Celebrated, friendly and approachable Canadian vocal ensemble, who are passionate about working together to produce powerful and moving musical experiences.
Welcome to the music of Belle Voci. We are passionate about renaissance and baroque music but love to express ourselves through many different genres. Belle Voci is comprised of a few different ensembles. Our main Professional Core sings alongside our many amazing volunteer singers. In addition to our A Cappella Ensemble we have our Belle Voci Chamber Choir and our Belle Voci Cathedral Singers.
We are thrilled to announce that we will be launching a new YOUTH programme soon, Belle Voci training choir for youth ages 16-25. By audition. Preference given to youth who have been trained through the Vox Iuventutis programme.
Meet our professional core
Paula DeWit, Artistic Director
Maestra Paula DeWit has developed a reputation for excellence with her artistic music direction and leadership both of choirs and orchestras in the Fraser Valley and metro Vancouver region. She has founded several orchestras and choirs both professional and amateur status. She has proven exceptional leadership in the governance of orchestra, assisting the executive boards in strategic decisions, artistic development of musicians, vitality and viability of programs.
She has an authoritative knowledge in historically informed baroque orchestral performance, specializes in “a cappella” polyphonic work as well as directing full symphonic and concerto works working with soloists, groups of musicians, and full orchestras and choirs.
With a lifelong passion for her art, she brings energy and vitality to all she works with. Core to her belief is that learning is a two way street, and that musicians thrive by working collaboratively whatever their background is.
After obtaining her conducting credentials at Capilano University, maestra DeWit continues her conducting studies at international workshops in Canada and the United States. With an enterprising drive she has worked tirelessly to create many new opportunities for musicians.
Paula was nominated for the prestigious Canadian Heinz Unger Conductor Award as well as the Orchestras Canada Betty Webster Award. Paula is a proud Rotarian and is an Honorary Paul Harris fellow.
Sonja Strimbei, Soprano
An enthusiastic singer since childhood, Sonja started with voice lessons and choir in elementary school. She went on to sing with her high school choir, and also joined the choir at a private girls’ school in Tokyo, Japan, where she studied on exchange. Sonja continued to pursue voice, piano and theory lessons with music teachers all over the Lower Mainland. She graduated from UBC in 2010 with a BA (Hons.) in German and English Language.
Since moving to the Fraser Valley, Sonja has sung with Evensong Chamber Singers for several seasons. While enrolled at the Chilliwack Academy of Music, she was awarded scholarships for Senior Voice Performance in 2015 and 2016. She has also participated in local music festivals, including the Chilliwack Lions Club Music and Dance Festival, where she won awards for Senior Vocal Champion in 2015 and Open Masters Vocal Champion in 2016 and 2017. Recently, Sonja received the Dr. Jeanette Gallant Award for a Promising Senior Classical Voice Student at the 2018 Kiwanis Fraser Valley International Music Festival.
Sonja is a soprano and has a strong interest in early, renaissance and baroque music performance.
Veronica Roenitz, Soprano
Soprano Veronica Roenitz grew up in Vancouver singing for church chamber choir and chorus, specializing in Renaissance polyphony and Gregorian chant. After graduating from UBC Engineering Physics, she balances her love of music with an active international career as a satellite ground system integration and test engineer. She has sung with Laudate Singers, Paragon Singers, MOTET, Vancouver Bach Choir, Capilano Festival Chorus, and Washington Choral Arts Society in DC, and attended the Tallis Scholars Summer Schools in UK and US. Veronica is honoured and excited to sing with Belle Voci.
Dinah Ayre, Alto
Dinah Ayre grew up in a musical family on Vancouver Island and has loved singing in choirs from a young age. During high school she sang with Cantiamo Chamber Ensemble, and after a choir trip to Prague, Czech Republic to sing in historic cathedrals knew that choral music would be part of her life for good. Since moving to Vancouver she has completed an Artist Diploma and Music Performance Diploma at the Vancouver Academy of Music, studying with soprano Robyn Driedger-Klassen. Dinah has sung in the alto section of the Vancouver Chamber Choir since 2017.
Dinah’s musical interests are wide-ranging, from early music to opera to jazz. She has a special love for the music of J.S. Bach, which she enjoys performing both in traditional settings and contemporary re-imaginings. Dinah also has an interest in new music and working with local composers. In 2019 she sang in the premiere of the new one-act opera, The Woman Who Borrowed Memories, in the Vancouver Fringe Festival.
Dinah is thrilled to be joining Belle Voci and adding her voice to their stunning polyphony!
Erik Kallo, Countertenor
Erik Kallo received his Bachelors of Voice Performance at the UBC and a Master of Music at the Royal College of Music in London, England.
