JURY - MASTERS
Dr. Lisette Canton - Artistic Director, Jury Master
Lisette Canton
Conductor
"Ms. Canton's conducting was animated, precise and detailed."
- Steve Smith, New York Times
“It's a magical work and Canton, waving her magic wand, led her singers to a level of pure enchantment.” - Richard Todd, Ottawa Citizen
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Lisette Canton is a choral and orchestral conductor, vocal coach and technician, guest conductor, adjudicator, workshop leader and early music specialist. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of the internationally acclaimed Ottawa Bach Choir, and is also Associate Professor and Head of Choral Music at York University in Toronto, where she conducts three ensembles (Chamber Choir, Concert Choir and Men’s Chorus) and is in charge of the graduate program in choral music.
Prior to her appointment at York, Dr. Canton taught and conducted at Carleton University, the University of Ottawa, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and McGill University. She has recently been a guest conductor at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, and taken the Ottawa Bach Choir on four successful European tours (2014, 2009, 2007 and 2005), including an invitation as the first Canadian choir to perform in the prestigious Bachfest Leipzig 2014. Dr. Canton has also conducted in Leipzig, London, Paris, Venice, Lübeck, Stuttgart, Bayreuth, Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Amsterdam, Groningen, Ypres, Passchendaele, Mexico City, at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, the Winspear Centre in Edmonton, Montreal and Halifax; and has prepared choirs for Franz-Paul Decker, Johannes Ullrich, Pinchas Zukerman, Helmuth Rilling and John Rutter. She was also invited to perform in the International Choral Festival at the University of Caen, France in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of D-Day. She has taken the York University Chamber Choir on two international tours (2015, 2012), and has returned from conducting performances with the Ottawa Bach Choir in the prestigious Meet in Beijing international festival in Beijing and Shanghai, China, in April 2016. Dr. Canton has recently been named the Artistic Director of the Canada International Choral Festival, for which she signed an agreement at the Joint Canada-China Committee on Culture in February 2018 in front of the Canadian Minister of Heritage, Mélanie Joly, and the Chinese Minister of Culture, partnering with the China International Chorus Festival for upcoming concerts, tours and collaborations in Canada and China. She has been invited to conduct in a series in Carnegie Hall in New York City in May 2019.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Dr. Canton has lived in Canada most of her life. She has a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance from McGill University, a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the Eastman School of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has recorded for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Radio-Canada radio and television, and has been the guest conductor of numerous ensembles in Canada and the United States. Dr. Canton has also been a member of the national jury of the CBC/Radio-Canada Choral Competition for Amateur Choirs.
Lisette Canton has studied conducting with Donald Neuen, Don V. Moses, Fred Stoltzfus, Ann Howard Jones, Chet Alwes and Paul Vermel; voice with Jan Simons, Lorie Gratis and James Bailey; and piano with Esther Master and Dorothy Morton. She is also a member of numerous professional associations.
Conductor
"Ms. Canton's conducting was animated, precise and detailed."
- Steve Smith, New York Times
“It's a magical work and Canton, waving her magic wand, led her singers to a level of pure enchantment.” - Richard Todd, Ottawa Citizen
*************************
Lisette Canton is a choral and orchestral conductor, vocal coach and technician, guest conductor, adjudicator, workshop leader and early music specialist. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of the internationally acclaimed Ottawa Bach Choir, and is also Associate Professor and Head of Choral Music at York University in Toronto, where she conducts three ensembles (Chamber Choir, Concert Choir and Men’s Chorus) and is in charge of the graduate program in choral music.
