Kurt Ala-Kantti Conductor: Kurt Ala-Kantti

Mr. Ala-Kantti has been directing children's choirs for twenty years, including school choirs and the Cross Town Youth Chorus. Having served as director of several community choirs, he is currently also Director of Music for St. Thomas Anglican Church, Artistic Director of Harmonia Choir of Ottawa, Music Director for the Cumberland Community, and conductor of the Viva Choir (Orleans) for the Ottawa Children's Choir.

With a keen interest in choral performance and excellence, he has been a member of several local choirs, including being a founding member of the Ottawa Regional Youth Choir and Director of their Young Men's Chorus. He has also served as Music Director of Atlantic Voices, the Ottawa Brahms Choir, Artistic Director of Tone Cluster, and was Choirmaster at St. Mark's Anglican Church, Cumberland. He served as Artistic Director for the national quadrennial choral festival 'Unison Festival Unisson', which took place in Ottawa in May 2014.

Mr. Ala-Kantti also sings professionally, having performed with Juno award winning Ottawa Bach Choir with which he has performed in Ottawa, Toronto (Roy Thompson Hall), Montreal, Nova Scotia, Mexico City, Austria, Germany, England and France and debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2011. Currently performs with the Ottawa Dicken's Carollers. He is in demand as a professional chorister, frequently being hired as a bass for the Ottawa Choral Society and the Ottawa Choral Workshop.

He is a member of Choral Canada and the American Choral Director's Association (ACDA).


Laurence Ewashko Vocal Coach: Laurence Ewashko

Laurence Ewashko is the former conductor of the Vienna Boys' Choir and the Cantata Singers of Ottawa. As a choral clinician, vocal coach, and adjudicator, he makes a significant contribution to the quality and appreciation of vocal music in Canada and abroad. Laurence has prepared choruses for many prestigious conductors, as he regularly does at the National Arts Centre.

A Full Professor of Choral Studies at the University of Ottawa, he conducts the School of Music's two choirs. Laurence is a recipient of the prestigious Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting and numerous awards from the Canada Council of the Arts. He is the founding conductor of Ewashko Singers, which was established in 1992.


Tom Sear Collaborative Accompanist: Tom Sear

Mr Sear was born and raised in Ottawa, ON. He began his musical training at the age of six and has spent his life since then refining his musical abilities.

He received a Masters of Music degree from the University of Ottawa in 2007 with a focus in piano performance. His teachers from that time include Andrew Tunis, and Jean Paul Sevilla.

Mr Sear specializes in classical repertoire with a focus on romantic and Russian music. On the side, he also enjoys playing the blues, and experimenting with modern electronic compositions.

He has been accompanying professionally for nearly two decades, working mainly with various local choirs and also occasionally students and professional soloists.