Our Mission, Vision, Values
MISSION
The Canadian Children’s Opera Company empowers young voices from diverse communities and abilities by providing transformative music education and professional performance opportunities.
VISION
To be the leader in children’s music education and performance that connects and inspires through artistic storytelling while building a community of confident, resilient, empathetic young people.
VALUES
Passion – truly committed in heart, mind, voices and movement
Teamwork – seeking ways to work inclusively, respectfully, and collaboratively
Creativity – giving time and space to discover our own voices and embrace new possibilities
Diversity – in our artistic expression and our community
Mastery – demanding the best in ourselves, each other and how we tell stories
Our Story
Empowering young voices since 1968
Since its founding 55 years ago, the CCOC has grown from a single chorus to a company that expands over six choruses, reaching hundreds of young people and their families annually through its outreach initiatives, professional self-produced operas, commissioning new operas specifically for young voices, and performances and collaborations with other renown artists and leading arts organizations in Canada – including regular appearances with the Canadian Opera Company, and major recording projects like The Monkiest King by composer Alice Ho (2018).
Nurturing young people’s growth and development in becoming confident, kind, empathetic, community-minded, and curious humans, deepening their interest in opera, music and storytelling, and empowering their voices, drives our work.
During a young person’s time at the CCOC they work alongside professional conductors, drama coaches, directors, collaborative pianists, and other guest artists as they explore the many facets of opera. They unlock the power of their voices while learning how to sing healthily and expressively; developing strong vocal, performance, and musicianship skills; and journey towards their full potential by learning about themselves and the world around them through storytelling and music.
The CCOC has a deep and rich history of providing exceptional music education and performance opportunities for young people from all walks of life. We can’t wait to share our full story with you soon.
Our Team
Artistic & Programming

Teri Dunn
Music Director & Conductor, Principal Chorus

CHERYLL CHUNG
Conductor, Youth & Intermediate Choruses, Head of Jr. Division

CHELSEA WOOLLEY
Head of Drama

Christina Faye
Pianist, Principal Chorus

Adine Mintz
Conductor, Apprentice Chorus, and Lead Teaching Artist & Administrator, Opera Kids Online

CAROLINE PAI
Conductor, Ruby Chorus & Pianist, Intermediate Chorus

Stacy Collins
Conductor, Butterfly Chorus, & Pianist, Apprentice Chorus

Evelina Soulis
Pianist, Ruby Chorus

Zoë Gotziaman
Assistant Conductor, Butterfly Chorus
Administration

Katherine Semcesen
Executive Director

Sally Sparrow
Program Manager

Alice Norton-Bell
Registrar & Operations Coordinator

Mala Perera
Bookkeeper
Board of Directors

Maria Ringo
Chair

Cecilia Luko
Treasurer

Danielle Hough

Julie Kobryn

Megan McDonald

Jeff Doner

Ellis Odynn

Teri Dunn
Music Director & Conductor, Principal Chorus
A celebrated singer, conductor, and educator, Teri has been the Music Director of the Canadian Children’s Opera Company since 2015. She also holds the position of Dean of Choral Studies at the St. Michael’s Choir School, where she conducts three of their internationally acclaimed choirs. Her choirs have appeared at Carnegie Hall, at the Vatican, at the Toronto International Choral Festival, and been awarded first prize in the National Competition of Canadian Amateur Choirs.
Besides choral programmes, she has prepared the Children’s Chorus and soloists for numerous Canadian Opera Company productions including La Bohème, Carmen, The Magic Flute, and Hansel and Gretel. She has led several operas with the CCOC including the world premiere of Alice Ho’s The Monkiest King (recorded for CMC) and a European tour of Hans Krasa’s Brundibar. Teri is a recipient of the Leslie Bell Prize in Choral Conducting.

CHERYLL CHUNG
Conductor, Youth & Intermediate Choruses, Head of Jr. Division
Cheryll Chung is a two time recipient of the Elmer Iseler Fellowship in Conducting. She is vastly experienced and a versatile conductor, pianist, and educator.
Ms. Chung is the Artistic Director of Cantabile Chamber Singers, that she founded in 2006. She is on faculty at the Phil and Eli Taylor Academy program, Glenn Gould School, and at the Oscar Peterson School at the Royal Conservatory of Music.
She holds a Master of Music in Conducting, a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. Her mentors are Dr. Doreen Rao, Maestro Raffi Armenian. She has worked with Lydia Adams, Maestro Helmuth Rilling, Simon Carrington, Matthew Halls, Dr. Julia Davids and David Hayes.
Past conducting engagements include: The Heliconian Choir and Orchestra, St. Clement’s Orchestra, CAMMAC, York Region Children’s Chorus, High Park Choirs (now Young Voices Toronto) and Reaching Out Through Music program.

