Elation Pauls

Violin

Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy and Festival, Elation Pauls has served as Assistant Principal Second Violin with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra since 2009. Following studies at the University of Toronto, Pauls obtained the Solo Performance (Konzertexamen) degree from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Rostock, Germany.

Kurt Tittlemier

Guitar

Kurt Tittlemier has appeared as both a soloist, chamber musician and side man. Past collaborations include performances with west coast guitar virtuoso Dr. Alexander Dunn, multi-media artist Freya Olafson and with singer songwriter Dan Frechette at The Brandon Folk Festival. Tittlemier holds a Masters of Music degree from the University of Victoria (2004).

Katy Hedalen-Shariff

Voice

Katy Hedalen-Shariff has a Bachelor of Music from the University of British Columbia in voice performance and a Masters degree in Vocal performance and pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Originally from Vancouver, Katy has a varied performing history (jazz, blues, pop, opera, classical, and musical theatre) and loves learning new repertoire. She is dedicated to teaching efficient, easy vocal technique in a variety of vocal styles.

Richard Klassen

Clarinet

Richard Klassen, a native of Winnipeg, holds a music performance degree from the University of Toronto. He has studied clarinet in Chicago, USA with Larry Coombs and in Paris, France with Yona Ettlinger under a Canada Council grant. Klassen played clarinet in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra for 40 years, and has been active in the Manitoba music community for decades.

Ross Brownlee

Trombone

Ross Brownlee studied at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Northern Illinois University, and at McGill University in Montréal, QC. There, he performed with the McGill Cornett and Sackbut ensemble, Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, and the FACE Symphony Orchestra. He currently directs the band program at Westgate Mennonite Collegiate in Winnipeg, MB. Ross is an active clinician, adjudicator, singer, and trombone performer in Manitoba.

Sean Irvine

Woodwind

Saxophonist and woodwind specialist Sean Irvine has quickly developed a reputation as a first call sessional and studio musician across the prairies. Irvine also works avidly as an educator, having taught in the Winnipeg School Division and Sistema education programs for a number of years.

Judith Oatway

Voice

Judith Oatway's, performances have been described as "polished and dramatic... she can seemingly do anything with it, always at the service of the music." She has performed with The Little Opera Company, Opera NUOVA, Kitchener Opera, among others. Judith holds a Bachelor of Music (Brandon University) and Masters of Music (University of Western Ontario).

She serves as Co-Artistic Director of Flipside Opera and is in demand as an adjudicator.

Laurel Ridd

Flute

Laurel Ridd is a freelance flutist who plays regularly with the Winnipeg Symphony. She has appeared as soloist in several concerti with MusikBarock, and also performs with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and on the GroundSwell series. Teaching is an important focus, including her affiliations with Canadian Mennonite University and the International Music Camp.

Brendan Thompson

Percussion, Percussion Techniques

Percussionist Brendan Thompson performs regularly with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. An enthusiast of musical theatre, Brendan has been the pit drummer/percussionist for over 30 musical theatre productions with companies such as Rainbow Stage and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. He also serves as the current Musician-in-Residence at Charleswood United Church. With a strong interest in music education, Brendan is active as a clinician and educator throughout Manitoba.