Artistic + Admin Team

Now in his twelfth season as the Music Director of the Vancouver Bach Choir, Leslie is also the Associate Conductor and Chorus Director of Vancouver Opera, and the Music Director Emeritus of the Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted in France, Italy, Ireland, the Czech Republic, China, Taiwan, and recently at Carnegie Hall leading Mozart’s Sparrow Mass with a combined choir of Canadian and American singers and the New England Symphonic Ensemble. Leslie was Music Director of the Prince George Symphony for eight years and he has worked at the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Canadian Opera Company, the Santa Fe Opera, l’Opera National du Rhin, Edmonton Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria and Saskatoon Opera. He is also a frequent guest conductor with the UBC Opera Ensemble, the COSI Program in Sulmona Italy and Soundstreams Canada. 

Highlights of his many seasons with the Vancouver Bach Choir include the Canadian premiere of John Adams’ El Nino, Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion, Berlioz’ The Damnation of Faust, the world premiere of Brian Current’s The RIver of Light, Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony, and Verdi’s Requiem. 

This season he will lead the Mozart Requiem, Britten’s St. Nicolas, the Bach B Minor Mass, and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with the VBC; Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice in a new production with Vancouver Opera and The Gondoliers for UBC Opera. As a pianist he will play Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, appear in recital with Soprano Rachel Fenlon and perform a solo recital at the Chan Centre consisting of Etudes by Philip Glass which he recently recorded for the Redshift Label.  www.lesliedala.com

Cathrie Yuen is a Vancouver based choral conductor who serves as the Artistic Director of Delta Choral Society, the Assistant Conductor of Vancouver Bach Choir, the Conductor of Cantabile Choir, Sessional Instructor at the Trinity Western University music department, and the Artistic Director of the MGV Lyra men’s choir.

As both an artist and educator, Cathrie deeply believes in the importance of music education. She developed a workshop program and is co-founder of the annual Inspiro Choral Festival for high school students in the Greater Vancouver area. To further expand her passion towards choral music, Cathrie created the Chorum Podcast, where she connects with other active members of the choral community around the world, and engages in relevant topic-focused discussions as a forum. Shortly after, she co-founded the Inspiro choral consortium with Dr. Joel Tranquilla, a platform that comprises of a choral festival, a professional-level choir, and a choral education resources website that connects choral enthusiasts both nearby and abroad.

Furthermore, She participated as a guest speaker at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, and the Canadian Chamber Choir. She was selected as a Conducting Fellow for the Vancouver Chamber Choir’s Conducting Symposium and was also among the finalists at the 2019 World Choral Conducting Competition. She is also an active adjudicator and clinician for choirs in North America.

Cathrie holds a Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting from the University of British Columbia and obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Trinity Western University. She has prepared major choral works such as Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, Bach’s St. John Passion and Orff’s Carmina Burana for renowned conductors, including Maestro Bramwell Tovey, Dr. Graeme Langager, and Maestro Leslie Dala.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Cathrie began her music education at a young age as a percussionist and singer. She remains active in Hong Kong, touring frequently to Asia with various choirs and giving workshops in the region.

Having worked with the VBCC since 1988 under the mentorship of Bruce Pullan, Ms. Gaetanne took over as Music Director of the Vancouver Bach Children’s Chorus family of choirs in 2009. With over 20 years of experience working with the younger levels, Ms. Gaetanne is committed to bringing the discipline, art and joy of singing and musicianship to the children she works with. Her “beautiful lyric coloratura voice” and vivacious personality have shaped her career to include an artistic blend of international solo appearances, chamber music and choral conducting. Winner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions (Northwest) and prizewinner in the prestigious Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition, Ms Gaetanne has sung as a soloist in opera, oratorio and recital in Europe, Canada and the U.S.A.  Her vocal studies have taken her to New York, London, and Florence where she also completed a Degree in Italian literature and history. She completed a M.Mus. in Voice from the UBC School of Music, where she has been a member of the Voice Faculty since 1989. Her students perform in opera houses and choirs around the globe. Ms Gaetanne studied Orff & Kodaly pedagogies and Early Childhood Music Ed at York University and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. She was the youngest ever member of the Vancouver Chamber Choir.  Ms. Gaetanne also runs the popular summer Music Theatre program, ChoralStage, annually in July.  Choral singing and working with young children are close to her heart; she has a profound respect for their talent and diverse natures.  ‘Ms. G’ loves to craft curriculum that furthers the musical and vocal development of these fine young singers. She also works to foster the personal and social growth of her students by creating a rehearsal atmosphere that promotes self-esteem, discipline, and a sense of accomplishment and pride. She is known throughout the community for her enlightened enthusiasm in her work with children and her love for both the music and the children is infectious. For Ms Gaetanne’s Full BIO and information on her professional development, please visit her website.

