Valdine Anderson
Artistic Director
An established international artist with over two decades of solo performances and recordings, Valdine Anderson currently serves on the voice staff at the Desautels Faculty of Music, University of Manitoba.
During her concert career as a soprano, Valdine Anderson’s solo performances and tours included the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Sinfonietta, Germany’s Ensemble Moderne, France’s Ensemble Intercontemporain where she toured extensively with Pierre Boulez, the Orchestre National de France, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Chicago Symphony with Winton Marsalis and Daniel Baremboim, the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and many more. In 2004, Valdine toured the U.S.A. with the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle opening Los Angeles’s new Walt Disney Concert Hall. Premieres written for and interpreted by Valdine include works by Kaija Saariaho, Gerard Grisey, Henryk Gorecki, Witold Lutoslawski, Thomas Ades, George Benjamin and Elliot Carter. Valdine has worked with conductors Sir Colin Davis, Seiji Ozawa, David Robertson, Winton Marsalis, Bramwell Tovey, Esa Pekka Salonen, and Edo de Waart among others.
Valdine’s recording of Mahler’s 4th Symphony CD with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra won a Prairie Music Award (now Western Canadian Music Awards), and her recording of the opera Powder Her Face by Thomas Ades received a Grammy Award nomination. Her signature aria from that recording was made into a short music video by Canadian film director Guy Maddin called ‘Fancy, Fancy Being Rich’ in 2002. Other solo recordings include Szymanowski’s Songs of the Fairy-Tale Princess with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Gavin Bryars’ The Adnan Songbook, Eliot Carter’s opera What Next with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, shortlisted for a Grammy Award nomination, and Michael Torke’s Book of Proverbs with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Valdine’s live recording of Witold Lutoslawski’s Chantefleurs et Chantefables with Toronto New Music Concerts Ensemble was conducted by Lutoslawski in his last public performance.
Valdine Anderson has been a frequent juror for the Canada Council for the Arts and is in demand as a voice and choral adjudicator across Canada. In 2011, Valdine founded the women’s choral ensemble, Esprit Singers and in 2017 was appointed Artistic Director of Winnipeg Sonora Voices (formerly Pembina Trails Voices), a Winnipeg youth choir organization. Her choirs have won awards nationally and internationally, toured music festivals overseas, been grant recipients from the Winnipeg Arts Council, Manitoba Arts Council, and Canada Council for the Arts grants, and regularly record and commission new works for choral ensembles.
Leanne Regehr Lee
Artistic Director
Conductor: WSV Singers, Pianist: WSV Chamber Ensemble
Music has been an integral part of Leanne’s life for as long as she can remember. Graduating with distinction from the University of Manitoba, Leanne earned Bachelor of Music (piano) and Bachelor of Education (senior years choral music), and has taught music and led choirs in Winnipeg and Nottingham, England. She is a Manitoba Registered Music Teacher and a certified teacher with the Royal Conservatory of Music for Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced levels of piano and theory.
Leanne is an in-demand teacher, adjudicator, and collaborative pianist. Enjoying a full teaching studio of motivated and creative students, Leanne strives to create communities where students are supported and challenged to pursue high levels of musical excellence. She has recently expanded her studio to include a pedagogy program for aspiring piano teachers and is a sessional Piano Pedagogy and Studio Teaching Techniques instructor at the Canadian Mennonite University.
Leanne performs regularly with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, as well as many other professional and amateur musicians. She is on faculty at the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy and is the pianist for Winnipeg’s Festival Chorus.
When not teaching or playing piano, Leanne enjoys riding her motorcycle and exploring new places with her husband, Garth, a luthier, and their teenage twins.
Philip Lapatha
Conductor: WSV Chamber Ensemble
Manitoba is abundantly rich in all things choir, and Philip is grateful for the many choral opportunities that have come his way. His parents, Noel and Rosina were part of the first wave of Filipino immigrants to Manitoba, and treasured the values of education, community, and family. Philip has two Bachelor degrees, Music and Education, earned in Manitoba, and a Master’s degree (piano and music theory), earned in Kentucky.
