Meet the Team

Dr. Zimfira Poloz is a passionate musician, educator, award-winning conductor, and internationally respected adjudicator and clinician. When working with young musicians, Zimfira believes that ‘brilliance has no age.’ By building the finest capabilities and encouraging superb artistry with boundless positive energy, she is able to unleash the creative and musical potential of every child. Dr. Poloz has been decorated with numerous awards, including Honoured Representative of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the city of Hamilton’s VIP Award,  the Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting (Ontario Arts Council), and the King Charles III Coronation Medal for significant contributions to her community and to Canada.
 

Zimfira teaches “Vocal Pedagogy for Young Choirs” at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music. She is a Canadian Representative for Choral Space–International Academy for Choral Arts as well for the Interkultur World Choir Council, and a mentor for ACDA International Activities. She is a Board Member for the World Alliance of Children’s Choirs) and curator/editor for the choral music publisher, Cypress Choral Music.

Zimfira established her musical credentials in Kazakhstan, where she served as founder and principal of the nation’s first choir school. In Canada, prior to becoming Artistic Director of the TCC in 2022, Zimfira conducted at St. Michael’s Choir School, and was Artistic Director of Hamilton Children’s Choir and Young Voices Toronto.

Charissa Bagan, M.Mus. is the Associate Artistic Director of the Toronto Children’s Chorus, President of Choirs Ontario, and a Lecturer in Music at Toronto Metropolitan University. She served as the Artistic Director of the award-winning Bach Children’s Chorus from 2017 to 2024 and was the Junior Choir Conductor at St. Michael’s Choir School from 2011 to 2015.

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Recent projects include serving as Children’s Choir Chorus Master for GFN Productions’ 2024 performance of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers at Meridian Hall and for Opera Atelier's 2022 production of Dido & Aeneas at the Elgin Theatre. She has prepared choristers for performances of St. Matthew Passion with the Peterborough Singers and Carmina Burana with Pax Christi Chorale at the Meridian Arts Centre, and directed singers in a recording project for Canadian artist Eleanor King during Toronto Nuit Blanche 2023.

Charissa's additional engagements include presenting on music literacy at Podium 2024, Canada’s bi-annual conference for choral communities, serving on an assessor committee for the Ontario Arts Council (2024), guest conducting the Toronto Chamber Choir (2024), and adjudicating for the Ontario Music Festivals Association (2023). Upcoming appearances include presenting at OMEA’s 2024 Roots Conference in London, ON, guest conducting the Niagara Children’s Honour Choir in 2025, and adjudicating at the 2025 Kitchener-Waterloo Kiwanis Festival. 

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A nominee for the 2018 Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting, Charissa has also been part of the conducting staff at the Zezere Arts Festival in Portugal, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and Young Voices Toronto. She holds a Master of Music degree from the University of British Columbia, along with extensive musical studies at the University of Toronto and training in Arts & Cultural Management at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton. Additionally, Charissa operates a small studio of private students in piano, voice, and musicianship, and enjoys developing innovative tools and techniques to engage young children in music literacy.

Judith Bean holds a Master of Arts Community Music and an Honours Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance (Wilfrid Laurier University), a Bachelor of Education in Vocal Music (University of Western Ontario), and a number of Kodály and Suzuki piano certifications. Her musical studies take her around the globe as she attends conferences and workshops, as well as serving an elementary music clinician throughout Ontario.

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A teacher with the Waterloo Region District School Board for more than thirty years, Judith has taught vocal music, drama, and dance to children from Grade 1 to Grade 6 at Blue Heron Public School in Cambridge. She is the former director of Menno Youth Singers, directed the Inter-Mennonite Children’s Choir for 7 years, and taught piano and voice at The Beckett School of Music in Kitchener-Waterloo for 18 years. In 2019, she was the conductor of the more than 1000 voice mass children’s choir and Teacher’s Orchestra at the Kodály Choral Festival at the Centre in the Square.

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She is delighted to be a member of the Artistic Staff of the Toronto Children’s Chorus and the Conductor of Pasio Training Choir.

Michael Denomme is a Conductor, Music Educator, and pianist originally from North Bay, Ontario, and is now based in Toronto. Michael holds a BMus in Music Education, as well as an MMus in Choral Conducting from the University of Toronto where he studied with Dr. Jamie Hillman, Dr. Zimfira Poloz and Uri Mayer. While at UofT, Michael worked as the Assistant Conductor of the MacMillian Singers and the Tenor-Bass Choir. He was the recipient of the Elmer Iseler National Graduate Fellowship in Choral Conducting in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, and also received the Faculty of Music’s Teaching Award in 2023, for teaching assistant of the year.

