El Sistema Aeolian is a free, intensive after-school music program based on a program founded in Venezuela in 1975. Each El Sistema program is free to adapt its delivery in a way that is unique to its community, resources and participants. The initiative has grown to include programs in over 80 countries and has won TED, UNESCO and Glenn Gould Awards.

The Aeolian Hall Musical Arts Association launched El Sistema Aeolian in November of 2011, serving 20 children in the pilot project. In its early days youth from the Old East Village Community and in particular Lorne Avenue Public School were first offered the opportunity to participate in this program but it has now expanded to include participants from different areas, groups, and organizations throughout our City of London. There are now 130 spots offered in the program for the 2022-2023 academic year.

The Aeolian’s El Sistema is the 4th launched in Canada, is supported by a gifted group of musicians, educators, students, interested community members and the Staff/Directors of the Aeolian and it is built on a set of values and principles and not a homogenized curriculum. On April 2015 The Mayor of the City of London gave El Sistema Aeolian a Pillar Award in recognition for its outstanding community impact.  The program has also won a Jack Richardson Music Award in the Classical Category.  Participants have performed in the JUNO’s and had mentorship with Buffy Sainte-Marie.

The goal of El Sistema Aeolian is to hold the tension between musical and social outcomes.  There is a social curriculum, leadership class and students do mindfulness training at The Indonesian Gamelan.  A food program offers participants regular nourishment and opportunities to broaden their culinary experience.  Participants perform regularly with artists presented on the Aeolian stage including names like The Canadian Brass, Royal Wood, Valdy, Ashley McIsaac, Matt Alber and Ty Herndon.

Singing in a choir is a powerful experience and expression of community.  The Aeolian is proud to offer this experience as an inclusive undertaking with its Pride Choruses.

PRIDE CHORUS LONDON

Treble/High Voices

Pride Chorus London (Treble/High Voices) is a new exciting initiative broadening The Aeolian’s offering of a Pride Chorus for all.  The initiative begins February 5th, 2023.

PRIDE CHORUS LONDON

(Lower Voices)

Pride Chorus London (Lower Voices) was founded in 2016 and is a program of the Aeolian Hall. PMCL was the 2018 recipient of the Forest City London Music Award Best Classical Vocal (Choir/Group).

More than 40 people sing in the chorus, and those with all levels of musical knowledge are invited to join us. Pride Chorus London (Lower Voices) is part of a movement of LGBTQ2 Choirs in the world.  The Chorus made its unexpected debut at the Vigil for The Orlando Massacre hosted at Aeolian Hall on June 14, 2016. In the global arena of eroding human rights and particularly the rights of the 2SLGBTQ2+AI community, we sing to enlighten and help those with closed minds and hearts to open up and celebrate diversity and love.

Pride Chorus London creates experiences through choral music that promote community, inclusiveness and excellence.  With the goal of combatting stereotypes and perceptions, we challenge the heteronormative worldview by inspiring our audience, the LGBTQ2 community and our broader community through advocacy and music. We celebrate victories won, we mourn lives lost, we find unconditional acceptance, and we celebrate all life in harmony, through our songs.

“Pride Chorus is more than just a chorus.  

They are a family of great people who have come together to take care of each other while entertaining others.”
~Jason Plant

Clark Bryan was born into a musical family. He was inspired to pursue a musical pathway by his mother, a piano teacher and his grandparents, both singers.  Mr. Bryan began formal studies at age four and wrote his first compositions at age six. In his youth, Mr. Bryan trained with longtime pupil of the renowned pianist Géza Anda, Antonia Mazanova. She helped him gain an appreciation for music of all styles. Mr. Bryan did his formal training at the University of Western Ontario. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree (1990) and Masters Degrees (1992) in piano performance having studied with pianists John Paul Bracey and Sonja Behrens.  Mr. Bryan has also trained with many of the world’s renowned pianists including Howard Shelley, Jean Paul Sevilla, Eugene List, Shura Cherkasky, Ruth Slenczynska and Ronald Turini. Mr. Bryan spent many years studying with the celebrated pianist Cécile Ousset both in Paris and the south of France where he refined much of his pianistic and interpretive abilities.

