Musical Staff
Music Director
Janice Beninger is delighted to have been working with the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus since 2008, when she fell in love with the Welsh hwyl — that feeling of deep expression and meaning in traditional Welsh singing. She became involved, also, as Music Director for their affiliated Burlington Welsh Ladies Chorus when the women’s choir was founded in 2017.
Janice received her MMus from the University of Western Ontario. She has directed numerous vocal ensembles including community, church, university and school choirs, and has worked at a number of Church Organist/Music Coordinator positions. Her artist/choir collaborations with the Welsh choirs include the Hannaford Silver Band, Margaret Bardos, Shannon Mercer, Burlington Concert Band, Sangerfest Male Choir in Boston, Montreal Welsh Choir, Marion Samuel Stevens, Oakville Children’s Choir, John Fanning, Adria McCulloch, Tempus Choral Society, Donna Ellen Trifunovich, North Mountain Chorus, Sarena Paton, John McDermott, Canadian Orpheus Male Chorus, Hamilton Children’s Choir, Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir, Brantford Community Symphony Orchestra, Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Band, Garnet Rogers, Haydn James, Chorus Niagara Children’s Choir, Loralee McGuirl, Heather Bambrick, Andrew Tees, Hope Schneider, Burlington Teen Tour Band, Bristol Male Voice Choir in England, Bridgend Male Choir in Wales, and Holy Heart of Mary Alumni Choir in Newfoundland.
Currently, along with directing both of the Burlington Welsh choirs, Janice maintains an active piano/theory teaching studio in Dundas, Ontario (jbeningerstudio.ca).
Collaborative Pianist
Larisa Gulenco received her training at the Moldavian Academy of Music, North Netherlands Conservatory and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague (The Netherlands), where she earned the degree of Master of Music. Since summer 2008, Larisa has resided in Hamilton, Ontario. She maintains a busy schedule as a piano teacher and performer.
Throughout her career Larisa has performed extensively in Moldova, Russia, Romania, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, United States and Canada. She is a prize-winner of several national and international piano and chamber music competitions in Italy, Romania, and Moldova.
She has performed in Boston, Montreal, and the Maritimes with the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus; at the Brott Music Festival with Jacqueline Woodley (soprano); at the Convocation Hall with the McMaster Chamber Orchestra under Keith Kinder; at Hamilton Place with Adrianne Pieczonka (soprano); at the Campbellville Chamber Concerts with Rosanne Warren (flute) and Marion Samuel-Stevens (soprano); at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre with John Fanning (baritone); and with Margaret Bardos (mezzo), the John Laing Singers, the Hamilton Children’s Choir, and Schulte Strings. She recently performed a two-piano recital with her husband, Alexei Gulenco, at McMaster University's Wilson Hall.
