Priyanka Tope is an emerging Kathak artist, choreographer, vocalist, and dance educator originally from New York, now based in Hamilton, Canada. She began studying Kathak at a young age under Pandita Guru Archana Joglekar and has continued her training for over a decade with her teacher and mentor Parul Shah. Priyanka has also trained in Bharatanatyam under Smt. Guru Satya Pradeep.

As a choreographer, Priyanka aims to create a deeper connection through themes and movement that resonate with a contemporary and diverse audience. She is particularly drawn to experimenting with traditional formats, storytelling, and movement as part of her creative process. This exploration has led her to mentorships with award-winning artists from various dance forms, including Denise Fujiwara (Canada) and Kristina and Sadé Alleyne (UK). Priyanka continues to expand her traditional Kathak training with Vaishali Sangati (India).

Her recent solo work, Pendulum, was featured at Night/Shift as part of the prestigious Fall For Dance North festival in Toronto, as well as for Sampradaya Dance Creations' Horizon series. Pendulum was also adapted into a short dance film, supported by the Hamilton Arts Council, and has screened at festivals in India, Italy, Hamilton, and Montreal.

When Priyanka moved to Hamilton in 2022, the city lacked a Kathak community. Since then, she has made it her mission to foster a growing community through teaching at her home and McMaster University. Priyanka’s aim is to raise awareness of Kathak and strengthen Hamilton’s diverse arts scene.

Tejas Tope is a tabla disciple of Pt. Samir Chatterjee and also studies with Ud. Zakir Hussain. He has taken pakhawaj training with Pt. Mohan Shyam Sharma and Pt. Manik Munde. Tejas is based in Manhattan.

As Canada’s only permanent children’s opera company, the Canadian Children’s Opera Company (CCOC) has ignited a passion for opera in thousands of young voices over 57 years. We offer exceptional training in singing, music, and drama for youth ages 3 to 19 across five choirs and a new Young Artist Studio, a pre-professional training program for young people ages 16 and up. The CCOC performs regularly with leading arts organizations in Toronto and beyond, with members regularly performing in the Canadian Opera Company’s productions. We commission and present world-class children's operas, and empower youth through innovative outreach programs. Annually, over 2,100 youth and families benefit from our programming, reaching diverse communities across the GTA. 

Born in Tkaronto (Toronto) to Hong Kong immigrants, Marjorie Chan has written for opera, theatre, radio drama and various intersections of performance and media, including collective forms. Her operas include Sanctuary Song (with composer Abigail Richardson Schulte) and M’dea Undone (with composer John Harris, also with Tapestry), The Lesson of Da Ji, and The Monkiest King (both with composer Alice Ping Yee Ho) and The Nightingale of a Thousand Songs (with composer Serouj Kradjian). Sanctuary Song, M’dea Undone and The Lesson of Da Ji received the Dora Award for Outstanding New Opera. M’dea Undone was also awarded the Broadway Entertainment Award for Best New Large Work.

Two of her plays, China Doll and Lady Sunrise, were finalists for the Governor General’s Literary Award. Her other plays include a nanking winter, The Madness of the Square, and Tales from the City, as well as co-creations The Ward (with David Buchbinder and others), The Year of the Cello (co-created with composer Njo Kong Kie) and Fare Game: Life in Toronto’s Taxis (with Ruth Madoc-Jones and Alex Williams).

Nominated for 11 Dora Awards in acting, writing and directing categories, Marjorie is also the recipient of an Outstanding Performance Dora for TYA, as well as the K.M. Hunter Artists Award, Bra D’Or Award, as well as the George Luscombe Award for Mentorship. Currently, she is adapting the novel Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien into an opera with composer Tim Brady, and she is serving as a dramaturge for Madeleine Thien and Alice Ping Yee Ho’s opera CHINATOWN.

As the Artistic Director of Theatre Passe Muraille since 2019, Marjorie places access, community, innovation and collaboration at the forefront of the company’s approach.

Claire Elise Harris is a Toronto-based collaborative pianist, specialising in opera and contemporary repertoire. Originally from New Zealand, Claire holds a Bachelor of Music from the New Zealand  School of Music and a Masters from the Royal College of Music, London, England. Prior to moving to Toronto in 2018, Claire was a staff accompanist at the Royal College of Music, London, as well as working with companies including English Touring Opera, the Rossini Young Artists’ Festival, Opera Alumnus, and the Academie de La Roche D’Hys annual opera workshop in France. She has performed internationally as a pianist in venues such as Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall, London, The Porgy and Bess, Vienna, and appeared on radio stations from Guernsey to Bogotá, Colombia.