Prior to her appointment at York, Dr. Canton taught and conducted at Carleton University, the University of Ottawa, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and McGill University. She has recently been a guest conductor at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, and taken the Ottawa Bach Choir on four successful European tours (2014, 2009, 2007 and 2005), including an invitation as the first Canadian choir to perform in the prestigious Bachfest Leipzig 2014. Dr. Canton has also conducted in Leipzig, London, Paris, Venice, Lübeck, Stuttgart, Bayreuth, Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Amsterdam, Groningen, Ypres, Passchendaele, Mexico City, at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, the Winspear Centre in Edmonton, Montreal and Halifax; and has prepared choirs for Franz-Paul Decker, Johannes Ullrich, Pinchas Zukerman, Helmuth Rilling and John Rutter. She was also invited to perform in the International Choral Festival at the University of Caen, France in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of D-Day. She has taken the York University Chamber Choir on two international tours (2015, 2012), and has returned from conducting performances with the Ottawa Bach Choir in the prestigious Meet in Beijing international festival in Beijing and Shanghai, China, in April 2016. Dr. Canton has recently been named the Artistic Director of the Canada International Choral Festival, for which she signed an agreement at the Joint Canada-China Committee on Culture in February 2018 in front of the Canadian Minister of Heritage, Mélanie Joly, and the Chinese Minister of Culture, partnering with the China International Chorus Festival for upcoming concerts, tours and collaborations in Canada and China. She has been invited to conduct in a series in Carnegie Hall in New York City in May 2019.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Dr. Canton has lived in Canada most of her life. She has a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance from McGill University, a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the Eastman School of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has recorded for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Radio-Canada radio and television, and has been the guest conductor of numerous ensembles in Canada and the United States. Dr. Canton has also been a member of the national jury of the CBC/Radio-Canada Choral Competition for Amateur Choirs.
Lisette Canton has studied conducting with Donald Neuen, Don V. Moses, Fred Stoltzfus, Ann Howard Jones, Chet Alwes and Paul Vermel; voice with Jan Simons, Lorie Gratis and James Bailey; and piano with Esther Master and Dorothy Morton. She is also a member of numerous professional associations.
Antonio Llaca
Cuban born, Antonio Llaca is an active choral conductor, teacher, and clinician. He studied choral conducting and classical guitar both in Canada and in South America. He holds a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from Université de Sherbrooke (Montreal) and has studied with masters such as Michael Zaugg, Christopher Jackson, Robert Ingari, Patrick Roux, Laurence Ewashko and Luis Zea.
Since 2009, Mr. Llaca has conducted Coro Vivo Ottawa (CVO). He teaches choral, as well as instrumental conducting at Carleton University in Ottawa. Mr. Llaca is a professor at the Conservatoire de Musique de Gatineau where he conducts the choirs and orchestra. In this position he founded and currently conducts the award-winning Choeur de Chambre du Conservatoire. In addition to this, he often collaborates with numerous ensembles and prepares choruses for Canadian orchestras and artists such as The Tenors and touring international orchestras such as the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra. His choral ensembles have performed at the national and international stage including, the National Arts Centre, Canada, the Tintqiao Performing Arts Centre, China, and Carnegie Hall, USA.
Mr. Llaca is sought-after choral clinician, having had a chance to present workshops at various Canadian and international institutions and festivals including with the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) in Beijing 2018. As an instrumentalist, he has had the opportunity to perform in several festivals and instrumental ensembles across Canada including the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa and Montreal's Orchestre Métropolitain.
Mr. Llaca is an advocate for Canadian choral music, incorporating prominent Canadian content in his programming, as well as commissioning choral pieces for his concerts from local composers. He has been known for his ability to program new works as well as seldom-performed works of music. In addition, Mr. Llaca has brought to the Ottawa music scene the works of colonial composers such as William Billings, Esteban Salas, José Angel Lamas, and Manuel de Zumaya, among others.
Mr. Llaca has toured in Canada, Latin America and Asia with his ensembles. He has earned a reputation for being a passionate conductor and pedagogue who is regarded for his musicality and knowledge of the choral art. Mr Llaca’s 2019-2020 season will include performances with visiting choral ensembles from USA and the Czech Republic as well as a performance of the Brahms Requiem with the Orchestre Symphonique de Gatineau.