Clark’s performance career has taken him to Europe, Mexico the United States and throughout Canada. He has done performances for CBC radio and television including a broadcast recital at the Glenn Gould Studio, CBC. He has adjudicated music festivals from coast-to-coast.  Mr. Bryan has done extensive music editing and written a book entitled “Gateways to Learning and Memory”.

Mr. Bryan has recorded twelve albums of solo piano including the complete Debussy Preludes and Chopin Nocturnes.  A duo piano album of the Suites for two pianos by Serge Rachmaninoff features Clark with his longtime duo partner Marion Miller. Soon to be released projects include Mendelsohn Songs Without Words, Grieg Lyric Pieces and the Chopin Preludes.

In 2004-2005 Mr. Bryan was invited by London’s City Council to serve as a member of the Creative Cities Task Force, an initiative designed to recognize and promote art, culture and lifestyle in London, Ontario.  It was through this experience that Clark began to learn about the impact of Art and Culture on social change.

Mr. Bryan has received many awards for his teaching and community work including “Musical Personality of the Year” (2005) and a Jack Richardson Music Award (2011) for his contributions to the musical landscape in the London Community.

Mr. Bryan has conducted workshops for piano teachers and musicians across Canada. He is the current the President of the London Branch of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association.  His frequent speaking engagements include a TEDX talk entitled “Why Take Piano Lessons”, The SPARKS conference held at King’s College UWO, “Ignite Culture” at the City of London and “City Symposium”.  Clark composes music under the  pseudonym “Walter Stanley”, a tribute to his grandfather who was a great supporter of his musical journey and was a great musician himself.

In 2004, Mr. Bryan purchased Aeolian Hall in London Ontario and transformed it into the Aeolian Performing Arts Centre and School of Music. In 2009 he shifted the governance of The Aeolian into a registered charity.  The Hall has won local and national awards for its excellence.

In his efforts to create universal access to music and music education, Mr. Bryan launched El Sistema at the Aeolian.  This initiative is a free, intensive, UNESCO award winning music program for children and youth.   In 2016, Mr. Bryan secured an additional facility “Bishop Cronyn Memorial Place” as a music education campus and performance facility. This new facility will allow the Aeolian to expand its mandate to provide “universal access to music, art, culture and education”.

Clark co-founded two new programs in 2016 run by The Aeolian. Pride Men’s Chorus London is a men’s choir open to all men. This choir’s mandate is to celebrate diversity and be an instrument for change in our community.  The Rebelheart Collective is a new model of a Chamber Orchestra using mentorship and community engagement to develop universal access to classical music.

In October 2017, Mr. Bryan was awarded Western Alumni Award of Merit and inducted into the Don Wright Faculty of Music Wall of Fame (2017).

In 2018, Clark was recognized with a Canada 150 Award through the House of Commons for his contributions to community and the nation.  In 2022, Clark won Best Classical Solo Artist in London Ontario at The London Forest City Music Awards.

Mr. Bryan looks forward to a future when everyone has access to the arts and he is committed to helping make the changes necessary to accomplish this!

Maggie’s Wake is a Canadian roots band that combines traditional Celtic instrumentation with a contemporary approach.  This exciting collaboration between Rant Maggie Rant co-founder Lindsay Schindler (fiddle, vocals) and Tara Dunphy (tin whistle, flute, fiddle, vocals), lead singer and songwriter of acclaimed country outfit, The Rizdales, is quite simply, a match made in heaven. 

​United in their passion for fiery tunes, soaring vocals with rich harmonies, meaningful stories and beautiful melodies, Lindsay and Tara embrace their wide ranging influences and have built an exciting, new sound. From traditional celtic to cajun, early jazz to latin rhythms, Maggie’s Wake is making musical discoveries at every turn, constantly building on the foundation of the music that  inspires them.

Aaron Allen

In 2019 a relatively unknown song writer named Aaron Allen burst onto the Canadian Country scene with his first single “Where Music Comes From”.  Although he had been writing and playing for close to 20 years he seemed to appear out of the blue and immediately started turning heads.  Aaron caught the attention of Apple Music Curator George Maniatis and with the support from Apple, Allen’s EP Highway Mile has amassed over 4 million streams to date.  If you ask Allen he will credit his partnership with multi award winning Producer Jeff “Diesel” Dalziel as the defining turning point in his career.  Together they have created a sound easily recognizable to their listener.  They bond over artist such as Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen and the idea that an honest, timeless approach to music and song writing is evident in everything they release. 

