Meet the 2025 Showcase Artists

Artists in Motion (AIM) is a multidisciplinary, Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving dance company founded in 2008 by award-winning choreographer Shameka Blake. AIM creates works to motivate present and future generations to use their voices to shed light on social justice issues, with a focus on Black culture.

The company also highlights the reality of a career in the arts, the importance of representation, and maintaining balance in artistic endeavors.

Shameka Blake’s work has earned significant recognition, including the 2015 Black Canadian Award for Best Urban Dance Act. Her artistic practice is deeply committed to shedding light on issues of social justice as they relate to culture, gender, and ethnicity. AIM’s work has been featured at the Association for the Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Convention in New York City, Roots Canada, The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and major local Toronto festivals such as Yensa, Dusk Dances, Dance Ontario DanceWeekend, TIFF, and Pride.

The company's newest work, Black in Canada, recently wrapped up a school tour across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and was commissioned by Arts Orillia to present this work for the general public in Orillia, Ontario.

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Built on emotion-stirring storytelling and unmistakable vocal harmonies accompanied by a century-old instrument, Burnstick, a JUNO nominated husband and wife Folk duo, are intent on creating affecting music that inspires listeners to feel.

The Manitoba based Indigenous duo features Nadia and Jason Burnstick, esteemed independent artists who united over a decade ago to create deeply moving, cinematic Folk music using their trademark vocal pairing, and Jason's mastery of the lap slide Weissenborn guitar.

Five years after their nationally acclaimed debut album, "Kîyânaw," Burnstick unveils "Made of Sin", their remarkable and poignant sophomore album. Backed by their drummer, Daniel Roy, Nadia and Jason perform deeply resonant music that strikes a chord with audiences.

With thought-provoking lyrics and engaging stories, they often leave listeners reflecting on their own experiences, feelings, and memories.

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Desiree Dorion grew up a mile and a half from the grounds of Dauphin Country Fest, one of the biggest outdoor music festivals in Canada. As a little girl she would ride her bike there, climb on stage, and pretend to play to thousands. In 2014, that dream came true when she shared the mainstage with The Band Perry.

The JUNO Nominee has had multiple songs chart in the top 100 on the Canadian country music charts (TRAX), along with numerous songs reaching the top spot on the Indigenous Music Countdown. She released her seventh studio album, “Remember Your Name,” on September 20th, 2024 which peaked at #9 on iTunes Canada in its first week of release and has amassed over 25,000 global streams to date. It is currently in the #15 position on the national Earshot charts across all genres and the #9 position on the national Earshot folk/roots/blues charts.

Desiree is a proud member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. In June, 2021, she hosted the Achimotak series with the Canadian Country Music Association and is an artist ambassador with the Downie Wenjack Foundation. Desiree has toured coast to coast in Canada and has played as far south as the Gulf of Mexico.

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Formed in 2016, Duo Cordelia features violinist and composer Vanessa Marcoux and pianist Marie-Christine Poirier. The ensemble is very active on the Canadian classical music scene and is being regularly invited to perform across Canada. The Duo was chosen as part of Debut Atlantic’s five touring artist for the 2023-2024 season, and selected by the BC Live Performance Network for a two-weeks tour in October 2024. The Duo's mission is to expand the possibilities within the medium of the classical concert by introducing improvisation, an array of exciting repertoire from the 20th and 21st century, arrangements of traditional melodies and original compositions by Vanessa. This rich combination of classical repertoire and lesser-known works allows the listener to draw new bridges between musical universes that would otherwise be dissociated. The result is a touching and unique concert experience, which goes straight to the heart of our deep connection with music. The Duo has received numerous grants from the Montreal, Quebec and Canada Arts Councils. Their first collaborative album “Cendres”, featuring Vanessa’s original works, was released in the winter of 2024 and recently received an Opus award for album of the year in the category “Ancient, classical, romantic, modern and postmodern”.

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A “Songwriter for the Second Chancers”, Fuller Hull (Jeffery Cottes) is a country folk singer-songwriter from Manitoba. Like a well-worn farm tool, his music is rooted in honest experience and crafted with sharp hooks and rustic charm.

Fuller Hull is a “second chance” of sorts, and he's not your typical up-and-comer. His songs have rustic handles and sharp hooks that produce some of the finest materials his farm life has to offer. Fuller's reputation as a Jack of all Trades is well known amongst his inner circle, but his work as a songwriter reveals his versatility on the page and on the stage.