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Outside of the University setting, Michael is extremely passionate about children's choir and community choir, and is ardent about building community through choral singing. He is involved as a conductor at numerous youth and children’s choir organizations, specifically, the Mississauga Children’s Choir, the Toronto Children’s Chorus, and VIVA Singers Toronto. He has also contributed to the organization of multiple provincial treble choir festivals, most recently acting as the project manager for the 2024 Ontario Youth Treble Festival, which hosted 8 choirs and over 300 singers in Toronto for a full day of collaboration and performance.

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Michael has also had the pleasure to participate and conduct in choral conducting workshops across North America, including the Vancouver Chamber Choir’s conducting symposium, the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music’s international conductors training program, and most recently the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Conducting Symposium. Michael also has a deep passion for orchestral conducting, having performed with orchestras across Ontario over the past few years.

Claudia Ferro is an experienced music educator with nearly 20 years of teaching music in GTA high schools and over 30 years running a private studio, where she teaches piano, voice, violin, and theory. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Music in Voice from the University of Western Ontario, a Bachelor of Music Education, and an ARCT in Piano Performance.

Claudia began piano at age four and spent 12 years performing and touring internationally with a competitive choir. She has sung professionally in various choirs, as a soloist in the Greater Toronto Area, and currently serves as Music Director at her parish, where she leads the youth choir and sings regularly.

With a strong focus on vocal education, Claudia is passionate about choral singing, vocal pedagogy, and the Kodály approach.  She is particularly committed to inclusive teaching, cultivating engaging music, and guiding singers to develop their healthiest voices. Claudia is proud to be part of the Toronto Children’s Chorus artistic staff.

Yuan (Alba) is currently in the Doctor of Musical Arts program in Choral Conducting at the University of Toronto, and is the Associate Conductor of Chorus Niagara. As a former Assistant Conductor of Orchestra Toronto, Yuan earned wide recognition and praise for her musicianship and leadership. She previously served as Music Director at Nomad Stages in Stephenville, Newfoundland, where she led her choir to win the Best Choir Award at the Stephenville Rotary Music Festival. During her tenure, she took on the role of Music Director for eleven musical theatre productions. Yuan continued to broaden her artistic work as Music Director for the 46th Stephenville Theatre Festival, a role that highlighted her collaborative spirit and clear artistic vision. She also serves as a guest conductor for the Atlantic Boy Choir.

In addition to her choral accomplishments, Yuan brings a diverse artistic background, having worked for five years as an improvisational theatre actress, film producer, and director, enriching her approach to storytelling and performance.

Saloomeh is a distinguished Registered Early Childhood Educator and elementary school teacher for Kindergarten to Grade 8. She is a Smart Start™ instructor/mentor and theory faculty at The Royal Conservatory’s Oscar Peterson School of Music, where she nurtures young children’s artistic and musical talents through dynamic and innovative teaching methods. Her early passion for music began with piano lessons in childhood, leading her to earn a diploma from the Tehran Music Conservatory. She further refined her musical expertise by studying solfège and harmony under the guidance of Tengiz Shavlokhashvili.

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As an Orff Specialist, Saloomeh has pursued extensive professional development, enriching her teaching approach through programs like Smart Start™, Music in Early Childhood, and Kodály Pedagogy. She designs engaging and developmentally appropriate activities that meet the needs of diverse learners, utilizing movement, singing, instrument playing, and visual arts. Her motivational and humorous style creates a vibrant and joyful learning environment, fostering a lifelong love of music in her students.

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Saloomeh’s dedication to music education is recognized by her receipt of the Lois Birkenshaw-Fleming and Keith Bissell Scholarships, which highlight her leadership and expertise in the field. Additionally, she was the conductor at Sistema Toronto, further showcasing her commitment to community music education. Saloomeh continues to inspire and guide future generations of musicians through her exceptional teaching and mentorship.

Ewa Krzatala-Slomowicz was born in Warsaw, Poland, where she studied harp and piano, before receiving her Master of Arts Degree in Music Education from the Music Education and Dalcroze Eurhythmics Faculty of the Academy of Music in Gdansk. In Canada, Ewa completed her post-graduate courses in Music in Early Childhood with Donna Wood and Kátalin Forrai, Kodály Pedagogy Certificate with Edith Lantos and Orff Pedagogy with Angela Elster.

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Ewa has been on the faculty of the Royal Conservatory Teacher Training and Children’s Department since 1996 teaching music classes for babies and children ages birth to 12 years as well as professional development courses for adults.  In addition, Ewa is Programme Coordinator for The Advanced Certificate in Early Childhood Music Education. Ewa is a national and international clinician and recently presented at the international conferences in Budapest, Hungary, Katowice, Poland and Camrose, Alberta as well as taught a professional development course for early childhood educators in Singapore. A tireless advocate of the importance of music in lives of young children Ewa has served as the President of the Early Childhood Music Association of Ontario for 15 years. Ewa is the recipient of the prestigious International Kátalin Forrai Award (The International Kodály Society, 2017). The core strength of Ewa’s lessons is the emphasis on joyful music making with an underlying emphasis on the art of music itself.

