CAST & CREW
CONDUCTOR
John Kraus
DIRECTOR
Kyle Derek
RICHARD I the Lion-Heart..............Matthew Li
BLONDEL de Nesles.........................Philip Klaassen
LEOPOLD, an Austrian Duke...........Corey Arnold
MIRELLA, his daughter....................Natacha Demers
WALO, his loutish son......................Michael Robert-Broder
CAPTAIN of the guards....................Mark Wilkinson
Male CHORUS, TBD.
The action takes place at castle Dürnstein in Austria, 1193.
ORCHESTRA
Flute
Lindsay Bryden
Simone Gendron (dbling picc)
Oboe
Yvo de Jong
Thomas Forsey (dbling e horn)
Clarinet
Laura McElroy
Steve Brooks
Bassoon
Sydney Finn
Jacob Meleras
Horns
Frederick Ambrose
van der Sloot
Ian Tubman
Trumpet
Sarah Devlin
Peter Crouch
Trombone
Marc Laroque
Blair McMurren
Bass Trombone
Justin McLean
Percussion
Owen Stanton-Kennedy
Jackson Kelly
Violin I
Adam Nelson
Anne-Marie Legault
Violin II
Alex LaRochette
Alireza Tarviji
Viola
Carolyn Hoy
Lucas Olsen
Tony Ilic
Laurence Laforest
Cello
Rachel Kraus
Natalie Wong
Double Bass
Tony Jarrett
Harp
Victor Toma
BIOGRAPHIES
COREY ARNOLD (Tenor) - Composer/Leopold/Impresario
Corey Arnold is a young operatic tenor and composer with a vision for the future of opera. A recent laureate of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques, a semi-finalist at the International Singing Competition of Marmande (France), the Vincero World Italian Opera Competition, and a finalist in the Clifford Poole Vocal Competition, and the composer of two new operas in the past two years… Corey has kept busy!
A regular on the operatic stage, Corey has been seen recently as Roméo in ROMÉO ET JULIETTE and Pinkerton in MADAMA BUTTERFLY with Pellegrini Opera, Il Duca in RIGOLETTO in concert with the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, and Calaf in TURANDOT with La Belle Voix in Ottawa. Corey has also worked extensively with Opera by Request: Pinkerton in MADAMA BUTTERFLY, Mario Cavaradossi in TOSCA, and the Italian Singer in CAPRICCIO. Spring 2022 will have Corey singing Qidan in the brilliant new opera pastiche “Conan and the Stone of Kelior.”
Also active in concert work, Corey has sung frequently with Operottawa, most recently for their Opera Gala evening as well as their Handel’s Messiah. He has sung as tenor soloist for Musica Viva, Caelis Academy, and Coro Vivo Ottawa, singing various Haydn and Mozart Masses including the Lord Nelson Mass and the Theresienmesse. While a student of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Corey was immediately humbled at the raw talent of some of the best young singers of a generation. While he was comfortable in a variety of musical disciplines, including composition, conducting, arranging, and accompanying (at the piano) he was inspired by his peers to focus his time on the pursuit of extraordinary singing. This brought him to the
pedagogical worlds of Linklater Voice Technique, Lessac Kinesensics, and the Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education, the latter in which he became a practitioner. He continued his exploration during his time at the University of Ottawa and beyond working with various regional opera companies. Most recently, Corey has begun auditioning in various venues in Europe and hopes to expand his singing horizons there.
As a composer, Corey finished his first musical at 18 years old as part of the Oberlin Playwright Festival. In the ensuing years, arranging for jazz bands, choirs, and musical theatre productions were his primary output. Now, he dedicates his time to new operatic and classical vocal works. Most recently, his piece “Si ce n’est pas l’amour…” was premiered by Théâtre Belvédère in Ottawa. He is currently preparing a workshop performance of his first opera “The Lion Heart,” as well as an opera for families “The Bat and the Bells,” both with libretti by Kyle McDonald. In the works are a song cycle with Californian poet, Tyler Knott Gregson, a piano concerto, and his next operatic work, a horror opera involving demonic possession, with a libretto by Kyle McDonald. Corey has also worked as a pianist, music directing/accompanying musicals and operas in Ottawa, Toronto, Detroit, Oberlin, Elyria, and Lorain County.
