The World of Edith Piaf – Matinée

Hailing from Mont St-Hilaire Québec, or Wigw8madensis (meaning ‘the small mountain in the shape of a house’), the traditional territory of the Waban-Aki, Pandora Topp is a nationally recognized bilingual artist, educator, entrepreneur and single mum of two adult children from N’Swakamok, (‘Where the Three Roads Meet’), Sudbury, Ontario, on the traditional lands of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek. Her life’s work-in-progress is to explore and articulate how the embodied human voice contributes to individual and collective transformation and wellbeing.

Pandora has created and toured extensively with more than ten ensembles, the most celebrated being Café Piaf, with International Accordion Champion Iona Reed (Prague, 1962) since 1998.  Her heartfelt interpretation of Édith Piaf’s repertoire has been featured on CBC, France’s TV5, at the National Arts Centre, the Francophone World Summit and at the French Embassy in Canada.

Since 1992 she has performed in the theatre, (working with the likes of Margaret Atwood, Tomson Highway, George F. Walker and Debajehmujig Storytellers), film & television, and music industries, sharing the stage with Michael Bublé, the Juno-nominated Silver Birch String Quartet, the Toronto Concert Orchestra, The Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra and most recently the Amici Chamber Ensemble.

In 2015 Pandora was honoured with the Northern Lights Festival Boreal Jackie Washington Award for her distinguished contribution to Northern Ontario’s cultural life and she was a nominee for the 2018 Ontario Arts Foundation Artist-Educator Award. In 2020 she was honoured with Sudbury’s Celebration of the Arts Award for Exceptional Achievement in the Arts. Pandora is currently in studio, workshopping her upcoming show, Stakeholder, an interdisciplinary offering about rupture and way finding, with fellow clown Christianna Burke, due to be staged in late 2026.

Iona Reed, raised in a musical family in southern Ontario, came to Sudbury to study accordion with Karl Pukara and quickly distinguished herself, winning the Kiwanis Music Festival in 1958. At just 20, she achieved international acclaim by winning the World Accordion Championship in Prague in 1962.

She went on to tour across North America and overseas, later marrying Pukara. Together, they became central figures in Sudbury’s musical community, combining performance with a strong commitment to teaching.

After Karl’s passing in 1998, Iona formed a duo with guitarist Ron Kelly. They performed widely, including collaborations with vocalist Pandora Topp in a tribute to Édith Piaf at major venues and international events. The pair also brought music to remote northern communities through outreach work.

Over the years, Iona has received numerous honours recognizing her artistic excellence and community impact, including lifetime achievement awards. A dedicated teacher and collaborative pianist for more than seven decades, she has mentored generations of performers and left a lasting mark on Sudbury’s arts scene. Widely admired for her grace and musicianship, she is regarded as the city’s “First Lady of Music.”