Since 2009, Mr. Llaca has conducted Coro Vivo Ottawa (CVO). He teaches choral, as well as instrumental conducting at Carleton University in Ottawa. Mr. Llaca is a professor at the Conservatoire de Musique de Gatineau where he conducts the choirs and orchestra. In this position he founded and currently conducts the award-winning Choeur de Chambre du Conservatoire. In addition to this, he often collaborates with numerous ensembles and prepares choruses for Canadian orchestras and artists such as The Tenors and touring international orchestras such as the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra. His choral ensembles have performed at the national and international stage including, the National Arts Centre, Canada, the Tintqiao Performing Arts Centre, China, and Carnegie Hall, USA.
Mr. Llaca is sought-after choral clinician, having had a chance to present workshops at various Canadian and international institutions and festivals including with the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) in Beijing 2018. As an instrumentalist, he has had the opportunity to perform in several festivals and instrumental ensembles across Canada including the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa and Montreal's Orchestre Métropolitain.
Mr. Llaca is an advocate for Canadian choral music, incorporating prominent Canadian content in his programming, as well as commissioning choral pieces for his concerts from local composers. He has been known for his ability to program new works as well as seldom-performed works of music. In addition, Mr. Llaca has brought to the Ottawa music scene the works of colonial composers such as William Billings, Esteban Salas, José Angel Lamas, and Manuel de Zumaya, among others.
Mr. Llaca has toured in Canada, Latin America and Asia with his ensembles. He has earned a reputation for being a passionate conductor and pedagogue who is regarded for his musicality and knowledge of the choral art. Mr Llaca’s 2019-2020 season will include performances with visiting choral ensembles from USA and the Czech Republic as well as a performance of the Brahms Requiem with the Orchestre Symphonique de Gatineau.
KATHLEEN ALLAN
Kathleen Allan is the incoming Artistic Director and Conductor of the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto and is the Artistic Director of Canzona, Winnipeg’s professional Baroque choir. Originally from St. John’s, NL, Ms. Allan is in high demand as a conductor, composer and clinician and is equally comfortable working in early, contemporary, and symphonic repertoire. Until 2019, Ms. Allan served as the Director of Choral Studies and Associate Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra at the Vancouver Academy of Music and was the Associate Conductor of the Vancouver Bach Choir. She was the 2016 recipient of the Sir Ernest MacMillan Prize in Choral Conducting which accompanied her role as Apprentice Conductor of the National Youth Choir of Canada. In 2015, Ms. Allan made her Asian debut conducting Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in Japan. She is a founding co-Artistic Director of Arkora, an electric vocal chamber consort dedicated to blurring lines between the music of our time and masterworks from the ancient repertoire.
Her compositions have been commissioned, performed and recorded by ensembles throughout the Americas and Europe and have been featured at two World Symposiums on Choral Music. Her collaboration with Labrador youth choir Ullugiagâtsuk was featured at the National Arts Centre Canada Day celebrations on July 1, 2017. She is published by Boosey and Hawkes, Cypress Choral Music, and is a MusicSpoke composer. Also an accomplished soprano, she has appeared as a soloist with the National Broadcast Orchestra, Berkshire Choral Festival, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. In addition to freelancing regularly in Canada and the US, she has performed with the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Early Music Vancouver, the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Vienna), Skylark Vocal Ensemble (Atlanta), and the Yale Schola Cantorum. She holds a degree in composition from the University of British Columbia and a master’s degree in conducting from Yale University.
www. kathleenallan.com
Her compositions have been commissioned, performed and recorded by ensembles throughout the Americas and Europe and have been featured at two World Symposiums on Choral Music. Her collaboration with Labrador youth choir Ullugiagâtsuk was featured at the National Arts Centre Canada Day celebrations on July 1, 2017. She is published by Boosey and Hawkes, Cypress Choral Music, and is a MusicSpoke composer. Also an accomplished soprano, she has appeared as a soloist with the National Broadcast Orchestra, Berkshire Choral Festival, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. In addition to freelancing regularly in Canada and the US, she has performed with the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Early Music Vancouver, the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Vienna), Skylark Vocal Ensemble (Atlanta), and the Yale Schola Cantorum. She holds a degree in composition from the University of British Columbia and a master’s degree in conducting from Yale University.
www. kathleenallan.com
DYLAN BELL
In a word… multifaceted. Juno-nominated Dylan Bell’s musical curiosity has kept him effortlessly crossing and blurring musical boundaries.
