Sikuris St. Lawrence is a Toronto-based ensemble of South American musicians, bringing authenticity to their rich musical heritage. Blending traditional rhythms, virtuosic instrumental solos and original compositions, Sikuris creates a captivating experience for their audiences. The band has performed extensively at various festivals and venues in Canada.

Committed to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the Andean region, Sikuris believes that traditional music is a powerful tool for community building and cultural revitalization. Through their music, they aim to inspire a new generation of young people to connect with their roots and their communities, creating a deeper appreciation for the rich cultural traditions of the Andes.

Sikuris St. Lawrence’s members have performed extensively with local bands, collaborated with many artists, offered workshops and taught in schools throughout Ontario and Quebec. The Band has performed in a variety of venues and festivals in Canada, and has released a CD called “Vidala."

Drawing inspiration from Bach to Coltrane and beyond, American guitarist Leonard Ranallo blurs the line between performer, composer, and improviser. Known for his "sensational" performances (WXVU), he excels in both classical and electric guitar, performing across North America and Europe. Recent highlights include appearances at Peabody Conservatory, the Banff Centre (Canada), Perth Concert Hall (UK), and BBC Radio Scotland.

Ranallo is an avid chamber musician, performing regularly with Quartet Malamatina, pianist Yolanda Tapia and a host of collaborators from around the world. In 2012, Ranallo made his professional orchestral debut as a concerto soloist performing with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. His compositions have been featured at the 21st Century Guitar Conference and he has premiered new works at the PLUG festival, the Banff Centre and others with support from PRS Foundation and Creative Scotland.

Ranallo has over a decade of teaching experience and has taught at institutions like Peabody Preparatory and Swarthmore College. He holds a Master’s Degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin Conservatory. Currently, he lives in Toronto and teaches at the MNjcc Suzuki program. 

Yolanda Tapia is a multifaceted musician, international pianist, educator, vocal coach, and Fulbright Scholar currently based in Toronto. She is actively engaged with institutions like the University of Toronto, El Sistema Toronto, and the Community Music Schools of Toronto. Passed roles as a staff pianist and collaborative pianist include the Instituto Superior de Música in Veracruz, and Western University. 
As a member of Obsidiana Duo, this year Yolanda has embarked on national tours with Prairie Debut and Debut Atlantic alongside her duo partner, Camila Montefusco.

Mexican-born, Yolanda has performed as a soloist with the Xalapa Symphony Orchestra and CSU Symphony Orchestra, obtaining awards from Mexico’s Chamber Music National Competition, the CSU concerto competition, Xalapa Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, and Kiwanis. She has delivered piano and collaborative piano masterclasses at the University of Veracruz, FIM Loja in Ecuador, Cambrian College, and presented lecture recitals at CollabFest2021, Latin American Chamber Players, Western University, and El Canto Online.

Her commitment to the music community is evident through co-founding collaborativepianist.info and Cybercollab 2021. As an orchestral and chamber musician, she has performed with various ensembles, including a residency with Holland America’s Lincoln Center Stage Piano Quartet. Yolanda holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Veracruz, a Master of Music degree from Colorado State University and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Western Ontario. When not performing,  she delights in experiencing live music across a spectrum of genres, ranging from heavy metal and punk to rock and jazz.

Soprano Ana Isabella Castro is a recent graduate of The University of Toronto from which she
received her Bmus in performance and her MMus in Opera. She has studied under the tutelage
of Dr. Darryl Edwards and Jean Macphail. This past July, Ana made her BROTT opera debut as
Berta in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia under the baton of Tania Miller, in which she was praised
for the “comedic gold” and “wonderful rendition” of the maid’s aria (Opera America).

During her time at U of T Opera she performed the roles of Cendrillon in Cendrillon (Massenet),
Anaide in Il Cappello Di Paglia di Firenze (Rota), Lola in Gallantry (Moore), Anna Karenina in
Disobedience (premiere), and Woman 1 in A Tale of Two Cities (Arthur Benjamin). Ana has also
performed the roles of Sister Constance in Dialogue of the Carmelites with Summer Opera
Lyric Theatre, and Mabel in Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan with the Toronto
Operetta Theatre.

She has had the privilege of participating in new music workshops with renowned Canadian
composer Ian Cusson for his opera Indians on Vacation inspired by the book of Thomas King.
She has also studied excerpts as Justine in a workshop dedicated to new opera Melancholia
(Karlsson,Vavrek), which premiered at the Kugligan Opera in October of 2024. In April of 2023
she partnered with Toronto’s Opera In Reach for their Creative Female Forces Beyond the
Stage project which will highlight women working behind the scenes in the operatic world.

During her studies Ana was the recipient of the Irene Pump and Keith Croot Graduate
Fellowship in Opera, the Joseph So Opera Scholarship, and the Frederick Malcolm Croggon
Scholarship. She has had the privilege of closely working with notable artists such as Margot
Garrett, Steven Philcox, Wendy Nielsen, Russell Braun, and Marlena Malas.

Founded by José Angel Carret, Danza Corpus Canada Dance Theatre is a non-profit dance organization dedicated to preserving the roots of Afro-Cuban culture through contemporary dance.

For over 20 years, DDC’s mission has tirelessly advocated for diversity, multiculturalism and social impact. The company’s works are based on the intimate investigation of human emotions, African roots and Cuban cultural tradition and heritage. Danza Corpus Canada  was awarded the Aboriginal and Culturally Diverse Training Grant by the Ontario Arts Council from 2014 - 2016.

Cuban native Roberto Linares Brown is a talented musician with an innate passion for music since childhood. He began his musical studies specializing in Cuban and classical percussion and has had a professional career as a producer, arranger, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and musical director. 

Brown has worked with various orchestras such as Valentin y los 10 del Caribe and Orquesta Azucar Negra. In June 2001, Brown joined one of the foremost orchestras of Cuba – Adalberto Alvares y su son – and worked with them for four years as a composer and arranger. Performing with Adalberto Alvares y su son, Brown traveled internationally to over 20 countries including the United States, Italy, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria, Japan and Mexico. 

In 2005 he founded his own orchestra Combo 76, which mixes the roots of Cuban music with the sounds of new Latin music; integrating elements of many musical styles such as salsa, reggaeton, son, jazz, rumba and cumbia.