Stephen Smith grew up in rural Nova Scotia, where he sang and played the piano from an early age. After initial studies in his home province in both piano and organ, he attended the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. While there he participated in national and international competitions, and won numerous awards and distinctions. Since 1990, Stephen has lived in Vancouver, obtaining his doctoral degree in piano performance from the University of British Columbia as a student of Jane Coop, and contributing to the musical life of the city as a performer, teacher, lecturer, adjudicator, conductor, and composer. Stephen was Assistant Conductor of the Bach Choir from 2000 until June 2010. Currently, in addition to his work as rehearsal pianist of the Vancouver Bach Choir, Stephen accompanies Elektra Women’s Choir and the Vancouver Men’s Chorus, and directs the male-voice ensemble Synergy.

Shane Raman is a Leo Award winning baritone, choral conductor, composer and music educator in Vancouver, British Columbia. Most recently, he wrote the score for the dramatic musical short film, Looking Back which premiered at the 2021 Vancouver Short Film Festival and garnered a Leo Award for his musical composition.

Through Shane’s work as a Voice Teacher and Choral Conductor at the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, Studio 58 at Langara College and the Vancouver Bach Youth Chorus and Sarabande, Shane is enjoying new opportunities to speak about diversity and inclusion, focusing on classical choral music culture. He is excited to participate in ongoing discussions around diversity and inclusion in choral practice, and overall vocal culture.

After earning a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from The University of British Columbia, Shane was a member of the Juno- nominated professional vocal ensemble, musica intima, for ten seasons. Currently he sings with the queer choir Cor Flammae. He has also performed with Vancouver Cantata Singers, Vancouver Opera, and the Vancouver Peace Choir.

Writing and creating music is a growing artery of Shane’s career. His arrangements and original compositions have been performed by Galakoor (Amsterdam), Central Bucks High School – West Choir (Pennsylvania), McGill Choral Society Chamber Choir(Montreal), Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton), Vancouver Cantata Singers, musica intima, Cor Flammae, Vancouver Bach Youth Chorus and Sarabande, Indiekör, Sarah McLachlan and the Sarah McLachlan School of Music Choirs, and The Vancouver Pride Society.

Video recordings of Shane’s pieces can be found in this YouTube playlist. Shane’s pieces appear on the following recordings:

UBC’s University Singers recording A Vancouver Christmas (2003)
Vancouver Cantata Singers’ A Christmas Reprise: 10th Anniversary Album (2012)
musica intima’s EP, song for a winter’s night (2018).

Catherine Campolin is looking forward to her fifth season as a conductor with the Vancouver Bach Children’s Chorus. Over the last few years she has been developing and conducting children’s choirs in public schools on Vancouver’s west side.  She has worked with students from Henry Hudson, Queen Elizabeth Annex, Trafalgar, L’École Bilingue, Lord Tennyson and Jules Quesnel.

Along with her busy teaching schedule, Ms Campolin is also an active performer.  She has performed with companies ranging from Toronto’s Opera in Concert, Vancouver Opera, Burnaby Lyric Opera, Pacifica Singers, Vancouver Voices and the Victoria Philharmonic Choir.  In particular, Ms Campolin debuted and recorded the role of The Woman in Modern Baroque Opera’s production of Powers of Two by local composer Barry Truax.  She is currently the resident soloist for the First Church of Christ Scientist in West Vancouver.

