Soprano – Erika Pryer
Erika Pryer, a coloratura soprano from Victoria, BC, graduated with her Master of Music from the University of British Columbia (UBC), where she also earned her Bachelor of Music in Opera in 2022. Under the guidance of Professor J. Patrick Raftery, Erika is continuing to refine her craft, building on the solid foundation she developed while studying with Soprano Joanne Hounsell.
Erika’s operatic journey has been richly varied. At UBC, she has portrayed a range of characters, from La Modista in Nino Rota’s The Florentine Straw Hat, Stella in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Jay/Cricket in The Cunning Little Vixen, to the First Spirit in Cendrillon. She has also been part of the chorus for productions such as Le Nozze di Figaro, Il Viaggio a Reims, Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, and The Passenger.
After graduation, Erika was thrilled to perform her first role as Mabel with The North Shore Light Opera Society in their production of The Pirates of Penzance. She’s also excited about her upcoming performances in Musical Magic: Disney Edition at the Chan Centre and A Dickens Christmas with the Crescendo Operatic Society.
Erika’s musical journey began at a young age, joining the VIVA Foundation Choir at the age of six and later performing with the Victoria Children’s Choir for several years.- Erika held a choral scholar position at st. Luke’s Anglican Church. She continues to be a beloved guest soloist, and is often found singing there during the holidays. Her early experiences include performing in The Little Mermaid, Harvey, and Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory with Four Seasons Musical Theatre and facilitating character parties as various, in-character singing princesses, at Cafiker Castle.
Erika’s love for music extends beyond performance into education. She has recently started as a vocal teacher at The World of Music and Arts in Richmond. In her studio, Erika strives to create a warm and welcoming environment where students of all ages and skill levels can explore their love of music. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in the bel canto style of singing, which emphasizes purity of tone, agility, and expressive phrasing. Erika is dedicated to ensuring that vocal health is prioritized, helping her students produce resonant, unforced tones that contribute to long-term vocal health and expressive freedom. With her rich background and dedication to her art, Erika Pryer continues to enchant audiences
and contribute to the world of opera with enthusiasm and grace.
Alto – Dinah Ayre
Born into a musical family, mezzo-soprano Dinah Ayre has always had a passion for storytelling through song. Dinah has completed a Music Performance Diploma and Artists Diploma at Vancouver Academy of Music, studying with soprano Robyn Driedger-Klassen and previously with tenor David Meek. She has sung alto in the Vancouver Chamber Choir since the 2017/18 season and also keeps busy singing with a host of other local ensembles, including Belle Voci Chamber Choir & Cathedral Singers, the UBC Early Music Ensemble, as well as for various churches. Dinah has also performed as a soloist with many of these ensembles, and has recently had the pleasure of singing as alto soloist for performances of Handel’s Dixit Dominus, Bach’s Magnificat, and Mozart’s Requiem.
Dinah has a special interest in new music and working with local composers. Some of her favourite projects have included the Vancouver Opera New Works Project, an intensive program designed to create brand-new opera scenes in just two weeks, and premiering the role of ‘Mrs. Lundblad’ in the one-act opera, The Woman Who Borrowed Memories, at the Vancouver Fringe Festival. Dinah was also proud to be part of the audience-selected winning team of Vancouver’s first Art SongSLAM in 2020.
As a personal project, Dinah enjoys performing and recording art songs, and hopes to bring this underappreciated art form more into the spotlight in Vancouver. When she’s not singing, you can find Dinah working at Cheesecake Etc., one of Vancouver’s longest-running dessert restaurants.
Tenor – Steve Froese
Steve’s musical journey began with violin lessons starting at age 4. Since then he has become an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. Steve’s main passion is singing, and he works professionally as both a countertenor and tenor. He has sung his way across many musical genres, from musical theatre on Broadway to Oratorio and early music. He has worked with the Vancouver Cantata Singers, Richmond Chorus, Westcoast Mennonite Chamber Choir, St. Andrew’s Wesley Vocal Ensemble, St. Mary’s Kerrisdale Choir, and Chor Leoni. When not making music, Steve works as an Engineer, RV technical columnist, and occasional computer programmer. He is excited to re-join Vivaldi to lead the tenor section this season after a long hiatus.
Bass – Jack Foster
Jack Foster (he/they) is a multi-hyphenate creative based in so-called Vancouver, BC. Raised in Fredericton, NB, he began taking voice and bagpipe lessons at a young age and joined his first community choir at 14. At the same time Jack joined his high school musical theatre program, the highlight of which was bringing the role of Pooh-Bah in The Mikado to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2010.
In 2011 Jack moved west to attend the UBC School of Music, graduating with his BMus in Voice Performance in 2016. During this time he sang under the direction of Graeme Langager in the University Singers, performing works such as Handel’s Messiah, and Britten’s War Requiem.
From 2013 to 2019 Jack worked as a bass soloist at St. John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church, honing his classical skills. 2018 saw the debut of Jack’s drag queen persona, Tara Beladi, and he began performing in venues around Vancouver as a host, acoustic pop singer and storyteller.
During the 2020/21 lockdown, Jack retreated from choral singing and drag, finding the digital performance formats available dissatisfying. Instead, Jack began writing fiction, leading to the publication of his debut short story in 2023, Drag Mothers.
Presently, Jack sings bass in Phoenix Chamber Choir under Nicholle Andrews and works as lead baritone with the Shaughnessy Heights United Church Choir. He also continues to perform in drag and write stories. Whichever medium he is working in, Jack is interested in exploring the juxtaposition of queer identity and traditional forms. Jack is thrilled to be joining Edette and the Vivaldi Chamber Choir this season!
More information on Jack’s work can be found on socials at @shesterrible_ .
Collaborative Pianist – Karen Lee-Morlang