About Us
The Singer's Theatre
The Singer's Theatre was started as a means for young talent in this community to have an opportunity to perform extraordinary music and theatre in a semi-professional learning environment. We value safe and healthy singing and optimum involvement of all participants in performances.
You can contact us at 519.496.6347 or amanda@thesingerstheatre.ca. .
Producer/Resident Music Director - Amanda Brunk An active musical director and voice instructor, Ms. Brunk earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and remains a student of the constantly evolving field of Vocology, having recently been published in the esteemed Journal of Singing. She maintains memberships with The National Association of Teachers of Singing and The Voice Foundation and has completed several courses over the years, including The Voice Foundation 3rd Annual Voice Symposium: Voice Evaluation and Treatment - Medical and Therapeutic Considerations (Voice & Swallowing Center of Maine), NATS Vocology Seminar (Princeton, NJ) and The Institute of Voice Performance Pedagogy (Oberlin, OH), and has completed the Kodaly course on Teaching Music Literacy (Wilfrid Laurier University).
She has adjudicated voice competitions in Canada and the United States, and has attended courses and sessions in voice disorders and rehabilitation in New York, Philidelphia and Hamilton, ON. Her students have performed as members of the company at The Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada, Drayton Festival Theatre and Theatre and Company, and have starred in T.V.'s Degrassi: The Next Generation and My Life as a Dog. Others have gone on to study performance at Sheridan College, The University of Western Ontario, the Randolph Academy and Wilfrid Laurier University, among others. Amanda now maintains a voice studio where she coaches singers of all ages in technique, interpretation and expression through private lessons and masterclasses, and is the founder of the Kitchener-Waterloo based production company The Singer's Theatre. Amanda is the vocal director for LMC Productions cruise line shows as well as the annual Hope Benefit at the Centre in the Square. Favorite musical direction credits include My Fair Lady (RCMPI), Parade, Les Miserables and Candide (The Singer's Theatre).She continues to produce, direct and perform, with the intent to promote and maintain the integrity of dramatic vocal music.
Resident Director - Gordon Davis Gordon Davis graduated with a degree in Mathematics and English from the University of Western Ontario and later earned his Theatre Arts Specialist at the University of Toronto. He has been a major figure in Drama Education for almost 40 years. For 34 years, he was the theatre Arts teacher at Elmira District Secondary School.
Mr. Davis started the drama program at EDSS in 1971 with 2 classes. Under his direction, the program grew to be one of the most high profile and high quality programs in Ontario. The plays that Mr. Davis entered in the Sears Ontario Drama Festival garnered hundreds of awards and frequent trips to the Ontario Showcase, and have provided models of excellence for students and teachers across the province.
In addition to the honours that his productions have earned, Mr. Davis was named recipient of the Stewart Award for Teacher Excellence in 1990, and was the winner of the 1998 Waterloo Arts Council Award in the performance category for Directing. In 2008 he received the Michael Spence Award from Theatre Ontario for his contribution to young people's theatre, through the Sears Ontario Drama Festival.
Gordon retired from teaching in 2001 to concentrate on a freelance directing career. He is thrilled to be the resident director of The Singers Theatre, to further nurture young singers, providing them with an intense exposure to live theatre with innovative productions of challenging musical works.