He grew up “free range” in the city and bounced around a bit until he and his family nestled into a small farm on the Canadian prairie. Starting again as a “new” artist after a 20+ year “break”, Fuller has a longer past than most emerging artists. This is unconventional in the music industry today, but sometimes authenticity must be earned over time and with hard-earned experience. Fuller Hull draws from a lifetime of material and is an artisan songwriter. As expected of any GenX'er, Fuller is independent and following his own path on his own terms.

His first album “March” offers a very personal debut. His second album, “The Unsuspected and Unstoppable”, shares tales of his life from the city, in the mountains, on the farm, and from the heart.

Honest and raw, Fuller invites you into his life – one song at a time. You'll find Fuller Hull on playlists alongside Nathaniel Rateliff, Townes Van Zandt, Mariel Buckley, Jason Isbell, William Prince, Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, and others in the New Americana genre.

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Three musicians from different metaphorical worlds converged in Prince Edward Island. They’d come for the tunes and stayed for the longest session yet. Inn Echo was formed in 2019.

What genre of music is this? The colloquial term “trad” or traditional can refer to a sound descended from Ireland, Scotland, and parts of Europe, fused with the enthusiasm of today’s generation of players. Inn Echo pays homage to these roots and adds tunes of their own to the repertoire. So on first listen you can hear the history but you will immediately delight in a contemporary current.

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Multi award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist and national radio host Laila Biali has performed across five continents, from Carnegie Hall to Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, and has supported international icon Sting.

Her JUNO-nominated 2023 album, Your Requests, featured a stellar cast of guests and received a 4.5-star review in All About Jazz. Her previous album, Out of Dust, also earned a JUNO nomination in 2021 and landed on “Best Album” lists worldwide. In 2020, she received the Hagood Hardy Award from SOCAN Music for Excellence in Songwriting.

The year before, her self-titled album won the JUNO for “Vocal Jazz Album of the Year” and top prize at the Canadian Songwriting Competition. Earlier in her career, she was the youngest-ever double winner at Canada’s National Jazz Awards, named “SOCAN Composer of the Year” and “Keyboardist of the Year” in 2006. Her first JUNO nomination came in 2011 for Tracing Light.

When not touring or recording, Biali hosts CBC Music’s national radio show, Saturday Night Jazz, reaching millions of listeners across Canada. Though rooted in jazz, her signature sound transcends genre, making her a global favourite. Her newest seasonal album, Wintersongs – featuring Jane Bunnett, members of the Venuti String Quartet, and chamber orchestra – was recently nominated for a 2025 JUNO Award, her fifth solo nomination.

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Reviewers have described this internationally touring, Maple Blues Award-winning band as “stripped-down, hellaciously rockin’ new blues” led by the distinctive voice and guitar of Murray Kinsley.

Murray has been a working musician all his life – starting in cover bands in Calgary, a stint in a honky-tonk band in Montreal, and numerous original/cover bands in Ottawa. Before founding Wicked Grin in the early 2000s, Murray led a 12-piece R&B band called The Crowd.

In addition to guitar, Murray also plays piano and a bit of saxophone.

Much of Wicked Grin’s success stems from Murray’s dynamic stage presence and his ability to connect with and move audiences – this is what he lives for. While rooted in “roots rock,” Murray strives to deliver music with meaning, posing questions and resonating with modern audiences, all while keeping them dancing and celebrating.

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Nathan's play I Have No Idea premiered with On Cue Performance Hub in Regina in 2023 and quickly became their best-selling show, praised for its life-changing impact on audiences.

Throughout the original run and in the following weeks, the show prompted powerful responses. Parents reached out saying they better understood their children. Some apologized to loved ones for not being the support they needed. Sixteen individuals messaged to say they pursued diagnosis after seeing the play.

In spring 2024, the show was presented as part of the Live Five season in Saskatoon, ending with a string of sold-out performances and a 500-person waitlist. Audience members continued to share how deeply the piece resonated with them.

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This folk trio – Jessica Rhaye, Bill Preeper, and Sandy MacKay – began their musical journey in the folk-rock band The Ramshackle Parade and have since developed a signature Maritime Appalachian Folk sound.

Jessica Rhaye with Bill Preeper and Sandy MacKay (aka Preeper Rhaye MacKay) delivers a unique blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation that echoes the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 60s. Their music features lush 3-part harmonies, as the singers share and weave lead and harmony vocals throughout original compositions and timeless folk arrangements.

