Steven Hanoosh
Founder & Executive Director
Steven Hanoosh is a pianist, composer, and educator whose musical journey began at the age of sixteen after a life-changing encounter with Chopin's Nocturne, Op. 9 No. 2. Since then, he has built a diverse career as a performer, teacher, conductor, and arts leader across Iraq, Lebanon, and Canada.
His musical training includes studies with Raid Elias, Iraqi-Czech pianist Natasha Al Radi, and Prof. Armen Kachik at the École de Musique Antonine, where he also studied harmony, composition, conducting, and orchestration.
As a performer, Steven has appeared as a soloist, accompanist, and church musician, while also directing choirs and music ensembles in multiple countries. He currently serves as Organist & Choir Director at the Church of the Ascension, Associate Conductor of the County Classic Chorale, and Piano Instructor at Académie Ste-Cécile.
As a composer, Steven has written more than 20 original works for solo instruments and choirs. His academic background includes studies in music, philosophy, theology, and psychology, reflecting his broad artistic and intellectual interests.
Mike McNamara
Artist Relations & Programming Coordinator
Mike McNamara holds a Master of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Toronto and has music and education degrees from The University of Windsor. A very active teacher and performer, he has been teaching and performing for 35 years.
Mike is Music Teacher with the WECDSB, teaches Classical Guitar at The University of Windsor, and teaches guitar at the academie ste. Cecile music school. Many of his guitar students have gone on to careers as professional musicians in areas of classical guitar performance and rock/pop music; he has former students who are now university professors, studio musicians, guitar teachers, composers, and guitarists who tour many parts of the world professionally.
Performing for as long as he has been teaching, Mike has performed throughout Southern Ontario and in Michigan, including at the University of Windsor and Western University in London. He has performed with 4th Wall Music in Windsor as soloist and in chamber combinations, has been a member of the Southwest Guitar Trio, is a member of BME (Baghdad Music Ensemble), and has performed in musicals.
Alde Calongcagong
Concert Planner & Artist Coordinator
Alde Calongcagong obtained his Bachelors of Music in piano performance from the University of Windsor and his Masters of Music at the University of Western Ontario. His principal teachers include Dr. E. Gregory Butler and Ronald Turini.
A former Rose Bowl winner at the Windsor Essex Kiwanis Music Festival, Alde was also the recipient of the J. Francis Leddy Entrance Scholarship, and the Ouellette/Yamaha Piano Scholarship at the University of Windsor. From the University of Western Ontario, he was also a prize winner (top pianist) at the London Music Scholarship Foundation Competition.
Alde has had the opportunity to perform in masterclass with Jane Coop, Tom Plaunt, John McCabe, Dang Thai Son and Janina Fialkowska.
Alde maintains a successful music studio in the Windsor area and has served as a member of the provincial council for the Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association. Many of his students have entered university music programs and have won top prizes and scholarships at local, provincial and national music competitions.
Alde has been active as an adjudicator, sessional music instructor at the University of Windsor, special instructor (piano) at the University of Windsor, choral accompanist for the University Windsor Singers, piano tutor at the Walkerville Centre for the Creative Arts and an examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Highlights include performances at Koerner Hall and the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, and a performance of the Beethoven Choral Fantasy with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.
David Carle
Newsletter Editor
DMA, has been a singer, choral conductor, and organist for five decades, performing in recital as both a singer and as organist, and in choral repertoire as conductor, soloist, or accompanist. He has taught music at the university level in Kentucky, New Brunswick, New York, Ontario, and Michigan. He has composed or arranged over 80 of works, most for voice, both solo and choral, with a number of those being commissions. Hobbies include reading, swimming, and cooking. Currently he is staff musician of All Saints’ Anglican Church in Windsor, Ontario, and Conductor of the [Essex] County Classic Chorale, based in Leamington, Ontario.
