WSO-SoCA Concert featuring the Alumni Choir

PERFORMER PROFILES

 

In February 2018, Daniel Wiley was appointed the Assistant Conductor of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra. His role with this organization includes leading the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra, Junior Youth Orchestra and the new Windsor Symphony Community Orchestra.

Most recently, Mr. Wiley served as a cover conductor for the Abilene Philharmonic, which included conducting education concerts. He was also the Music Director of the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science Youth Orchestra based in Denton, Texas. He also worked with several new music ensembles including the Musicbed Music and Film Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas.

In tandem with his conducting, Daniel is a passionate advocate for music education. As a former public-school music teacher, he worked with bands, orchestras, and choir students from Idaho, Washington, Nevada, and California where he co-founded the student leadership workshop En Garde. This program was designed to help high school musicians develop essential life-long leadership skills.

Mr. Wiley holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Boise State University and a Master’s Degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of North Texas. His principal conducting mentors include David Itkin and Robert Franz.

 

 

Richard Householder began his career as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Windsor in 1973 and retired from that post in 2006 with the rank of Professor Emeritus. Prior to his arrival in Windsor he taught at Eastern Washington State College (now Eastern Washington University) and at Hastings High School in Hastings, NE. A native of Alliance, Nebraska, he is a graduate of Hastings College, NE and holds a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Colorado. Further studies have taken place with Robert Shaw, Elmer Iseler, David Willcocks and Lynn Whitten.

 

Professor Householder has also been active as a community musician, founding and conducting a number of choral groups in Windsor-Essex including: University Singers (1974), Windsor Community Choir (1975), Windsor Classic Chorale (1977), Windsor Symphony Orchestra Chorus (1988) and Essex Singers and University Chamber Choir (2005), in addition to the Festival of Christmas concert (1976) that is now an annual Windsor tradition. His choirs have performed regularly with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, and with the Windsor Classic Chorale, Chamber Choir and Ontario Youth Choir he was featured in five programs for CBC Television. His choirs also have been heard numerous times on CBC Radio.

 

He has conducted the Windsor Symphony Orchestra on eight separate occasions, and is frequently a guest conductor for other Canadian and American choirs. He has been a conductor of the Ontario Youth Choir, and for two years was a member of the U.S. Army Chorus in Washington, D.C. Since 1975 he has been a member of the professional Adult Choir at Christ Episcopal Church in Detroit, MI.

 

He guest conducted performances of Handel’s Messiah with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in December 2009 and with the Detroit Choral Artists and Birmingham Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra in December 2010. Beginning in 2010, he as served as guest conductor of the Fort Street Chorale and Orchestra’s annual spring concert, leading them in Handel’s Jeptha, Honegger’s King David, Dvorak’s Stabat Mater, and Brahms’ Requiem and Mozart Requiem. and recently in a performance of Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass.

 

From 2002 to 2006 he was Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences for Administrative Affairs. Since his formal retirement in 2006 Prof. Householder has continued to work for the University, as Coordinator of Inter-Faculty programs, Assistant Dean of Arts and Social Sciences, Student Affairs and 2008-2010 as Acting Director of the School of Music. During the Winter 2015 semester, he conducted the University Singers.

 

 

Amelia Daigle, soprano   Bachelor of Music 2012

Windsor-based soprano, Amelia Daigle has graced stages across North America and Europe with her rich, lyrical voice and expressiveness both as an actress and as a musician. In 2015 Amelia placed first among Canada’s most talented singers at the National Music Festival in Edmonton, Alberta where Daigle was invited to perform at the Francis Winspear Centre for the closing ceremonies of the competition. Amelia also had the wonderful opportunity of traveling to Alcamo, Sicily to participate in the semi-finals of the Concorso per Cantati Lirici Internazionale di Alcamo followed by a series of concerts in Montreal with Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques du Canada. This past season, Amelia went on tour with Malfi Productions for the Canadian Premier of the opera, James Bond: A Convenient Lie.

 

Last spring Amelia was invited to sing the role of Sorella Cercatrice in Opera Niagara’s production of Puccini’s, Suor Angelica. This past summer Amelia was chosen to perform in several concerts in Bussetto, Italy under the baton of world renowned conductor, Richard Bonynge, and Metropolitan star, Aprile Millo. Most recently Amelia performed The Mother in Menotti’s, Amahl and the Night Visitors with Abridged Opera and looks forward to singing the title role in Massenet's Cendrillon with the WSO and Abridged Opera in March. Other upcoming roles include The Chanteuse in Korda’s musical production, Cabaret, and Liu in Puccini’s, Turandot with Opera by Request next fall.

 

Amelia holds a MMus in Vocal Performance and Literature from Western University and has received training at various workshops around the world.

 

Erin Armstrong, mezzo-soprano  Bachelor of Music 2007, BED 2015

Erin Armstrong is native to Windsor/Essex County and is well known for her ability to captivate an audience with her commanding stage presence and warm, rich voice as well for her constant community driven performances and creative initiatives. She is the recipient of the 2018 Windsor Endowment of the Arts Elizabeth Havelock Grant, a 2017 nominee for the Ontario Premiere’s Award and the 2016 Windsor Mayor’s Award for Individual Artist.