Since he first discovered his parents’ eclectic Beethoven-to-Bob Dylan record collection, Dylan’s musical curiosity has kept him effortlessly crossing and blurring musical boundaries. Dylan is a mainstay on the Canadian music scene, having sung with many of Canada’s premiere vocal ensembles such as Cadence; Hampton Avenue, the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, The Watch, the eclectic FreePlay Duo, and the 1980s-era vocal pop group Retrocity. When he’s not singing, he freelances as a keyboard player and bassist, working with varied artists from world-music’s Autorickshaw, to veteran rockers Honeymoon Suite, to his own Police tribute band, Synchronicty III, as well as studio and theatrical work.
Behind the mixing board, Dylan has produced or engineered several award-winning albums, including a Juno co-nomination as Best Engineer for the Cadence album Twenty For One, the album Ferris Wheels with the world-renowned Swingle Singers from London, England, and the most recent, Juno-nominated album with the a cappella legends The Nylons, Skin Tight.
Dylan’s work as a composer and arranger has garnered international recognition, as winner of the John Lennon International Songwriting Competition and a Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award. When it comes to vocal arranging, Dylan wrote the book… literally. His major work “A Cappella Arranging” (co-written with Deke Sharon) was published by Hal Leonard Music in 2013 to international acclaim. His choral compositions can be heard in such varying contexts as the Victoria Scholars, the Canadian Chamber Choir, and Cadence. Dylan is also in demand worldwide as an instrumental teacher and vocal/choral clinician.
www.dylanbell.ca
Since he first discovered his parents’ eclectic Beethoven-to-Bob Dylan record collection, Dylan’s musical curiosity has kept him effortlessly crossing and blurring musical boundaries. Dylan is a mainstay on the Canadian music scene, having sung with many of Canada’s premiere vocal ensembles such as Cadence; Hampton Avenue, the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, The Watch, the eclectic FreePlay Duo, and the 1980s-era vocal pop group Retrocity. When he’s not singing, he freelances as a keyboard player and bassist, working with varied artists from world-music’s Autorickshaw, to veteran rockers Honeymoon Suite, to his own Police tribute band, Synchronicty III, as well as studio and theatrical work.
Behind the mixing board, Dylan has produced or engineered several award-winning albums, including a Juno co-nomination as Best Engineer for the Cadence album Twenty For One, the album Ferris Wheels with the world-renowned Swingle Singers from London, England, and the most recent, Juno-nominated album with the a cappella legends The Nylons, Skin Tight.
Dylan’s work as a composer and arranger has garnered international recognition, as winner of the John Lennon International Songwriting Competition and a Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award. When it comes to vocal arranging, Dylan wrote the book… literally. His major work “A Cappella Arranging” (co-written with Deke Sharon) was published by Hal Leonard Music in 2013 to international acclaim. His choral compositions can be heard in such varying contexts as the Victoria Scholars, the Canadian Chamber Choir, and Cadence. Dylan is also in demand worldwide as an instrumental teacher and vocal/choral clinician.
www.dylanbell.ca
Anna Lynn Murphy
Anna Lynn Murphy received a Bachelor of Music degree from Queen’s University. As Founder and Artistic Director of Young Singers, Anna Lynn continues to proudly share her musical expertise, her love of singing and her energy. She maintains a private voice studio and enjoys working with singers of all ages. She adjudicates at music festivals and often provides clinics for school boards, churches and community choirs. Anna Lynn is Music Director at St. Dunstan of Canterbury Anglican Church.