CHELSEA WOOLLEY
Head of Drama
Chelsea Woolley is a playwright, arts educator, and certified teacher. She has written a number of plays for young audiences including, The Mountain which toured Eastern/Central Canada with Geordie Theatre, and later with Spinning Dot Theatre in Ann Arbor Michigan. Chelsea has developed work with, Nightwood Theatre, at The Banff Centre for the Arts, and with the National New Play Network’s Playwright’s Workshop at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC.
As an arts educator, Chelsea has directed musical theatre, and is the creator and program director of the Mixed-Arts Performance Partnership Program which connects young artists living in precarity to professional artistic mentorship. Chelsea holds a BEd and BA from the University of Lethbridge, and is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada’s Playwriting Program. Chelsea’s newest play, Paint Me This House of Love will be produced this season in April at the Tarragon Theatre.

CAROLINE PAI
Conductor, Butterfly Chorus & Pianist, Apprentice &
Caroline Pai has been with CCOC since 2018 as a Junior Division accompanist and BC Conductor (2020). She has her Bachelor degrees in Music and Education at the University of Toronto. Caroline is an educator for middle school strings and band at Toronto French School. She has accompanied various organizations across the GTA and has her own piano studio. When she is not making music, you can find her water colour painting scenes around the city.

Christina Faye
Pianist, Principal Chorus
Christina is an accomplished pianist making her home in Toronto. Originally from Thunder
Bay, Ontario, Christina discovered her love for the collaborative arts at the age of nine when
she began playing for a local children’s chorus. In 2007 she earned a Bachelor of Music from
Brandon University, and graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a Master of
Music in 2009. Christina held the Principal Keyboard position with the Thunder Bay
Symphony Orchestra, as well as collaborative pianist positions at several major summer
music programs, including Opera Nuova, the Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory in
Colorado, Canadian Operatic Arts Academy and the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy.
Christina is the music director and organist at Donway Covenant United as well as being an
in demand collaborative and solo pianist. She works with a number of choirs and
opera/theatre organizations including the New Choir, Canadian Children’s Opera Company,
Nathaniel Dett Chorale, and Opera Atelier. Christina also performs frequently with
instrumentalists, small ensembles and as a soloist, she has toured across North America
and Great Britain and is featured in the Juno nominated sound track for Studio MDHR’s
video game, ‘Cuphead’ and their more recent addition to the game ‘the Delicious Last
Course’. She and soprano Kyra Millan continue to tour their hit opera comedy show ‘Millan &
Faye Present: The Opera!’ across Canada.
Education is also a vital part of Christina’s life, and she maintains a small studio of private
students, coaches professional and amateur singers and has adjudicated for ORMTA. For
several years, Christina has been on staff for the Candian Opera Company’s summer youth
programing, and for TDSB music events.
When not at the piano, Christina is most likely to be found riding her horse, Rain, or
experimenting with vegan baking!

Evelina Soulis
Pianist, Ruby Chorus
Evelina Soulis, classical pianist (ARCT diploma), has experience performing both as a solo artist and collaboratively. She currently runs a successful music studio, and takes great pleasure in inspiring her students to further their love of music.

Stacy Collins
Pianist, Butterfly Chorus & Assistant, Jr. Choruses
Stacy Jolena Collins (B.Mus w. Hons, R.M.T.) has always had a passion for music and music education. She has worked in classical, musical theatre and choral settings, and has over a decade of experience in the field of music education. She graduated with honours from University of Toronto’s Bachelor of Music Education program in 2015, majoring in voice & piano. She studied piano with the late Boyanna Toyich, and voice with Frédérique Vézina and the late Lynn Blaser.
Stacy works as an educator, performer, music director, conductor, and accompanist with many organisations in Toronto. She opened Stacy Jolena Studio in 2018 where she teaches piano and voice lessons, and is a Professor at George Brown College’s Ballet Jörgen Dance Program, providing vocal instruction for their Commercial Dance students. She is truly grateful to teach and share in the Arts, and to see the love for them grow in the next generation.

