Carole Anderson
Artistic Director
Conductor - Encore Treble and Cantabile
CAROLE ANDERSON is a life-long choral educator passionate about the transformative power of singing in community, and enthusiastic about creating excellent musical experiences for children and youth. Carole joined the Artistic Staff of Young Voices Toronto (YVT) in the fall of 2021, moving into the role of Artistic Director in the spring of 2022.
During her 35-year teaching career, Carole taught music at all grade levels, and her school choral and concert band ensembles earned recognition for excellence at local, regional, and national festivals. In 2012 Carole received an Honorary Life Membership from the Ontario Music Educators’ Association in recognition of her contributions to music education.
From 2006-2020 Carole served as an Associate Conductor with the Toronto Children’s Chorus (TCC) where she conducted three choirs. Carole received her Bachelor of Music at Western University, singing joyfully in the Faculty of Music Singers, and studying conducting with Deral Johnson.
Carole was a proud member of the Choirs Ontario Board of Directors with responsibility for the Ontario Youth Choir from 2013-2018.
Carole continues to serve as a choral adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor.
Elizabeth Cattell
Associate Conductor - Primo, Piccolo & Dolce
ELIZABETH CATTELL (Miss Liz) has been providing children with choral and integrated arts experiences for over 35 years in public education, and as a conductor and teacher at Young Voices Toronto (YVT) and the Royal Conservatory of Music. She is celebrating her eighth season with YVT!
During her teaching career Elizabeth worked with primary and junior students in choral, dance, drama, and Orff education. She is a valued faculty member of the Royal Conservatory of Music as a conductor for the children’s choirs, and Smart Start Teacher and music camp programs.
Highlights of her work include performances at the George Weston Recital Hall, Massey Hall, the Kiwanis Festival of Greater Toronto, as well as many community outreach events and Orff workshops.
Emily Parker
Assistant Conductor - Cantabile
EMILY PARKER is a Toronto-based singer, conductor, and teacher who loves sharing music with others. She is enjoying her fourth season with Young Voices Toronto.
Emily’s passion for choral singing emerged at a young age while participating in the Toronto Children’s Chorus, and today she sings professionally with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. For the past two summers Emily has been chosen, by audition, to represent Canada in the World Youth Choir!
Emily is a singer and former conductor with Modern Sound Collective, a choral organization of choirs which fosters a nurturing community that inspires young artists.
Emily holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto, where she majored in voice and studied conducting. Her extensive choral background includes participation in the National Youth Choir of Canada, the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, the Ontario Youth Choir, The Toronto Festival Singers, and the University of Toronto’s MacMillan Singers. She is currently completing her Master of Teaching at the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE) in Toronto.
TYRESE WALTERS Tyrese Walters is a dynamic choral artist, music educator, and singer who is passionate about group music making, live performance, and arts education for youth and young adults. Now in his fourth season with Young Voices Toronto (YVT), he is excited to be conducting “Encore Low Voice”, a new initiative to foster music making for the changed tenor/bass voice. Tyrese’s musical journey started in musical theatre before studying classical voice performance at Western University. Most recently he completed his Master of Music in Choral Conducting at the University of Toronto where he was awarded the Elmer Iseler National Graduate Fellowship in Choral Conducting (2022, 2024). Tyrese is an associate conductor with Modern Sound Collective – an organization dedicated to fostering community and storytelling through the choral arts. Tyrese is active in the popular music and musical theatre scene where he is the Music Director and lead arranger for “Tunes. Beats. Awesome.”, a competitive, collegiate contemporary a cappella group. His expertise has led him to being an adjudicator for the NATS vocal festival and as a teaching artist for Cawthra Park Secondary School’s regional arts program where he co-conducts the Junior Choir. He is also a voice teacher at Riverdale School of Music where he specializes in musical theatre and pop voice studies. Tyrese is passionate about storytelling through the choral arts and highlighting under-represented voices in his work. He is very grateful to be part of the Artistic Staff at Young Voices Toronto where he collaborates with incredible educators and artists, and a vibrant chorister community.
Tyrese Walters
Conductor - Encore Low Voice and Encore Youth
Alex Chang
Collaborative Pianist – Encore Low Voice
Alex began his musical journey as a classical pianist at the age of four. Over the years, he has received numerous awards at festivals including the Peel Music Festival and the Kiwanis Festival.
