Meet Our Team

Carlos Bastidas

Music Director and Conductor

​​Carlos Bastidas
Conductor 
www.carlosmusic.com
Starting an orchestra from the ground up is a challenge, but founder of the Ontario Pops Orchestra Maestro Carlos Bastidas has always been an advocate of the importance of music in the community. In large part this is thanks to the influence of his conducting professor Maestro Rodolfo Saglimbeni, a founding member of “El Sistema”, Venezuela’s monumental music education program, under whom Carlos trained at England’s Sherborne School of Music.
Originally from Colombia, Carlos came to Canada in 1990. He started his musical studies on the bassoon at age 11 at Bogota’s Conservatory of Music and has performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Kamloops Symphony, Abbotsford Symphony, and Ottawa Symphony, and the Hull Chamber Orchestra. Today, Maestro Bastidas does double duty as Conductor of the Ontario Pops and the Durham Chamber Orchestra in Ajax.
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"Carlos is a leader on and off the podium. Not only does he program and conduct multiple orchestras, but creatively, he pushes the performance envelope with a vision of how to cultivate the next generation of classical music lovers.”
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- Leanne Wright, VP Communications, The New Classical FM/ZoomerMedia Limited

Dorothy Russel

Admin Coordinator

After a 37-year career in computer systems and business consulting, Dorothy retired and started practicing her flute again. She joined the Ontario Pops Orchestra as Second Flute in September 2017.

Ann Nguyen

Social Media Coordination
Web Designer

Ann Nguyen is a graphic designer and digital artist from Mississauga. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media from York University and has since worked on advertisements for the Ontario Pops and other local Toronto festivals. Ann has been with the Ontario Pops Orchestra since 2016, and plays piano in her spare time. 

Kristina Amador

Personnel Manager and Music Librarian

​Kristina Amador is a Toronto-based clarinetist and arts administrator. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Queen’s University, and is currently continuing her clarinet studies in Toronto with Joseph Orlowski. Her musical dedication and passion for learning have earned her the opportunity to study at intensive summer programs such as the Lift Clarinet Academy and the Buffet Crampon USA Summer Clarinet Academy. Kristina has held the position of principal clarinetist in the Ontario Pops Orchestra since 2016, and enjoys having the opportunity to contribute to the orchestra in many different ways as a musician and member of the administrative team. 

​Kemi Lo

Apprentice Conductor

​Kemi Lo obtained her B.F.A in music; violin performance, at York University in Toronto, Canada. Her musical endeavours include being a classical violinist, violist, choir and orchestral conductor, and composer. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Unitatis String Ensemble. Prior to this, she was the conductor and artistic director of the Chinese Martyr Catholic Church Young Voices for 4 years. She teaches music around the GTA and has guest spoken in various music schools. She was principal II for two years at the York University Symphony Orchestra, as well as serving principal violist for one year. She has guest played in many other orchestras with both the violin and the viola. 
 Born in Hong Kong, Kemi Lo immigrated to Canada at a very young age and has lived most of her life in Ontario. She started choir when she was very young, which lead her to start the violin at age 12, which eventually led her to start conducing at age 16. She studied the violin under the late Jacques Israelievitch and Mark Skazinetsky, the viola under Rory McCleod, and conducting under Dr. Mark Chambers and Nurhan Arman.

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Music Director, Carlos Bastidas
Admin Coordinator, Dorothy Russel
Personnel Manager & Music Librarian, Kritina Amador
Apprentice Conductor, Kemi Lo
Marketing, open
​Development and PR, open
Social Media and Website Design, Ann Nguyen
Graphic Design, Sally Chiem
Volunteers, Natalie Dewan, Andrea Hernadez,