Claire is pianist with Crossing Borders, a company performing works by living composers across Canada and internationally, most recently touring Colombia with a programme of all Canadian and Colombian living composers. She also recently curated and performed a recital of Canadian art song with baritone Parker Clements at the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto.

Claire is co-producer and pianist for Opera Revue, a Toronto opera company which has been featured on the cover of Opera Canada magazine, CBC National Radio and CTV National television. She is also the pianist for Canadian Children’s Opera Company’s Principal Chorus, Associate Director with Opera by Request, Toronto, and Pianist with the Toronto Children’s Chorus, as well as working regularly as a répétiteur and coach with independent companies around Toronto and Ontario. Claire coaches students in the vocal program at the University of Toronto as well as maintaining a private coaching studio. Claire is also the pianist for Amarras, a Toronto-based contemporary Argentinian Tango ensemble with whom she has performed in the USA and Argentina.

Alice Ping Yee Ho is a distinguished Chinese Canadian composer renowned for her versatile and expansive body of work, she seamlessly blends genres including opera, orchestral, chamber music, dance, and theatre. Ho’s compositions are marked by their innovative approach, emotional depth, and striking originality, earning her numerous prestigious awards and accolades.

Among her many honors, Ho is the recipient of the 2024 Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music, the 2022 Symphony Nova Scotia Maria Anna Mozart Award, the 2022 Barlow Endowment Commissioning Award, the 2019 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize, and the 2013 Mavor Dora Moore Award for her opera The Lesson of Da Ji.

A two-time JUNO Award nominee, Ho has released 10 solo albums under her name. Her works have been performed by renowned ensembles and orchestras worldwide, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Finnish Lapland Chamber Orchestra, the Polish Radio Choir, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Taiwan Symphony, and the Luxembourg Sinfonietta.

Her cross-cultural operas, The Lesson of Da Ji, The Monkiest King, and Chinatown, transcend cultural boundaries and highlight her unique voice. Ho’s artistry continues to inspire and engage listeners, reflecting both her deep cultural roots and her universal appeal.

Artistic Director and Founder of Zata Omm and W Zento Productions, William Yong has dedicated over two decades to breaking new ground by collaborating with artists, scientists, and engineers in visionary, technology-driven performance projects. William’s artistic journey began with music as a member of the Hong Kong Children's Choir and later as the lead singer and songwriter for the band Fundamental, which was signed by a major record label in Hong Kong/Asia. His passion for the arts expanded into an illustrious 30-year career spanning dance, theatre, acting, directing and filmmaking. Trained at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and London Contemporary Dance School, William graduated with a master’s degree with distinction. He performed with some of the world’s most influential choreographers and companies, including Wayne McGregor’s Random Dance and Matthew Bourne’s Adventures in Motion Pictures, touring 76 cities across 15 countries. As a choreographer and director, William has created over 150 acclaimed works, including innovative productions such as vox:lumen, Steer, and Eden Planted. In 2024, he became the first Asian choreographer commissioned by the National Ballet of Canada for UtopiVerse, performed at Toronto’s prestigious Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts—a groundbreaking achievement in Canadian ballet. William’s contributions to the arts have earned him numerous accolades, including the "I love dance/J’aime la danse" Award for Innovation and a Dora Mavor Moore Award for performance. His stage works have garnered eleven Dora nominations, most recently for Outstanding Original Choreography for UtopiVerse. In film, William’s work as a director, cinematographer and editor has received international recognition, winning awards for Best Cinematography, Award of Excellence, and Best Experimental Short at eleven esteemed film festivals worldwide. With a passion for pushing artistic boundaries and a commitment to innovation, William Yong continues to redefine storytelling for the stage and screen in the technological age.

Toronto-based Iranian mezzo-soprano Shaghayegh Bagheri has been celebrated for her “extraordinary vocal range and captivating stage presence,” blending classical technique with innovative and experimental artistry. Known for her unique approach to vocal expression, she seamlessly bridges traditional Persian music, contemporary composition, and electronic soundscapes.

