We’re pleased to welcome Drew Aarssen and Alexander Muth as our 2025/26 Season’s Emerging Artists. We look forward to working with these talented musicians this year!

Drew Aarssen is composer and baritone from Wallaceburg, Ontario. In 2024, he completed his BMus in Composition at Wilfrid Laurier University, as well as his Opera Diploma this past year. Drew had the opportunity to workshop his latest piece Be at Peace with the Exultate Chamber Singers this past April, and also worked with Leslie Fagan to record his art song The Beginning for her next CD.

In the winter, Drew made his debut as the Count in Laurier’s production of Le nozze di Figaro, and is excited to sing in the chorus for Brott Opera’s production of Carmen this July.

Outside of composing and singing, Drew loves reading poetry, playing volleyball, watching movies with his friends, as well as camping all over the country with his family.

Alexander Muth is a baritone whose love of singing owes much to Guelph’s choral culture. After being immersed in music at Trillium Waldorf School, they went on to sing with the GCVI Chamber Choir and the choir of St. George’s Anglican Church.

These experiences drove them to study voice performance at Wilfrid Laurier University in the studio of Brandon Leis. During this study, they have performed in seven Opera Laurier productions covering repertoire from Baroque to Sondheim to contemporary opera, culminating in the titular role of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. Aside from opera, they have sung in the Laurier Singers chamber choir with conductors Patrick Murray (2021-22) and Brandon Leis (2024-25) and performed a graduating recital in April 2025.

Alex is very excited to sing in Guelph once again.