Canadian tenor Graeme Linton centres his work on storytelling through music. His diverse interests, from early music, art song repertoire, and Romantic opera to contemporary works, have been shaped by his Graduate Diploma and Bachelor of Music in Voice and Opera from McGill University and his Master’s degree in Vocal Performance with a concentration in Staged Voice from the University of Victoria. His academic development has been grounded in performance across choruses, operatic productions, and solo recital.
Recent performances include appearances at the Banff Centre as Nick in Poul Ruders’ The Handmaid’s Tale, and with Opera Kelowna as Giuseppe in Verdi’s La Traviata. Symphonic works include Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 Resurrection and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria as soloist with the University of Victoria Symphony. Other appearances include the Evangelist in Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium with the Victoria Philharmonic Choir, the Usher in Verdi’s Rigoletto with Pacific Opera Victoria, and as Bill in Jonathan Dove’s Flight at Opera Nuova. This season includes Aeneas in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with the Victoria Philharmonic Choir, and appearances with Pacific Opera Victoria in Puccini’s Tosca and Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice.
Outside of music, Graeme works as a rock climbing instructor and ACMG-certified coach, and remains active in the Vancouver Island climbing community

Wallis Lucas is a dynamic soprano and passionate advocate for new works. Recent and upcoming credits (asterisk denotes world premiere) include workshops at the Banff Centre for Performing Arts, Time to Act* (Pittsburgh Opera), The Magic Flute (Stafford Opera Troupe), Sirens vs. Amazons* (Thousand Bridges Opera), The Marriage of Figaro (Opera de Metro), Naughty Marietta (Opera Project Columbus), The Last Five Years (Steel City Cabaret), Agnus Teaches Acting* (New Hazlett Theatre), La donna del lago (Resonance Works), Alcina (Carnegie Mellon University). This season, she also received an Encouragement Award at the Minnesota District Laffont Competition.
Wallis holds a Bachelor of Music from Furman University and a Master's from Carnegie Mellon university. She also completed a performance certificate at CMU, where she developed and premiered new chamber and orchestral pieces alongside student composers. A Georgia native, Wallis was a state champion 2-baton twirler three years in a row. 
@wallissoprano | www.wallislucas.com

Christian Matta is an Italian-Canadian tenor finishing his Masters of Music in Operatic Performance at the University of Toronto, studying under soprano Wendy Nielsen. Praised for his warm lyric tone and “comfortable stage presence” (Opera Canada), he is developing a versatile repertoire across opera, concert, and contemporary music. His recent roles include Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, and Gastone in La Traviata. He has appeared as a soloist in major oratorios such as Handel’s Esther and Messiah at Koerner Hall, Mozart’s Requiem, and Vivaldi’s Gloria, and has trained in masterclasses with artists including Jason Ferrante, Alain Coulombe, and Ambur Braid.
This is Christian's second year in Banff, where last year he appeared as the Evangelist in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and in the premiere of Karim Al-Zand’s A Stranger’s Case. This summer, he will be performing as Pluto in Orfeus in the Underworld with Toronto City Opera, and looks forward to workshopping new works at Banff. 

Cameron Mazzei is an Italian-Canadian tenor from Toronto, Ontario. He a recent graduate of the University of Toronto’s esteemed Opera School, receiving his Diploma in Operatic Performance, studying under the tutelage of tenor Dr. Darryl Edwards. 
Cameron holds both a Masters in Music Literature & Performance and Bachelors of Music Performance degree from Western University, studying with Dr. Sophie Roland and Theodore Baerg respectively. In addition, Cameron has worked with several notable artists across Canada and the United States, including Allan Glassman, Russell Braun, Tracy Dhal, Colin Ainsworth, and Judith Forst. 
An active performer in the GTA opera scene, some of Cameron’s recent performance highlights include Beppe in I Pagliacci (Toronto City Opera), Ferrando in Così fan tutte (Opera York, UofT Opera), Nemorino in L’elisir d’Amore (North York Concert Orchestra), Le Remendado in Carmen (Chicago Summer Opera), the Narrator in Bach’s Coffee Cantata (Opera by Request), The Magician in The Consul and Lucano/Primi Soldati in L’incoronazione di Poppea, (NUOVA Vocal Arts). Most recently, Cameron premiered the role of Victor in Benjamin Gabby’s The Scholar as part of Arcady Ensemble’s 2026 Opera Showcase. With UofT Opera, Cameron’s role highlights include Fadinard in Il cappello di paglia di Firenze, Demodocus in Castaway, and premiering the role of Alexander in Lysistrata: Reimagined as part of their Student Composers Collective.

Serbian-Croatian-Canadian mezzo-soprano Maria Milenic “displays a rich, full sound” (LudwigVan Toronto). Originally from Newmarket Ontario, Maria is a sought-out artist who has performed in Canada, Italy, Germany, and beyond. She is a current member of Calgary Opera’s McPhee Young Artist Development Program. Her season included singing the role of Cio Cio San’s Mother in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Mother/Grandmother in Barab’s Little Red Riding Hood, as well as Sandman in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. A University of Toronto alum, Maria holds a double major in both voice performance and French language studies. She is also a graduate from the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory, having completed an Advanced Artist Diploma. Maria is a multidisciplinary artist who is regularly involved in contemporary opera. One of her highlight roles includes Minskwoman in Dove’s Flight, performed on the Koerner Hall stage. She has also been a featured artist in the 21C Festival, where she had the honour of premiering Chaya Czernowin’s piece The Habekhi (The Crying), written for mezzo-soprano, ensemble, and electronics, during which she gave a “remarkable performance with weird outwardly sounds somewhere between singing and crying” (Operaramblings). Last year, Maria was a finalist in the Homage to Maria Callas international competition and was a special prize award winner. 

