Joan Fearnley, Artistic Director

Joan’s love for choral singing and music leadership began in her teens, at her local church, in school productions, and with community organisations. Over the decades she pursued private music studies, both in senior levels of vocal performance and advanced theoretical subjects. Her career and pursuits are eclectic. She began her professional life with a Master’s in Applied Economics (1994), which lead to a decade as a senior research analyst in the health care field. Concurrently, Joan became increasingly involved in the growing music life at Notre Dame Cathedral (Ottawa). Next, what started out as a career break during her children’s early years led to the beginning of her professional music career: as a guest soloist for many local choirs, a versatile recitalist and collaborator, a choral conductor, and a teacher.

In 2015 Joan began her tenure as Bytown Voices’ Artistic Director, in addition to her established duties at Notre Dame Cathedral where she was the founding conductor of the Women’s choir (2006), conductor of the Children’s choir (2008), and regular soloist. As the pandemic lockdowns upended many lives and livelihoods, Joan stepped away from her work at the Cathedral. She remained with Bytown Voices navigating Zoom-based choir activities and the gradual return to in-person singing. Joan broadened the choir's repertoire through her creative programming and nurturing a positive learning philosophy. She championed the expansion of the choir’s music team and its shift to a multigenerational choir model.  These efforts culminated in Bytown Voices’ first concert with orchestra in May 2025, the highlight of its 25th anniversary celebratory season.

For Joan the pandemic was a turning point where necessity became the mother of invention and a catalyst for change. Faced with the possibility of singing in uncertain conditions, she created a pattern for a singer’s mask in 2020 and shared it freely online along with YouTube tutorials. She created and administered an international online community of sewists and musicians supporting their efforts to create masks for singers and instruments, while navigating evolving science. She partnered with Canadian and US researchers writing evidence-based educational blogs, conducting research, and contributing to Choral Canada’s educational webinars. In 2021 Joan joined the federal public service, reviving her career as a research and policy analyst. She can still be found on YouTube as the French and Latin Diction Coach for Choirs where she combines her choral experience and bilingual fluency with her love of research, teaching, and history.   

2025-07-16

Carla Klassen, Choir Pianist

Carla Klassen, Bytown Voices’ choir pianist and Ottawa resident, was born into a musical family and has sung and played piano for most of her life.  She grew up attending concerts and participating in various musical endeavours at school, church and with her extended family members.  Her first accompanying experience was under the direction of her father, a church musician and college music professor. She is currently also the accompanist of the Ottawa Mennonite Church Senior Choir.

A busy piano teacher, church musician and accompanist, Carla holds a Bachelor’s degree, ARCT and Licentiate Diploma in piano performance.  In addition to accompanying various choirs and individuals, she is also a professional chorister, currently singing with The Isabel Voices (Kingston), and recently completing a seventeen year tenure with the Ottawa Bach Choir where she was privileged to perform in many exciting venues, including the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, St. Paul’s Cathedral in London and Carnegie Hall in New York City, and received a JUNO award for Classical Album of the Year in 2020.  

In addition to her music making, Carla is the author of two books of hymn reflections.  These Songs We Sing: Reflections on the Hymns We Have Loved (Pandora Press, 2022) and Living Our Hymns: These Songs We Sing, Volume 2 (Pandora Press, 2024).  She also regularly contributes to the Canadian Mennonite magazine.

Carla began her relationship with Bytown Voices Community Choir in 2015.  “It has been a great pleasure to be the pianist for the Bytown Voices over the past number of years,” said Carla. “Choral music is a huge part of my musical background  and tradition and any chance to encourage its continuation and enjoyment is an honour and delight!”

2024-04-05

Sarah Halmarson, Mentor-Children's Section

Sarah Halmarson performs regularly as a professional soprano chorister with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and Orchestre Métropolitain. As a soloist, she has performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Manitoba Opera, Saskatoon Opera, Jeunesses Musicales (Montréal), Thirteen Strings (Ottawa), amongst other Canadian ensembles. Sarah has taught and continues to teach private singing lessons to students of all ages. She holds a Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Manitoba and a Early Music Performance Diploma from the University of Toronto. Ever curious about the inner workings of the human mind, she went back to school and graduated with distinction from Concordia University with a Major in Psychology in 2024. She enjoys the interaction between psychology, music and education that plays out in her professional life. Sarah and her family moved to Ottawa in 2024 and love discovering all the wonderful treasures this region has to offer! 

    2026-09-18  

Devon Wastle Thivierge, Music Team Associate

 After earning a Licentiate in Vocal Performance from McGill University (2001), Devon promptly launched into a professional career, with a focus on the Baroque and Renaissance styles, singing with many reputable ensembles and esteemed conductors.As a soloist, Devon has performed various oratorios, early music operas, concerts and recitals, working with le Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montréal (SMAM) under founder and director Christopher Jackson, the Ottawa Bach Choir, Thirteen Strings, the Grand River Chorus, the Harmonia and Brahms Choirs of Ottawa, and the Carleton University Choir, among others. As an ensemble singer, she has performed with les Boréades (with whom she travelled to France and Prague), l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, SMAM, and the Ottawa Bach Choir.  With the latter, she partook of tours through Italy, Germany (Bachfest Leipzig), and Holland, as well as Shanghai and Beijing. For almost two decades she was a regular member of the elite Chapelle de Québec (Bernard Labadie), performing extensively across Canada and North America, most notably at Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.  Her discography includes works with SMAM (ensemble/soloist), les Boreades, Cirque du Soleil (“Ka” and “Zed”), and the Juno-award winning recording of Mozart’s “Requiem” with Les Violons du Roy and La Chapelle de Quebec.Devon has given master classes in French Art Song, conducted voice workshops for actors, and has adjudicated for the Kiwanis Music Festival.  She is currently the pianist for the Nepean Songsters, as well as part of the music team for Bytown Voices, singing soprano and occasionally taking to the keys. She is also excited to be a part of a new endeavour with Ottawa-based vocal ensemble Senza Nomine. Devon teaches voice and piano in Barrhaven, where she lives with her family.   

 2025-01-05