Like many musicians, Ms Campolin’s musical beginnings started in choirs, most notably, the highly respected Gallery Choir of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Toronto. Other musical training includes Vancouver Opera’s Young Artist Coaching Intensive, Opera NUOVA, the St. Andrew’s Arts Council Opera Workshop in New Brunswick, the Summer Vocal Academy of the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and Toronto Opera Repertoire.  Ms Campolin holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the Vancouver Academy of Music.

Shifra Day is an active collaborative pianist, violist and teacher in metro Vancouver. Freelance performance work includes: chamber music (Khimera Trio, Cello-Piano duo, Beledrone Ensemble), orchestral violist (Vancouver Island Symphony, Lions Gate Sinfonia, Kamloops Symphony, Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra), collaborative piano (string and vocal studios at VAM, BCCM, UBC, and private studios around the lower mainland) and choral (Jubilate Vocal Ensemble, Frontline Voices). She has also been seen on TV as a violist at the JUNO Awards for Lights’ performance of
“Giants” (2018), and in the orchestra for the Michael Bublé Christmas Special (2013). Shifra is thrilled to continue to be the collaborative pianist for the Vancouver Bach Choir’s Sarabande.

As a member of BC Registered Music Teachers’ Association, and with over 15 years of teaching experience, Shifra enjoys teaching motivated students of all levels. A positive, organized, goal-oriented, and encouraging teacher, she believes in developing strong technical freedom as well as a musical and theoretical understanding and appreciation. Her students have performed well and received high marks in RCM exams and at music festivals. Shifra has also worked as an adjudicator at the BC Conservatory of Music Festival.

Before returning to her west coast roots, Shifra took graduate studies with André Laplante in Montreal (2011-2013), and completed her Masters (UOttawa, 2011) and Bachelor of Music (UVic, 2009) in piano performance with secondary studies in viola. During her Masters at the University of Ottawa, she taught the Piano Proficiency course there, and was also on staff as an accompanist for the woodwind department. Other achievements include live performances on Quebec radio, third prize in the Knigge national piano competition, and being published in the Canadian Music Educator.

Pianist Kin Ming Wong is one of Vancouver’s most sought after musicians and educators. Born and raised in Vancouver, he is equally passionate and dedicated to piano teaching, performing, adjudicating and the art of collaborative piano. He has over twenty years teaching piano privately, ranging from beginner to diploma level while his collaborative work with instrumentalists spans the orchestral spectrum.  Mr. Wong enjoys adjudicating festivals and sharing musical ideas with young musicians.  He is a pianist of diverse musical interests, particularly in the vocal repertoire having worked with many singers over the years.  He has been a pianist for the UBC Opera Ensemble, BC Youth Choir and University Singers.   Mr. Wong also plays for BCCF’s summer music program, Choral Stage, led by Marisa Gaetanne.

Mr. Wong completed his initial musical studies with Rebecca Kelly and David Vandereyk.  Later he studied with a number of celebrated musicians including Jane Coop, Alexander Korsantia, Edward Parker, Dr. Jamie Syer and Bruce Vogt.

Kin holds a Bachelor’s in Piano Performance from the University of British Columbia and a Master’s in Piano Performance from the University of Victoria.  Additionally, he holds LLCM and FLCM performance diplomas from the London College of Music, Thames University, England, and both ARCT Piano Performer and ARCT Piano Teacher (Royal Conservatory of Music) diplomas.

Mr. Wong is a piano faculty member at the Vancouver Academy of Music and also  runs a very busy private teaching practice in Vancouver.

Starting piano at the age of five, Yihan has studied in China, Spain, US and Canada with world-renowned pianists Rena Sharon, Geoffrey Duce, Tuyan Tonnu and Sayá Sangidorj. Yihan recently graduated from University of British Columbia with an Artist Diploma in Collaborative Piano Studies. With full scholarships she received her Master’s degrees in Piano Performance and Collaborative Piano from Illinois State University. She also was the recipient of the Hans & Alicia Fuchs Scholarship in 2014.

