The Chorale
Neema Bickersteth (Soprano)
Hannah Burgé Luviano (Soprano)
Hannah Burgé Luviano is a composer, clinician, vocalist and pianist who pursues an active career in performance and education. Hannah leads two projects - a contemporary jazz project and a Brazilian group - performs with The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, and is the Music Director of Stone Church in Toronto. Her band has shared the stage with international artist Hendrick Meurkens, and some of the artists Hannah has performed with include Njacko Backo and Kalimba Kalimba, and Aline Moralis and Maracatu Nunca Antes. Hannah holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University, and has studied classical piano with the Royal Conservatory of Music. Some of Canada's best performers, including Casey Sokol, Mark Eisenmann, Lisa Martinelle and Paco Luviano taught Hannah about jazz and performance. Hannah is the co-founder of a music education studio and performance company called Music Village. She is currently working on a composition commission from the Oakville Symphony Orchestra, which is an education initiative aimed at school students in the Oakville area.
Michelle Farrell (Soprano)
Karen Matsumaru (Soprano)
Karen Matsumaru recently received a Master of Music degree with Academic Honours in Viola Performance from the New England Conservatory (NEC) in Boston, MA, where she was a student of Carol Rodland. Her studies at NEC also included regular classes with Kim Kashkashian and chamber music instruction from members of the Borromeo String Quartet. She worked as a teaching assistant for the Contemporary Improvisation department at NEC, and also with numerous non-profit arts organizations in Boston, including Young Audiences, a statewide organization with the mission to integrate arts into every child’s education and Zumix, a local organization which empowers at-risk youth through music. Karen performed for two seasons with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and was a mentor in the Gordon College Symphony. In addition, she was Vice President of the NEC Student Association and volunteered as a mentor with the Boston Higher Education Resource Centre. Miss Matsumaru has participated in various summer programs, including the Banff Centre, the National Academy Orchestra of Canada, the National Orchestral Institute in Washington, D.C. and as a Fellow at the Credo Chamber Music Festival at Oberlin College. An accomplished singer, Karen performed frequently as a touring member of the Chamber Singers at the University of Victoria, where she was nominated for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. Her Bachelor of Music degree was completed with Distinction in Violin Performance at the University of Victoria where she served for two years as President of the Music Students’ Association. Most recently Karen performed throughout the eastern U.S. with Ian Anderson on the Orchestral Jethro Tull tour. Karen currently performs with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Carolyn Williams (Soprano)
Carolyn Williams is a recent graduate of the Master of Music Therapy program at Wilfrid Laurier University. With over six years experience in the field of music therapy working with individuals of varying abilities, Carolyn is a firm believer in the healing power of music. A lover of choral singing, Carolyn is excited about revisiting the music of her African-Caribbean heritage, as she rejoins the Nathaniel Dett Chorale for the 2007/2008 season. She is also a lover of worship music and thrives to be a part of a body of believers who seek to worship God in spirit and in truth.
Trisha Dayal Gunpath (Alto)
Trisha Dayal Gunpath began her singing career with the Toronto Children's Chorus, directed by Jean Ashworth Bartle, in 1990. After graduating from the vocal music program at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts under the instruction of Gloria Gassi, Trisha obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University where she studied voice with Albert Greer. While at York, she sang with the reknowned a capella ensemble Wibijazz'n', as well as various York University Concert Choirs. She has been a member of the inter-denominational gospel choir Toronto Mass Choir since 1992, and is their Website Manager. She sang on their 2002 recording, Instrument of Praise, which garnered a Juno Award for Best Contemporary Christian Album. In 2007 she completed her certificate in Special Effects Makeup Artistry under the direction of Jane Stevenson at Seneca College. She is working towards completing all Royal Conservatory of Music exams in theory and voice under the direction of Léna Gauthier, and trying to find inventive ways to marry her passions for both makeup and music.
Alexandra (Ali) Garrison (Alto)
Alexandra (Ali) Garrison is an American-born, Toronto-raised performer, singer, teacher and lecturer. After co-founding the a capella jazz trio, The Waverlies, she graduated with her Vocal Performance degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and went on to perform a huge variety of operatic and theatrical roles with both regional and national companies. She is a concert and church soloist with numerous ensembles and choirs in Canada and the U.S., and works frequently in tandem with artists, music improvisers and composers to foster new works and to promote music for a more harmonious world. Ali is proud to be a founding member of the exceptional ensemble, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, for whom she has co-written the education series, Canaan Lan’. Currently, in addition to teaching voice privately, Ms. Garrison has begun conducting voice workshops internationally, and is also leading an exciting collaboration of five women artists in an interdisciplinary project called “Why the Sea is Salty.”
