Sunday services at Kingsway-Lambton benefit enormously from our very talented soloists.
We are grateful for each stunning voice that sings praise every week.

Here is some background on our Choir Section Leads and soloists:

TENOR LEAD

MATTHEW TISSI knew as a youngster that he was destined for the stage. At twelve, he began his professional career in the Mirvish production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. He now has more than thirteen years working in television as an actor and singer. He is proud to be a working television actor and a current member of both ACTRA and Equity. Matthew is considered a compelling storyteller and has performed with the Canadian Opera Company, the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, the Toronto Symphony and Mirvish productions. The choir is fortunate to have his deep baritone voice supporting so many of the recordings made for Kingsway-Lambton United Church Worships at Home recordings. Matthew holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Vocal Performance from the University of Toronto.

TENOR LEAD

WILLIAM SALINAS-CROSBY is a dynamic vocalist based in Toronto, Ontario where he continues his studies at the University of Toronto under baritone Mark Daboll. Praised for his musical sensitivity and shimmering vocal timber, William maintains an expansive repertory of choral and solo vocal music, exploring many cultures and languages. As a soloist, he has performed concerts with Pax Christi Chorale, and Concreamus Choir, as well as masterclasses with collaborative pianist Margo Garrett and Baritone Elliot Madore. As a passionate choral singer, William frequently works under the baton of Sandra Horst in the UofT Opera Chorus, Dr. Elaine Choi in Pax Christie and Babel Chorus, Kai Leung in Concreamus, and Mark Vuorinen with the Elora Singers.

Bass Lead

DANTE MULLIN-SANTONE: Canadian baritone Dante Mullin Santone is an eclectic performer currently pursuing a Masters of Opera at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music. He is excited to song the role of Beaupertuis in their upcoming production of Nino Rota's Il capello di paglia di Firenze, and Le Roi in their production of Massenet'd Cendrillon. He also completed his Bachelor of Music at the Faculty of Music studying under Wendy Nielsen.  There, he sang roles such as Il Ufficer in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Man #1 in Copland’s The Tender Land. He was recently a fellow with the Toronto Summer Music “Art of Song” program, and he’s been a Sidgwick Scholar with the Orpheus Choir of Toronto since 2020, with whom he sang Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem in 2022. Recent performance highlights include the premiere of Evan Tanovich’s Missa Solemnis in D(Sinfonietta Aionia and Concreamus Chamber Choir,) the premiere of Allan Bevan’s “Perfectly Mad”, singing the role of Rintrah(Orpheus Choir of Toronto,) and his artist residency with Shoestring Opera in their touring production of The Shoestring Magic Flute in the role of Papageno.

Bass Lead

SIMON VANDENBERG is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto (U of T) where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education (Classical Voice) under the tutelage of Gregory Dahl. Simon is an active baritone in Toronto’s vibrant choral scene as a member of the Concreamus Chamber Choir and the Toronto Festival Singers as well as an assistant conductor with Viva Singers Toronto. He also teaches piano and voice privately. Simon holds a U of T Excellence Award which funded him to assist in qualitative research regarding advocacy discourses in music education this summer 2023. In previous years, Simon has been a part of the chorus in U of T’s production of Il barbiere di Siviglia and held the position of Choral Assistant at Community Music Schools of Toronto. Simon plans to apply for Master’s of Music Therapy programs.

ALTO LEAD

RIANNA ROBINSON grew up in Nova Scotia in a small town called Windsor with her grandparents. As a little girl, singing did not come naturally. Her grandmother said: “the poor little thing can’t carry a tune.” But when she was determined to get a role in the elementary school musical, things changed. Determination won her a part. At fourteen, her first opera debut was as the First Spirit in The Magic Flute by Mozart, and she never looked back. She knew then she wanted to study music and become a professional singer, and the place to make her dreams come true she felt was Toronto and the Faculty of Music. She has been determined to reach for goals and casting opportunities. Her most surprising audition was for a dancing part. The director wanted to see if she could dance, so everyone around the table started beating a rhythm, and she danced and was awarded the role. A recent grad with a Master’s in Voice Performance, Rianna plans now to audition for young artist programs and hopefully perform live again.

ALTO LEAD

ANIKA VENKATESH (they/them) Hailing from Coast Salish Territories, Anika is a genre-defying vocalist currently based in Tkarón:to, and a recent graduate of the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Laura Tucker. Recent stage credits include: "The House" in Gareth Williams' Rocking Horse Winner (Tapestry Opera, 2023), the world premiere of Chan Ka Nin’s Dragon’s Tale (Tapestry Opera & Soundstreams Choir 21), alto soloist in R. Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses (The Nathaniel Dett Chorale & The Rochester Oratorio Society), and Drusilla in Verdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea (NUOVA Vocal Arts). Along with their classical, operatic, and choral skillsets and special interest in contemporary music, Anika is also a jazz and R&B musician and is venturing into stage acting. Upcoming performances include the premiere of Quote Unquote Collective’s production, Universal Child Care, at Canadian Stage in February 2024, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with the TSO and the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers in June 2024. Through musical storytelling, Anika hopes to garner curiosity, reflection, kindness, play, connection, tenderness, intimacy, and strength.

SORPRANO LEAD

CAMILLE LABONTE is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of Toronto in the studio of Monica Whicher, and is a graduate of the Etobicoke School of the Arts Musical Theatre program. She is an active young performer as both a soloist and choral singer, and has received many accolades for her singing, including honourable mentions in both ARCT and Grade 10 RCM voice at the Ontario Music Festivals Association Provincial Finals. Camille is presently part of the undergraduate opera program at UofT, where in the 2022/23 season, she covered the roles of Ernestine in Offenbach's Monsieur Choufleuri restera chez lui and First Woman in Arthur Benjamin's A Tale of Two Cities. In summer 2022, she made her operatic debut as Poppea in Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea (Opera NUOVA). She has also been part of numerous choral ensembles, including the 2018 Ontario Youth Choir, and currently, the Concreamus Chamber Choir, which collaborates with emerging Canadian Composers.

SORPRANO LEAD

KATE TAPP MOCK was born and raised in Burlington and always loved to sing. She started lessons at age ten and during her youth travelled and sang with her father, well known entertainer Gordie Tapp. Kate graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance. She went on to post-graduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England. When Kate returned from England, she married Ed Mock, and while raising her family, she joined the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. For twenty years, she had many wonderful musical experiences, including tours of Europe and Canada. In 1978 Kate become a member of ACTRA (Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists). Through that association, she had vocal performances in opera, musical theatre, TV commercials, CBC Radio and movies, including background chorus for films by HBO, ABC, Universal Pictures, and IMAX. Kate joined the Elmer Iseler Singers in 1996 and for fourteen years toured North America from Yellowknife to Miami. Recently, Kate has retired from her position as the Soprano Section Lead with the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto which she held for twenty years. Kate's involvement with these groups included performances on over twenty audio CD recordings. She has been teaching singing for over forty years and now lives in Hamilton and is enjoying semi-retirement with her husband Ed and trying to keep up with four grandchildren. 

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