Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus
Nicholas Fairbank, Conductor
BACH Cantata BWV 61 “Nun komm der Heiden Heiland”
BEETHOVEN “Welten singen, preiset ihn”
BEETHOVEN Choral Fantasy, Op. 80
Jillian Forster-Fair, Piano
Carol arrangements with orchestra
SOLOISTS:
Anna van der Hooft (soprano) “[possesses] a lovely voice, artistry in spades and a delightful stage presence" (Music in Victoria). She has been recognized for her work in concert and opera, performing repertoire from Bach to Boechler. Anna is a graduate of the UBC Opera Bachelor of Music Program, completing her Masters at UVic in Voice Performance.
Anna has performed a wide variety of opera and musical theatre roles. A few highlights include The Young Night in Justin Boechler’s Ithaca, Despina in Cosi fan tutte, Noémie in Cendrillon, Belle in Beauty's Beast, Papagena in The Magic Flute, Hero in Beatrice and Benedict, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro and Tracey in Blisskrieg.
Most recently Anna performed the role of Jane Doe in Ride the Cyclone with Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre. “Anna van der Hooft plays Jane as a doll-like automaton with spooky black contact lenses. What made her performance truly stand out, however, was her robust soprano… The poignant Ballad of Jane Doe was dispatched with clarion brio and a needle-sharp sense of pitch.” (Times Colonist)
Anna van der Hooft is a member of the classical voice faculty at the Victoria Conservatory of Music.
Alana Hayes (mezzo-soprano). Mezzo-soprano Alana Hayes is a versatile and precise performer whose repertoire ranges from baroque to avant-garde. She is a founding member of Octet Victoria, a group of skilled ensemble singers committed to exploring and performing excellent choral music. She appears regularly as a soloist and small ensemble singer, and has performed with groups such as Victoria Baroque, the Victoria Philharmonic Choir, Pacific Baroque Festival, Sooke Philharmonic, Vox Humana, Bach on the Rock, and Capriccio. Alana is a member of the Victoria Conservatory Voice Faculty, and holds a Master's degree in Musicology with Performance from the University of Victoria, where she studied with Anne Grimm. Her research, supervised by Dr. Maria Virginia Acuña, focused on narrative in French art song of the late nineteenth century. She also holds a Diploma in Music from the Victoria Conservatory, where she studied with Nancy Argenta.
Jan van der Hooft (tenor). Canadian tenor Jan van der Hooft has been described as “a rare breed… with an exciting lyricism in the sound…”(Schmopera.com, 2017). A multifaceted performer, Jan has made professional debuts with Manitoba Opera, Calgary Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria and Vancouver Opera. He is a two-year alumnus of the Emerging Artist Program at Calgary Opera, holds a Masters of Voice from the Schulich School of Music at McGill University, a Post-Baccalaureate as well as an Undergraduate degree in Vocal Performance from the Desautel Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba.
Respected for his interpretation of new music, Jan has been involved in several contemporary operatic works over the last several years. During his appointment in Calgary, he premiered the role of Nephew in Ghost Opera by Veronika Krausas at The Banff Centre, and understudied the role of Rob Hall in Calgary’s 2019 production of Joby Talbot’s Everest. Later that fall, Jan sang Devon in Pacific Opera Victoria’s remount of Missing and was later cast as Bear in the children’s opera The Flight of the Hummingbird.
Jan has also been in demand as concert soloist with several organizations including the Ewashko Singers and Capella Antica (Ottawa/ Montreal), the Red Deer Symphony, Early Music Voices Calgary, and the Calgary Festival Chorus, the Victoria Philharmonic Choir, Early Music Society of the Islands, and the Victoria Choral Society. His performance credits include the role of the Evangelist in Bach’s St. John Passion, tenor soloist in both Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and Zelenka’s Mass in C minor, the Archangel Uriel in Haydn’s Creation and tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah.
Louis Dillon (bass) Originally from Halfmoon Bay, BC, Louis currently resides in Victoria where he completed a Diploma in Music Performance at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Spurred on by his mentors Ingrid Attrot and Nancy Argenta, he is always eager to share his love of music, whether it be through performance or teaching.
Recent highlights include the premiere of Paul Walde’s Forestorium in the old growth forest of the Ma’amtagila Nation, playing First Bard with Pacific Opera Victoria in The Odyssey, and covering Polifemo for the Early Music Society of the Island’s presentation of Handel’s Aci, Galatea e Polifemo. Last month, he helped premiere I am Beauty, a verbatim opera based on interviews with survivors of Vancouver’s HIV epidemic.
When he’s not singing, you can usually find Louis on his bike, hiking in the nearby woods, or giving long-winded takes about his favorite albums.