Tarané is a soprano who recently completed her Bachelor of Music in Voice at the University of Victoria, where she studied with Benjamin Butterfield. Originally from Iran, she moved to Canada in 2017 to pursue advanced musical training and has since developed a strong focus on opera and art song.
In early March 2026, she presented her graduation recital, marking an important milestone in her artistic development. She has also gained professional stage experience as a chorus member with Pacific Opera Victoria, most recently in Puccini’s Tosca, where she worked alongside leading artists in a fully staged production.
Alongside performance, Tarané is interested in the expressive relationship between text, colour, and sound in music. She also enjoys visual design and often creates her own concert gowns, bringing together her interests in artistry and presentation.
She looks forward to continuing her studies in a Master’s program beginning in September and is excited to further develop her artistry and collaborative skills at the Banff Summer Opera Program.

Anna is a mezzo-soprano from Ontario with a voice described as “rich and expressive.” She recently appeared with Grand River Opera singing the role of Schwertleite in Die Walküre. Last summer she sang the role of New Ofglen in the Banff Centre for the Arts’ production of The Handmaid’s Tale. Anna has a Master’s degree in Opera from UBC and a Bachelor’s Degree in Voice from Western University. While attending UBC, she sang the role of Olga Olsen in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene and Madame de la Haltière in Jules Massenet’s Cendrillon, in addition to many other roles with the UBC Opera Ensemble. Last year, Anna performed as a soloist with the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra. In 2023, she took part in La Musica Lirica’s young artist program, singing the role of Leonora in Scarlatti’s Il Trionfo dell’onore. When not singing, you might find her in the woods somewhere hugging trees.

Praised for being "fully formed musically and dramatically" (Opera Canada), Canadian soprano Kelsey Ronn is a versatile vocalist known for her euphonious tone, florid coloratura, and warm timbre. She performs actively as a soloist, competitor, and operatic vocalist throughout Canada, the United States and Europe.
This season, Kelsey was engaged with Calgary Opera's McPhee Artist Development Program, where she made several role debuts including Kate Pinkerton and the Aunt in Madama Butterfly, the title role in Little Red Riding Hood and Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia.
Last season, she charmed audiences as The Squirrel in Nino Rota’s The Witty Squirrel and was appointed the Norina (Cover) in Calgary Opera’s production of Don Pasquale. 
A sought-after performer, Kelsey is an alumna of Opera Kelowna's VOSI Program and L'Institut canadien d'art vocal in Montreal, QC. She holds degrees from the University of Manitoba (BM) where she was mentored by Tracy Dahl and McGill University (MM) where she studied under Joanne Kolomyjec and Dominique Labelle.
She brings a passion for acting to every role she embodies and is dedicated to sharing her voice with the world through performing and teaching.

Sloane Ryan is a soprano from Ogdensburg, New York. Sloane recently completed her first year with University of Toronto Opera where she is pursuing her Master of Music in Opera Performance, studying under Wendy Neilsen. At University of Toronto, Sloane has portrayed Poeta in Donizetti’s Viva la Mamma, Lucia in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, and Medea in the world premiere of With the telling comes the magic: Tales from antiquity to present day. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice Performance from the Steinhardt School of Education, Culture, and Human Development. During her time at NYU, Sloane performed the role of Krysia in Heggie’s Two Remain. She also covered the role of Roselinde in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus. Other credits include The Sandman in Hänsel und Gretel and a Knabe in Die Zauberflöte.

Ashley Schneberger is a mezzo-soprano from Cochrane, Alberta, recognized for her expressive performances and commitment to artistic growth. She holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Manitoba, where she studied with Tracy Dahl, and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Lethbridge under the guidance of Dr. Janet Youngdahl.
Ashley has performed a wide range of repertoire with companies including Little Opera Company of Winnipeg, Good Mess Opera Theatre, Manitoba Underground Opera, and NUOVA Vocal Arts. With the University of Manitoba Opera Theatre, her roles have included Augusta Tabor (The Ballad of Baby Doe), Madame de la Haltière (Cendrillon), and Ottone (L’incoronazione di Poppea). Internationally, she has performed with Chicago Summer Opera.
Concert highlights include Alto Soloist in Handel’s Messiah and A Traditional Christmas with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, as well as Berlioz’s Les nuits d’été and Bach’s St. John Passion. A recipient of multiple awards, Ashley was a finalist in the National CFMTA Voice Competition, earning the Best Musical Diversity prize for Ian Cusson’s Where There’s a Wall. She maintains a private voice studio and is passionate about arts education. Upcoming engagements include revisiting Madame de la Haltière (Cendrillon) with Comic(book) Opera and participation in the Banff Centre Summer Opera program in 2026.