Directors
Sarah Sommer
Sarah Sommer is an active choral conductor, vocalist and music educator in Winnipeg. She completed her Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education in June 2017 from the University of Manitoba, and most recently completed a Post Baccalaureate diploma in vocal performance under the tutelage of Tracy Dahl (June 2022). Sarah currently teaches music and drama at Technical-Vocational High School, as well as music lessons from her private studio. In addition to her role as co-founder and co-artistic director of NUOVOCE Chamber Choir, Sarah is also co-artistic director of the Chai Folk Ensemble. She has appeared as choir member and soloist with many local ensembles, including Canzona, Dead of Winter (Camerata Nova), the Winnipeg Singers, and the Shaarey Zedek Quartet. Sarah’s other directing credits, past and present, include: the Etz Chayim Synagogue Choir, Kolot Community Voices , WSD and LRSD divisional choirs, and assisting with the Winnipeg Girls’ Choir.
Sarah has a passion for world music and language-learning, and has experience teaching in Spanish, Hebrew and French. Sarah also enjoys dabbling in choral-arranging, both for NUOVOCE and other ensembles.
Justin Odwak
Justin Odwak is an in-demand choral conductor, tenor and vocal instructor. Justin serves as co-artistic director and co-founder of NUOVOCE Chamber Choir, founded in 2019.
He currently teaches choir, vocal jazz, and musical theatre at Dakota Collegiate, and directs the Louis Riel Divisional Treble Choir and Divisional Senior Concert Choir. Justin is past director of the Winnipeg Jewish Chorus and the Shaarey Zedek Quartet at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, the St. James-Assiniboia Divisional Junior Concert Choir and Divisional Senior Concert Choir. He has also directed the Louis Riel School Division Senior Choir (Choral Celebration, 2019) Rainbow Harmony Project, Kolot Choir, and Interlake Youth Choir. He is in demand as a choral clinician and adjudicator, and also maintains a studio of private voice students.
As a vocalist, Justin has performed as soloist with local organizations such as the Winnipeg Singers, Canzona, Camerata Nova, the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, and Little Opera Company. Justin has appeared as soloist with the University of Manitoba singers for Soundstreams at Toronto's Koerner Hall along with the Latvian Radio Choir. He has also performed as soloist with the group for the Rocky Mountain Music Festival at the Banff Centre. Justin has performed with the Sarah Sommer Chai Folk Ensemble, appearing at Edmonton's Jubilee Auditorium, and in Winnipeg at the Centennial Concert Hall, as well as performing at the International Karmiel Festival in Israel. He has appeared as soloist on numerous occasions with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and has performed as soloist in many Messiah performances with orchestras throughout Canada, including the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Regina Symphony Orchestra, Okanagan Festival Singers and Camerata Orchestra, and has sung under the baton of Tafelmusik's Ivars Taurins with Orchestra London and with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. His recent engagements include performing as soloist in Haydn's The Creation with SummerChör choir and orchestra. In 2015, Justin placed runner-up in the Zita Bernstein Competition for the Performance of German Lieder. Justin holds a Bachelor of Music (Voice) and Bachelor of Education (Choral) from the University of Manitoba.
Apprentice Conductors
Abby Mendola
Abby Mendola (she/her) is a passionate vocalist and conductor known for her sensitive and intuitive music-making. Hailing from Edmonton, Alberta, she is currently undertaking a MMus in Choral Conducting at the University of Manitoba.
A dedicated chorister, Abby has sung with a number of ensembles in Edmonton, including Haven, Pro Coro Canada and Chronos Vocal Ensemble. She was a participant in Opera NUOVA’s 2025 10-Day Vocal Intensive. Abby is committed to providing accessible, community-centred musical opportunities for youth and adults alike; she has held mentorship and administrative roles with the Edmonton Youth and Children’s Choirs, the Alberta Children’s Choir and YONA-Sistema, and is a founding member of Trinity Summer Chorale. Abby holds a BA in Music (voice) and a Vocal Pedagogy and Performance Certificate from Concordia University of Edmonton.
Aaron Addorisio
Aaron Addorisio is a percussionist, vocalist, and conductor hailing from Edmonton and currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Manitoba. Aaron fits seamlessly into both the classical and contemporary music communities and can often be found singing with and/or playing percussion for many choirs, theatre productions, orchestras, and jazz ensembles around Edmonton and Winnipeg.
He is an honours graduate of MacEwan University's Composition degree and Recording and Production diploma programs, and Concordia University of Edmonton's Church Music Certificate. Before moving to Winnipeg, he was the music director at Trinity Lutheran Church and founding director of the Trinity Summer Chorale. Recently, he also returned to MacEwan to perform in the orchestras for their productions of Sunday in the Park with George and Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. This August, he will once again be busy at the Edmonton Fringe Festival, music directing, stage managing, orchestrating, and playing for four different productions!
Aaron was a 2022 SOCAN Young Composers Award winner for his electronic and drum set piece and a winner of the Bent River Records Art Song Composition Competition. In the same year, he was commissioned by MacEwan University to compose a work for choir and big band to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the institution. In the coming season, his arrangements will be performed by the Winnipeg Video Game Orchestra and Edmonton's Rocky Jazz String Orchestra.