Experience the wonder of the Advent season with a heartfelt performance of Handel’s Messiah, presented by Cantare Super Orchestram, with outstanding soloists. This intimate concert features the Advent portions of Messiah, capturing the hope and anticipation of the season, and includes the iconic Hallelujah Chorus—a moment of pure joy and power. Performed with historical authenticity and rich expression, this is a rare opportunity to hear Handel’s masterpiece in a beautifully intimate setting.

Thursday December 4, 2025 | 7:30 p.m.
Chilliwack Cultural Centre

Friday December 5, 2025 | 7:30 p.m.
St Dunstans in Aldergrove
Tickets

Saturday December 6, 2025 | 2:00 p.m.
Holy Rosary Cathedral
Tickets

Saturday December 6, 2025 | 7:30 p.m.
Good Shepherd in Surrey
Tickets

Soprano
Sonja Strimbei
Jillian MacDonald
Sylwia Karwowska
Jaime Rene

Alto
Sheila Wright
Erik Kallo
Julia Nikolaeva
Diane Van der Gucht

Tenor
Jonny Michel
Fr. Matt Koovisk
Rick Ruta
Mark De Silva

Bass
Andrew Greenwood
Henry Waldock
Richard Williams
Chris Sedergreen

An enthusiastic singer since childhood, Sonja started with voice lessons and choir in elementary school. She went on to sing with her high school choir, and also joined the choir at a private girls’ school in Tokyo, Japan, where she studied on exchange. Sonja continued to pursue voice, piano and theory lessons with music teachers all over the Lower Mainland. She graduated from UBC in 2010 with a BA (Hons.) in German and English Language.

Since moving to the Fraser Valley, Sonja has sung with Evensong Chamber Singers for several seasons. While enrolled at the Chilliwack Academy of Music, she was awarded scholarships for Senior Voice Performance in 2015 and 2016. She has also participated in local music festivals, including the Chilliwack Lions Club Music and Dance Festival, where she won awards for Senior Vocal Champion in 2015 and Open Masters Vocal Champion in 2016 and 2017. Recently, Sonja received the Dr. Jeanette Gallant Award for a Promising Senior Classical Voice Student at the 2018 Kiwanis Fraser Valley International Music Festival.

Sonja is a soprano and has a strong interest in early, renaissance and baroque music performance.

Erik Kallo received his Bachelors of Voice Performance at the UBC and a Master of Music at the Royal College of Music in London, England.

In Canada, Erik primarily sang for West Vancouver United Church as a professional soloist and musica intima; a Juno award-nominated self-directed vocal chamber ensemble.
During his time at the Royal College of Music in London, England, Erik performed in Opera Scenes and had done Masterclasses with notable musicians such as:
Ashley Solomon’s Baroque Ensemble Florilegium, Robin Blaze, and Michael Chance among many others.
He also sang the role of Armindo from Handel’s Partenope with Hampstead Garden Opera and was a semi-finalist in one of the most prestigious vocal competitions the Kathleen Ferrier Wigmore Hall competition.

Jonny Michel is a lyric tenor and choral director from Langley, B.C. As a classical tenor with a special interest in oratorio
and concert works, Jonny has been featured as a soloist with the UBC Orchestra, UBC University Singers, and with UBC
Opera at Bard on the Beach. He has been featured as a soloist with the Chilliwack Symphony Orchestra, the Arioso
Quartet, Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir, the Gloria Dei Chorale, Bella Voci, Chilliwack Evensong Chamber Singers,
United Voices Choir and Kwantlen University Chorus. Jonny made his debut as the Evangelist in Bach’s St. John Passion
with the Trinity Western University Masterworks Chorus. He was also featured as a soloist in a performance of
Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes in a celebration of 25 years of the Kwantlen University music program. From 2015-2018
Jonny enjoyed singing in the tenor section with Phoenix Chamber Choir in Vancouver. In the fall of 2021, Jonny made his
debut with Musica Intima, performing in two concerts: Rosa Mystica and Ding Dong!
Jonny has been a music teacher and choir director at the Langley Fine Arts School in Fort Langley, B.C. since 2014. Under
Jonny’s direction, LFAS Choirs have engaged in a number of musical and collaborative endeavours including performing
and recording Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass, and special performances with visiting artists. LFAS Choirs have participated in
several invitational festivals, including the UBC Invitational Choral Festival, the Canadian Rocky Mountain Festival, and the
inaugural Beyond the Horizon festival in North Vancouver. Notable performances include a collaboration between the
LFAS music, visual art and dance programs to produce and perform a show inspired by the rock group, Radiohead, called
Radiohead Re_covered, and another original contemporary show, Kind of Orange, both featuring several original
arrangements by Jonny. Other recent highlight performances include a third-place award in the CBC Music Class
Challenge Senior Choir category, and a top-five finish in the Canada’s Top Choirs competition.

Jonny has enjoyed adjudicating and providing choral workshops to choirs at festivals in the Fraser Valley, including at the
Chilliwack Lions Club Music and Dance Festival and the Abbotsford District Choral Festival. Jonny has enjoyed doing
special collaborative orchestra and chorus projects each summer at the Yukon Summer Music Camp, directing honor
choirs with The Salvation Army, and leading workshops with choirs from a number of schools in the Lower Mainland.