Danette brings over 20 years of dedicated experience in music education to her role with TCC. She holds a B.Mus. in Piano Performance and a B.Mus.Ed. from Memorial University, an A.R.C.T. in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music, and an M.Ed. in Language, Culture, and Teaching from York University. An Ontario Certified Teacher, Danette has developed inquiry-based music programs, led choral ensembles, and performed at concerts and festivals as both a conductor and collaborative pianist.

Her teaching philosophy integrates Orff, Kodály, and Reggio-inspired approaches with inclusive practices that honour every child’s voice. Danette believes deeply in the power of choral music to connect and uplift young people. She is thrilled to be part of this inspiring community and to help nurture a love of music from the very beginning.

Massimo is a Toronto-based Italian-Canadian composer, theorist, educator, and copyist. He was born in Modena, Italy, and completed his doctorate in composition at the University of Toronto. Described by La Scena Musicale as a composer who writes with “a particularly strong melodic inspiration,” Massimo seeks to combine his fondness for lyricism and storytelling through music with a contemporary musical language in his works. He won the Violet Archer Prize for his song cycle Confessions, and the Mississauga Festival Choir Competition for his work Infant Joy, dedicated to his nephew. Massimo’s works have been performed in North America, Europe, and Asia, by artists including the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Mississauga Festival Choir, and Odin Quartet. His piano composition Fantasia Sopra Sei Temi di Puccini features on Alexander Panizza’s album Everything Waits for the Lilacs. An advocate for contemporary music in Canada, Massimo sat on the board of the Canadian League of Composers from 2020 to 2022. 

Outside of composition, Massimo is passionate about music analysis and education and works as a copyist and as a guitar and music theory teacher. He is an associate member of the Canadian Music Centre, Canadian League of Composers, Screen Composer’s Guild of Canada, and Society for Music Theory.

Sam is a Canadian violinist based in Toronto with a strong commitment to music education alongside chamber and orchestral performance. He currently studies Violin Performance at the University of Toronto under Mark Fewer and previously trained at the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Oscar Peterson School.

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Sam has performed with ensembles including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, Orchestra Toronto, and the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra. A former Concertmaster of the A.Y. Jackson Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, he has appeared extensively across Ontario in chamber and orchestral settings, including collaborations with the Toronto Children’s Chorus. He has performed in masterclasses for artists such as Timothy Chooi, Marie Bérard, Mimi Zweig, and Marianne Piketty, and participated in the Royal Conservatory of Music Violin Symposium. His performances have taken place in major venues including Koerner Hall, Roy Thomson Hall, Walter Hall, and Massey Hall.

Beyond performance, Sam is deeply passionate about teaching and pedagogy. He completed the Royal Conservatory of Music Teaching Elementary Violin Pedagogy course with First Class Honours with Distinction and actively teaches violin and music theory, focusing on developing strong technical foundations, musical literacy, and fostering long-term curiosity in young musicians.

For the past 40 years, Joanne has worked as a professional dancer, choreographer, director, producer and performing arts educator. In addition to working with the TCC, Joanne also works with the Hamilton Children’s Choir, McMaster University Choir, and various community theatres, including Theatre Unlimited in Mississauga. She enjoys working in community theatres which, through collaboration, bring together many diverse people from different backgrounds, cultures, age, and race. She has also recently returned to New York City to work with her former professional dance company. 

Monique de Margerie is a concert pianist, collaborative musician and educator. She was trained at the Montreal Conservatory and later at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich. She has taught at the Musik Hochschule in Freiburg, Germany, at Laval University in Quebec City, and at the Koenig American Conservatory in Paris. She has toured as a soloist or collaborator in China, India, Japan, Cambodia, Germany, France, and Italy. In 2011, Monique moved to Toronto where she founded her own music studio, sharing her passion for music, welcoming students as well as coaching musicians from all over the world.

Monique is also a pianist/collaborator at the University of Toronto. 
She has a particular place in her heart for choral music: early on in her career she conducted women's and children's choirs in Freiburg, Germany, and in Quebec City and, more recently, Monique has collaborated in the past with Young Voices Toronto with Zimfira Poloz and worked with conductors such as François Ouimet, Robert Filion, and Mitchell Pady. Her CD's are available on Galley Records: Freiburg 1994, a solo recording of works by Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms and Debussy, and a duo recording, Home Suite Home, with her husband, TSO bassoonist Fraser Jackson.

