Featured Artists 2023 Season
Lyne Fortin
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One of Canada's greatest voices, soprano Lyne Fortin has enjoyed an exceptional career. Recognized for her incomparable virtuosity and stage presence, she has sung Juliette and Gilda, then Macbeth and Tosca, performing many leading roles in Canada and abroad. A sought-after teacher, she passes on her knowledge in master classes and private lessons.
This prestigious artist has accumulated numerous successes and honours over the course of her career, including first prize at the Pavarotti International Singing Competition, the Special Jean-Lallemand Prize for interpretation at the OSM Competition, and a commemorative medal celebrating the 125th anniversary of Canada's Confederation.
Her recordings are notable for their remarkable quality and diversity. She has recorded "Great Romantic Duets of French Opera" with tenor Richard Margison (CBC Records), a Christmas recording - "Noël" - with the Orchestre symphonique de Québec (Analekta), a recital of Mozart arias - "Lyne Fortin Live" - with the Orchestre Métropolitain (Analekta), and "Jardins d'Espagne" featuring arias and melodies inspired by Spain (Analekta).
In 2022, she made her debut at the Opéra national de Lorraine as Fata Morgana in Prokofiev's Love of Three Oranges. She is also a member of the singing faculty at the Mediterranean Opera Studio (Caltagirone, Italy) where she directed Puccini's Suor Angelica.
This prestigious artist has accumulated numerous successes and honours over the course of her career, including first prize at the Pavarotti International Singing Competition, the Special Jean-Lallemand Prize for interpretation at the OSM Competition, and a commemorative medal celebrating the 125th anniversary of Canada's Confederation.
Her recordings are notable for their remarkable quality and diversity. She has recorded "Great Romantic Duets of French Opera" with tenor Richard Margison (CBC Records), a Christmas recording - "Noël" - with the Orchestre symphonique de Québec (Analekta), a recital of Mozart arias - "Lyne Fortin Live" - with the Orchestre Métropolitain (Analekta), and "Jardins d'Espagne" featuring arias and melodies inspired by Spain (Analekta).
In 2022, she made her debut at the Opéra national de Lorraine as Fata Morgana in Prokofiev's Love of Three Oranges. She is also a member of the singing faculty at the Mediterranean Opera Studio (Caltagirone, Italy) where she directed Puccini's Suor Angelica.
Tanya Charles Iveniuk
A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with roots in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, violinist, Tanya Charles Iveniuk, has performed across North and South America, and the Caribbean. Recipient of the Women’s Art Associate of Canada – Luella McCleary Award, the Gabriella Dory Prize in Music, and the Hamilton Black History Council’s John C Holland Award, Tanya received a Bachelor of Music (Violin Performance) from the University of Toronto, and an Artist Diploma (Orchestral Performance) from the Glenn Gould School. Currently, she is the concertmaster of the Obiora Ensemble, and violinist with Ensemble du Monde (Guadeloupe), Toronto Mozart Players, and the Odin Quartet. Her former posts include concertmaster and soloist with the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra (COMF) and the COMF Virtuosi (SC, USA), Associate Concertmaster of the Gateways Festival Orchestra (2015) and a violinist for 10 years with Sinfonia Toronto. Tanya is a dedicated educator, and an in-demand string adjudicator and clinician abroad as well as in Ontario. She has taught in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Guadeloupe, Sint Maarten, and Mexico. Tanya is on faculty at the University of Toronto, the Royal Conservatory of Music, and the Community Music Schools of Toronto - Regent Park School of Music.
Yanet Cambell Secades
Born in Camagüey, Cuba, violinist Yanet Campbell Secades is an accomplished soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. Her skilled and sensitive playing has enabled her to perform not just in some of the most important venues in Cuba, but throughout Europe and the Caribbean. In 2015, she won the first prize at Cuba’s prestigious Unión de Artistas y Escritores Cubanos (UNEAC) competition, and in 2019 she was awarded 2nd prize, in the string's category, within the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals’ National Competition.
Yanet has performed in major international music festivals such as the Rheingau Musik Festival in Germany and the Mozartwoche in Austria. She received her Master of Music from Memorial University of Newfoundland and she is currently in the first the year of the Artist Diploma Program at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Torornto.
Yanet has performed in major international music festivals such as the Rheingau Musik Festival in Germany and the Mozartwoche in Austria. She received her Master of Music from Memorial University of Newfoundland and she is currently in the first the year of the Artist Diploma Program at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Torornto.
Marlene Ngalissamy
My goal as a musician and artist is to encourage emotional expression through music, promote diversity, acceptance and sense of belonging in diverse communities.
Marlene discovered the bassoon at the age of 13 and quickly developed a deep passion for the instrument. As her curiosity blossomed, she was accepted at the Montreal Conservatory of Music where she studied with Mathieu Harel and Stephane Levesque. Then, she continued her journey at the Curtis Institute of Music to complete her post-bachelor with Daniel Matsukawa.
She had the chance to participate in several workshops and have lessons and advice from various masters from around the world. Some of them are the Pacific music festival in Japan, the International Summer Academy of the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the Pablo Casals Festival in France.
Marlene discovered the bassoon at the age of 13 and quickly developed a deep passion for the instrument. As her curiosity blossomed, she was accepted at the Montreal Conservatory of Music where she studied with Mathieu Harel and Stephane Levesque. Then, she continued her journey at the Curtis Institute of Music to complete her post-bachelor with Daniel Matsukawa.
She had the chance to participate in several workshops and have lessons and advice from various masters from around the world. Some of them are the Pacific music festival in Japan, the International Summer Academy of the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the Pablo Casals Festival in France.
