'Autumn Arias' - Soiree and Community Fundraiser

October 16, 2025
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
2025-10-16 19:00:00 2025-10-16 21:00:00 'Autumn Arias' - Soiree and Community Fundraiser 215 Lonsdale Rd. - Community Room. America/New_York

Join us for this community event to support the Academy; 

Music For Life Adult programs, and Instruments and Lessons for Kids in the North.

Live music performances by prominent local opera singers John Holland and Grace Quinsey

as well as classical pianist Vivid Ma, and professional jazz pianist Anthony Kubelka.

Amazing silent auction. Refreshments to be served. Limited space.

NOTE - This event is not at the Academy. The event is at 2Fifteen, 215 Lonsdale Rd. (Avenue and Lonsdale)

About our artists:

Czech-Canadian Bass-Baritone John Holland has embarked on a diverse career of opera, oratorio, and art song. In 2020, John won a JUNO award for a recording of Handel’s Dixit Dominus. His Operatic credits include Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Leporello in Don Giovanni at the Estates Theatre in Prague, Kecal in The Bartered Bride, Purkrabi in Dvořák’s Jakobín, and recently as Belcore in L’Elisir d’amore. He is a frequent performer with The Mississauga Symphony, and also with Opera York. John has also performed at Bachfest in Leipzig (2014, 2022), San Marco in Venice, and has shared the stage with the likes of Placido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, Rene Pape, and Lorin Maazel. Recent recordings include, Bass Soloist for a CD recording of Bach’s Motets, and Handel’s Dixit Dominus, both on the ATMA Classique label. John has been a clinician and vocal coach with No Strings Summer Opera Intensive since 2022, serving as an artist-mentor as Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, Escamillo in Carmen, Papageno in The Magic Flute, and Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte. In the summer of 2025, John was on stage as Captain Corcoran in HMS Pinafore with Opera York, Escamillo in Carmen with Kindred Spirits Orchestra, and Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte with No Strings Theatre. He reprises the role of Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus with Abridged Opera and Windsor Symphony in 2026.

On the podium, John is currently the Artistic Director of both the Toronto Classical Singers and Chorus York, and has been the longtime music director at Blessed Trinity Parish. He has also conducted the choirs at York University, the Ontario Youth Choir, the West Elgin Choral Society, and other choirs around Ontario.
Dr. Holland completed his PhD in Musicology in 2018. His scholarship is focused on the study of Czech Opera, Art Song, and Choral Works. His book, The Lost Tradition of Dvořák's Operas: Myth, Music, and Nationalism was published in 2023 through Lexington Books. In 2024, John co-produced the Year of Czech Music Opera Fest. He is the founder of the Canadian Institute for Czech Music, and a contract faculty member at York University. At Avenue Road Music and Performance Academy, John is the Director of Fundraising and Community Programming, spearheading such initiatives as the Music for Life adult music courses.

 

Soprano Grace Quinsey, born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, has quickly established herself as a force to be reckoned with on the opera stage, becoming well known for her dramatic acting and insightful musical interpretation. Her 2025 season continues to be filled with musical successes, building on a remarkable 2024. In 2026, she takes on Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus with Abridged Opera and the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.

Most recently, she performed Josephine in HMS Pinafore with Opera York. Opera Canada praised her portrayal: “As Josephine, Grace Quinsey was delightful. She was graceful and had an excellent sense of comic timing. Her operatic training shone through in ‘The hours creep on apace,’ as she comfortably tackled some gruelling high notes… her laser-sharp upper register was impressive.”

She also earned acclaim for her Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore with Opera York (“Grace Quinsey’s Giannetta was a vibrant stage presence whose strong voice commanded the audience’s attention… comically and vocally delightful” – Opera Canada, Dawn Martens). As part of the Year of Czech Music Opera Festival, she performed as Mařenka in Smetana’s Prodaná nevěsta (“Grace Quinsey… embodied the role wonderfully well, and she sang with rich tone” – Ludwig van Toronto, Joseph So; “the youngest (and prettiest) Mařenka I have ever seen… better in Czech than the recent COC production” – Masaryk Memorial Institute), and as Terinka in Dvořák’s Jakobín (“Grace Quinsey, who is not just a wonderful singer but a good actress, shone brightly, as usual” – Masaryk Memorial Institute).

Her 2024 season also included debuts as Pamina (Die Zauberflöte, No Strings Theatre) and Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) with the Toronto Concert Orchestra—her favourite role to perform. She was a featured artist at the Canadian Opera Company’s Noon Concert series and frequently engaged for sacred performances with orchestra, including as soprano soloist in Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri. Additional highlights included performances as soprano soloist for Haydn’s The Creation (October 2023), Adele in Die Fledermaus (Opera York, November 2023), and a last-minute appearance as First Lady in Die Zauberflöte (OperOttawa, December 2023).

Her other recent operatic engagements include Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), First Lady & Papagena (Die Zauberflöte, “Grace Quinsey as Papagena [stole] the show whenever she peeked out of her disguise” – Barcza Blog), and Norina (Don Pasquale). She also portrayed Helen & Robin in a workshopped version of Michael Rose’s A Northern Lights Dream. Other past roles include Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Alice (Night Blooming Cereus Flower), and the soprano lead in nearly every Gilbert & Sullivan operetta.

Grace has a comprehensive Cecchetti ballet background and is celebrated for her unique characterization, intelligent musicality, and commanding stage presence. When not on stage, Grace is a software developer and a video game aficionado.

 

Anthony Kubelka is a Toronto based pianist, educator, composer, and arranger who has been playing piano for twenty years, and has over a decade of professional performing experience. He has completed his Royal Conservatory of Music Grade 10 piano certification with First Class Honours, his Bachelor of Music (piano performance) Honours degree at Carleton University (B.Mus 2020), his Master of Music (jazz piano performance) degree at the University of Toronto (M.Mus 2022), and a Graduate Certificate for the Music Scoring for Screen and Stage program at Sheridan College. During his University studies, Anthony received the 2020 University Medal of Music at Carleton University, the Glenn H. Carter Graduate Fellowship In Jazz Performance, and the Antony Roberts Graduate Fellowship. Anthony is also a professional jazz musician, and has played solo piano shows, small duo/trio/ voice shows, and has also played with numerous jazz, funk, blues, and big band ensembles in the Toronto and Ottawa areas. He has performed in a wide variety of venues, such at the Rex, one of Toronto’s top jazz venues, as well as festivals, such as the Ottawa Jazz Festival, and the Beaches Jazz Festival. On a teaching standpoint, Anthony has also been teaching for the last six years, in the areas of piano performance, composition, and ear training, and is well-versed in RCM and jazz theory. Anthony is looking forward to sharing his knowledge with his students at Avenue Road Music and Performance Academy and is excited to help them embark on their musical journey and achieve their goals!

 

Canadian pianist Vivid Ma combines her classical training, including a Master's from the Butler School of Music and performances at venues like Glenn Gould Studio and Massey Hall, with modern entrepreneurship and content creation. With over 10,000 followers across her channels, she's building a bridge between traditional classical music and today's digital landscape, helping musicians navigate both artistry and business. Known for her captivating interpretations of late romantic composers like Rachmaninoff and Schumann, Vivid is redefining what it means to be a 21st-century classical musician.