Donna and her musical and life partner Brian Finley are co-founders of the Westben. Donna Bennett has sung with the Canadian Opera Company, Opera Atelier, Toronto Operetta Theatre, Tafelmusik, and orchestras across the country. Having performed in England, Germany, Italy and in the US, she has also toured extensively across Canada with pianist and husband Brian Finley. Donna's discography includes Henze's opera The English Cat and a collection of Mozart Arias and Lieder recorded live at the Olympic Music Festival in Washington, A Christmas of Love & Light, Lullabies for Benjamin, and Love's Old Sweet Songs along with the world premiere recordings of Brian's Rapunzel and Requiem for a Millennium. She has also recorded for CBC, CFMX, KING-FM (Seattle) and the BBC in London. Currently Donna is Westben's Director of Marketing, also leads the Westben Youth, Teen, and Cookie choruses with Brian.

Kim is so excited to be back on the Westben stage, and has been part of the Westben family for 25 years. Other stage and solo credits include work with The Quinte Symphony, The Kingston Symphony, The Belleville Theatre Guild, The Belleville Choral Society, Tweed and Company Theatre, The Commodores Orchestra, and Opera Buffa in Toronto. Kim has been a music and drama teacher with the Hastings and Prince Edward School Board for 27 years. A big thanks goes to Donna and Brian for all of their wonderful support, and lots of love to Dan, Olivia and Harrison.

At the age of 14, Ben Finley plucked his first bass string. Everything changed! Immediately, things fell still, without worry, in playful possibility. Miraculously, that feeling remains. Ben Finley is a collaborative and solo performer-composer, singer, improviser, and writer grounded in creative acoustic and electric bass playing. He leads and co-leads several ensembles that cross compositional boundaries, drawing inspiration from chamber music, song forms, improvisational music making, electronics and the sound worlds of local environments. He grew up on a music festival farm (Westben) where he witnessed many ways of making music, entwined with land and creatures. Ben is the co-founder and creative director of the Westben Centre for Connection & Creativity's Performer-Composer Residency, which since 2018 has welcomed many diverse sound explorers to collaborate, share creative music and exchange perspectives. He is also Westben's Sustainability Coordinator, working on various environmental care initiatives on the Westben grounds. He is a current Ph.D. candidate in the Critical Studies in Improvisation program at the University of Guelph, studying music festivals and creative music practices as sites of eco-cultural regeneration. Please find more about Ben's projects at benfinleymusic.com

Eve Parker Finley is a noted Montreal multi-instrumentalist and comedian. She rose to minor internet notoriety for her music and sardonic comedy sketches on contemporary life as a transgender millennial. Her work has been featured on Canada’s Got Talent, CBC, Elle Canada, Exclaim!, Xtra, Recording Arts Canada, and other outlets. She is also a rising voice in the Canadian indie music scene, host and creator of Ten Minute Topline with CBC Music, and Symposium Director at POP Montreal

annais linares is a vocalist-musician and social practice artist studying arts-based kin making through the Critical Studies in Improvisation program at the University of Guelph. She grew up in the sunny, dry and slightly kooky desert of Palm Springs, California which has informed her creative openness and desire to make delightful art in the world. Her vocal practice bridges sentimental storytelling with experimental improvisation, contextualized by the space and place of the expression. She is interested in learning more about the lands she currently lives, works and plays on, which has sparked the concept of arts-based kin making as part of that navigation. Through it, she hopes to build and nurture relationships with more than human kin and collectively heal aspects of species loneliness. Learn more about annais and her work at www.annais.space

Westben has been a long-time home away from home for Robert Longo and he has enjoyed wearing many hats for the Festival. Bob enjoys a diversified career as Singer/Actor, Director and Teacher. On stage, he made his Broadway debut in the revival of SHENANDOAH! His favorite credits are Javert in Les Miserables (Mirvish, Canadian National Tours, U.S. National Tour, Westben Festival); The Beast in Beauty and the Beast (Disney/Mirvish); and Anatoly in CHESS in concert (Royal Alex Theater). He has sung on Opera, Concert and Theater stages all across North America and can be seen in Murdoch Mysteries, Saving Hope and Comfort and Joy. He is currently the Arts (Music) Consultant for the Toronto Catholic District School Board and teaches Singing for the Randolph College for the Performing Arts. In New York, Bob taught at CAP 21 at New York University and was Adjunct Professor of Voice at William Patterson University. Producing, performing and music directing BROADWAY NITES, a retro Broadway Cabaret, with Gabrielle and Rod has been a passion project. Bob looks forward to revisiting the role of Norman Biggs.

Over the course of the last two decades, Gabrielle Prata has graced the Westben stage in 48 gowns, 6 wigs and a towel. She has been featured on International Opera, Musical and Film Stages, including an extensive repertoire with The Canadian Opera Company. Gabrielle has appeared in varied operatic and concert repertoire with the festivals of Bermuda, Ravinia, Colorado and Oregon Bach, as well as Edmonton Opera, Calgary Opera, Opera Atelier, Anchorage Opera, Gold Coast Opera, FL and Boheme Opera, NJ. She has enjoyed performing with the Cincinnati Pops, Toronto, Detroit, Spokane, Peterborough, Winnipeg and Saskatoon Symphonies, as well as the Rochester Philharmonic in many Pops and Broadway concerts.

Film credits include Closing the Ring, Impulse, and featured singing roles on Saving Hope, Copper and Christmas Inc.

Most recently Gabrielle has produced and performed in BROADWAY NITES, a retro Broadway Cabaret, which opened at the Jazz Bistro in Toronto. She is very happy to reprise the role of Snow in The Selfish Giant.

Dave Mowat is a resident member of Alderville First Nation, a former elected Chief and Councillor and long time staff person of the community. Relocating to the north end of Winnipeg in 1982 it was here that he took up blues harmonica by early 1983. Throughout the years in Winnipeg he worked blue collar jobs, in bands, and eventually went back to school at the University of Manitoba. Relocating back to Alderville in 1995 Dave built his home here and continued to work at the music, while raising his family with his wife Janet. His trio tonight is in the style he loves, stripped down acoustic blues! After some 4 decades of learning, playing, singing, travelling, while working for the First Nation, all of these experiences including the decades of experience of fellow musicians Terry Wilkins and Clayton Yates are provided for you tonight, in an acoustic natural balance!!

From Newfoundland, living in Campbellford(ON) Ken Tizzard writes songs and makes records. Bassist for The Watchmen, Ron Hynes, Thornley/(ex)Big Wreck. Currently performing a new album THE DAGG SESSIONS with the new band Ken Tizzard and Music For Goats.

Tizzard has made a major mark on the Canadian rock scene as the powerhouse bassist in The Watchmen and Thornley, and remains an active member of The Watchmen. Between those two bands, he is featured on six gold and platinum records, and, wearing his rock 'n roll hat, Ken has toured internationally, appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and played such major venues as Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. In recent years Ken has performed at many major festivals including Merlefest, Philadelphia Folk Fest, Americanafest, Jam In The Trees and more