Featured Artists 2022-2023 Season
Esmerelda Enrique Spanish Dance Company
The ESMERALDA ENRIQUE SPANISH DANCE COMPANY is valued for its important pioneering contribution to the development of flamenco in Canada. It peerlessly stands on the pillars of traditional flamenco singing, dance and music while beautifully balancing classicism with a contemporary aesthetic. Founded in 1982, EESDC has been presenting an annual Toronto Season since 1990 and has developed an ever-expanding repertoire that has earned both critical and popular acclaim. The company is recognized for the exceptional level of its productions, receiving three Dora Mavor Moore Awards in addition to 27 nominations over the years. Esmeralda Enrique and her exemplary company of dancers and musicians enthrall audiences with the contagious excitement and full depth of feeling that the passionate art of flamenco delivers.
Marta Elena
Marta Elena, Excellence Award winner for her outstanding performance at the 5th Annual Vaughan Latin Festival (celebration of Latin culture and community), was born into a musical family in Havana, Cuba. Not all ‘salseros‘ have been male artists; in the history of Salsa, there is some exception to that rule; and Marta Elena is one of the names of that exception. Singer, Composer, Percussionist and Band leader Marta Elena belongs to a younger generation of Cuban musicians who are happy to honour the island nation’s Afro-Latin musical roots while looking for new ways to express the music that courses through the vein of the country.
Karla Garcia
Originally from Castro, a town on the Chilean island of Chiloé, Karla García is Toronto-based classically trained guitarist and teacher.
As a performer, García has played a wide variety of music including contemporary, folk, fado, rock, classical, Celtic, Latin American, and more, and has participated in many guitar festivals and concerts across North and South America. In 2010 she was named “Best Performer” at the César Cortinas Guitar Contest (Atlántida, Uruguay), and one of the most important Chilean flamenco guitarists, Carlos Ledermann, dedicated a composition, “Suite Emocional,” to her.
García has also taught master classes at Festival Entrecuerdas, one of the largest guitar festivals in South America, and has shared the stage with prestigious guitarists from Norway, Italy, Portugal and Canada.
As a performer, García has played a wide variety of music including contemporary, folk, fado, rock, classical, Celtic, Latin American, and more, and has participated in many guitar festivals and concerts across North and South America. In 2010 she was named “Best Performer” at the César Cortinas Guitar Contest (Atlántida, Uruguay), and one of the most important Chilean flamenco guitarists, Carlos Ledermann, dedicated a composition, “Suite Emocional,” to her.
García has also taught master classes at Festival Entrecuerdas, one of the largest guitar festivals in South America, and has shared the stage with prestigious guitarists from Norway, Italy, Portugal and Canada.
The Mexican Folk Ballet
The Mexicans Folk Ballet created in January 2012 under de artistic direction of Jorge Zarate Tristan, is a Dance Company established in Toronto and created with the main objective of sharing and spreading the cultural roots of Mexico presenting shows based on the dynamism, aesthetics and polychrome of the Mexican folklore, in order to promote the love of the Mexican traditions and customs through the combination of dance and music supported by the great cultural heritage of Mexico.They have been collaborating in various festivals and organizations for culture and diversity of Toronto like CNE, Harbourfront Centre, Chin Picnic International Folk Competition, Global Fest, just to name a few. In June 2014 they presented their own production named “Mexico, History and Dance” at the MacMillan Theatre, Faculty of Music of University of Toronto, it was a production with a full house and got a nomination for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Vision Awards 2014 in Arts and Culture category. Despite The Mexicans Folk Ballet short time, their Artistic Director Jorge Zarate Tristan has steered the group to gain recognition from the artistic community of Toronto. The Mexicans Folk Ballet was awarded the second place in the 2012 International Folk Dance Competition at the Chin Picnic Festival, in 2014 they participate in the Festival of Cultures in Guiyang, China, in August 2015 the participate in the XVI Festival of Traditional Music and Dance of Valencia, Spain.
Roxana and Fabian Tango
Roxana & Fabian have performed and taught internationally since 1980’s thrilling audiences in venues ranging from "Luna Park" in Buenos Aires, "Roy Thompson Hall" in Toronto to the "Royal Theatre Carré" in Amsterdam or "Shiba Mel-Park Hall" in Tokyo.
The prize-winning pair, were both born in Buenos Aires, Argentina; like the Tango itself , dancing tango has always been a treasured legacy in their families, they were often surrounded by legendary celebrities of the Tango world, and in that spirit they were brought up to live, breathe and love tenderly the whole Tango culture.
They are considered one of the North America’s pioneers in teaching Tango since 1980’s, the early days of Tango revival. They are Canada's most influential tango dance icons and are credited with having taught many tango performers and instructors.
The couple have appeared in many of the fabled and legendary dance halls of their native Buenos Aires, including Palais De Glace, Astral Theatre, La Confiteria Del Molino, Club Almagro, Glorias Argentinas, Esquina Anibal Troilo, Esquina Homero Manzi" and the Buenos Aires most legendariest stadium Luna Park.
The prize-winning pair, were both born in Buenos Aires, Argentina; like the Tango itself , dancing tango has always been a treasured legacy in their families, they were often surrounded by legendary celebrities of the Tango world, and in that spirit they were brought up to live, breathe and love tenderly the whole Tango culture.
They are considered one of the North America’s pioneers in teaching Tango since 1980’s, the early days of Tango revival. They are Canada's most influential tango dance icons and are credited with having taught many tango performers and instructors.
The couple have appeared in many of the fabled and legendary dance halls of their native Buenos Aires, including Palais De Glace, Astral Theatre, La Confiteria Del Molino, Club Almagro, Glorias Argentinas, Esquina Anibal Troilo, Esquina Homero Manzi" and the Buenos Aires most legendariest stadium Luna Park.