The Carnival of the Animals

^{Summer 2025}

Rafael Payare’s prodigious musicianship, technical brilliance and charismatic presence on the podium have made him one of the world’s most sought-after conductors. A graduate of the celebrated El Sistema music education program in Venezuela, Mr. Payare began his formal conducting studies in 2004 with José Antonio Abreu. Since winning the prestigious Malko International Competition for Young Conductors in Denmark in 2012, Maestro Payare’s career has advanced rapidly. Since 2015, he has served as Principal Conductor of the Castleton Festival, founded by his mentor the late Lorin Maazel. He was Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Ulster Orchestra from 2014 to 2019 and in 2019, took up the position of Music Director of the San Diego Symphony. In recent years, Rafael Payare has conducted many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including those of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Zurich, Berlin, Vienna, London, Munich, Chicago and Paris. He has also made important opera debuts at the Glyndebourne Festival, Stockholm’s Royal Swedish Opera, the Royal Danish Opera, and most recently at London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. In the 2022-2023 season, Payare became the ninth Music Director in the history of the OSM.

To consult:
rafaelpayare.com
Long biography

Created in March 2021, in Montreal, by Allison Migeon (General Manager) and Brandyn Lewis (Artistic Director), Ensemble Obiora is the first Canadian classical music ensemble, composed essentially of professional musicians from culturally diverse backgrounds. Ensemble Obiora’s mission is to promote musicians from different cultural backgrounds in order to increase their representation on the classical music scene, and to program works by composers from different origins whose music is little known or little considered.

Founded on the 3D principle – Diversity, Discovery and Diffusion – Ensemble Obiora’s ambition is to breathe new life and diversity into classical music in Canada, to create a sense of belonging within hitherto under-represented communities, and to inspire the next generation of classical musicians.

Originally from Los Angeles, pianist Jerome de los Santos is noted for his passionate and deeply personal approach to performance. Based in Montreal, he holds degrees from the Schulich School of Music of McGill University and the Cleveland Institute of Music and has received further training at the Aspen Music Festival and School, Todi International Music Masters, MusicFest Perugia, and the Académie internationale vocale de Lachine. This summer, he was a Lehrer Vocal Piano fellow and répétiteur for Bizet’s Carmen at the prestigious Music Academy of the West, receiving the Linda Seltzer Yawitz Scholarship in Vocal Piano. A natural collaborator, Jerome’s affinity for exploring language and music has led him to a wide-ranging career in opera, art song, music theatre, dance, and other forms. He is in demand as a ballet pianist and serves as a member of the music staff at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.

He has been featured in concert with McGill’s Schulich Singers across Ontario and Quebec, including at Canada’s National Arts Centre. Last season’s highlights include his position as assistant pianist for L’incoronazione di Poppea, L’elisir d’amore, La Traviata as well as his collaboration with the Ensemble Obiora under Dinuk Wijeratne. The 2024–2025 season at the Opéra de Montréal includes his role as assistant pianist for Il barbiere di Siviglia, Le phare, L’Enfant et les sortilèges, and La bohème. Jerome is an artist-in-residence with the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal.

Member of the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, Jerome is generously sponsored by Antoine Chagnon and Antonio Vieira.

John Kofi Dapaah is an emerging pianist crossing the boundaries of the classical and jazz world. Praised for his “..charisma, rhythmic drive and communicative power..”, John has performed in recitals and concerts in Japan, Austria, Mexico, the U.S. and throughout Canada. He has played in concert series’ such as festival Internacional de piano en Blanco y Negro (Mexico City), Chamberfest (Ottawa), Music Niagara (Niagara) in venues such as the Blas Galino Auditorium, the National Arts Centre (Ottawa), Salle Pierre-Mercure (Montreal) amongst others. John made his orchestral debut with the Gatineau Conservatory Orchestra playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 23. Since then, he has appeared with numerous orchestras including the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Georgian Bay Symphony and the Ensemble Obiora. His playing has been broadcasted on TV and radio programs such as the CTV and CBC radio. John has released 2 albums to date – his debut solo album, “Reflections” featuring works by Chopin, Bach/Petri, Schubert and Schumann, and a jazz Christmas album “Have Yourself A Jazzy Little Christmas” with his trio and vocalists Roxanne Goodman and Michael Curtis Hanna. John will be releasing a new solo album in early 2026 entitled “Encore” featuring original arrangements of jazz standards. John concertizes throughout Canada as a soloist and collaborative pianist with ensembles such as Ensemble Obiora. He also runs one of Ottawa’s premiere piano studios, Piano Place.