Soprano Grace Quinsey, born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, has quickly established herself as a force to be reckoned with on the opera stage, becoming well known for her dramatic acting and insightful musical interpretation. Her 2025 season continues to be filled with musical successes, building on a remarkable 2024. In the next few months, she is delighted to be singing Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus with Abridged Opera and the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, as well as Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte with Opera York.

Most recently, she performed Josephine in HMS Pinafore with Opera York. Opera Canada praised her portrayal: “As Josephine, Grace Quinsey was delightful. She was graceful and had an excellent sense of comic timing. Her operatic training shone through in ‘The hours creep on apace,’ as she comfortably tackled some gruelling high notes… her laser-sharp upper register was impressive.”

She also earned acclaim for her Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore with Opera York (“Grace Quinsey’s Giannetta was a vibrant stage presence whose strong voice commanded the audience’s attention… comically and vocally delightful” – Opera Canada, Dawn Martens). As part of the Year of Czech Music Opera Festival, she performed as Mařenka in Smetana’s Prodaná nevěsta (“Grace Quinsey… embodied the role wonderfully well, and she sang with rich tone” – Ludwig van Toronto, Joseph So; “the youngest (and prettiest) Mařenka I have ever seen… better in Czech than the recent COC production” – Masaryk Memorial Institute), and as Terinka in Dvořák’s Jakobín (“Grace Quinsey, who is not just a wonderful singer but a good actress, shone brightly, as usual” – Masaryk Memorial Institute).

Her 2024 season also included debuts as Pamina (Die Zauberflöte, No Strings Theatre) and Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) with the Toronto Concert Orchestra—her favourite role to perform. She was a featured artist at the Canadian Opera Company’s Noon Concert series and frequently engaged for sacred performances with orchestra, including as soprano soloist in Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri. Additional highlights included performances as soprano soloist for Haydn’s The Creation (October 2023), Adele in Die Fledermaus (Opera York, November 2023), and a last-minute appearance as First Lady in Die Zauberflöte (OperOttawa, December 2023).

Her other recent operatic engagements include Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), First Lady & Papagena (Die Zauberflöte, “Grace Quinsey as Papagena [stole] the show whenever she peeked out of her disguise” – Barcza Blog), and Norina (Don Pasquale). She also portrayed Helen & Robin in a workshopped version of Michael Rose’s A Northern Lights Dream. Other past roles include Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Alice (Night Blooming Cereus Flower), and the soprano lead in nearly every Gilbert & Sullivan operetta.

Grace has a comprehensive Cecchetti ballet background and is celebrated for her unique characterization, intelligent musicality, and commanding stage presence. When not on stage, Grace is a software developer and a video game aficionado.

Praised for his “creamy and luscious voice” (Denise Lai, myscena) tenor, Andrew Derynck hails from Jeanettes Creek, Ontario. He is a laureate of Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques of Théâtre Lyrichorégra 20. Andrew is an alumnus of the Bob McPhee Young Artist program at Calgary Opera and Wilfrid Laurier University where he completed both his Bachelor’s of Music and Opera Diploma.  Andrew has had the chance to sing with companies across Canada. 

Andrew has had the privilege to premiere a number of roles in new operas including: Jason in The Mansplaining Division (Manitoba Underground Opera), Leopold in The Lionheart (Mightier Productions), and The Father in Ghost Opera (Calgary Opera/The Old Trout Puppet Workshop). Other role highlights from his career include: Paul in Rocking Horse Winner, Don José in Carmen, Rodolfo in La Bohème, and  Hoffmann in Les Contes d’Hoffmann. 

This season Andrew is looking forward to once again joining Abridged Opera as Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus and Southern Ontario Lyric Opera as Radames in Aida. 

Outside of opera, Andrew shares his love for vocal harmony as a member of Chatham’s 3 Tenors. When not performing, he works alongside his family on their farm. With a smile, he sums up his dual passions by saying, “I scream pretty, and I play in the dirt.”

