Artist in Residence

The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall is proud to announce the second year of its Artist in Residence program at Allied Music Centre, welcoming Wyatt C. Louis, LOV, and Willows as the 2026 participating artists. This year-long residency provides each artist with sustained, individualized support through industry mentorship, access to studios and facilities, live performance opportunities, creative collaboration, and professional development.

As a charitable organization, The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall has spent more than a decade investing in the growth of mid-level emerging artists—helping them forge distinct artistic paths and build toward careers that may one day lead to headlining performances on the iconic stages of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall.

Entering its second year, the Artist in Residence program continues to demonstrate growing impact. Alumni from the inaugural cohort—Sebastian Gaskin, Julian Taylor, and Celeigh Cardinal—remain active at Allied Music Centre, with recent recordings and upcoming performances underscoring the program’s lasting influence and creative momentum.

The residency is embedded throughout Allied Music Centre—Canada’s newest cultural ecosystem and the home of Massey Hall—offering bespoke support tailored to the unique needs of each artist and their team. Program elements include mentorship, studio time, live performance opportunities, creative collaboration, professional development, content creation, and more.

The Artist in Residence program is made possible through the generous support of a donor-advised fund with Canada Gives and is developed in consultation with members of the Indigenous music community, including the Indigenous Music Office, sākihiwē festival, Tkaronto Music Festival, and the International Indigenous Music Summit.

Walking the line between genres with ease, Wyatt C. Louis (they/he) crafts textural, ethereal songs lifted by stunning vocals. Their debut album, Chandler—named after their middle name—reflects a blend of influences from Treaty 6 Territory and Moh’kinstsís (Calgary), where Louis now resides. Many tracks were born during the quiet, contemplative days of pandemic lockdown.

Released via Royal Mountain Records, Chandler is suffused with a soft comfort that glows with feelings of familiarity and ease. Louis found levity through collaboration. A new experience, the result is upbeat yet cozy, the kind of songs that show off Louis’ contradictions of paying homage to the country music ingrained in the geography of their childhood, with an indie and roots spin that makes it something different.

A force of resilience, rhythm, and reinvention, LOV hails from Treaty 6 Territory and transforms personal trials into soulful affirmations of strength and independence. Her UK-inspired soul sound is both healing and unapologetically empowering.

Her independent debut singles have earned over 700,000 streams and 3 million TikTok views, drawing fans to her authenticity and style. The single “Mama” soared to #1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown, cementing her rising profile in the Indigenous music community.

The alter ego of Geneviève Toupin, Willows is a Red River Métis and Franco-Manitoban artist from the Prairies, now based in Montreal. Her folk-rooted music moves fluidly between French and English, French, and Michif, guided by acoustic textures and layered harmonies.

Her 2023 album, Maison vent, honours the women in her family—those who came before her and her own experience as a woman and stepmother—holding past and present in quiet conversation. Weaving stories, voices and landscapes into sound remains central to her practice.

Celeigh Cardinal’s powerful voice and storytelling have earned her widespread acclaim. Her third studio album, Boundless Possibilities, is a deeply personal journey through grief, independence, and spirituality.

The Cree Métis artist from Edmonton, Alberta, has earned the Western Canadian Music Award for Songwriter of the Year, the 2025 Canadian Folk Music Award for Indigenous Songwriter of the Year, and two 2025 JUNO nominations including Adult Contemporary Album of the Year and Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year.

In 2024, she graced the TD Music Hall stage twice—once as part of FabCollab Presents: Indigenous Grooves and again during the International Indigenous Music Summit—and recently became the first artist to perform a public concert in the new Allied Music Centre Theatre.

Toronto-based, Tataskweyak Cree Nation-raised multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and producer Sebastian Gaskin blends bold intuition with musical mastery, evoking the timeless spirit of Bill Withers, the virtuosity of John Mayer, and the wordplay of Post Malone and Pro Era.

A dynamic producer, Gaskin has collaborated with Evan Miles (dvsn, renforshort) and Milano (Icona Pop), pushing the boundaries of every genre he touches. With performances alongside artists like Common, T-Pain, Feist, and Sam Roberts Band, Gaskin recently released his debut album LOVECHILD via Ishkōdé Records and Universal Music Canada.

He won the Vince Fontaine Indigenous Song Award at the 2024 SOCAN Awards for “Medicine” and he took home the 2025 JUNO Award for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year.

With a soulful voice and magnetic stage presence, Toronto-based Afro-Indigenous artist Julian Taylor blends blues, roots, and folk into a sound entirely his own.

His career spans continents, with loyal audiences in Canada, Europe, and the US. Taylor’s accolades include four JUNO nominations, eight Canadian Folk Music Awards, and five Native American Music Award nominations, along with a Polaris Music Prize nomination.

In 2024, he performed on stage at Massey Hall, backed by Blue Rodeo, to pay tribute to Gordon Lightfoot as part of Celebrating Gordon Lightfoot. He also made history with Live at TD Music Hall, the first live album fully recorded, mixed, and mastered at Allied Music Centre.