Newcombe Choral Leadership Training Program
2025-26 Season
We are delighted to announce the new training program for young conductors with Newcombe Singers.
Building on the established Choral Fellowship program, the new Choral Leadership Training Program offers aspiring emerging conductors the opportunity to develop their skills through a dedicated bespoke training program featuring one-on-one training, significant podium time, and a supported role in leading rehearsals with the historic Newcombe Singers, an SATB community choir of c. 80 voices.
Participants in the program, who are known as ‘Newcombe Choral Conducting Fellows’, become part of the leadership team of the Newcombe Singers. This includes Music Director Kathryn Whitney, Assistant Conductor Kristina Stevens, and pianist Robert Dukarm.
The Newcombe Choral Conducting Fellow for 2025-26 is Adam Dyjach
Adam Dyjach
Originally from Waterloo Ontario, Adam is a singer, voice teacher and music educator living in Victoria, BC. He holds a Masters degree in Voice Performance from the University of Victoria where he studied with Benjamin Butterfield
Adam grew up deeply involved in music at home with his family, in church and throughout high school. He has now been teaching music for over 10 years both privately and through various music studios. Although trained classically he believes that the fundamentals of proper vocal function are universal and can be applied to all genres and styles of music. Adam has attended levels I, II and III of Somatic Voicework ™ The LoVetri Method (2021, 2024) and incorporates its principles into his teaching. He is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).
Past performance highlights include: Tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (Vancouver Island Symphony), the Evangelist in Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium and Tenor Soloist in his Magnificat (Sooke Philharmonic Choir, Malaspina Choir), Brahm’s Zigeunerlieder (Linden Singers) Bach’s Cantata 196, 40, Missa in G, and Handel’s Messiah (Handel Society of Music), Haydn’s Spatzenmesse and Missa Sancti Nicolai, Bach Cantata No. 40 as well as Mozart’s Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in Bb major, KV 125 (Bach on the Rock) and Requiem in D minor (Parksville Community Choir), Verdi’s Messa da Requiem and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass (North Island Choral Society), Orff’s Carmina Burana (Vancouver Island Symphony, Ballet Victoria), Bach’s Coffee Cantata, Christoph Graupner’s Herr nun lässest du deinen Diener and Johann Kuhnau’s Mein Alter kömmt, ich kann nicht sterben (Pacific Baroque Festival), Haydn’s Creation (Via Choralis) , Bach’s Cantatas BWV 99, 125 and 155, (Victoria Baroque Players) and the Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 (Victoria Philharmonic Choir) and Frederic in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance (Victoria G & S Society)
He has performed the Operatic roles of Sumers in Cimarosa’s L’italiana in Londra, Ferrando in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Oronte in Handel’s Alcina, Romeo in Neil Weisensal’s City Workers in Love, The Doctor in David Foley’s May 23rd and Monostatos in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte.
In the past, has been a choral scholar at St. John the Divine, St. Barnabas and St. John Henry Newman Churches. He has also sang with the Schooner Cove Singers, St. Christopher Singers, Timbre, Victoria Philharmonic Choir, Victoria Choral Society and Pacific Opera Victoria Chorus. Adam was also a lead instructor for the online teaching platform Singdaptive between 2021-2023.
As of January 2025 Adam is the new music director at Fairfield United Church that worships at United Commons, formerly First Metropolitan United Church on Quadra street. He is currently the president of the Victoria Chapter for NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing). In addition to performing, Adam teaches music lessons out of his home studio AD Music
Newcombe Choral Fellows
2024-25 - High School Scheme
In our 2024-25 Season, the Newcombe Singers ran a new program in support of young musicians in our region: the Newcombe Choral Fellowships.
The Newcombe Choral Fellowships scheme was designed to support advanced musicians at the high school or junior high school level in our community by integrating them into the choir in paid positions.
Newcombe Choral Fellows sang as section leaders, offering support to the singers in their sections. They also learned conducting skills, assisted in sectionals in rehearsals, and had solo and other leadership opportunities in our rehearsals and performances.
Newcombe Choral Fellows were supported in their musical development, both financially, through the Newcombe Singers Association, and through mentorship, coachings, and instructional sessions with our Music Director, Kathryn Whitney.
The Newcombe Choral Fellows for the 2024-25 Season were Makaio McKnight and Sean Dallin.
Makaio McKnight
Makaio is a grade 11 student at Oak Bay Secondary School. He is an accomplished musician who devotes many hours to developing his musical skills in both his high school music program and in the community. Makaio has been fully immersed in his school’s music programs throughout his education. He has participated in elementary musicals, middle school and high school band and orchestra programs, Island Ukuleles district ukulele ensemble, and numerous choirs.
As an instrumentalist, Makaio was selected as a member of the Canadian Junior Honour Concert Band in 2022 as a trombonist. As a vocalist, Makaio invests hours a week singing in and assisting choirs. Singing in 4 concert choirs, 1 vocal jazz ensemble and 2 small ensembles, Makaio is an integral member of the Oak Bay High School Choral Program.
Makaio is proud to have been selected as a singer in the auditioned BC Music Educators Honor Vocal Jazz Ensemble for the past two years. In addition to his singing, Makaio uses his orchestra training to accompany multiple vocal jazz ensembles and combos with his double bass.
His musical versatility allows him to participate in small combos as a vocalist, an instrumentalist, or an accompanist. He is also actively involved in developing his leadership and teaching skills through volunteer work with Cedar Hill Middle School’s choral program.
Makaio McKnight is a Newcombe Choral Fellow in our 2024-25 Season.
Sean Dallin
Sean is a grade 12 high school student at Glenlyon Norfolk School.
Since Grade 4 he has been apart of the school choir, and he has played in band since Grade 6.
Although his future plans include work in other subjects, music will always be one of the most important and motivating factors of his life.
Sean Dallin is a Newcombe Choral Fellow in our 2024-25 Season.
