Inspired by watching broadcasts of the Boston Pops Orchestra as a youngster in his native Colombia, Carlos Bastidas founded the Ontario Pops Orchestra in 2014 to foster musicianship in a positive, inclusive, and supportive environment. One of the most diverse professional orchestras in Canada, the Toronto-based orchestra performs classical and popular music and highlights the work of women and BIPOC composers and instrumentalists. The orchestra’s debut album, “Breaking Barriers,” spotlights three Black women as soloists: violinists Tanya Charles Iveniuk and Yanet Campbell Secades and bassoonist Marlene Ngalissamy. The recording includes concertos by Bach and Vivaldi alongside Holst’s St. Paul’s Suite and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and Symphony No. 40 by Mozart.
Breaking Barriers – Ontario Pops Orchestra, Carlos Bastidas
