Banned from the Concert Hall
Summer Baroque in the Trees
August 1st, 2026

Canadian-American tenor Isaiah Bell sings across North America as a soloist in concert and opera. Having distinguished himself early as an interpreter of Handel, Benjamin Britten, and Bach's Evangelists (Lincoln Center, Edinburgh Festival, Toronto Symphony), he has also found an artistic home in new creations. He was Antinous in the world premiere of Rufus Wainwright and Daniel MacIvor's Hadrian at the Canadian Opera Company (2018), and brought "immense stage presence" and a "powerful, beautiful instrument" to La Reine-garçon (Bilodeau/Bouchard, 2024) at Opéra de Montréal. Reviewing his queer pandemic-era revamp of Poulenc's La voix humaine, Opera Canada admired "a finely tuned performance, so perfectly married to his own sensitive and intelligent adaptation."Isaiah Bell, tenor

TIMOTHY CARTER, tenor
Calgarian-born tenor Tim Carter currently resides in Victoria BC and recently completed his Master of Music at the University of Victoria, studying under Benjamin Butterfield. Taking a round-a-bout path to becoming a singer, Tim studied Psychology at the University of Calgary for years before making the switch, completing his Bachelor of Music at UofC under Dr. Laura Hynes. Having a keen passion for the study of languages, as well as a deep love of performing, opera was a natural fit. Tim is in the early stages of his career and is particularly excited about showcasing queer narratives through this art form. Recently, he premiered a new art song cycle by queer Edmontonian composer Stuart Beatch, Still Running, which describes the modern gay man's experience growing up in the prairies.

MARK McDONALD, keyboards
Organist and harpsichordist Mark McDonald is recognized for his sensitive interpretations of a wide range of repertoire and styles from early music to the avant garde. Based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ ters.) he is sought after for his skills as an organist, harpsichordist, choral director, and teacher. Laureate of several international competitions, he was the third-prize winner of the 2014 Arp Schnitger International Organ Competition in Hamburg Germany and most recently participated in the 2017 International Organ Competition Musashino-Tokyo. He was a featured soloist at the Royal Canadian College of Organist's National Convention in Kingston, Ontario in 2016 and his diverse career has included performances with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Victoria Symphony and Cirque du Soleil.
A native of Burlington, Ontario, he began his musical studies as a pianist and was drawn to the organ as a teenager. He pursued his musical studies at Queen's University where he completed a dual degree in performance and composition studying organ with David Cameron, composition with Marjan Mozetich and Alfred Fisher, and conducting with Mark Sirett. During his time in Kingston, he served as Assistant Organist at Chalmers United Church and accompanist for several choirs including the Melos Choral Ensemble, the Kingston Choral Society, and the Kingston Chamber Choir. He also produced the classical radio program In Concert which aired on CFRC radio in 2009.