KYLE DEREK MCDONALD - Librettist/Director/Impresario
Kyle is an award-winning poet and voice-over artist, a Toronto based actor, operatic bass, writer, composer, director, and producer. He’s the president of Mightier Productions, the co-founder of Indie Opera Hub, and the former Managing Director for North American Operations at Octant Aerospace Consulting.
As a producer Kyle has apprenticed under Canadian legend Dale Barnes. He’s produced several stage productions – The Lion Heart, Conan and the Stone of Kelior, Macbeth’s Head (NNNN- Now Magazine), James Bond: A Convenient Lie, The Market (co-produced), and Hamlet Live (co-producer), which was live-streamed to Sick Kids’ hospitals across the country (a Canadian first) – several short films – How to Be More Inclusive, Revenge for the Duchess of Malfi (co-produced), Movies Matter, The Car (co-produced), and Street Smarts – two webseries – This is Bill, and Actorapists (co-produced) – and line produced on the feature film The Market. He was a finalist in the Innoversity Summit Pitch Competition for one of his digital series, Gamers Anonymous. He also produced an audiobook of Francis Barton Gummere’s translation of Beowulf, and the full cast, fully scored, and audio designed audiobook of his original fantasy epic poem, composed in rhyming and metered verse, The Blessed (pending release). He’s currently producing the audiobook version of the grand epic poem Ethandun by William G. Carpenter which chronicles the struggle between King Alfred the Great and the invading Vikings, and is also in the process of producing a second performance of his original opera, The Lion Heart, in Ottawa in late 2025.
In the world of film and television, Kyle has most recently appeared as Ethan on the new romantic comedy series, Poly is the New Monogamy, now streaming on Amazon Prime (and winner of Best Series from T.O. Webfest), on season four of The Handmaid’s Tale as a commander, and on Murdoch Mysteries as the dandy Courtney Van Doren. He’s starred in the feature film The Market (which has been screened across Europe and India to critical acclaim, and is now on Amazon Prime), the short films How to Be More Inclusive, Street Smarts, Insight (developed and produced by the RTA School of Media) and Phoenix, and co-starred in the short films The Car, and Made in Paris, (both of which were selected for the short-corner at Cannes); he’s also appeared on Mayday, on Reign as Lord Dunbar, and as James Hart on a comedic series for the web called Actorapists, and as the Dog Mocker on a musical series for the web called Haunted. He's also appeared as Nyuk Nyuk on the pilot for a three camera sit-com called Space Bacon, the super badie Azul in Connor Undercover 2 on Family Channel on demand, and Lieutenant Tannis on the award winning web series, Space Janitors, as well as Tom on the webseries Ryan Gosling Must Be Stopped.
In the world of voiceover, in addition to numerous commercial appearances, he is currently the voice of Drago on the Netflix animated series Bakugan, Batman in the fan-made series, Batman: Just a Mortal, Fred the Gorilla in the Night of the Zoopocalypse, the Scotiabank popcorn astronaut in Cineplex Theatres, and has voiced the villainous Cornacabra in Finish Line Games’ puzzle video game Maize, George Washington and Vice President on the Emmy Award winning animated series Peg + Cat, Yoshio on Beyblades, Taylean on Bakugan Brawlers IV, and Metazor on Skatoony, and well as Dyson on the Lost Girl motion comic (nominated for a Gemini), and was the voice for the Evergreen charitable organization on the radio public service announcement called Trees, which won the Crystal award from the Radio Marketing Bureau for best PSA, and was also the voice for Condom T.O. which picked up a bronze award at the Epica award show in Amsterdam.
Onstage, Kyle recently appeared as Conan in the world premiere of the critically acclaimed new opera in pasticcio, Conan and the Stone of Kelior (Mightier Productions), as Richard I the Lion Heart in the world premiere workshop of his original opera The Lion Heart (Mightier Productions), Leporello in Don Giovanni (SOLT), Basilio in The Barber of Seville (Opera by Request), Friar Laurence in Gounod's Romeo et Juliette (Pellegrini Opera), Timur in Puccini’s Turandot in Ottawa, James Bond in his opera in pasticcio James Bond: A Convenient Lie in Ottawa, Ontario, and The Head in the critically acclaimed production of his play Macbeth’s Head in Toronto, Ontario. Some of his other recent credits include the Marquis of St. Evermonde in the world premiere of an opera based on A Tale of Two Cities with (SOLT), and Sparafucile in Pellegrini Opera’s productions of Rigoletto respectively. In the Theatre, some of his favourite roles include The Head in Macbeth’s Head, Hamlet in Hamlet, Clint in The Market, Cassio in Othello, and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet.