During high school, Alex attended the Regional Arts Program at Cawthra Park Secondary School, majoring in piano. There, he performed with both the classical choir and the vocal jazz ensemble, further developing his skills as a soloist and collaborative musician. He went on to study Music Education at the University of Toronto, where he collaborated with a wide range of instrumentalists and vocalists. He later earned his Senior Music Teaching Certificate from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).
Alex has taught within the Peel District School Board at Mayfield and Port Credit Secondary Schools, where he directed ensembles and coordinated seasonal concerts. For the past ten years, he has also served as the accompanist at St. Tim’s Presbyterian Church, rehearsing and performing weekly anthems, hymns, and other musical selections for worship services.
Currently, Alex is a collaborative pianist with YVT, working alongside Tyrese Walters to create inspiring music with young male singers of lower voices.
Born in the mountains of upstate New York, Toronto-based pianist KEVIN STOLZ holds a Bachelor of Music in jazz and contemporary keyboards from Humber College in Toronto and a Master of Music in classical collaborative piano performance from the University of Toronto. Kevin currently performs throughout the Greater Toronto Area in a wide variety of settings, including as a vocal coach, church musician, choir accompanist, and wedding band keyboardist, in addition to pursuing various solo projects.
Kevin Stolz
Collaborative Pianist - Cantabile
Nicholas Wanstall
Collaborative Pianist - Encore Treble and Encore Youth
NICHOLAS is an award-winning pianist, organist, composer, and vocalist based in Toronto, Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance from the University of Toronto, received under the guidance of beloved organist and conductor, John Tuttle. Nicholas is heavily involved with the Toronto Children’s Chorus, serving as accompanist for three of the choirs within their organization. He has also worked as organist and choir director at several parishes in Toronto, and he now serves as Director of Music at the Church of St. Mary & St. Martha. Nicholas currently sings with the Toronto Festival Singers, and is in regular demand as a professional choral lead.
As a composer/arranger, Nicholas specializes in works for the human voice. His choral music has been performed by numerous Canadian ensembles, and he has been commissioned by groups such as the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, the Exultate Chamber Singers, the Resonance Youth Choir, the Concreamus Chamber Choir, and more. His art songs have also received much acclaim, most notable of which being his receipt of the CFMTA Helen Dahlstrom Award for best national composition, given to his piece ‘A Lullaby’ in 2019.
CAROLINE is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, performer, musical educator and conductor who is passionate about sharing the gift of music. She has had the joy and pleasure of performing in various orchestral and choral groups in so many of our wonderful venues such as Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts and Koerner Hall and in some of the most beautiful churches across Toronto. She has also enjoyed working with many primary and junior choirs under the direction of Elizabeth Cattell.
Caroline frequently lends her vocal, piano, flute, recorder and cello skills as one of the worship team leaders at Kingsway Baptist church. She is a graduate of University of Toronto and also holds an Associate Diploma in Piano Performance and soon to be Voice from the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Caroline is thrilled to be a part of the Young Voices Toronto family working alongside so many talented people.
Caroline Lee
Collaborative Pianist -Primo, Piccolo and Dolce
Jackie Stothers
General Manager
JACKIE has a long history of involvement with the choral community. A founding member of the Ottawa Regional Youth Choir, she also sang in the Hart House Chorus, and when time allows, sings in the concert choir at Eglinton St. George’s United Church. For the last eighteen years, she’s been a key volunteer with another children’s choir.
Jackie recently retired from the Ontario Public Service to pursue her dream of working in the arts sector. She brings over thirty years experience in strategic and operational planning, project leadership, event management, and communications to this new role.
She’s excited for the opportunity to work with Carole Anderson again and is delighted to be joining the YVT team.
Board of Directors
- Martha Moen, Board Chair
- Michael Lewis, Treasurer
- Catherine Ross, Secretary
- Adam Burke
- Alpana Garg
- Shafeena Hirjee Thawer
- Jennifer Pearse
- Victoria Jitomirski
Non-board Support
- Adanya Dunn, Social Media Manager
- Pamela Narain, Bookkeeper
- Varuni Papade, Rehearsal Assistant
- Liesha Earle, Volunteer Coordinator
- Jai Eun Yoo and Ksenya Chernigivska , Music Librarian