Voice Teacher (Tier 2)- Bethany Horst Bethany Hörst received her early training in piano and voice in Kitchener, Ontario. She holds a Masters of Music in Literature and Performance from the University of Western Ontario. Ms. Hörst has participated in several international competitions and was twice honoured as the District Winner and Regional Finalist at the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions. In 2009, she received the Encouragement Award at the Met Regional Finals and was named Vocalist of the Year by Conservatory Canada. Hörst is also a recipient of the prestigious Canadian Opera Grant, the Jacqueline Desmarais Award, and winner of the International Aria Competition. Horst has placed first in the Advanced Singer’s category at NATS and NATSAA, the NYCO Mozart Competition, the Opera Lyra Aria Competition and Conservatory Canada’s Vocal Competition. She has been honoured with UWO’s Board of Governor’s Award, the A. E. Rose Award, the Doris E. Tanton Award and the Abner Martin Music Scholarship. Ms. Hörst has appeared in numerous productions with Opera Lyra Ottawa, Opera Kitchener, UWOpera, KW Musical Productions, L’Opera du Périgord (France) and London Musical Theatre. Roles include Emmie in Albert Herring, both Despina and Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte, Olga in The Merry Widow, and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Agatha in the rock opera Frankenstein, Pauline in La Vie Parisienne, the Witch and the Mother in Hansel and Gretel and many others. Ms. Hörst has sung solo oratorio works with Orchestra London, Laurier Orchestra, Tafelmusik, Menno Singers, Symphony Mississauga, Karen Schuessler Singers, KW Chamber Orchestra, St. Andrews Orchestra, Guelph Chamber Choir, the Grand Philharmonic, Toronto Chamber Choir, NYCO Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra, Oakville Choral Societey and L’Orchestre du Périgord. Ms. Hörst teaches voice, piano, theory and musicianship classes at her studio in Kitchener.
Voice Teacher (Tier 1)- Elizabeth Rogalsky LepockElizabeth Rogalsky Lepock holds an Honours Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Music History (with distinction) from Wilfrid Laurier University where she studied voice under Kimberly Barber, history under Dr. Alma Santosuosso, and vocal pedagogy under Dr. Daniel Cabena. Her teaching experience includes the Choir and Voice Director positions at Ontario Mennonite Music Camp in August 2009, a private studio, and several local private music schools. Elizabeth is also a board member of Waterloo Region National Association of Teachers of Singing Student Chapter. This provides a wonderful venue for dialogue with other local voice teachers. In addition, she continues her voice studies with Victor Martens. This has informed both her singing and her teaching. Elizabeth also brings a wealth of performing experience to her students. While at Laurier, her roles included Sister Constance de Saint-Denis in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, Second Woman in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, and an excerpted role of Alexandra Giddens in Blitzstein’s Regina. Her latest operatic roles consist of Pied Person in Peter Hatch's MyAudia, a new opera produced by Inter Arts Matrix and performed at Stratford Summer Music Festival and at Les Escales Improbables in Montreal, the title role in Amahl and the Night Visitors, the Rich Girl and Match Girl in the SNATS/The Museum sponsored production of The Happy Prince, and The Aunt in Opera Kitchener’s production of Madama Butterfly. Her credits with Opera Kitchener also include chorus singing in their productions of Cosí fan tutte and Die Fledermaus. Additionally, she has recently enjoyed the opportunity to return to exploring recital repertoire in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Noon Recital Series.
Voice Teacher (Tier 1)- Ryan Coulter Ryan Coulter is a Kitchener-Waterloo native with a passion for singing, education, and inclusion. Having personally experienced the value of speech therapy and vocal health practice, Ryan strives to constantly promote a message of healthy singing and speaking not only in his lessons, but in everyday life. Some of Ryan's past and current musical credits include: Eastwood CI Soul Chamber Choir (Director); Urinetown the Musical (JM Drama - Musical Director); Hamilton Habourtown Sound Men's Chorus (Assistant Director); Star Performance Academy (Voice Director/Teacher); Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir (Assistant Conductor); Laurier Singers Chamber Choir (Conducting Assistant); The Happy Prince Opera (WRSNATS - Children's Chorus Director); Acting Up! Inclusive Musical Theatre Camp (The Singer's Theatre - Co-creator/Head Counselor); Voca Mocha Show Choir (Assistant Director). After having completed two years in the Music Program at Wilfrid Laurier University, Ryan transferred to the University of Waterloo where he is currently finishing his Undergraduate Degree in Honours Arts with special attention being paid to the areas of Music, English, Speech Communication, and SMF. Ryan is thrilled to be working with The Singer's Theatre!
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