Katalin Kiss

Katalin Kiss is one of the most experienced and diverse vocalists currently working in Ontario. Katalin is originally from Toronto and now resides in Elora where she is an "in demand" session vocalist, performer and vocal teacher. She has appeared as back-up vocalist in concert with Ben E. King, Del Shannon and Gary U.S. Bonds and was a featured vocalist and dancer in a national bi-centennial tour show under the direction of Howard Cable. Katalin has recorded with Ray Lyle and The Storm, Laura Mattsson and Garnet Rogers as back-up vocalist and has also been in a variety of jingles and radio and television spots including the Variety Club and Easter Seals Telethon Productions.
A strong dynamic vocalist in her own right, Katalin currently can be seen in a number of Jazz, Acoustic and Rock projects in Toronto. When not in concert, Katalin continues to pursue a solo career as a writer and performer. She is a fabulous addition to the Jeans and Classics family.

Jeanne Lamon ,

Music Director of Tafelmusik since 1981, Jeanne Lamon has been praised by critics in Europe and North America for her virtuosity as a violinist and her strong musical leadership. Her solo recordings of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Bach Violin Concertos with Tafelmusik have been widely praised. Ms. Lamon has received numerous awards: recent honours include the Prix Alliance from the Alliance Française, and the 1997 M. Joan Chalmers Award for Artistic Direction. In 1994 Ms. Lamon received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from York University, and in 1999 she received the Canada Council for the Arts' prestigious Molson Prize. In 2000 Jeanne was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in recognition of her exceptional achievements as Music Director of Tafelmusik. Jeanne guest directs symphony orchestras regularly across Canada. Recent engagements include the Vancouver Symphony, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic and Symphony Nova Scotia. Ms. Lamon teaches at the University of Toronto and the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Joseph Lanza,

This season marks Joseph Lanza’s 17th as Concertmaster of Orchestra London. Joseph has an abiding love of chamber music, performing in countless smaller ensembles on Orchestra London programmes, concerts at Aeolian Hall and the University of Western Ontario as well as other concert series such as the New Hampshire Music Festival and the Glenn Gould Studio. Joseph’s interest in music of the 17th and 18th century has led to a journey into new musical territory; performance on period instruments. This has resulted in regular engagements with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Opera Atelier, several recordings and tours to Europe and the Far East.
 

Kurt Lehmann

Kurt has had engagements in Pittsburgh, Calgary, Dallas and Vancouver. The tall, bilingual Winnipeg native has been hailed for "beautiful and lyrical singing...impassioned in keeping with the text, soaring to seemingly effortless high 'b' flats" in repertoire ranging from Pinkerton in Madam Butterfly to Camille in Die Lustige Witwe.

Recent highlights include Barinkay in Pacific Opera Victoria's Der Zigeunerbaron, Carlson in Of Mice and Men for Vancouver Opera and Chevalier de la Force in Dialogues Des Carmelites for Calgary Opera. The busy tenor took his first bow with Timothy Vernon's Pacific Opera Victoria as Pinkerton and he repeated the role for Opera Saskatchewan and Mississauga Opera. He has appeared with the Vancouver Symphony for a 'Tea and Trumpets' concert of Opera arias. Kurt has also appeared with Orchestra London in Verdi's Requiem and Handel's Messiah in the 2005/06 season.

London Pro Musica

London Pro Musica performs an extensive range of classical music--from the medieval to the contemporary--both for accompanied and unaccompanied voices, especially works by Canadian composers. The choir also has a repertoire of popular music, including jazz and folk renditions, and selections from musical theatre. LPM remains the oldest unaffiliated concert choir in the region with a current membership of approximately forty-eight singers.

LPM offers an annual subscription series of three concerts, and it typically accepts 3-4 contracted engagements per year. In addition, the choir performs regularly with Orchestra London Canada, a collaborative relationship that dates back more than twenty-five years. LPM also appears as guest artist with other ensembles throughout southwest and central Ontario.

LPM has participated in several world premiere performances. Most recently, LPM presented the inaugural performance of Andrew Petrasiunas' Shingebiss, a work for choir and brass commissioned by LPM.

Since the 2000-2001 season, one of LPM's priorities has been to showcase the exciting range of artistic possibilities available locally through collaboration with other music organizations. In the 2003-2004 season alone, LPM performed with Orchestra London, Antler River Project, The Aeolian Winds, the Amabile Boys Choir, the Amabile Chamber Choir, and the UWO Singers.
 

Denys Mailhiot

Denys Mailhiot is an actor, singer, dancer, director and designer. He has won awards for his acting and is very popular with orchestra's all over Canada. In music theatre, he has sung leading roles in Camelot, Mikado, The Merry Widow and Die Fledermaus. His vocal virtuosity comes from a phenomenal two and a half octave range.

Denys and Brian Jackson also have collaborated on a CD entitled "We'll Gather Lilacs".

Jean Meilleur

Jean Meilleur was born in Madison, Wisconsin and moved to Detroit, Michigan at a young age. This helped shape his passion for the Green Bay Packers and the Motown, Soul and R 'n B sounds of the early seventies.

He has been performing professionally for over twenty years and is thrilled to be involved with Jean 'n Classics, a London, Ontario based Orchestral Rock Show, that tours North American concert halls. Now in his eleventh year as a Jeans 'n Classics headliner, Jean has performed with major North American Orchestras. His sold-out shows include the music of Elton John, The Moody Blues, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Motown and the list goes on.  

Jean's first solo C.D entitled "The Widow Compleat" is scheduled for release in Spring 2006. "It's been a long time coming, but many of my experiences have taken until now to crystilize. It's really about defining moments that change us forever".  

In addition to an active career as a solo performer and songwriter he can also be heard on many national radio and TV ads. Go Pack Go!

Catharina Meints

Catharina has been a faculty member at the Oberlin Conservatory since 1975. She received her B.M. and Performers Certificate 1996, at Eastman School of Music. Her cello study was completed with Ronald Leonard and Viola da gamba study with August Wenzinger, Basel, Switzerland, 1968-71.

Her performances include playing the viola de gamba and baroque cello throughout the U.S. as a member of the Oberlin Baroque Ensemble, Cleveland Baroque Soloists, and Oberlin Consort of Viols since 1971. She has had recitals at Carnegie Recital Hall and Smithsonian Institution, and solo appearances with Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Apollo's Fire and Lyra.