Zoë Gotziaman
Assistant Conductor, Butterfly Chorus
BMus (UofM ’19, Tracy Dahl). ASL and Deaf Studies (GBC ’21).
Zoë has enjoyed singing in Canzona, Dead of Winter, Manitoba Opera Chorus, The National Youth Choir of Canada, Polycoro, Sehnsucht, University Singers (UofM), and Xara Choral Theatre.
Her current season includes singing in Canzona, being a Toronto Chamber Consort member with the Toronto Chamber Choir, and section lead with Concreamus Chamber Choir.
She also enjoys running around onstage. Favourite roles include Bradamante Alcina (Halifax Summer Opera Festival), Hansel Hansel and Gretel (UofM School Tour), Phoebe Yeomen of the Guard (G&S Society of Winnipeg), and Venèto The Confused Castrato (Little Opera Company).
A passion for education has led Zoë to work with the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, the Canadian Opera Company, Silent Voice, and University Settlement. Her love of music began as a toddler and was nourished throughout her childhood by wonderful choirs, including the CCOC. She looks forward to a fantastic season with the Butterfly Chorus!

Adine Mintz
Lead Teaching Artist & Administrator, Opera Kids Online
Since 2014, Adine Mintz has been a conductor and educator for the CCOC. She is the conductor of the Apprentice Chorus and the primary artist/educator & outreach coordinator for CCOC’s in-school programming, inspiring students all over Toronto by creating original operas with them. With over 25 years of experience conducting operas and ensembles, her past credits include music director of the St. Clement Community Orchestra, director of the music school at Cosmo Music and musical director of Il barbiere di seviglia by Rossini at U of T. She has a Bachelor’s in Music Education and a Master’s in Conducting from the University of Toronto.

Katherine Semcesen
Executive Director
Teri has been the Music Director of the Canadian Children’s Opera Company since 2015.
In addition, she is Dean of Choral Studies at the St. Michael’s Choir School. She has also held conducting posts with the Toronto Children’s Chorus, and the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Her choirs have been awarded first prize in the National Competition of Canadian Amateur Choirs. She has led several operas with the CCOC including the world premiere of Alice Ho’s The Monkiest King and a European tour of Hans Krasa’s Brundibár.
She has prepared the CCOC for Canadian Opera Company productions including La Bohème, Carmen, The Magic Flute and Hansel and Gretel.

Sally Sparrow
Program Manager
Teri has been the Music Director of the Canadian Children’s Opera Company since 2015.
In addition, she is Dean of Choral Studies at the St. Michael’s Choir School. She has also held conducting posts with the Toronto Children’s Chorus, and the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Her choirs have been awarded first prize in the National Competition of Canadian Amateur Choirs. She has led several operas with the CCOC including the world premiere of Alice Ho’s The Monkiest King and a European tour of Hans Krasa’s Brundibár.
She has prepared the CCOC for Canadian Opera Company productions including La Bohème, Carmen, The Magic Flute and Hansel and Gretel.

Alice Norton-Bell
Registrar & Operations Coordinator
Alice Norton-Bell is an arts administrator and programmer with a background in libraries, archives and museums. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s iSchool having earned both a Master of Museum Studies and a Master of Information with concentrations in library and information science, as well as archives and records management in 2018.
Alice has a detailed history of work and volunteer experience with past roles for the Museum of Inuit Art, the Multicultural History Society of Ontario, the Toronto Public Library, the Toronto Railway Museum, the John M. Kelly Library, and most recently one of Toronto’s six local arts service organizations, Scarborough Arts.
She is passionate about the field of arts and culture and is thrilled to be able to continue to support and promote the incredible artistic programming and opportunities being offered by the CCOC alongside a team of talented leaders, artists, and administrators!

Mala Perera
Bookkeeper
Our CollaboratIONS
As a cornerstone of our commitment to artistic excellence, the CCOC has performed with renowned artists, composers, and institutions.
These unparalleled performances infuse our program with a level of exposure and expression that prepares our young people to play a leading role on the global stage. The experiences make a lasting impression on singers, instilling in them the belief that their voice has meaning and power in this world and that their opportunities for their success, through connection and community, are abundant.
The highlights coming soon will offer a look at just some of the incredible opportunities afforded to Toronto and the GTA’s youth through COC’s one-of-a-kind programming.