Born and raised in Chatham Ontario but now London based Aaron Allen’s music is deeply rooted in the singer-songwriter atmosphere once created by greats like, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle and Bruce Springsteen.  You can hear the emotion and honesty in the words Aaron puts forth and because of that there’s no denying 4 chords and the truth is still alive and kicking.

Aimee Allen

Bryan Gloyd brings a vast array of skills to the Aeolian. His musical career has many facets including working as a church musician, recording artist and jazz pianist. Bryan has accompanied many local musicians and organized jazz programming at The Aeolian. He has also accompanied two-time Grammy Winner Matt Alber, the legendary songwriter Marc Jordan and the Canadian National Jazz Award Winner Denzal Sinclaire. Bryan has a strong business background having worked for a world-wide animal nutrition company. He uses these skills to help maintain and grow systems at The Aeolian.

Rick has been working as an independent music & theatre professional in various capacities since proudly graduating with his BFA from the University of Windsor’s, School of Dramatic Art. Rick received his Masters degree from UWO’s, Don Wright Faculty of Music in Literature & Performance with a focus in Music Theatre. He is a member in good standing of Canadian Actor’s Equity Association (CAEA). In 2020 & 2021 Rick was nominated Jazz Vocalist of this year – the same award he  received in 2019 (Jazz Vocalist of the Year Award) through the Forest City London Music Awards (FCLMA). Several projects he’s led have received Brickenden Awards – Vigil, Saucy Jack & The Space Vixens & The Secret Garden. Fringe Festival Awards include JUDY: Stonewalled!, Saucy Jack & The Space Vixens. He is also a proud LAC Community Investment Grant Investment recipient. He has worked as an artistic director, producer, director, actor, singer, voice teacher/coach, acting teacher/coach & workshop leader. Scroll down for full list of awards below…

He served as Artistic Director at The Port Stanley Festival Theatre in Port Stanley, ON, and at The Bluewater Summer Playhouse in Kincardine, ON. Rick created the professionally engaging (CAEA) theatre company in London, ON, a missing link theatre company (amltc). In its two seasons amltc staged JUDY: Stonewalled! (Outstanding Cast Award – London Fringe 2014), Billy Bishop Goes To War, A Really RETRO Christmas Special – 2014, 2013 & 2012, VIGIL (2013 Brickenden Award Winner – Outstanding Comedy & Actress), The World Premiere Production of  Norm Foster’s The Great Kooshog Lake Hollis McCauley Fishing Derby & A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline.

Rick is the Artistic Director of LINK theatre which began in December of 2015 with a really Retro CROONER Christmas. The show has become an annual production. Since 2015 the show toured the Province of Ontario. The Crooners visited Huron Country Playhouse, Drayton Festival Theatre, Meaford Performing Arts, to name a few… In 2020, due to Covid, the show had only two live performances at Paradigm Spirits at 100 Kellogg Lane – a stripped down version of the show called, An Intimate Crooner Christmas. In 2021 the show enjoyed a limited tour. (Check out LINK theatre’s page for information – www.linktheatre.ca). In 2017 LINK staged the OUTRAGEOUS musical comedy Saucy Jack & The Space Vixens. Due to being wildly popular with audiences, it was remounted in 2018… Both productions were presented in The TABU Lounge at Jack’s on Richmond Street in London.

Some favourite acting credits include: Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens, JUDY: Stonewalled!, The Rocky Horror Show, Songs From The Bar… and one more for the road , My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, The Wild Guys, Toronto, Mississippi and Side By Side By Sondheim.

Some favourite directing credits include: The Secret Garden: A Musical, JUDY: Stonewalled!, Billy Bishop Goes To War, Vigil, the World Premiere Production of Norm Foster’s The Great Kooshog Lake Hollis McCauley Fishing Derby, A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline for amltc, Hedwig & The Angry Inch for the London Fringe festival 2012, Wang Dang Doodle for the Grand Theatre in London, Steel Magnolias for the University of Windsor’s, School of Dramatic Art, Sweeney Todd for the University of Western Ontario, Mary’s Wedding, A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline, The Wild Guys, Suds: The Rocking ‘60’s Musical Soap Opera & Forever Plaid & the World Premiere Production of Norm Foster’s Storm Warning for The Bluewater Summer Playhouse, Maggie’s Getting Married, Pith, You’ll Get Used To It! The War Show & Bordertown Café for the Port Stanley Festival Theatre.