As a writer, he’s been produced as a playwright (Macbeth’s Head, Don Juan: An Episode), and screenwriter (Street Smarts, This is Bill, Revenge for the Duchess of Malfi, Movies Matter, Actorapists, The Car, Gamers Anonymous), and has written libretti for three original operas, The Lion Heart, The Bat and the Bells, and Possession, and created the book and score for two new operas in pasticcio, James Bond: A Convenient Lie, and his newest creation, Conan and the Stone of Kelior. He was awarded the Winning Writer’s War Poetry award for The Rose Of Ilium (now called Achilles and the Queen), a poem composed in heroic couplets that tells of the doomed love between Achilles and Penthesilea, and he’s recently completed the writing and recording of his novel length epic poem, The Blessed, which was a finalist in the North Street Book prize, featured in the UK quarterly, Spellbinder Summer 2023 Issue, and the Amazon top-selling anthology, Dragon Dreams. He’s currently assembling a chapbook of his love poetry called Ravenous.
In the world of composition, he’s composed 28 entirely original orchestral suites for the audiobook recording of his verse epic, The Blessed. It’s available on iTunes here. His original cast recordings with of The Lion Heart and Conan and the Stone of Kelior are also available on iTunes. For samples, go here.
Follow him on YouTube @thekylederek and Instagram @kylederekmcdonald. For details on upcoming shows and ongoing projects, visit www.mightierproductions.com or www.kylederek.com. Subscribe for updates!
MAESTRO JOHN KRAUS - Conductor/Impresario
John Kraus, originally from North Bay, Ontario, is an active musician, having founded and worked as the Music Director of the Durham Chamber Orchestra from 1996-2007, the Lakeridge Youth Orchestra, 2002-2004, the Clarington Concert Band, 2011-2013, the Music Director and conductor of the Northumberland Orchestra & Choir, 2013-2024, and is the current Music Director of the Parkdale Orchestra, Ottawa. He will also lead the Kanata Symphony Orchestra, conducting a program entitled ‘Earth’, in November, 2024. John has performed as a member of the Lavender Chamber Ensemble, a collective of professional musicians who perform across South-Central Ontario and as a saxophone player with the Electric City Swing Band, Peterborough. In the fall of 2017 John was nominated as one of five candidates for the Heinz Unger Award, a national honour administrated by the Ontario Arts Council, recognizing professional conductors.
As an educator, John taught for over 30 years and is a member of the Ontario Music Educators Association promoting the value and need for Music education in schools. He has lead workshops and clinics across the province as well as leading and conducting honour ensembles as part of the Conference of Independent Schools Music Festival, held each spring at Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto. John is a member of the Canadian Music Festivals Adjudicators Association, providing him the opportunity to hear student performances across Canada. For many years in the summer months, John has been a faculty member for the Lake Field Music Camp, an adult music camp based at Lakefield College School, Lakefield.
In addition, John hosts Maestro’s Picks, a weekly hour long radio show which can be heard on Northumberland 89.7 and Sudbury’s 96.7 CKLU-FM, featuring music of all styles.
MATTHEW LI - Bass (Richard)
Possessing a “vibrant stage presence and a rich, commanding voice” (La Scena Musicale), bass Matthew Li recently completed his residency at the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal. His operatic roles include Leporello, Masetto and Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Dulcamara in Elisir d’amore, Seneca in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Polyphemus in Acis and Galatea, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, and Colline in La Bohème. Concert highlights include the bass solos in Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, Handel’s Messiah, Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, and Mozart’s Requiem. An ardent collaborator with contemporaries, Li created the leading bass-baritone role of Xon Pon in Alice Ping Yee Ho and Madeleine Thien’s opera Chinatown (2022) with City Opera Vancouver in its world premiere, to critical acclaim.
The 2025-2026 season sees Li making a return to Opéra de Montréal to sing Masetto in Don Giovanni. He will also make his debut with Pacific Opera Victoria as Sciarrone in Tosca, with the Choeur Philharmonique et Choeur des Mélomanes as A Mandarin in Turandot, and with the Ottawa Choral Society, singing both the roles of Raphael and Adam in Haydn’s Die Schöpfung.