Dr. Brianna DeSantis is a coloratura soprano based in Windsor, Ontario. She is known for her ability to connect with audiences through her expressive and charismatic stage presence. Recent stage credits include chorister in Verdi’s La Traviata with Detroit Opera. Other notable roles include The Governess in The Turn of the Screw (2022) and The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute (2018 ) with Abridged Opera. Digital credits include the Windsor Symphony Orchestra’s holiday album, “Christmas eh?” where she was a featured soloist (November 2022) and her ongoing role in Sonata Music Adventures’ early childhood music education YouTube channel as “Miss Brianna.”

Colin Bell is a tenor born and raised in Chatham, Ontario. He proudly holds a master’s degree in Opera from the University of British Columbia. 

Colin’s favourite performance was with celebrated soprano Sondra Radvanovsky in an excerpt from Verdi’s Il Trovatore. In 2023, Colin played Raphael in the world premiere of RED, a new musical by Canadian composer Elise Holbrook. In 2020 he performed a concert tour in Nuremberg, Germany and Pilsen, Czechia alongside colleagues from the UBC Opera Ensemble. At UBC Colin understudied the roles of Hoffmann in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Walter in Weinberg’s The Passenger. He also appeared as an SS Offizier in The Passenger. In November 2018 Colin understudied Canadian tenor Richard Margison in UBC’s production of Silent Night. Colin has also performed in Pirates of Penzance as Frederic, Die Zauberflöte as Tamino, and in La Bohème as Parpignol at the University of Western Ontario. In past years Colin has sung in public masterclasses for Ben Heppner, Brett Polegato, Liz Upchurch, Kathleen Kelly and Elaine Overholt. 

Colin resides in Chatham with his wife Victoria. The two are regularly featured in concerts with St. Andrew’s concert choir. Since 2022 Colin has been a part of a tenor trio with Andrew Derynck and Xander Bechard performing classical, musical theatre, and popular works.

Tenor Jordan Fantauzzo has maintained an eclectic, “cross-over” musical personality since his introduction at a young age to both Sondheim and Stravinsky, Bock and Bach. Notable credits include the Michigan Opera Theatre’s productions of Werther (featuring Andrea Bocelli), Carmen, Der Rosenkavalier, and as Amahl in the Windsor Symphony and Detroit Orchestra’s productions of Amahl and the Night Visitors. He graduated from the Bachelor of Music Voice Performance program at Western University where he studied with tenor Torin Chiles, and was seen as Don Curzio in Le Nozze di Figaro, and as Jack in Into the Woods. Jordan was recognized with several awards for academic and artistic achievements, including the Alfred and Maria Rose award and the Jonathan Harman Young Memorial award. As a graduate of the Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre program at the Boston Conservatory, now Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Jordan was seen as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar for which he received a New England Emerging Artist Award; Michael and Gerry in Dancing at Lughnasa, for which he also composed incidental music; Bob in The Break-up Notebook; and Harry Druggist in The Cradle Will Rock. In addition to his performance credits at the Conservatory Jordan had the privilege to work with theatrical luminaries Andrew Lippa, Susan Stroman, the late Marin Mazzie, and Jason Danieley. Other credits include Bingdi and Tan in the Canadian premiere of Stephen Andrew Taylor and Marcia Johnson’s opera Paradises Lost at the Summerworks Festival; as a guest soloist in the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus’ performance of the North American premiere of songs by Ricky Ian Gordon; the tenor soloist in King Edward Choir’s performance of The Messiah; Nathaniel Dett’s Chariot Jubilee and Adolphus Hailstork’s I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes; and as Tadeu in Bruce Dow’s opera, Ohio and Tadeu premiered at the Rhubarb Festival at Buddies in Bad Times. Jordan currently teaches voice within the Music Theatre program at St. Clair College alongside maintaining a private voice studio.

Hayley Romanyk is a versatile mezzo-soprano with over a decade of performance experience spanning opera and musical theatre. She has appeared with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Opera Niagara, Opera by Request, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, among others. Offstage, Hayley has also directed, choreographed, and adapted Broadway musicals for children’s theatre. She is excited to return for her third solo appearance with Abridged Opera and the Windsor Symphony Orchestra as the Ida in Die Fledermaus., following previous roles as Bastienna in Bastien and Bastienna (2022) and the Nursing Sister in Suor Angelica (2024)”