Rick has created, produced and performed in a variety of Jazz/Swing/Musical Theatre themed shows such as the The Crooner Christmas Show, The Crooner Show, An Intimate Crooner Christmas, a really Retro CROONER Christmas show, a Really RETRO Specials, Songs From The Bar …and one more for the road, From Broadway to Jazz…, A Holiday Celebration of Jazz…, Broadway Lights & Hot Summer Nights, A New Years Eve Celebration of Swing…, The Gangsters of Swing & What Happens In Vegas… Other projects are currently in the works…

Rick has been very involved in many youth mentorship initiatives at the Grand Theatre in London. For 10 years Rick worked as Vocal/Singing Coach on The Highschool Project; Les Miserables (2016), Hello Dolly, The Addams Family: A New Musical, Legally Blonde, My Fair Lady, Footloose, Anything Goes, Grease, The Pirates of Penzance & Les Miserables (2007). As well as having worked with The Grand Academy for several years as the acting coach & voice through Broadway Songs instructor.

Rick has been a returning adjudicator with the RISE 2 FAME Youth Talent Search at the Western Fair in London, ON with contestants from across Southwestern Ontario. He has taught acting at both Fanshawe College in the Acting Program as well as UWO’s Continuing Studies and the Don Wright Faculty of MusicMaster’s Program. Rick teaches Private Singing & Acting classes from his home Studio in London, ON.

Lesley Andrew has made soloist appearances with many of Canada’s finest orchestras and choirs, including the Vancouver, Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo, Kingston, Hamilton, Guelph symphony orchestras, Weston Silver Band, Toronto Concert Band, Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra, Brott Summer Music Festival, Stratford Summer Music, and the Shenandoah Bach Festival (VA, USA).  Ms. Andrew’s recordings have often been heard on CBC Radio.  Known for her extraordinary vocal range and versatility in many genres of music, Ms. Andrew often “switches hats,” performing as the soprano soloist for one engagement and as the alto soloist for the next – from opera to show tunes, oratorio to jazz.

Immediately following the completion of her undergraduate degree, Ms. Andrew began an extended tenure with the Stratford Festival, performing in productions including The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, Twelfth Night, Cyrano De Bergerac, Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Music Man and Patience.  Other theatrical performances include Menotti’s The Telephone and Hopkin’s Three’s Company at the Guelph Spring Festival (featuring and directed by Ms. Andrew). Most recently, Ms. Andrew directed La Boheme (Southern Ontario Lyric Opera), receiving rave reviews as “SOLO’s best production yet!” for her creative direction and use of space.

Ms. Andrew has completed a number of major concert and recital tours, including Argentina (2005), England/Austria/Germany (1989/1990 – Canadian Concert & Jazz Band), the 1999 World Tour aboard the QE II, two USA tours (2002/2003-California/Arizona/Florida/Texas) and a Canadian tour with The Lesley Andrew Trio (2004-Vancouver/Manitoba/Ontario).

A recipient of many awards, including a Canadian Opera Company Scholarship, and the Maureen Forrester Guthrie Award (The Stratford Festival), Ms. Andrew now adjudicates and conducts masterclasses at festivals, universities and schools of music and drama around the world (voice – classical, Broadway and pop, choral music and speech arts classes.)  While living in Stratford, Ms. Andrew was twice nominated as Stratford’s  “Citizen of the Year.”  Ms. Andrew now runs her thriving voice and drama studios – Dream in Progress Productions – in both London, Ontario and Windsor, Ontario.   As a director, Ms. Andrew is much in demand in the genres of musical theatre and opera.  Ms. Andrew’s intensive theatre and music program for youth, Summer Glee, is now in it’s twenty-fifth year. More programs are now being offered each summer in communities across Ontario in order to accommodate growing enrollment.  Ms. Andrew is thrilled to be the Head of Vocal Music for George Brown College, School for Media & Performing Arts, Toronto, Ontario.

Ms. Andrew has made special guest television appearances on The Tonight Show, Oprah Winfrey, To Tell the Truth, Donny & Marie, The Comedy Network, YTV, Regis & Kathy Lee and many more.  A popular motivational speaker, Ms. Andrew is engaged across Canada by Educators, Universities, Corporations, Service Clubs and Student Organizations.