Matthew Li | Bass
NATACHA DEMERS - Coloratura Soprano (Mirella)
An engaging performer, with a powerful voice and of impressive agility” (Revue L’Opéra), the coloratura soprano Natacha Demers dazzles as much by her enchanting voice and effortless high notes as for her naturally charismatic stage presence and vibrant interpretations. She is the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including the Azrieli scholarship of Excellence, the Monique et Marc Leroux scholarship, the Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal, and grants of excellence from the Fondation du Conservatoire de musique du Québec and the Fondation des Jeunesses musicales du Canada. She earned a Master’s degree in classical voice, awarded with distinction, from the Conservatoire de musique et d’art dramatique du Québec.
Natacha has appeared as soloist for Concerts Lachine, at the FestivalOpéra de Saint-Eustache, with Les Plaisirs du Clavecin, the Orchestre Symphonique de Gatineau, the Orchestre de chmabre de Hawkesbury, and the Orchestre Symphonique du Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. She was selected as an artist in the Canadian Opera Company's Summer Opera Intensive 2024 and as laureate of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques du Canada. Endowed with a versatile voice, she blossoms in a varied repertoire, equally in opera, recital and concert repertoire. Her roles include Olympia (Les contes d'Hoffmann), Tytania (A Midsummer Night's Dream), and Belinda (Dido and Aeneas), Dew Fairy (Hänsel und Gretel), and Amore (Orfeo ed Euridice). Elle a travaillé entre autres avec les chefs Jacques Lacombe, Jean-Marie Zeitouni, Luc Beauséjour, Marc Trautmann, Enrico Dovico, Yves Léveillée, Thomas Leduc-Moreau, Léa Moisan-Perrier et Renaud Madore. Natacha recently made her European debut during the Opernfest Prague program, as soloist with the National Theater Orchestra.
A fervent supporter of Canadian music, Natacha has contributed to the creation of numerous works as a soloist, including the Tableaux symphoniques du temps des Fêtes with the Orchestre Symphonique de Gatineau, and Fragments d’une consolation, a piece for coloratura soprano and Pipe organ composed especially for her voice by Sébastien Goulet, and presented by contemporary music presenter Le Vivier. A multidisciplinary artist, Natacha is also an instrumentalist and dancer. She has played horn in various symphony orchestras, and dances baroque and ancient dances. Drawing on all these experiences, she stands out for the elegance of her movements and her vibrant stage presence.
MICHAEL ROBERT-BRODER - Baritone (Walo)
Toronto-based baritone Michael Robert-Broder (He/Him) is an engaging performer with a career spanning recital, oratorio, and opera.
Praised as a “smooth mellifluous baritone of a Gerald Finley or a Hermann Prey” (barczablog.com), he specializes in German opera and lieder. Notable performances include Faninal in Der Rosenkavalier (“impressive” – ludwig-van.com), Jochanaan (“stunningly lyrical” – barczablog.com), Nabucco (“solid and emotionally ranged” – operaramblings.blog), Dr. Falke (“warm baritone” – Opera Canada), and Marcello in La Bohème (vocally powerful – Opera Canada).
Upcoming engagements feature Handel’s Messiah, Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle, and premieres of Marie Howe song cycles.
PHILIP KLAASSEN - Tenor (Blondel)
Tenor Philip Klaassen is a passionate advocate for the transformative power of music and a dedicated contributor to Ottawa’s vibrant arts community.
His operatic credits include Don José (Carmen), Peter Quint (The Turn of the Screw), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Roberto (Le Villi), Le Prince Charmant (Cendrillon), and Gherardo (Gianni Schicchi, Amalfi Coast Music Festival, Italy).
Philip has performed with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Ottawa Pops Orchestra, Windsor Symphony Orchestra, University of Ottawa Orchestra, and Ottawa International Chamberfest. Concert highlights include Orff’s Carmina Burana, Mozart’s Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang, Bach’s Magnificat in D, Dvořák’s Mass in D, and serving as rehearsal soloist for Verdi’s Requiem at the NAC. He appears on the Windsor Symphony Orchestra’s holiday album Christmas, eh? and will return to Windsor as tenor soloist for Mendelssohn’s Elijah in 2026. Philip also performs as an ensemble member and frequent soloist with the JUNO-winning Ottawa Bach Choir.
