The Handel Baroque Orchestra
Authenticity
At The Handel Society of Music, our mission is to bring people together through the power of live music. We believe that music has the ability to connect people from all walks of life and create a sense of community. Our shared values are anchored in a deep history of the world's finest classical music. The Handel Baroque Orchestra, Surrey's first fully professional Baroque Orchestra, is determined to adhere to the original intentions of the great composers by replicating their original instrumentation and scoring as closely as possible. Using baroque stringed instruments, bows and horns we recreate the sound that echoed through ancient halls and churches delighting countless audiences for centuries.
We invite our audiences to join us on a musical journey into the past to hear music as it was originally intended.
Meet our Artists
Monica Kobelt
Monica Kobelt is an an accomplished violinist, chamber musician, and
dedicated educator with over three decades of experience. She holds a
Bachelor of Arts in Music and German from the University of Alberta, as
well as an ARCT in Violin Performance from the Royal Conservatory of
Music. Monica is currently on faculty at the Langley Community Music
School, where she is known for her passionate teaching and mentorship of young string players.
As a performer, Monica is active in the Vancouver area and beyond. She
regularly appears with chamber groups including the Harmonia Ensemble
and the West Coast Symphony. Her musical interests span a wide range of repertoire, with a special love of Baroque and Classical music.
A recent highlight of her career has been performing in the Classical
Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria- home of composer Joseph Haydn, in both the 2019 and 2023 festival. She is looking excited to return in the
summer of 2025 to perform once again in the historic Haydn Hall and St.
Stephens's Cathedral in Vienna.
Monica Niedzelko
Monika Niedzielko was born in Poland into a musical family spanning three generations. She began studying violin at age of 7 at the National Music school in Tarnow, Poland. She now holds a Master degree of Music in Violin Performance from the Music Academy of Krakow, Poland.
Monika began her career as a student, touring across Europe, performing and recording CDs with Tarnow Chamber Orchestra (member for 16 years), Sinfonietta Cracovia, Sinfonia Amabile, Cracow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Polish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, Capella Tarnoviensis Symphony Orchestra (concertmaster). She has played under many esteemed conductors, among them: Krzysztof Penderecki, Wojciech Michniewski, Wojciech Czepiel, Stanislaw Krawczynski. She also toured the USA and the Caribbean Islands as a classical trio performer.
She has further developed her skills and education by participating in master classes with Kaja Danczowska, Teresa Glabowna, Antoni Cofalik and Jan Stanienda. Today, while her main focus is teaching, she continues to perform as a soloist, orchestra and ensemble member and a concertmaster of the White Rock City Orchestra.
Monika has been teaching for over 20 years, and is experienced in teaching all levels of violin. She is a Gold Medal Teacher with the Royal Conservatory of Music, and her students have won prizes, trophies, first places and were the class winners in many local and international festivals. They also performed at the Carnegie Hall, attended multiple master classes with accomplished violinists, performed as soloists with the orchestra and had been admitted to orchestras and universities.
With her vast experience and tremendous dedication to her instrument, Monika shares her musical passion with each of her students.
Zophia Stefanicki
Zofia began her musical journey under the guidance of Beth Levia and honed her craft at the University of Alberta with Lidia Khaner. She went on to study with Kostas Tiliakos, former Professor of Oboe at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has performed in workshops at the Banff Centre for the Arts and festivals such as the Percy Grainger Festival at Chicago Orchestra Hall, the WorldStrides Heritage Music Festival in Seattle, and the Whistler Cantando Festival.
In Vancouver, she developed a strong interest in Baroque repertoire under the mentorship of Kevin Zakresky, performing works such as Vivaldi’s Oboe Concerto RV 356, Bach’s Double Concerto for Oboe and Violin, and Vivaldi’s Chamber Concerto RV 107 with the St. Titus Chamber Orchestra. In February 2025, she was featured as a soloist with the Richmond Orchestra, performing the Marcello Oboe Concerto in their Rising Stars concert.
Specializing in both oboe and English horn, Zofia performs extensively in orchestral and chamber settings across the region. She is currently the Principal Oboist of the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, and performs regularly with the West Coast Symphony, alongside engagements with the St. Titus Chamber Orchestra, Vancouver Pops Orchestra, Vancouver Pilgrim Orchestra, New Westminster Symphony Orchestra, Ambleside Orchestra, Delta Concert Band, Vancouver Oratorio Society, and the Handel Society of Music.
Halie Leach
Haley Leach is a violinist, violist, and teacher originally from Topeka, Kansas, USA. She studied at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa with Dr. Scott Conklin, as well as at The Boston Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts with Sharan Leventhal.
Since moving to Canada, Haley has appeared with the Kamloops Symphony in Kamloops, BC and the White Rock City Orchestra in White Rock, BC. She has also played concerts in Salmon Arm and Oliver, BC.
Haley is fluent in German, and speaks some French. She has studied many other languages, including Chinese, Polish, Romanian, Arabic, Czech, and Korean. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, embroidery, journaling, and baking. .