Founding Artistic Director
JENNIFER BERNTSON is Aella’s Artistic Director, as well as the Music Director of First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa. She also directed the Ottawa Children’s Choir for 7 years, making music with both their youngest and most experienced choirs. She is passionate about crafting engaging choral concerts and bringing new audiences to the art of choral singing. She first fell in love with choral music in the Saskatoon Children’s Choir, with whom she toured extensively in North America, Europe, and Asia. She holds a BMus in Voice from Mount Allison University and an MA in Music and Culture from Carleton University, where she researched collective music-making as an expression of protest. Her free time is primarily spent with her husband (and Aella pianist) Shawn Potter, their energetic first grader and charming toddler, and a lot of coffee.
COLLABORATIVE PIANIST
SHAWN POTTER holds an MMus in organ performance from McGill University, and in 2013 won the Royal Canadian College of Organists’ National Organ Competition (Godfrey Hewitt Prize). He is regularly engaged as a recitalist across Canada, with concerts including the RCCO National Convention (Winnipeg), the Tyska Kyrkan (Stockholm), and Christ Church Cathedral (Victoria). Shawn has accompanied many choirs in the Ottawa region, including the Capital Chamber Choir, Ottawa Regional Youth Choir, Musica Viva, the Ottawa Brahms Choir, and the Nepean Choir. He is the Director of Music at First Baptist Church. When not in rehearsal, Shawn can most often be found baking all things sweet and savoury.
CURRENT MEMBERS
AMY RECKLING holds an MSc in Chemistry and has a passion for music. Originally from Newfoundland, Amy moved to Ottawa in 2010 and dove into the city’s choral scene, quickly joining the ranks of the Capital Chamber Choir and Calixa-Lavalee Choir. She has also sung with Lady Cove Women’s Choir and the Newfoundland Symphony Youth Choir (now Shallaway). Amy spends her days working at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and when she is not singing can be found hiking through the wilds of Ontario with her partner and their dog Triss, sampling new beers, reading science fiction and fantasy novels, or gaming!
AUSTINA YU has played classical piano since childhood, and they developed a passion for participating in musical ensembles through concert band, where they played flute and percussion. They enjoy finding new opportunities to combine their numerous artistic pursuits, including crafting, drawing, and writing. When they are not learning new hobbies or solving puzzles for fun, they like to explore the urban and natural spaces around Ottawa, the city they have called home since 2019.
AUTUMN BROOKE is originally from Texas, where she joined choir at age 11 and immediately fell in love with choral singing. She’s been in choir ever since. After her music education through Texas public schools, she continued her music studies at Blinn College and University of Texas at San Antonio, where she earned her BMus in Vocal Performance. She spent several years as a voice teacher and bookshop barista in San Antonio before moving to the Ottawa area in 2024. She currently sings with Aella and Tone Cluster. Autumn also enjoys reading, traveling, learning Welsh, wandering in the woods, and snuggling with her cat.
CAITLIN GORDON holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music, a Bachelor of Arts specialization in Therapeutic Recreation, and a Bachelor of Interpretation (American Sign Language-English). Originally from Montreal, Caitlin sang with several choirs including Concerto Della Donna and Choeur Adleisia. After moving to Ottawa, she joined Hypatia's Voice, where she still currently sings. She works as an ASL-English interpreter in Ottawa, and in her spare time she enjoys being active outdoors and reading.
CAMILA GROVE holds a BA in Political Science and works as a Policy Analyst at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Originally from Victoria, BC, Camila grew up singing with her school choir and belting show tunes in her bedroom. In her spare time, she enjoys sports, knitting, and many a coffee and brunch date with friends. Since moving to Ottawa in 2022, Camila has sung with both Aella and Hypatia's Voice, and hopes to continue sharing in community and music for many years to come.
ELLEN BADCOCK is from St. John’s, Newfoundland, and holds B.Mus. and B.Mus.Ed. degrees from Memorial University of Newfoundland (majoring in piano). Since moving to the Capital region in 2003, Ellen has been operating a private music studio in Kemptville, ON, as well as teaching piano at several elementary schools in the area. She was previously the organist and choir director at St. James Anglican Church in Kemptville, and is currently the Director of Music at St. James Anglican Church, Manotick. When not occupied with music, Ellen also enjoys travelling, bingeing on Netflix and is an expert list-maker (often completing daily chores in alphabetical order).
ERIN JOYCE fell in love with choral singing when she joined the Woodstock Fanshawe Singers during her undergrad. She also sang with the Conspirato Chamber Singers (London, ON) and Concerto Della Donna (Montreal, QC) before moving back to Ottawa in 2012. Since 2014, she has spent many seasons with the Capital Chamber Choir, and her evenings & weekends mostly involve overanalysing books & television and working with Jenn as Aella’s choir manager. A lawyer, who also has a BMus in Cello Performance, Erin works for the federal government—in a job that requires neither degree.
JEN NUNLEY holds a Master of Music in voice from Lee University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in communication (music minor). They are the media manager for Athens Area Council for the Arts + The Arts Center in Athens, Tennessee, where they were born and raised. (Yes, they work remotely.) Jen's choral singing started in church at age 4. From church choirs and solos, to local vocal ensembles and community theatre, then onto university, and eventually community and church choir directing and voice teaching, Jen's life has been full of singing. They moved to Ottawa in August 2021 with their partner, and are happy to be the alto choral scholar at St. John's the Evangelist.
