Monica Admiral is an accompanist, pianist, and organist, with extensive experience working with soloists, adult and youth choirs, and smaller instrumental ensembles. She occasionally plays for local music theatre groups, and is accompanist of the Theatre Ancaster Chorus. She has also recorded two albums of music for solo piano: “Doxology” (2003), and “Keys to Christmas” (2007). Currently organist and choir director at Pioneer Memorial United Church in Hamilton, Monica works behind the scenes in Brantford’s performing arts community: volunteer for the Brantford Symphony Orchestra, past president of the Grand River Chorus, Brant Performing Arts, chair of the Brantford Cultural Advisory Committee, and chair of the Brantford Municipal Cultural Plan ad hoc committee. She is a chorister and accompanist of ARCADY.
Becky Booker, studied piano performance at Wilfrid Laurier University with Professor Leslie De’Ath, graduating in 2000. It was at Laurier that she caught the vocal accompaniment bug, and since then she has become an integral part of the Kitchener Waterloo music scene as a collaborative pianist specializing in vocal accompaniment. These days Becky can be found coaching voice students at the University of Waterloo, accompanying the Grand Philharmonic Children’s and Youth Choirs, and directing music at Grace Mennonite Brethren Church. Over the past 15 years, Becky has also enjoyed playing for countless other community choirs, recordings, festivals, auditions, musical theatre productions, and dance classes.
Dave Klassen is quickly establishing himself as one of Ontario’s versatile emerging percussionists. A graduate with distinction from Wilfrid Laurier University’s Honours BMus Percussion Performance program, Klassen frequents various orchestras in southern Ontario, including the Stratford Symphony Orchestra, the Guelph Symphony, the Rose Orchestra, and the Niagara Symphony. Additionally, he has appeared alongside numerous choirs in the Kitchener/Waterloo region and beyond as both an accompanist and featured guest artist. Winning NUMUS’ 2016 Emerging Improviser competition sparked an interest in contemporary music and improvisation that would result in performances with renowned artists including Douglas Ewart, Stephen Nachmanovitch, R. Murray Schafer, and co-headlining a NUMUS show with trumpet virtuoso Guy Few (Wrath of Angels, 2017). Klassen’s dedication to new music has earned him spots in various contemporary festivals including Open Ears, Waterloo Region Contemporary Music Sessions, Labo de Musique Contemporaine de Montreal, and the International Society for Improvised Music conference.
David Lenson has been performing on lute and other early string instruments for approximately thirty years. A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University’s Baroque and Early Music program, he has made his home in London for the past 25 years and performs regularly throughout southwestern Ontario. David received his Masters of Musicology from the University of Western Ontario in 1987. As a member of Arcady he has appeared in many programs and was the stage director for the Arcady productions of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Handel’s Acis and Galatea, the Beckett opera trilogy, and Mozart’s The Magic Flute. As a counter-tenor, he has sung with Arcady and The Renaissance Singers of Kitchener. David has played a number of instruments in Arcady performances, including theorbo, lute, baroque guitar, recorder, violone, and percussion. He has also served on its Board of Directors for many years and has been the producer of two Arcady CD recordings: Welcome Yule! and most recently, Ruth.
Laura Pin has worked extensively as a collaborative pianist playing with many talented soloists and choirs including Maureen Forrester, The Amabile Youth Singers, and The Faculty of Music Singers (Western). She completed music studies at the Banff School of Fine Arts and Western University where she studied with Arthur Rowe and was awarded the Alumni Gold Medal. She also holds an Associate of Music in piano performance from the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music. As a choral accompanist Laura has toured in Europe, the U.S.A. and Canada. Currently she plays for the Harlequin Singers, The Ambassadors Christian Male Choir, Pro Musica of Burlington, and Illumini of The Hamilton Children’s Choir. Laura’s intuitive musicality continues to win the admiration of many soloists, conductors, and music critics.
Greg Walshaw holds the diploma of Colleague of the Royal Canadian College of Organists. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from McMaster University, where he studied organ with Paul Grimwood. He has been organist at St. Andrew’s United Church since 2003, and began a new position there as organist and choir director. Before coming to Brantford, Greg held organist and choir director positions in Hamilton at Laidlaw United Church and King St. Baptist Church. Greg is one of two accompanists for the Brantford Children’s Chorus, and has been the accompanist of The Renaissance Singers since the 2001/2002 season. As a continuo player, Greg has performed with the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra, McMaster University Chamber Orchestra as well the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (with the McMaster University Choir). During six years with the McMaster University Choir, Greg served as accompanist for three years, and spent two years as assistant conductor. As a singer, he spent ten years with the Cathedral Church of the Redemer in Calgary, where he also performed several times with the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus. In Ontario, he has sung with the Bach Elgar Choir, the Te Deum Singers, Westdale United Church in Hamilton (as tenor section lead), and Arcady. As a composer, his focus is on music for the church. As most churches tend to have choirs and organs, most of his works are for choir or organ. However, he has composed scores and soundscapes for theatrical productions in Calgary and Hamilton, where he was active as an actor, director and playwright. He worked for two seasons in various capacities at Alberta Theatre Projects and Theatre Calgary, and spent six years as Artistic Director of the Alchemist Theatre in Hamilton