Soprano Allison Cecilia Arends is a graduate of Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Program, the University of Toronto Opera School (M.Mus) and the University of Victoria Voice Performance Program (B.Mus). Having performed across Canada, the United States, Germany, Austria, Italy, England, Israel, and China, she is in high demand as an interpreter of opera, oratorio, and new music. Allison toured with the Brahms Symphony Orchestra across China in a series of Viennese concerts, and was honoured to perform at Rideau Hall, as well as for International Dignitaries in Calgary and Toronto. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including the Hnatyshyn Foundation Artist’s Grant, a Metropolitan Opera Encouragement Award, and a B.C Arts Council Senior Award, among others. In addition to her performing, Allison maintains a busy private music studio in Toronto, is a voice examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music, and regularly adjudicates music festivals from coast to coast. Having formerly taught for St. Michael’s and Timothy Eaton Memorial’s Choir Schools, Allison has conducted choral, vocal, and educational workshops and masterclasses for the Edna Manley Music College in Jamaica, University of Mississippi, British Columbia Provincial Music Festival, Grande Prairie Music Teachers’ Association, Regina Conservatory of Music, Ryerson Oakham House Choir, Opera Atelier, and the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
Junior Piano: Liz Craig Liz Craig (B.Mus, ARCT, ARCT, RMT) is an award winning, Toronto-based pianist with a passion for making every event special through live music. She has performed custom tailored live music on the piano for over 600 weddings & events in southern Ontario since 2013. She is the proud recipient of over 180 5 star reviews across WeddingWire & Google making her one of the highest rated musicians in the GTA. She has won the 2022 Toronto Choice Awards with EventSource.ca, the 2019 Knot.comBest of Weddings Award for the Ensembles & Soloists category and she has also won the WeddingWire Couples Choice Award back in 2016. While classically trained, Liz performs a wide variety of styles of music including her own arrangements of the newest popular tunes. Her song list is over 1000 and counting! She loves collaborating with other musicians to create duos, trios etc. with her most popular duo being piano & violin. She enjoys fruitful relationships with many of the cities' top venues and wedding planners and enjoys being part of a flourishing industry!
Besides performing regularly, Liz has been teaching piano and music theory lessons full time since 2006. She offers a student-centered curriculum which focuses on developing musical literacy from beginning to advanced levels. Her students thrive in their musical life, often becoming known as the "piano kid" at their school, performing all over Toronto and getting paid professional gigs as well as becoming piano teachers themselves.
In her formative years, she had the privilege of studying with Juilliard alumnus Dr. David Moroz at the University of Manitoba where she graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance. She also holds ARCT Diplomas in both Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy. Since 2015, Liz has adjudicated at 12 different musical festivals and became a member of the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicators’ Association, the RCM College of Examiners and the Conservatory Canada examining team. She is an active member of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association where she serves as Past President & Secretary of the Central Toronto Branch.
Liz has been interviewed on both the Top Music and Full Voice podcasts due to her unique perspective as an entrepreneur in both the wedding and music teaching industries. She has been known to put her passions into words for the CMT Magazine, Notes Magazine and the topmusic.coblog. Liz keeps her finger on the pulse of current music education and business trends by attending and presenting at conferences throughout North America.