 

This season will see Erin reprising her role as the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors in a special production she conceived and directed featuring local teachers and their students as Mother/Amahl teams.  Next Erin will debut in Ottawa singing Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and Adalgisa in Norma. In March, Erin will take the stage with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra for their community concerts singing Baroque arias, followed by the Mozart Requiem and concluding with a collaboration with Abridged Opera Stage Directing Massenet's Cendrillon, in a second theatre-in-the-round production at the Historical Willistead Manor. Erin will take on the feisty Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte in April and will record a chamber music album with piano and clarinet, including a new Canadian work next summer.
 

Last season saw Erin bring Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro to life with the WSO as stage director followed by a new Canadian work at Western University, The Donnolly Opera. She then performed Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier with Abridged Opera followed by a school tour she wrote and directed for Hansel and Gretel. After choral adjudicating Music Fest in Windsor and Sarnia she performed 3rd Lady in The Magic Flute. She covered Frugola in Il Tabarro and performed her first La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica with Opera Niagara. Erin was  thrilled to be able to travel to Italy this summer to study with Dr. Maria Vetere, Aprile Millo and Richard Bonynge for Operavision. Finally, Erin debuted the role of Beppe in L’Amico Fritz for Opera at the Orchards series in Windsor/Essex. 

 

Erin is an alumna of Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist program and a graduate of the Universities of Windsor and British Columbia. She holds her Bachelor and Masters of Music as well as a Bachelor of Education. 

 

 

 

Adam Iannetta, baritone, Bachelor of Music 2013

Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Adam Iannetta is currently in the fourth year of his Doctor of Musical Arts at Western University, and is quickly gaining notoriety as a versatile, up-and-coming performer.

 

Although classically trained, Iannetta is no stranger to contemporary and popular music. From opera and oratorio to musical theatre and jazz, Iannetta has never been one to turn down an opportunity to learn new music. Just as well, his versatility and charming sense of humour are made easily apparent both on and off the stage. During his time at Western, Iannetta has worked alongside directors including Tom Diamond, Michael Cavanagh, and Allison Grant as head of administration and stage management for the school’s Opera Workshop program.

 

Through his doctoral studies, Adam hopes to cultivate his performance practice and musicianship to advocate all genres of music (classical and contemporary) as being more accessible to all groups and communities.

 

 

 

 

 

Alde Calongcagong, piano    Bachelor of Music 1997

Alde Calongcagong was born and raised in Windsor where he graduated with a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music from Western University.  Alde is currently an examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music, piano adjudicator (member of the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicator’s Association), organist and choir director at Paulin Memorial Presbyterian Church, and choral accompanist for both choirs at the University of Windsor.  Alde also maintains a successful piano studio where many of his students have won awards and scholarships from local, provincial and national competitions.  

 

Alde is tremendously grateful to all of his former piano teachers Nancy Jobagy, Lorna Cameron, Dr. Philip Adamson and especially to Dr. E. Gregory Butler who has been the main influence in his life.

 

 

 

David Katich-McNamara began his musical journey with the start of guitar lessons under Mike McNamara at age twelve. At age thirteen he won second place in the Phil Gignac Music Competition. Throughout high school he studied voice with Daniela Marentette and performed as a soloist in the Holy Names High School Choir. In grade 11, he played Wilbur in the musical, Hairspray. In grade 12, he performed as the Beast in the musical, Beauty and the Beast. Also continuing to perform rock music, in grade 12 his band won first place in the Battle of the Bands. David’s interest in pursuing his post-secondary education in the area of music performance led him to Western. He was awarded the London Music Scholarship Foundation Endowment Entrance Award. David performed in various operas: Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow, Mozart’s Così fan tutte, and Rossini’s La Cenerentola. David competed in the NATS Ontario Chapter Auditions 2013 and earned First Place for the category of Second Year Post-Secondary Men. In January 2015, David competed in the Ianni Memorial Scholarship Competition. In March 2015, he sang as a soloist in the Concerto Showcase. David is happy to be completing his Bachelor of Music Honours Degree in Vocal Performance in his hometown, at the University of Windsor. David is a student in the voice studio of Dr. Jennifer Swanson.

 

Matthew Lepain is an aspiring trumpeter, conductor and music educator in the Windsor-Essex County area. He is currently in his fourth and final year at the University of Windsor, studying Music to obtain a Bachelor of Music degree (Honours). Matthew may be in an early stage of his career but he has already become well known in both the Classical and Jazz/Pop scene. He is an active soloist and performer with many local ensembles including his jazz combo “The Border City Collective”, the University of Windsor Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble, Windsor Regiment Band, Band of the Ceremonial Guard, Arts Collective Theatre Pit Orchestra and many more. Matthew also had the privilege of being a featured soloist and performer with the Windsor Symphony Brass Quintet. In addition, he is currently the conductor of the Essex District High School Jazz Band, and has held the position of assistant conductor of the Essex Community Concert Band. He also volunteers with local schools and music programs like the High School Honour Jazz Ensemble, mentoring young ambitious musicians as well as touring schools promoting the performing arts.

Matthew is also an up-and-coming composer, music technologist, and multimedia artist. With his musical capabilities and background in Computer Science, he was invited to become a member of the Noiseborder Multimedia Performance Lab (NMPL). Matthew has passion for contemporary music and incorporating technology into live performance. He is especially interested in generative music and algorithmic composition. He recently finished his first generative system called “Project Scratch”, a max patch which produces an ostinato to be manipulated in real time. After completing his undergraduate degree, Matthew plans to further his music education in Performing Arts Technology. Matt is a student in the trumpet studio of Mr. Ross Turner.