Shaghayegh Bagheri holds over two decades of experience as a performer, poet, and educator and continues establishing herself as a vital force in the international music community. She has performed extensively across Iran, Europe, and North America, presenting a diverse repertoire of classical, contemporary, and experimental works. Shaghayegh has appeared in solo concerts and multidisciplinary performances in Germany, Italy, and Greece and has collaborated with renowned composers and ensembles worldwide. She has four published albums: "Seyr und Silence," "Aphrodite," "Free," and "Of Your Hands," and a Poetry book, "Eighth Secret," published in the Netherlands.

‏In Iran, she founded a successful singing school, "Chant School," and played a vital role in shaping the country’s contemporary music scene.

Homa Samiei is a Toronto-based composer, pianist, and artistic director whose work seamlessly blends Persian musical heritage with Western classical and contemporary music. She is currently a composer for the IFCA Collective Opera, a project funded by MAP Fund and Opera America, where she explores innovative storytelling through opera. Homa co-founded Najva Ensemble, Chaam Project, and Himeh Cultural House, collaborating with musicians worldwide to bring unique cross-cultural performances to life. Her compositions have been featured in prestigious international festivals and performed by renowned ensembles such as the International Contemporary Ensemble, The Thin Edge New Music Collective, and the University of Toronto Wind Symphony.

As a composer-in-residence at the University of Toronto, she premiered critically acclaimed works, including “Mooyeh” and “The Bird Was Just the Bird,” both of which reflect her deep engagement with poetic narratives and innovative soundscapes. Her commitment to artistic curation extends beyond composition—she organizes cultural music events that foster creative dialogue and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Homa's debut album, Raha (Free), showcases her distinctive approach to music-making, combining intricate Persian melodies with modern harmonic structures. Her portfolio also includes commissions from prominent institutions and experimental projects pushing contemporary music's boundaries. Beyond her work as a composer, Homa is an accomplished pianist. With a passion for musical exploration and cultural storytelling, she continues to shape the global contemporary music landscape. 

Cantabile Chamber Singers is a non-profit, Toronto-based chamber choir, formed in 2006 with the purpose of raising social awareness through music, music education and promoting living Canadian composers. The group is committed to enlightening audiences and attracting a new generation of Canadians to the resonance and enrichment of choral music through a combination of informed interpretation and innovative programming. They believe in engaging with cultural diversity through our programming and outreach. Cantabile has collaborated with choirs and orchestras in the GTA, and commissioned works by local Canadian composers such as Dr. Kevin Lau, Saman Shahi, and Dr. Laura Sgroi.

Cantabile has toured across Canada, participated in various international festivals and has been featured in some print publications such as the WholeNote magazine, Choirs Ontario, and Chorus America “Voices” journal. Their album "Chansons" is available on Apple Music and Spotify!

Cheryll Chung is the Artistic Director and founder of the Cantabile Chamber Singers and is known for her innovative and diverse programming, as well as collaborating with and supporting the music of Canadian composers and mentoring young conductors.

Cheryll is a firm believer in arts education and helping her students develop a love of the arts through integrated music making. She is on faculty at the Phil and Eli Taylor Academy, the Glenn Gould School, and at the Oscar Peterson School at the Royal Conservatory of Music, where she conducts, teaches piano and vocal coaches.  She has held leadership roles with the York Region District School Board, Heliconian Choir and Orchestra, and the Canadian Children’s Opera Company.

She is a clinician and adjudicator within the choral and piano community, working with schools, international competitions and community based groups. She is the guest clinician at this year’s Junior Treble Festival hosted by the Mississauga Children’s Choir, recently led a reading of Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor with CAMMAC and was adjudicator for the Sea to Sky International Piano Competition hosted by Steinway and Sons (2023) and the Crescendo International Music Competition (2023). Cheryll has also been featured in Chorus America "Voices" journal, the WholeNote and the Toronto Star.

Cheryll holds a Master of Music in Conducting, and both a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto, where she was the Elmer Iseler Conducting Fellow, and a scholarship recipient for her work in music education. She has also received scholarships to work with Simon Carrington and Helmuth Rilling at the Yale Norfolk Chamber Choir and Choral Conducting Workshop, and the Oregon Bach Festival. Her mentors are Dr. Doreen Rao, and Maestro Raffi Armenian.