Yihan has participated in various international masterclasses and music festivals, including Vancouver International Song Institute, Music Theater Bavaria, and BEYOND MUSIC International Music Festival. There, she studied under such world-class musicians as Olga Kern, Graham Johnson, Jo Ann Kulesza, Amanda Johnston, Serouj Kradjianand, Laura Loewen, Isabel Bayrakdarian.

Striving for fineness and expressivity, Yihan’s playing has been described as exceptionally touching. She has performed throughout Asia, Europe and North America, winning prizes in both solo piano and collaborative piano. She was awarded 2nd place in Illinois’ 2013 MTNA Piano Competition, and 1st place for both solo piano and collaborative piano in The Yangtze River Cup National Piano Competition.

As an advocate of new music, Yihan is actively involved in contemporary repertoires. At RED NOTE New Music Festival 2014, she premiered famous Chinese composer Chen Yao’s Ad Libitum for Timpani and Piano in North America.

More frequently appearing on stage as a versatile, collaborative pianist, Yihan has performed with a diverse range of talented, local vocalists, instrumentalists, and chamber groups since she moved to Vancouver in 2015.

Aslan Aslanov is an energetic performer, who is forever seeking to grow, evolve, and expand his vibrant creativity across his personal and professional life. Born into a snowy Siberian village, Aslan Aslanov, whose Azeri parents moved to Russia in 1991, discovered a keen passion for music when he took his first piano lesson at the age of 6. Three years after this musical origination, Aslan became the 3rd prize winner in a provincial competition in Tyumen. When his parents decided to return to Azerbaijan, Aslan, determined to further develop his artistic talent, was accepted into the “Special Music School” for talented kids in Baku under the instruction of Dilara Mirzakuliyeva. Baku provided Aslan a wealth of musical opportunities, whether that be making his orchestral debut in 2009 with the Academic Symphonic Orchestra of Azerbaijan, winning 2nd prize for the national music competition of Azerbaijan in 2010, or successfully performing in festivals all over the country. In 2011, Aslan began his undergraduate studies in Baku, expanding his competitive education internationally in music festivals across Ukraine, Poland, Italy, Finland, Greece, and Russia. Being infected with a passion to learn and grow as a musician, Aslan was accepted with a scholarship into the Vancouver Academy of Music, successfully completing the Artist Diploma Program under the direction of Amanda Chan. In 2019, aside from winning provincial and local competitions, where he was granted the honour to represent BC in the Canadian National Music Competition, winning 2nd place respectively, Aslan made his debut in Carnegie Hall where he performed with the winners of the “Pacific Rim” International Pianists competition. Aslan continues to study with Amanda Chan as he completes his master’s degree at the UBC school of Music under a scholarship. With the ultimate artistic objective to connect others, whether that be through live performance or teaching, to the transcendent power of music, Aslan continues to seek creative spaces to explore his artistry and share his craft professionally.

Gillian Hunter-Gibbs brings the highest levels of training, experience, creative professionalism and a love of children and community engagement to her role as Executive Director of the Vancouver Bach Family of Choirs. A proud alumna of the Vancouver Bach Children’s Choirs, Gillian spent many years of her childhood and early adulthood in the VBC Family. Gillian holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of British Columbia, as well as a Masters of Philosophy in Music Education Research from the University of Cambridge.

Following her education, Gillian worked for many years as an Arts Development Manager with local government in and around Cambridge, England, to develop arts infrastructure, and support and direct a variety of arts programs across South Cambridgeshire. From 2010-2017, Gillian served as the Education Manager for the City of London Sinfonia (CLS), a professional chamber orchestra renowned for its outstanding and innovative educational outreach projects. Under her leadership at CLS, the education program grew exponentially and now holds a strong international reputation for its high quality work with children and communities. Gillian then returned to her native Vancouver in 2017 to work at the VSO School of Music, first as Director of Early Learning, and more recently as Director of the School. During this time, Gillian worked closely with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, presenting children’s concerts and designing collaborative projects.

Throughout her career in arts administration, Gillian has remained a keen performer, as a singer and violist in a variety of groups across the UK and Canada. Gillian has two young children, 7-year-old Ellie and 5-year-old Myles, both budding young artists!