Artistic Team

Kai Leung

Artistic Director

Kai Leung is a passionate choral conductor, singer, voice teacher, and composer. He is the Artistic Director and Executive Director of the Modern Sound Collective, an organization that provides young choral musicians with accessible opportunities for growth and collaboration. He is also the Artistic Director of Oakville Choral, a dynamic non-audition community choir, promoting choral singing and music appreciation to the communities of Halton and beyond. Additionally, he serves as the Assistant Conductor of RESOUND choir and sings baritone with the TMSingers and the Schola Cantorum of St. Basil's Catholic Church. Kai has sung with the Ontario Youth Choir, the National Youth Choir of Canada, and the World Youth Choir. Kai holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto, where he studied voice and composition. His choral works have been performed by the Vancouver Chamber Choir, the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto, the Vancouver Youth Choir, the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, and many other choral groups around Canada, the United States, and Europe. Kai is the winner of the 2023 Debbie Fleming prize for choral composition, presented by the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Kai's works are available for perusal and purchase on his website and through MSC presents. Kai is the recipient of the prestigious William and Phyllis Waters Graduating Award from the University of Toronto Faculty of Music. This award is presented each year to one graduating student from any stream who is deemed to have the greatest potential to make an important contribution to the field of Music. Kai has also been awarded the Arthur Plettner Scholarship, the Richard I Thorman Award, and the Lloyd Bradshaw Prize. In 2023, Kai was a nominee of the Leslie Bell prize, an award that supports choral conductors in furthering their professional careers and enhancing their choral conducting abilities.

Tyrese Walters

Conductor, Frisson - Assistant Conductor, Datsuzoku

Tyrese Walters (he/him) is a graduate of Western University with a Bachelor of Music with Honours in Voice Performance, where he studied Voice with Prof. Torin Chiles and Conducting with Prof. Kathleen Allan and Dr. Mark Ramsay. In his final year at Western, he co-lead the Student Choral Initiative, a 20 member choir, within the Faculty of Music. He is the recipient of many awards including the Richard G. Manuel Music Award (2022), and the Deral Johnson Award (2022). Tyrese is in his final year of studies at the University of Toronto completing a Master of Music in Choral Conducting, where he holds the Elmer Iseler National Graduate Fellowship in Conducting. Tyrese is an experienced choral singer and conductor. He is the conductor of the low-voice ensemble, “Rocambolesco,” and an associate conductor of the 60-voice youth choir “Frisson” and assistant conductor of the 80-voice young adult choir “Datsuzoku” in the MSC Choirs organisation. He is the Conductor of “Encore” in the Young Voices Toronto organisation. Tyrese has also sung with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale.

Meredith Wanstall

Conductor, Frisson - Assistant Conductor, Concreamus

Meredith Wanstall (she/her) has recently completed a Masters of Music in Choral Conducting at Western University, studying with Dr. Mark Ramsay and Dr. Tracy Wong. In addition to her roles with Modern Sound Collective, she is also a conductor and administrative staff member with the Toronto Children’s Chorus. She is also an Assistant Conductor with the Bach Children’s Chorus, and maintains a robust private music studio.

Nila Rajagopal

Conductor, Frisson

Hailing from Ottawa, ON, Nila Rajagopal has quickly established herself as a promising choral conductor. She is currently enrolled in the Master’s program in Choral Conducting at McGill University under the tutelage of Dr. Jean-Sébastien Vallée and previously studied voice and music education at the University of Toronto. Nila’s collaborative spirit has granted her various positions with organizations such as the Oakville Choir for Children and Youth, Toronto Children’s Chorus, the St. Lawrence Choir and of course, the Mississauga Summer Chorale. Increasingly recognized for her promising musical excellence, Nila was the recipient of the 2016 Doreen Rao Choral Award, the 2019 Iwan Edwards Award and the 2019 Ken Fleet Choral Conducting Scholarship. Widely known for her accuracy and tone, Nila currently sings with the Ottawa Bach Choir and has previously held professional positions with Pax Christi Chorale, the Toronto Festival Singers, the St. Basil’s Catholic Parish Schola Cantorum and the Choir of Grace Church on-the-Hill. Nila was also selected to perform in highly regarded honour choirs such as the National Youth Choir of Canada, the Ontario Youth Choir and the World Youth Choir.

Emily Parker

Conductor, Frisson

Emily Parker is a Toronto-based conductor, soprano, and pianist. This year she has completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, where she studied voice with Mark Daboll and Monica Whicher and conducting with Ivars Taurins. She was awarded several scholarships over the course of her studies. Emily has also achieved the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Grade 10 level piano and Advanced Rudiments in Theory. Emily is the soprano section lead at Kingsway-Lambton United Church and works as a freelance singer and conductor. Her extensive choral background includes singing with the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, the Ontario Youth Choir, the University of Toronto’s MacMillan Singers, and the Canadian Renaissance Music Summer School. She was accepted into the National Youth Choir in 2020 and will sing with them in 2022, due to COVID-19. Emily has been with MSC for three years as assistant conductor of Frisson and member of Sehnsucht. She is excited to be directing MSC’s first soprano-alto choir.

Nathan Gritter

Conductor, Frisson

Nathan Gritter (he/him) is a singer and conductor based in Toronto. He is currently studying at the University of Toronto, completing a doctorate in Early Music. He currently holds the role of Director of Music at Kingsway Lambton United Church. He sings professionally with the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, Soundstreams’ Choir 21 and the Pax Christi Chorale. During his graduate studies, Nathan was awarded the Elmer Iseler National Graduate Fellowship in Conducting. When not singing or conducting, you can find Nathan running, swimming, playing board games, or spending time with friends and family.

Joshua Sutherland

Intern Conductor

Joshua Sutherland is a passionate choral musician hailing from Whitby, Ontario. As a performer, Joshua has sung with various ensembles throughout Southern Ontario, including the Western University Singers, Elmer Iseler Singers, Durham Philharmonic Choir, and Ontario Youth Choir. Currently, Joshua is a choral scholar at St. James Cathedral, tenor section lead with RESOUND Choir, and is a Sidgwick Scholar with the Orpheus Choir of Toronto. Joshua first joined Modern Sound Collective in 2022, and is thrilled to be joining Datsuzoku as Intern Conductor this season. For Joshua, choral music embodies community and the collaborative spirit, and he is grateful to the Artistic Team and members of Datsuzoku for welcoming him into this community with their warm, supportive energy!

Kai Leung

Tyrese Walters

Meredith Wanstall

Nila Rajagopal

Emily Parker

Nathan Gritter

Joshua Sutherland

Contact Us