Philip just completed 14 years as a full-time choir teacher at Maples Collegiate. The Maples Choral Program is recognized for its strong teaching, musical artistry, and community spirit. The Maples Senior Choir and Chamber Choir have earned awards at local and national music festivals, and invitations to perform with some of Winnipeg’s leading musical organizations.
Extending past Maples Collegiate, Philip’s choral community involvement has included directorships with Prairie Voices, Ecco Singers, and the Pembina Trails Voices Men and Singers. He has also had the honour and pleasure of being the guest conductor for the Eastern (2016), Central (2019), and Western (2017, 2022) Manitoba Youth Choirs, as well the senior years Provincial Honour Choir (2019). Indeed, his community work continues this year with the WSV Chamber Ensemble and the University of Manitoba Concert Choir. Philip’s choral arrangements have been performed by many choirs in Manitoba and around the world.
Currently, Philip finds himself on committees and boards for the Manitoba Choral Association and the Foundation for Choral Music in Manitoba. Philip looks forward to creating music and community with the WSV Chamber Ensemble this year!
Kimberly Lapatha
Conductor: Chorale
Kimberly Lapatha is a very active collaborative pianist in Manitoba’s music scene. Originally from Kentucky, Kim earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Kentucky (Lexington), her Master of Church Music degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville) and her Master of Collaborative Piano degree at the University of Manitoba. Complementing her graduate education pursuits (where she plays piano with vocalists, instrumentalists, opera students, and musical theatre students), Kim is also the collaborative pianist of Winnipeg community choirs Prairie Voices, Women of Note Chamber and Mass Choir, and the former pianist for ECCO Singers and Winnipeg Sonora Voices Chorale. She has stepped out from behind the piano into the conductor role for Winnipeg Sonora Voices Chorale and Women of Note Chorale. Kim’s other professional community work in Winnipeg has included music planning/programming at Elim Chapel, piano collaboration with The Little Opera Company, and many performances with school and community youth choral programs all over Manitoba.
Debra Yacheson
Conductor: Ragazzi
A lifelong Winnipegger, Debra has a been a conductor with the Winnipeg Sonora Voices (formerly PTV) since 2002. She loved being the conductor of Minnesingers for many years and has been the conductor of Ragazzi for the past five years. She considers it a privilege to teach young voices and watch them gain confidence, make friends and flourish both in their singing and academic lives.
Debra has had tremendous opportunities to teach music at many different schools in the public school system where she developed award-winning choirs at the early and middle years levels.
She currently teaches music at Prairie Sunrise School in Pembina Trails School Division, where she has nearly 400 students from Kindergarten to Grade 5. Debra is honoured to have worked as a guest conductor and clinician for various school divisions as well as adjudicating for local festivals.
One of Debra’s most cherished honours is the 2016 Winnipeg Music Festival’s Michael J. Proudfoot Award, which is presented to a conductor exemplifying a passion for excellence in choral work. She and Michael were friends from childhood, and they worked together during her first few years of teaching. Together they shared a passion for teaching music to children.
Besides teaching music and conducting choirs, Debra enjoys hiking, skiing, walking her dogs and spending time with her partner, Geoff, and their four adult children.
Amanda Ciavarelli
Conductor: Choraliers
Amanda Ciavarelli teaches elementary music and choir at École South Pointe School in Winnipeg, Manitoba. École South Pointe School choirs and Orff ensembles perform many times during the school year at school assemblies, community events and concerts, at the Winnipeg Music Festival, and with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Amanda is a graduate of the University of Manitoba and holds a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education. She is a Level III Orff Certification graduate as well as a certified Carl Orff Canada Orff Levels Instructor. She is honoured to be a recipient of the Morna-June Morrow Award for Excellence in Education. Amanda is passionate about music education because of the important role music plays in the development and growth of children; fostering musicianship, teamwork, and communication while creating an opportunity for children to experience emotion and humanism through music. Amanda is excited to be working with the Choraliers this season!
