MANDATE
To make music together and to nurture our creative endeavours in a supporting environment; to invite musicians to perform in Heliconian concerts thus creating new artistic connections; to recruit new members through musical outreach; to become involved as much as possible in other Club events; to contribute financially to the Club through events convened by the Music Section and through members’ concerts and rentals.
MEMBERSHIP
Our members include performing musicians (vocalists and instrumentalists in all categories), composers, conductors, private studio teachers, teachers in public/private/post-secondary education, singer-songwriters, arrangers, etc. in all types of musical genres.
SECTION MEETINGS
We hold four of our meetings per season at the Club, usually two to three weeks preceding a concert we are planning; additionally, two more social meetings are held at members’ homes in January and June. Currently our meetings at the Club are held on Fridays from 12 to 2 pm, with light refreshments served and time for musical show-and-tell afterwards.
SECTION ACTIVITIES
We put on a Concert Series consisting of four concerts per season, generally in October, November, March and April. This is a subscription series planned by a Concert Committee with input from members at Section meetings. Concerts are programmed, convened and performed by members with occasional guests on a variety of themes. Members also perform or have compositions performed at Club events. There is one Music Salon per year, involving members and/or guests, with the theme varying yearly. The Mary Rezza concert takes place in April and features students from members’ private studios. Opportunities for collaborating across Club sections are provided by inter-sectional events. Members also often hold their own individual concerts. This year we welcomed our first Musician-in-Residence and we look forward to continuing this initiative.
CURRENT CHAIR
Maria Soulis, mezzo-soprano, began her career as a principal artist with the Regensburg Opera in Germany and went on to sing in theatres throughout Europe. In Canada, Maria has appeared as a soloist in Bach's Christmas Oratorio, (Kingston Symphony and Windsor Symphony), Dvorak's Requiem (Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony), Handel’s Messiah (Aradia Ensemble) and Bach’s St. John Passion (Ottawa’s Thirteen Strings). Recent highlights include the role of Clara in the world premiere of Oksana G with Tapestry Opera (nominated for seven Doras), and the Mayor’s Wife in Pacific Opera’s Jenufa, directed by Atom Egoyan.
An avid recitalist, Maria has an extensive song repertoire that spans the English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Greek languages. She is a frequent participant in Heliconian Club concerts.
Maria can be heard on the Juno-nominated Naxos CD “Vivaldi – Sacred Music” with Kevin Mallon and Aradia Ensemble.
To make music together and to nurture our creative endeavours in a supporting environment; to invite musicians to perform in Heliconian concerts thus creating new artistic connections; to recruit new members through musical outreach; to become involved as much as possible in other Club events; to contribute financially to the Club through events convened by the Music Section and through members’ concerts and rentals.
MEMBERSHIP
Our members include performing musicians (vocalists and instrumentalists in all categories), composers, conductors, private studio teachers, teachers in public/private/post-secondary education, singer-songwriters, arrangers, etc. in all types of musical genres.
SECTION MEETINGS
We hold four of our meetings per season at the Club, usually two to three weeks preceding a concert we are planning; additionally, two more social meetings are held at members’ homes in January and June. Currently our meetings at the Club are held on Fridays from 12 to 2 pm, with light refreshments served and time for musical show-and-tell afterwards.
SECTION ACTIVITIES
We put on a Concert Series consisting of four concerts per season, generally in October, November, March and April. This is a subscription series planned by a Concert Committee with input from members at Section meetings. Concerts are programmed, convened and performed by members with occasional guests on a variety of themes. Members also perform or have compositions performed at Club events. There is one Music Salon per year, involving members and/or guests, with the theme varying yearly. The Mary Rezza concert takes place in April and features students from members’ private studios. Opportunities for collaborating across Club sections are provided by inter-sectional events. Members also often hold their own individual concerts. This year we welcomed our first Musician-in-Residence and we look forward to continuing this initiative.
CURRENT CHAIR
Maria Soulis, mezzo-soprano, began her career as a principal artist with the Regensburg Opera in Germany and went on to sing in theatres throughout Europe. In Canada, Maria has appeared as a soloist in Bach's Christmas Oratorio, (Kingston Symphony and Windsor Symphony), Dvorak's Requiem (Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony), Handel’s Messiah (Aradia Ensemble) and Bach’s St. John Passion (Ottawa’s Thirteen Strings). Recent highlights include the role of Clara in the world premiere of Oksana G with Tapestry Opera (nominated for seven Doras), and the Mayor’s Wife in Pacific Opera’s Jenufa, directed by Atom Egoyan.
An avid recitalist, Maria has an extensive song repertoire that spans the English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Greek languages. She is a frequent participant in Heliconian Club concerts.
Maria can be heard on the Juno-nominated Naxos CD “Vivaldi – Sacred Music” with Kevin Mallon and Aradia Ensemble.