Ms. Andrew’s professional activities have included teaching and stage directing appointments at Wilfrid Laurier University (Opera), as well as the Universities of Windsor (Vocal Pedagogy, Studio Voice; Faculty of Music, and The Creative Process; School of Dramatic Arts) and Western Ontario (Studio Voice, Opera – director, Shakespearean drama).  As a pedagogue, Ms. Andrew is very involved with the W Ross Macdonald School for the Visually Impaired in Brantford, Ontario, where she helps create and run arts programs for exceptional children.  While maintaining a full teaching schedule in her private studios (London and Windsor) Ms. Andrew continues to work as a soloist, collaborative recital artist, stage director, adjudicator, and motivational speaker.  Most recently (2018), Ms Andrew performed the role of “Marcellina” in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, “Alice” in A … My Name Is Alice, the mother in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors (Abridged Opera) and Mrs. McLean in Floyd’s Susannah (Pek Productions).

Kathleen began her studies of the harp with Nora Bumanis, harpist of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and completed her music degree with a focus on harp performance at McGill University, studying under Jennifer Swartz, of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. She has also taken lessons with highly respected performers Judy Loman and Lori Gemmell.

Beyond her university training, she has over 20 years of experience as a freelance harpist, contributing to the vibrant musical communities of southwestern Ontario, through performances in orchestral settings, chamber music, church music, musical theatre productions, and accompaniment of vocalists and choral ensembles. Kathleen has a special love for choral and vocal accompaniment, and performs regularly with choirs in London Ontario and surrounding centres. She has collaborated with dozens of choral groups over the course of her career, including Amabile choirs, Chor Amica, Fanshawe Chorus London, Karen Schuessler Singers, choirs associated with Western University, and many church choirs.

Outside of her performance and teaching work, she enjoys helping musicians prevent and overcome playing related injuries, and assists other individuals regaining functional skills, in the context of her work as an occupational therapist.

Gina Farrugia is a jazz musician and educator from Southwestern Ontario who studied voice, violin and arts admin at the University of Waterloo and started her career in Hamburg, Germany. She regularly performs with Peter Karle and with jazz and big bands, country bands, church gigs and contemporary multidisciplinary projects. She has performed on a train, on the roof of a car, a Christmas parade float, a riverboat and on a firetruck. She loves when music genre lines are blurred and likes nothing better than talking shop with fellow musicians and getting the stories first hand from the masters.

Throughout his undergraduate degree in the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University, Peter actively sought out diverse musical projects to hone his craft as a musician. Along with private classical guitar with Robert Kubica, Peter served as Guitarist and Rhythm Section Leader with the Western University Jazz Ensemble.

Peter has also sought out conducting opportunities outside of the faculty to continue his spirit for giving music. Peter served at the 2014-2015 Western Chamber Ensemble (orchestra division) as director under the tutelage of conductor Alain Trudel. He also served separately as Producer/Music Director/Conductor for Theatre Western’s Xanadu (2013) and Rent (2014) and Into The Woods (2015).

Peter is currently performing as a leader/sideman and session player with various styles of groups around London Ontario. He also takes great pride in being a musical mentor, both as a private teacher and as an instructor at London’s Academy of Music.

Peter has produced a number of productions on the Aeolian stage including a tribute to Miles David, the Police, and David Bowie.

Laurraine Sigouin has appeared as a singer at Maggie’s, Aeolian Hall, Restaurant Ninety-One, London Music Club, Jazz by the Bog, London Jazz Society, and at the long-standing “Jazz for the People” concert series. She is a proud member of the wonderful vocal ensemble Mosaic, which has performed at the Home County Folk Festival and the Montreal Jazz Festival. She also performs with LP Soul, a collective of soul-loving musicians who are passionate about creating a musical experience that moves and grooves. Along with Jake Levesque, she founded Enchanté which has been serving up a bilingual mix of jazz and other styles of music to London area audiences since 2004. Their motto is “Laissez les bons temps rouler!”, which is French for “Let the good times roll!”.

My full name is Arda Tanıl Kersü from Turkey. Here in Canada, I am a student studying electronics and embedded system development. I play all kinds of guitars whether it is acoustic or classical, but I mainly play the electric guitar for the longest time now.