Nathanael Plett
Conductor: Minnesingers
Nathanael Plett teaches kindergarten to grade 5 general music at École Van Walleghem School in Winnipeg, Manitoba. At École Van Walleghem School, Nathanael loves conducting extracurricular choirs and Orff ensembles. Nathanael graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Education. It was at the U of M that he also received his Level II Orff Certification. It is a source of great delight for Nathanael to witness children discovering the joy of making music together and he is looking forward to doing this as part of the Winnipeg Sonora Voices team this year.
Sandra Town
Conductor: Nova
Sandra Town teaches elementary music at Pacific Junction School and Beaverlodge School in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Sandra graduated from Brandon University with a Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Education and a Master of Music Education. She has also obtained her Level III Orff Certificate from the University of Manitoba. Conducting choirs has always been part of Sandra’s music teaching career and she has directed a variety of levels of singers. Sandra is excited to be welcomed to the Sonora Voices team and to be working with the young voices of the Nova choir.
Henry Kelsey
Pianist: WSV Singers, Ragazzi
Winnipeg-based Collaborative Pianist Henry Kelsey recently graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor of Music (Honours 23’). He is currently pursuing a MMus in Collaborative Piano Performance at the University of Manitoba studying with Dr. Judith Kehler-Siebert and Dr. Laura Loewen.
Henry began teaching at 15 years old and prides himself on tailoring the lessons to the needs of each student. As a multi-genre pianist, he can instruct students in Pop, Rock, Classical, and Theatre genres. He is also fluent in music theory, history, and ear training techniques (Solfege, Takadimi, Sing & Play).
He recently formed the Dafoe Piano Quartet, winning the St. John’s College Ensemble Competition (2024).
He is also known for his sensitive playing style and constant enthusiasm, with extensive experience in chamber music, choral, theatre, and opera settings.
Christian Yokosawa
Pianist: Chorale
Christian began studying piano at age 14 in 2015 at the W. Mozart Neighborhood Conservatory. In 2019, he was admitted to the University of São Paulo, where he studied under Dr. Fernando Crespo Corvisier. He has participated in masterclasses with internationally recognized pianists, including Luca Chiantore, Caio Pagano, Olga Kopylova, Fábio Martino, and Eduardo Monteiro.
Christian has been a scholarship recipient at major festivals such as the Campos do Jordão Festival (2022) and the Encontro Internacional de Pianistas de Piracicaba (2021). He was a finalist in the Guiomar Novaes Competition and received the Caio Pagano Award in the soloist competition. As a prize winner, he performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 as a soloist with the USP Philharmonic Orchestra.
Émilie Strain
Pianist: Choraliers
Émilie Strain is an award-winning pianist from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She won the prestigious Aikins Memorial Trophy at the Winnipeg Music Festival in 2026 and has achieved national recognition at the Canadian Music Competition in Montreal, winning first place in the 19-25 age piano category. Émilie performed as a soloist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra at the age of 16. She recently won the University of Manitoba’s annual Concerto Competition and will perform as a soloist with the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra in 2027. Émilie is active in summer music academies and festivals, having studies with pianist David Jalbert at the Orford Musique Academy in 2026, and appearing as a faculty member and collaborative pianist at the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy. Émilie is currently studying at the University of Manitoba under David Moroz and has been a part of his private studio since 2022. Outside of music, Émilie enjoys spending time with her family and her two cats Poco and Bella, horseback riding, and working towards her black belt in Taekwondo.
Rachel Dyck
Pianist: Minnesingers
Rachel Dyck is a pianist who enjoys collaborating with singers, instrumentalists and choirs. She currently plays for the Esprit Singers and the Winnipeg Sonora Voices Minnesingers. She regularly performs with Charmaine Bacon at her Charmaine & Friends chamber music series. Rachel holds Master of Music degrees from the University of Manitoba in collaborative piano and the University of Ottawa in piano performance, where she studied with Drs. Judy Kehler Siebert, Laura Loewen and Stéphane Lemelin. Her accomplishments include winning the “Amour” Competition for voice and piano with Ellen Wieser at the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Conference, the Aikens Memorial trophy at the Winnipeg Music Festival and representing Manitoba at the National Music Festival. When she is not playing the piano Rachel loves running, reading, gardening and spending time with her family.
