| Musical direction |
| Alan Gasser,
Interim Conductor
Alan Gasser has sung Georgian folk music since 1985, as a veteran of the Kartuli Ensemble,and as founder of the Trio Kavkasia and the ensemble Darbazi. He is also an experienced conductor, professional chorister and voice teacher. Alan has co-directed the Echo Women's Choir since 1993 (with Becca Whitla, the choir's founder) and worked for many years at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, Village Harmony and Worldsongs, York University and University of Toronto, the Royal Conservatory of Music and Toronto’s 1st Unitarian Congregation. Alan's training, at the College of Wooster and the University of Minnesota, focused on bel canto singing, opera and choral conducting and new music, before his emigration to Canada in 1986, to study Music Criticism at McMaster University. Early years in Toronto featured work as tenor soloist and chorister with the Elmer Iseler Singers. His vocal-music experience is both broad and deep, encompassing the Minneapolis experimental sextet, LISTEN; the Toronto a cappella jazz sextet Union Station and singing roles ranging from new opera to the Bach evangelists. Recent years have seen a focus on a variety of community-singing traditions. |
| Lynn McMurray,
Assistant Conductor Lynn McMurray was born in Cambridge, Ontario, and began her music studies as a pianist at the age of 6. She later discovered her love of choral music throughout her experiences with the Kitchener-based Kodaly Choir, as well as her highschool choral ensembles. Now in her fourth year at the University of Toronto, Lynn is majoring in Music Education, and has studied voice with Peter Barnes and Jo-Anne Bentley. She has studied conducting at the University with Lori-Anne Dolloff, Ivars Taurins of Tafelmusik, as well as Dr. Doreen Rao, Elmer Iseler Chair of Conducting for the University of Toronto. Lynn is hoping to continue her education in choral music as both conductor and singer, and is excited to be working with Commonthread for the first time this coming season. |
| Isabel Bernaus ,
Conductor - On Leave Born in Catalonia (Spain) and trained as a musician in both Europe and America, Isabel Bernaus is an accomplished conductor and music educator. She studied conducting and piano in Barcelona, as well as music education in Catalonia, France, and Quebec, where she attained a Master’s Degree in Music Education at Laval University. More recently, she pursued choral studies with Dr. James Jordan of Westminister College at Rider University. Since moving to Toronto in 1999, Isabel has become conductor of two community choirs – Common Thread and Settlement Community Choir, and a chamber choir – The Jubilate Singers. She also teaches music at Sheridan College and Haliburton School of the Arts at Fleming College. Isabel has participated in several choir events as a guest conductor, taught various music disciplines, and complemented her career with vocal, composition, and arranging studies. Isabel speaks several languages and is familiar with classical and folk music traditions from many cultures. A strong believer that music should be accessible to everyone, she has conducted choirs with a wide range of singing experiences as part of her lifelong involvement in community projects promoting education and music. |