Described as “an incredibly musical percussionist” and as having an “impeccable sense of time and feel”, Dr. Jamie Drake is a Toronto-based percussionist, drummer and composer, and is the Assistant Professor of Percussion at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. He received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Toronto, where he studied with Dr. Aiyun Huang and Dr. Russell Hartenberger.  He received his Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied with Jack van Geem, and also holds an A.R.C.T. in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. As a member of TorQ Percussion Quartet, he has performed numerous concerts, workshops and educational shows across Canada, the United States and Europe, and has been a soloist with orchestras including the Toronto Symphony, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Buffalo Philharmonic and Kitchener Waterloo Symphony. A busy freelance percussionist, he has performed with Evelyn Glennie, NEXUS, Esprit Orchestra, Continuum Contemporary Music, Soundstreams, Amici, Niagara Symphony, Kingston Symphony, Aradia Ensemble, and more.   

Sheldon began piano lessons at age 10 and, a year later, enrolled at St. Michael’s Choir School in Toronto. Upon graduation he went on to earn a Bachelor of Music degree (Theory and Composition) from the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto with later supplementary studies at the Gaelic College in Cape Breton and the Juilliard School in New York. Sheldon also has extensive choral experience, serving as Director of Music and Organist for more than a decade at St. Clare’s Church (Toronto), as Choirmaster for the Appleby College Chapel Choir (Oakville) and as piano accompanist to the Oakville Children’s Choir for 7 seasons, and for Young Voices Toronto (formerly High Park Choirs) for 16 years thereafter.

Sheldon is also an accomplished and award-wining composer, arranger and orchestrator. Many of his fine choral works have been published by Cypress Choral Music, Rhythmic Trident, and Alliance Music and are available world-wide.

https://www.watermarkmusic.ca

Originally from Nova Scotia, Toronto-based pianist Dakota Scott-Digout has been heard in recital across North America as both a collaborator and soloist, gaining praise particularly for his performances of chamber music and art song. Dakota is an in-demand and passionate educator, maintaining a full studio of piano students. A strong proponent of choral singing, Dakota serves on the artistic staff of the Toronto Children’s Chorus and is the collaborative pianist for Toronto’s VOCA Chorus. He is highly sought as a vocal coach and is a collaborative pianist and coach for undergraduate vocal classes at the University of Toronto.
 

Dakota holds degrees in piano performance from Université de Montréal and Mount Allison University. Currently, he is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Toronto where he was named the 2020 winner of the Gwendolyn Koldofsky Prize in Accompanying, awarded to the top collaborative pianist at the Faculty of Music. His principal teachers have included Stephen Runge, Jimmy Brière, and Steven Philcox. Particularly passionate about French repertoire, Dakota’s research interests are centred around early twentieth century performance practice and the mélodies of Gabriel Fauré.

Hungarian-Canadian pianist Gergely Szokolay enjoys a versatile career as a soloist, chamber musician and vocal coach, and has performed across Europe, North America and Japan. He has worked with renowned artists Josef Gingold, Agnes Grossmann, Marcel Moyse, Aurèle Nicolet, János Starker, Zoltán Székely and Paul Tortelier, and appeared at festivals such as the Bartók Festival in Hungary, Domaine Forget, Festival of the Sound, Orford, Ravinia, and the Toronto Summer Music Festival.

Gergely previously held faculty positions at The Banff Centre’s Advanced Music Program and McGill University’s Opera Studio, and was principal collaborative pianist with the Canadian Children’s Opera Company and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. In 2020, Gergely was visiting artist faculty at Bard College Conservatory, overseeing Bard’s 2020 Contemporary Festival Celebrating the Music of György Kurtág and hosting a panel discussion with the composer. 

A dedicated pedagogue, Gergely maintains a private piano studio and is a piano and theory instructor at Upper Canada College and Havergal College. In 2019 he was awarded a Certificate of Excellence in recognition of his outstanding commitment to music education and his students’ achievements at Crescendo International Competition at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Sabina Rzazade is a pianist from Manitoba and a recent graduate of the Master’s program in Collaborative Piano at the University of Toronto. She has performed internationally, including at the 2014 “Future Stars” competition in Azerbaijan, the 2015 Frederic Chopin Competition in
Estonia, and the 2016 Konstantin Igumnov International Competition in Russia. From 2014 to 2017, she appeared as a soloist with both the Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra and the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra.
 

Since beginning her undergraduate studies at Brandon University in 2017, Sabina has earned numerous awards at provincial and national competitions and festivals. In 2018, she was selected to perform at the opening of Lara St. John and Matt Herskowitz’s concert as part of the Virtuosi Concert Series. That same year, she won the Western Financial Group Tudor Bowl and Encore Competition, followed by another win at the 2019 Encore Competition at the Brandon
Festival of the Arts. In November 2019, she appeared as a soloist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and went on to represent Manitoba at the Canadian National Music Competition in both the solo piano and collaborative piano divisions.