“Bel Canto is a welcoming gathering,
which allows the creation of beautiful sounds. As a group we are challenged and rewarded as we learn and grow together.”
Island Bel Canto Singers is an adult treble choir based in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Our members bring wonderfully diverse backgrounds to the choir – the binding factor is that we all love to sing. Since our beginning in 1997, with the exception of the pandemic years, the choir has been producing concerts at least twice a year ever since. Over this 30 years, we have collaborated with numerous other choirs and appeared as guest performers.
Our music is diverse, challenging and fun! We perform both a cappella and accompanied pieces with instruments including piano, percussion, brass, strings, guitar, organ and harp. Our repertoire includes multiple languages, time periods from medieval to contemporary, and genres from classical to pop, folk, musical theatre and everything in between!
“WE ARE EXPERTLY BLENDED
with intent to produce a positive emotional attraction, through
resonant harmony to soulful bliss akin with the golden ratio.”
Listen to recent live performances:
“Singing connects my heart and my spirit to my body and my mind,
leaving me feeling grounded and whole and happy. Music is like emotional mitochondria connecting our spirits to those who sing with us and to those who listen.”
Our Artistic Team
Fiona Blackburn, Artistic Director
Fiona has been directing Island Bel Canto Singers since the spring of 2021. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience of choral music and singing to our choir. She has earned a Bachelor of Music in voice performance, a Bachelor of Education in secondary music, and a Master of Music in choral conducting.
Fiona has either sung or conducted in some of the world’s greatest venues. As a professional singer, Fiona has been a featured soloist on numerous Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio and television broadcasts, and with various orchestras. For 13 seasons, Fiona was a member of the Vancouver Chamber Choir. She also performed various roles with companies such as Vancouver Opera, North Shore Light Opera and Theatre under the Stars. As an educator, Fiona has taught music from kindergarten to university. She was an adjunct professor in the Department of Education at UBC. More information about Fiona can be found here
Stefanie Unger, Collaborative Pianist
Pianist Stefanie Unger thrives in collaboration with fellow musicians across a broad range of vocal, choral and instrumental works spanning chamber, classical, opera, oratorio, contemporary, musical theatre, folk, gospel, pop and jazz.
In the four decades since first accompanying her elementary school and church choirs, she has worked with numerous choirs in Indiana, Eastern Europe, Southern Ontario and Vancouver Island. Island Bel Canto Singers’ collaborative pianist since 2018, she looks forward each Monday night to the community, camaraderie, laughter, and uniquely brilliant and agile sound created when treble voices join together.
