Alan Gasser and Emma Whitla
Emma Whitla is a translator, teacher, performer, and language lover working primarily on the land known colonially as Toronto. A 2023 graduate of York University’s Dance program with a certificate in Spanish–English translation, she has taught and performed internationally with artists and ensembles including Northern Harmony, Danza Espiral, and Free Flow Dance Theatre. Emma’s practice is rooted in collaboration, care, and helping others find their voices.
Alan Gasser and Emma Whitla are a Toronto-based musical duo devoted to communal singing, shared breath, and the meeting of voices across cultures.
For more than 25 years, Alan Gasser has led choirs throughout Toronto and has sung Georgian folk music since 1985. His work includes performing with the Kartuli Ensemble, founding Trio Kavkasia and Darbazi, and long collaborations with Village Harmony. He founded Worldsongs in 2005 and the hospice choir *Singing Through Life* in 2015, and has co-directed the Echo Women’s Choir since 1993. Alan holds a BMus from the College of Wooster, an MMus in Choral Conducting from the University of Minnesota, and an MA in Music Criticism from McMaster University.
