioneer in the world of innovation in classical music and technology. She was the lead musician on Canada’s first federally funded project exploring 3D printed string instruments, and her work in developing effective methods for distance music education has been featured in numerous broadcasts and publications including CBC’s “Q,” The Strad Magazine, the Canadian Suzuki Journal, and the American String Teacher. In addition to her studies at The University of Toronto, l’Université de Montréal, DePaul University and the London School of Economics and Political Science, she is a trained Suzuki teacher and a member of the Royal Conservatory of Music's College of Examiners. She was named a Teacher of Distinction by the Royal Conservatory in 2020. Wendy Potter, Junior Piano Ms. Potter holds a bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from the University of Western Ontario, and a master’s degree in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Michigan. Academic positions held include Lecturer in Piano Pedagogy at the University of Michigan, and Co-ordinator of the All-State Program at the Interlochen Centre for the Arts. She has been recognized with several awards in both teaching and performing, including the Alice B. Kern Excellence in Teaching Award (University of Michigan), and the UWO Gold Medal. Ms. Potter has appeared regularly as an accompanist and chamber musician for recitals at the University of Toronto, the Royal Conservatory of Music and throughout the GTA. She has also collaborated with the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra and the Toronto Wind Orchestra. As a member the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicator’s Association, her work as an adjudicator takes her on extensive travel throughout Canada. She is also an active Senior Member of the College of Examiners for the Royal Conservatory of Music. She is passionate about the importance of teaching and performing music by Canadian composers and is currently the Co-Coordinator of Contemporary Showcase Toronto. Ms. Potter currently resides in the Beaches Area of Toronto, maintaining a teaching studio and busy career as a freelance musician. Sharon Kahan, Winds Sharon Kahan is a Lecturer at Western University’s Don Wright Faculty of Music. In addition to her teaching duties, she is an active performer and is principal flutist for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, where she has been performing since 1994 both in the orchestra and onstage in productions such as The Hypochondriac (2016) and The Music Man. She has been a soloist with many orchestras including the International Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra London, as well as the Ontario Festival Symphony Orchestra where she was both soloist and principal flutist for the 2012 tour of China. She has been heard in recital and in chamber performances throughout Canada and in Western Europe. In addition, she is active as a clinician and has adjudicated for many festivals across Canada including Ontario’s Provincial Finals and festivals in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. .

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