Ianjai Mounsey (Alto)
Renaé Reid (Alto)
Prior to joining The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Renaé Reid was a member of the jazz ensemble, Take Note, in Red Deer, Alberta, which attended OVF (Ontario Vocal Festival), the International Association of Jazz Educators Conference in Long Beach, California, was the feature group of The Canadian Jazz Festival held in Brandon, Manitoba, and also participated in the workshops headed by Phil Mattson (which included a performance in Carnegie Hall) in New York. Renaé currently attends McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She is working towards completing her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and will then go on to complete her Master's and Ph.D. When she is not studying or performing with the Chorale, she enjoys spending time with close friends, attending cultural events, participating in African dance, and much more.
Karen Scovell (Alto)
Karen Scovell discovered her love of music at a very young age. From participating in almost all of her highschool musical and drama groups, to being part of an opera while in college, Karen has found her home on stage. When Karen is not singing with the Chorale, she can be found leading worship at The FreeWay Free Methodist church in Oshawa, Ontario, and writing songs and/or collaborating with other artists.
Luis Guerra (Tenor)
Christopher Jääskeläinen (Tenor)
Lucas Marchand (Tenor)
Akufuna Sifuba (Tenor)
Gideon Akufuna Sifuba has been performing as a musician for more than 15 years. He began as a member, then a soloist and finally a conductor of his church choir. He taught himself to play the clarinet and began also to play in the church orchestra. Upon moving to Namibia from Zambia, Akufuna took a job with his church, establishing choirs in new church communities, thus beginning his career as a professional musician. Akufuna was a music teacher in Namibia, teaching in both primary and secondary schools. He led several choirs as well as conducted a brass band. He also worked for the Namibian College of the Arts, teaching music as an extra curricular activity to under privileged children. As a tenor, Akufuna has performed and recorded with the acclaimed Mascato Coastal Choir of Namibia. As a clarinetist, he has performed and recorded as a guest soloist with the Namib Marimbas. In addition, as an African drummer, Akufuna has toured with the Ongoma Drummers giving performances and workshops to tourists throughout Namibia. Akufuna immigrated to Canada in the spring of 2006 and is currently a music student at York University. He worked with the AfriCan Theatre Ensemble as the musical director in their recent performance of Zandile. Akufuna conducts full day chorale and drumming workshops throughout the Greater Toronto Area and sings with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale.
Geddes Stewart (Tenor)
Dallas Bergen (Bass)
Dallas Bergen received his Bachelor of Music in Secondary Education from the University of Victoria, where he was a member of the Chamber Singers and Prima Youth Choir. International travel carried him to Thailand, where he performed with the Bangkok Combined Choir, and to New York, where he performed at Carnegie Hall with Manhattan Concert Productions. Dallas has been a member of The Nathaniel Dett Chorale since coming to Toronto in 2005. He is also the founding artistic director of Univox - Toronto's choir for young adults - conducts the Harbourfront Chorus, serves as a section leader at Humbercrest United Church, and has been a member of the nationally-represented Canadian Chamber Choir since 2000. Dallas teaches chess and music in a number of Toronto schools.
Andrew Gunpath (Bass)
A recent graduate of St. Michael's Choir School, Andrew Gunpath has been a classically-trained musician since the age of eight. After performing the lead role in the musical Godspell in two separate productions with the Artworld Actors Guild of Hope, and acting as lead vocalist/bassist for numerous alternative and heavy-metal bands, he wishes to pursue a career as a music educator.
Darryl Huggins (Bass)
Darryl Huggins is currently studying and teaching piano, guitar and voice, and performing whenever he gets the chance. In addition to The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, you can find him playing steel pan on a CD with the Toronto Tabla Ensemble, and singing on a CD with York U vocal force Wibijazz'n'.
Graham Robinson (Bass)
David Yung (Bass)
David Yung is a former member of the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus and a graduate of the Vocal Music program within Arts York at Unionville High School. He performed roles with the Young Players' Repertoire Company in community musical theatre productions of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and "Assassins." David is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario's Faculty of Music, where he studied voice with Darryl Edwards, and was a member of the Faculty Singers. He sang with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir for two years, and is very much enjoying his eighth season with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale.
