We’re pleased to welcome Drew Aarssen and Chloe Shantz as our 2026/27 Neufeld Emerging Artists. We look forward to working with these talented musicians this year!

Drew is a composer, baritone, and conductor from Wallaceburg, Ontario. He graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor in Music Composition in 2024, and again in 2025 with a Diploma in Opera.

Drew has enjoyed the opportunity to have his music workshopped and sung by the Elmer Isler Singers, Coro Volante, the Excultate Chamber Singers, the Guelph Chamber Choir, Voices Toronto, and the Laurier Singers.

As well as composing, Drew has sung with many choirs in the area including the Elora Singers, Guelph Chamber Choir, Grand River Chorus, Brott Music Festival, Arcady, and St. Matthew’s Church Choir.

He is currently the conductor and artistic director of Eternal Voices as well as the emerging conductor and singer for the Guelph Chamber Choir. In the future, Drew is looking forward to the release of Canadian soprano Leslie Fagan’s new art song album featuring Drew’s composition The Beginning, as well the recording of his most recent composition Weep Yet Awhile by the Coro Volante Singers.

Outside of music, Drew loves to play volleyball, play euchre with his friends, read poetry, and camp around the country with his family.

Chloe Shantz is a musical director, soprano vocalist and violinist with a degree in Music and English Literature from the University of Waterloo. She was a member of the National Youth Choir in 2026, and is heavily involved in choral music in Canada. In the Waterloo area, she has sung with the Elora Singers, the Parish Choir at St John’s in Elora, and the Spiritus Ensemble.

Outside of singing, Chloe has a passion for conducting and teaching, and works as a co-director of the Menno Youth Ensemble, the Assistant Conductor of the Grand Philharmonic Children’s choir, and previously as an Assistant Conductor and teacher of Eastwood Collegiate High School’s Concert and Chamber Choirs.

She is honoured to be an Emerging Artist with Guelph Chamber Choir this year!