Performers
Alondra Vega-Zaldivar Soprano
Soprano Alondra Vega-Zaldivar has found a passion in organizing and performing recitals since her University years. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Alondra balances teaching 5 days at 88Keys with composing pieces for her students, her project and various performers.
Alondra holds a B.Mus and M.Mus in Composition from the University of Western Ontario and has been actively curating and organizing her own solo recitals since then.
She has dedicated the past five years to the creation and development of The Art Song Collaborative Project. Since 2016 she has organized, produced and perform in 4 different Operas through Art Song.
Gwenna Fairchild-Taylor
Soprano
Ottawa-born soprano Gwenna Fairchild-Taylor holds an M. Mus. Opera (University of Toronto) and a B. Mus. Voice Performance (Western University) and is a 2019-2021 fellow at Opera Omaha.
A four-time recipient of Government of Nunavut Culture & Heritage Grants in support of her music and drama programs in communities in the Arctic. Gwenna also wrote the curriculum for “Learn English Through Song”, a program run by The Corporation of Roy Thompson Hall and Massey Hall in Toronto that facilitates language learning and community building for newcomer women through singing.
Gwenna has conducted choirs for Regent Park School of Music and Sistema Toronto. She has also worked as a teaching artist and consulted on curriculum development for education programming at the Canadian Opera Company.
Caitlin Frasure - Pianist
Caitlin Frasure is a versatile pianist and active performer across styles from classical to jazz/gospel, and Irish folk to new art music. A zealous advocate for newly composed music, numerous performances in the United States and abroad have included the premieres of original compositions at Upbeat International (Croatia), the Cortona Sessions (Cortona, Italy), SoundSCAPE Festival (Maccagno, Italy), Institute and Festival for Contemporary Performance (New York, NY), SPLICE Institute (Michigan). In 2016, she competed in the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (Ennis, Ireland) with the Indianapolis Céilí Band, and has toured as accompanist to Australia, Italy and New York City for the Young Voices of Indianapolis.
Caitlin is co-founder of the duo “Ascending” with violinist Tricia Bonner (www.ascendingduo.com). Since the opening concert in 2015, “Ascending” has successfully commissioned and premiered thirteen compositions from composers around the world, concertizing across the United States from Brooklyn, NY to Mansfield, TX. Caitlin earned her MM and BM in Piano Performance from Butler University. She relocated to Savannah, Georgia, in 2018.
Joel Tangjerd - Cello
A native of London, Ontario, Joel Tangjerd began cello studies at the age of 4, and piano studies at the age of 5; achieving a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music from Western University. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Historical Performance at the University of Toronto.
Joel has received scholarships to attend the Kincardine Summer Music Festival, the Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute, the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, the Domaine Forget Music and Dance Academy and the Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute.
He was also a finalist in the LMSF competition and the winner of the Maritsa Brookes Concerto competition at the Don Wright Faculty of Music.
He was formally organist and music director of St. Luke’s Anglican Church as well as the principal cellist in the London Youth Symphony under the direction of maestro Len Ingrao.
Joel has served as principal cellist of the University of Western Ontario Symphony Orchestra under maestro Alain Trudel.
Evan Bowen - Percussion
Evan Bowen is a Toronto-based percussionist from St. John’s, Newfoundland. A deep appreciation for improvisation, rhythmic obfuscation, found sound, and theatricality informs his performance practice. Over the past three seasons, as the percussionist-in-residence for Caution Tape Sound Collective, Evan has used these sonic interests to expand the percussive repertoire with new pieces written for him as soloist and as a member of unconventional chamber ensembles.
Evan holds degrees from McGill University (M.Mus) and Memorial University (B.Mus) and has completed a residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. He has studied with Aiyun Huang, Rob Power and Fabrice Marandola. Evan been a finalist in the National Music Festival and semi-finalist in the OSM Standard Life Competition as well as the winner of the St. John’s Kiwanis Rose Bowl. Evan’s work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Pratik Gandhi - Conductor
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Freelance conductor based in Toronto, Pratik Gandhi currently serves as music director of the Rouge River Winds and of Soup Can Theatre, and resident conductor of the Toy Piano Composers Ensemble, as well as Vice Chair of the Concert Band Division for MusicFest Canada.