Sinfonia Ancaster (2023) Inc. was incorporated on April 1, 2023, to take over responsibility for the orchestra from the Ancaster Society for the Performing Arts Corporation. Sinfonia Ancaster became a registered Canadian charity, BN 761330216RR0001, effective August 7, 2023.
Board of Directors 2025-2026
President and Chair: Jennifer Brasch
president@sinfoniaancaster.com
Dr. Jenn Brasch is an addiction psychiatrist at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. She has been president of the Hamilton Academy of Medicine and the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine, and brings extensive board experience to Sinfonia Ancaster. Jenn is an alumni of the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (1976-82) and also an HPYO parent (2011-23) while her 4 children were musicians with the youth orchestra.
Secretary: Michelle Fawcett
manager@sinfoniaancaster.com
Michelle Fawcett is a passionate educator, treaty partner, and advocate for music education. She has been a teacher with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board for 35 years, 24 of those years at Rousseau Elementary School in Ancaster. Michelle also volunteers as the Orchestra Manager of Sinfonia Ancaster and manages Sinfonia’s social media accounts. Michelle has been performing in local orchestras for 40 years. She lives on a working farm with her husband and is a proud parent to three grown children.
Treasurer: Peter Macdonald
treasurer@sinfoniaancaster.com
Peter Macdonald is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics & Statistics at McMaster University and has over 40 years experience in governance and fiscal management of not-for-profits, community orchestras in particular. He remains active in the region as a French horn player and teacher.
Officer-at-large: Carolann Moisse
grants@sinfoniaancaster.com
Carolann Moisse was a senior manager with the Ontario government for 30 years, where she oversaw multi-million-dollar education research grants, and later moved to the former Office of the Registrar General as Deputy Director, overseeing its operations and policy development. In retirement, she has resurrected her flute and piccolo performance skills. She is active with the Brock University music program as musician and music librarian. Carolann and manages and performs in the woodwind quintet New Vintage Winds she founded in 2020.
Officer-at-large: Caroleen Molenaar
caroleen@sinfoniaancaster.com
Caroleen Molenaar works as a content editor at RTINGS.com and also operates her own freelance editing business. She is an active freelance flutist in Southern Ontario and has played flute for over twenty years. In that time, she has played with Sinfonia Ancaster, the Burlington Symphony Orchestra, the McMaster University Chamber Orchestra, the Masterworks of Oakville, the Hamilton City Ballet Orchestra, and the Brock University Wind Ensemble. In addition to flute, Caroleen is also an active pianist and singer.