JENNIE GLASSCO is a Policy Advisor at Public Safety Canada and a doctoral candidate in Cultural Anthropology at McGill University. She hails from Sydenham, Ontario, has been singing in choirs and playing piano since primary school. Throughout high school in Kingston, she took voice lessons and sang with the Cantabile Youth Choir, where her love for choral music was firmly established. In Montreal, she has sung with Les Muses Chorale, the St. Lawrence Choir, and the Seraphim Chamber Choir. Currently, she is also a member of the Capital Chamber Choir. An avid traveller, Jennie enjoys getting out into nature, gardening, and learning about new people and places. She is very excited to be singing with Aella!
JOLA SIKORSKI grew up singing with the Ottawa Chamber Choir and Ottawa Regional Youth Choir and playing in the Ottawa Youth Orchestras, Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra, and Hannaford Youth Band. She went on to complete a BMus in Performance at the University of Toronto in bass trombone before re-training in a different professional field. Jola spends her days working in health care and her mornings, evenings, and weekends as a personal chauffeur and short order cook in a house of chaos. She enjoys reading, camping, and rewilding her small urban space with native wildflowers and as many edible plants as possible in an ongoing effort to get her family to eat more vegetables.
JOSÉE RIVARD has been involved in Ottawa’s choir community for over a decade. She has been a member of the University of Ottawa Choir, Notre Dame Basilica Choir, Capital Chamber Choir as well as the former Ottawa Festival Chorus at the National Arts Centre. After completing her BFA in Visual Arts and English Literature, she was fortunate to teach both subjects at a high school level since the beginning of her career. She is also involved in the school’s theatre productions and enjoys modern dance both as a performer and spectator. She loves sharing her passion for art with her students, her friends, and her family, especially with her daughter and son. Josée is thrilled to be part of the Aella family!
KARA MORRIS comes from Nova Scotia (Hello, fellow Bluenosers!) and now calls Kanata home. By day she works as a psychotherapist, having studied Creative Arts Therapies in Montreal. Along the way she studied music, theatre and psychology, worked in dinner theatre, performed in operas and operettas every chance she got, and travelled as much as possible. In recent years she's performed with the Savoy Society of Ottawa (and had a blast!). Kara enjoys visiting the ocean, walking in the forest, getting crafty, practicing yoga, spending time with her husband and two sons, and of course singing her heart out!
MAEVE COLLINS-TOBIN is from St. John's, Newfoundland where she began singing at age 7 with Shallaway Youth Choir until moving to Ottawa in 2018. Maeve previously sung with Aella from 2021-2023 before moving to the UK, where she was a member of Acaprov, an acapella improvised musical theatre troupe, and the East London Singers. Maeve grew up surrounded by music - taking voice lessons, being involved in local theatre productions, a small a capella group, and joining her grandfather and father in playing traditional Newfoundland tunes. In her spare time, she enjoys cycling, playing fiddle, and being in nature.
NIKKI LAUMAN started singing in choirs from a young age, and hasn't stopped since! She's been a part of many of Ottawa's choirs: Ottawa Children's Choir, Ottawa Regional Youth Choir, Stairwell Carollers, and Hypatia's Voice Upper Voices Choir. Nikki also plays the piano, and enjoys making music at home with her husband and two young kids. Outside of choir, Nikki is an Early Childhood Educator and Postpartum Doula, working part-time in each of these passion areas: she runs a part time home childcare program, and supports postpartum clients on her "days off". She also enjoys being outside, spending time with her family, and baking!
SUE KIM found her love for singing with others in Winnipeg where she sang in her high school music groups, Manitoba Provincial Honour Choir, and Pembina Trails Voices. After moving to Toronto for university, she had sung with University of Toronto Skule^(TM) Choir, Hart House Chorus, and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and played the French horn and/or trombone in Skule^(TM) Stage Band, Skule^(TM) Orchestra, and Hart House Symphonic Band. During her free time, she enjoys reading and trying new cocktail recipes. She is very excited to be joining Aella in Ottawa!
pAST mEMBERs
ADELE MARSLAND, founding member (2016 - 2017)
ALICE BRUN-NEWHOOK (2017 - 2022)
ALICE YOCH, founding member (2016 - 2020)
ALISON HAMER, founding member (2016 - 2017)
AMY DESROSIERS (2016 - 2019)
ANDREA BAKKER, founding member (2016)
ANDREA MACWILLIAMS, founding member (2016 - 2017)
ARIEL MERRIAM (2021 - 2024)
CAIT HURCOMB, founding member (2016 - 2017)
CECELIA WHITE (2019 - 2023)
DEIRDRE KELLERMAN (2017 - 2019; 2022-2026)
JENNIFER KING (2016 - 2017)
KATARINA MICHALYSHYN (2016 - 2017; 2019 - 2023)
KELLY SYMONS (2018-2026)
RENÉE OLO, founding member (2016)
ROBYN GALE (2019 - 2020)
SAM GREVE (2017 - 2023)
TERI SLADE, founding member (2016 - 2018)