In Canada, Erik primarily sang for West Vancouver United Church as a professional soloist and musica intima; a Juno award-nominated self-directed vocal chamber ensemble.
During his time at the Royal College of Music in London, England, Erik performed in Opera Scenes and had done Masterclasses with notable musicians such as:
Ashley Solomon’s Baroque Ensemble Florilegium, Robin Blaze, and Michael Chance among many others.
He also sang the role of Armindo from Handel’s Partenope with Hampstead Garden Opera and was a semi-finalist in one of the most prestigious vocal competitions the Kathleen Ferrier Wigmore Hall competition.
Mark De Silva, Tenor
Mark De Silva sang in choirs and played the violin in orchestras and ensembles at school and universities in England. He was a member of choral ensembles in the UK, the USA, and Canada, performing in concerts and tours in North America, Europe and Asia, and recordings, radio broadcasts and festivals. Mark had voice teachers, coaches and mentors in Canada including George Roberts, Bruce Pullan, Peter Butterfield and Selena James. He is an alumnus of Laudate Singers, the Vancouver Cantata Singers, and the Vancouver Chamber Choir.
Mark has appeared as a guest soloist with ensembles throughout BC, in oratorios including Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Mass in B minor, Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Mozart’s Requiem and Ariel Ramirez’s Misa Criolla. His solo work includes tenor solos in “Sing Along Messiah” with the Vancouver Bach Choir and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, performances with Belle Voci, the Handel Society of Music, the Postmodern Camerata, Vancouver Voices, the Turning Point Ensemble, the Borealis String Quartet, the Victoria Philharmonic Choir, the Okanagan Festival Singers, the Capilano University Choirs and Paragon Singers. His recitals include Lieder, Art songs and song cycles by Benjamin Britten, and operatic arias by Verdi and Puccini.
Bevin van Liempt, Bass-Baritone
Bevin van Liempt is the schola director at the TLM at Holy Rosary Cathedral, president of the Chilliwack Symphony Orchestra, and a teacher of Mediaeval, Renaissance and later periods of music. Bevin is passionate about the musical and theological patrimony of the Roman Catholic Church and is dedicated to preserving it and promoting it, and has developed expertise in this area through comprehensive study of renaissance treatises, and through practical experience directing choirs.
Richard Williams, Bass
Richard Williams has been heard with various choirs and orchestras throughout Western Canada, including the Vancouver Bach Choir, Vancouver Opera Touring Ensemble, West Coast Symphony, Vancouver SummerChor, Kamloops Symphony, Handel Society and various others in the region. He made his European debut in 1992, and for several years performed in many of the world’s great music centers, including Frankfurt, Geneva, London, Milan and Paris.
Our Sacred Music
Tapping into the beginnings of western music, Belle Voci frequently performs music written for the sacred sphere. From the iconic and ethereal high C of Allegri’s Miserere to Palestrina’s Sicut Cervus and beyond, the beauty of this music has touched the hearts of men and women of all generations.
Our Chamber music
Belle Voci has a passion for music. In addition to our A Cappella Ensemble, we also have our Belle Voci Chamber Ensemble that performs works such as Handel’s Messiah with period instruments, as well as Mozart’s Requiem, Bach B Minor Mass and excerpts from Bach’s Passions among other glorious gems!
Tickets & Concerts
Find Out When We Perform Next and How To Get Tickets
Audition for Belle Voci
Celebrated a Capella Singers
Are you interested in singing with us? Admission to the Belle Voci a cappella ensemble is by audition/invitation, and we’re always interested in meeting new singers. Prospective singers are invited to contact the Artistic Director at any time during the year for an audition. In addition to filling permanent vacancies, we sometimes need substitutes for singers who are unable to perform certain concerts, or want to augment our roster for certain repertoire.
interested candidates are expected to:
• have an innate sense of musicality
understand polyphonic and medieval singing
accurate and disciplined
• experienced ensemble singer with soloist ability
have a solid understanding of music theory fundamentals;
be a good sight reader;
• have a voice that blends easily in a small ensemble;
• be committed to the rehearsal and concert schedule; and
be an ambassador for the group and be respectful to the director and members.
What we offer:
• next level singing in tight circle.
• singing in cathedral.
• concerts.
Profile of the musician(s) we are after:
This person will have been around a while and will be experienced. They will be semi professional standard and perhaps thinking of a solocareeror had a solo career in singing. Their mind set will be one of a strong work ethic and commitment to the highest levels of musicianship.
We perform for Weddings, Compline, Fundraisers, Private functions and more - contact us for a quote.