In 2024, Philip founded Operatic Revelry, a performance series at Ottawa’s Rainbow Bistro dedicated to breaking down opera stereotypes, offering a space for local artists and audiences to experience high-calibre performances in a fun and accessible environment.
MARK WILKINSON - Baritone (Captain)
Mark Wilkinson has built a career as an actor and musician that expresses his singular musicality, deeply truthful storytelling, and gift for collaboration. In demand as much for his beautiful voice as for his disarming personality, this celebrated singing actor has earned the respect of audiences and colleagues worldwide for his versatility and joyful artistry.
Equally at home on theatre stages and in concert halls, he has been heard and seen on CBC Radio and Television and has collaborated with humbling peers in a repertoire that spans over 500 years. Favourite collaborations include PDQ Bach for the Music and Beyond Festival, Margaret Atwood for the Ottawa International Writers Festival, Paul Halley for the King’s College Chapel Choir, Stephen Ralls and Bruce Ubukata for The Aldeburgh Connection, Audrey Andrist for his lauded Washington, D.C. recital début, Maria Guinand for Soundstreams Canada, Brian Asawa and Jolaine Kerley for the inaugural Early Music Festival of Alberta, Suzie LeBlanc for Le Nouvel Opéra and the Orford Arts Centre, Christina LeRose for his European recital début at Beethovenhaus, and singing for R. Murray Schafer’s reception of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. He has also appeared with the Edmonton Symphony, Ottawa Chamberfest, Opera Lyra, les Plaisirs du clavecin, Pro Coro Canada, the Ottawa Baroque Consort, the Alberta Baroque Orchestra, East Chamber Music, and the famed Ohio State Men’s Glee Club in an American Midwest tour in collaboration with Harvard University, the University of Michigan, Albion College, Bowling Green State University, and the Ohio Music Education Association.
Dr. Wilkinson is also among Canada’s leading vocologists and vocal pedagogues. He has provided masterclasses for the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the University of Toronto, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, SUNY Fredonia, Wright State University, Concordia University, and the Voice and Speech Trainers Association, among others. He holds the collaborative PhD in music, speech & hearing science, and otolaryngology from The Ohio State University. He has taught at Ohio State, the University of Alberta, De La Salle High School, the Bytown School of Singing, the Ottawa School of Speech & Drama, and is a clinician at the Ottawa Voice and Swallowing Clinic.
NADIA BOUCHER - Impresaria/Repetiteuse
Collaborative pianist, Nadia Boucher, enjoys a very active and diverse musical career. Fluent in English, French, Italian and German, Nadia is currently the Professor of Lyric Diction at the University of Ottawa, where she also works as a vocal coach, collaborative pianist and Professor of Piano Ensemble and Class Piano.
At home in a broad range of styles, Nadia has performed in recital across North America and Europe, and has been heard at various festivals and venues across the country including, Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques 2024, Chamberfest, Festival d’Opera de St. Eustache, Music and Beyond, Scotiafest, the Banff Centre and Roy Thomson Hall. She works regularly as a repetiteuse and coach for various opera ensembles and has worked on numerous productions, including but not limited to “La Traviata”, “Madama Butterfly”, “Cosi fan Tutte”, “L’Elisir d’Amore”, “I Pagliacci”, “Suor Angelica”, and “Cendrillon”.
With a passion for learning and teaching, Nadia also maintains a successful and competitive private piano studio, with students winning awards at the national level, and is frequently sought out as an adjudicator and masterclass clinician. In her spare time, Nadia volunteers as web manager for the Canadian Music Showcase and as treasurer for NATS National Capital Region.
JULIAN BERTINO - Audio Engineer
Julian Bertino has been recording musicians in Canada's National Capital Region for over a decade. His experience includes multiple tours across Canada with Menopause: the Musical, recording and editing with the National Arts Centre-Young Artists Program, and the 21st Century Guitar Conference.
Julian also has a MMus in 10-String Guitar Performance, and MA in Composition. Releases include Intermountainous on Amy Brandon’s-Lysis, and Sonata Celestia by Anya Gowan.
His business, Julian Bertino Sound records ensembles, festivals, and independent artists.
Julian is a professor of music technology at the University of Ottawa, where students benefit from his technical knowledge, and friendly demeanour.
julianbertino.com
julianbertinosound.com
Listen to my recent release of Anya Gowan’s Sonata Celestia for 10-String Guitar Here!