Inspired by the likes of Woody Guthrie, Ian Tyson, and Bob Dylan, their elegant arrangements and heartfelt delivery are being hailed as “new folk music at its finest.” The trio is often compared to a modern Peter, Paul & Mary, crafting a rich and intricate vocal tapestry that is both nostalgic and fresh.

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Queen Kong blends traditional Jewish/Klezmer music with funk, jazz, and improvisation, pushing genre boundaries with groovy, contemplative original compositions by bandleader Lorie Wolf.

Their debut recording, Fray, was released internationally in May 2022 and received critical acclaim. In April 2024, Queen Kong was named Instrumental Band of the Year by the Canadian Folk Music Awards. The Vancouver Sun listed Fray among “five new albums from women musicians you need to hear.”

With melodies that move between the sacred and the profane, and harmonies that stretch traditional boundaries, Queen Kong’s music is both familiar and boldly innovative. The group includes Lorie Wolf (drums, bandleader, composer), Max Forster (trumpet), John Williams (clarinet), Nathan Dell-Vandenberg (trombone), Graham Campbell (guitar), and Tom Richards (sousaphone).

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From fiery banjo solos to tight four-part harmonies, bluesy mandolin breaks, and lonesome fiddle tunes, the Stanley County Cut-Ups cover the full spectrum of bluegrass tradition.

Performing together in various configurations for nearly 20 years, this Manitoba-based quintet has earned praise from audiences who describe their shows as “more than fine” and “refilling my folk music cup.”

The group includes Jess Reimer on bass, fiddler Jeremy Penner, Jeremy Hamm on mandolin and fiddle, Tim Osmond on banjo and Dobro, and guitarist T.J. Blair. Their performances feature rich vocal harmonies in two, three, or four parts, bringing to life both original compositions and classic bluegrass numbers.

Fans of The Stanley Brothers, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, Bill Monroe, and Hazel Dickens will find much to love in the Cut-Ups' soulful and authentic sound.

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Country Music Alberta 2025 Horizon Group of the Year Nominee, The Charms are a husband-and-wife duo celebrated for their rich vocal harmonies and instrumental versatility on violin, mandolin, and guitar.

Meg and Denis Dufresne cover a wide range of music, blending the instrumental elegance of Bridgerton-style arrangements with original and reimagined Roots/Canadiana vocal songs. Both are award-winning musicians and vocalists, known for high-energy performances and genre-crossing talent.

The duo has performed around the world, including command performances for His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, the Saudi Royal Family, the Prince of Monaco, the Duke and Duchess Will and Kate, and several Canadian Prime Ministers. Megan is known as Western Canada’s premier Bollywood violinist, while Denis is a seven-time CCMA “Musician of the Year” winner for fiddle, mandolin, and banjo.

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2024 Manitoba Country Music Association “Group of the Year” and “Album of the Year” winners, The Sean Taylor Band delivers high-energy country music straight from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

This six-piece country band blends great entertainment with top-notch musicianship to kick as much a** as a country band can. Featuring Sean Taylor Johnston on acoustic guitar and vocals, the lineup includes Greg Dunstan (bass), James Klassen (keys), Juno Award winner Jeff Kula (drums), multi-time MCMA Guitar Player of the Year Sean Borton (guitar), and 2022 MCMA Auxiliary Player of the Year Blaine Badiuk (fiddle and mandolin).

The Sean Taylor Band has been a staple at festivals and events across the province over the past decade, including Dauphin’s Country Fest, Morden Corn & Apple, Norseman Days, Manitoba Ag Days, and numerous rodeos. Known for tailoring the perfect setlist for any occasion, they’re seasoned pros with Prairie roots and serious stage presence.

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Since their debut in 1998, Trio Fibonacci has captivated audiences with what Le Devoir called “a world of miracles,” becoming internationally recognized for their powerful interpretations of piano trio repertoire.

Guided by world-renowned mentors including Menahem Pressler and members of the Alban Berg, Guarneri, and Vermeer String Quartets, as well as Eberhard Feltz and Michael Vogler in Berlin, Trio Fibonacci has developed a distinctive artistic voice.

Their repertoire spans from classical masterpieces by Haydn to contemporary works, with collaborations involving over sixty living composers on four continents. Their concert tours have taken them to Europe, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Berlin, San Francisco, and New York.

Trio Fibonacci has performed on television in Canada, China, and Brazil, and their concerts have been broadcast by radio networks in Canada, Germany, Belgium, and Chile, earning them acclaim as one of Canada’s premier chamber ensembles.

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