Welcome to the Choral Canada Student Chapter!

Celeste Thordarson is a Soprano in her fourth year of the Classical Voice, Music Education Specialist program at the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Dr. Darryl Edwards.

Celeste has a strong sense of her future, which fuels her passions and educational goals, specifically in Choral Studies, Vocal Pedagogy, and Music Health.

Her musical commitment extends to various roles, such as being the Music Director of the Children’s and Adult choir at Annunciation BVM Parish. She is also a Co-Conductor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Engineering Skule Choir and Assistant Conductor with the VIVA Singers’ Junior Chorus. She previously worked with Sistema Toronto and the Toronto Children’s Chorus.

Beyond the classical realm, Celeste has left her mark in traditional pop as a featured artist, opening performer, ghostwriter, and recording artist for national and international talents.

Enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge, Celeste is passionate about choral education and inspiring others on their musical journeys.

William Austin (he/him/his) is a tenor, pianist, and researcher based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He completed his Bachelors of Science (Medical Sciences) with Honours and a Minor in Music (Voice) in 2025 and is currently pursuing a Masters of Applied Science in Biomedical Engineering at Dalhousie University.

An avid musician, William sings with the Halifax Camerata Singers, Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus, and Galileo Baroque Choir. William has also performed with the National Youth Choir of Canada (2022, 2024, 2026) and Nova Scotia Youth Choir (2019, 2024), and has toured the province with Musique Royale's production of Messiah (2022-2025). William supports the work and growth of choral singing among his peers across Canada as Co-Chair of the Choral Canada Student Chapter Executive Committee. Outside of his choral activities, William can be found either developing new nature-sourced materials to prevent osteoarthritis, promoting science education among youth with Let's Talk Science, and playing Celtic piano with Halifax's very own Fiddle Sticks.

Karen Hu is a music educator, choral conductor, and singer based in Milton, Ontario. They recently completed a Bachelor of Music with Honours in Voice Performance at Western University. 

As an avid choral artist, Karen has performed in various choral ensembles across the country including the National Youth Choir of Canada, the Ontario Youth Choir, the Ellison Canadian Honour Choir, Western University Singers, and Modern Sound Collective. In addition to their role within the community, Karen currently serves as Co-Chair of Choral Canada’s Student Chapter Executive Committee. Karen is the recipient of the Ken Fleet Choral Conducting Scholarship (2025) and Deral Johnson Legacy Award in Choral Music Conducting (2023) and holds Levels I, II, and III Kodály Certifications from Western University. As a conductor, Karen has previously participated in Exultate Chamber Singers’ apprentice conductor program and was the co-conductor/founder of the Student Leadership Choral Collective at Western University. Currently, they are the assistant conductor of Bach Children’s Chorus Choir I, Preparatory Chorus Rehearsal Assistant with VIVA Singers Toronto, and Choir Teaching Artist with Sistema Toronto.

Diane Kolin is a jazz and classical singer and a musicologist. She is the founder of ArtsAbly, a company offering diverse services related to accessibility and disability in the arts. Diane holds a PhD in Musicology from York University, Toronto. Her research interests are diverse and include Critical Disability Studies, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Liszt. She is the editor in chief of the Journal of the French Beethoven Society. The study of Beethoven’s deafness and her personal history led to her research in disability and music. She specializes in disability awareness and inclusion in the artistic world, particularly in music. Her collaboration with disabled musicians in the professional musical world allows her to expose new ideas on making music more accessible to a broader audience.

Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Cameron Bennett (he/him) recently moved to Halifax after completing his Bachelor of Music (Honours) in Musicology from Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he sang with the Quintessential Vocal Ensemble, where he also served as Operations Manager, the MUN Chamber Choir, and the St. John’s Gay Men’s Chorus. Cameron is also a trained clarinetist and pianist, having completed Royal Conservatory of Music examinations in both instruments, and has performed with the Newfoundland Youth Symphony Orchestra, the MUN Wind Ensemble, and as a part of the New York Summer Music Festival at SUNY Oneonta. Currently, Cameron sings with the Halifax Camerata Singers, and is pursuing a Master of Arts in Musicology at Dalhousie, where his thesis research focuses on Dolly Parton.

Each Branch will have its own set of goals and activities.  The overall benefit for each Branch is offering an incentive for students to share their passion. This way, students will become more committed to the art of choral music and group singing during their educational formative years. Benefits can also include learning opportunities beyond the classroom/rehearsal, the development of leadership skills, providing professional development opportunities, and contributing supportive services to the choral area and music department.

You can choose how little or how much organization you want.  A successful Branch will be one in which the students determine how they want to function, seeking out guidance from their Branch Advisor, if applicable. Ideally the Branch would provide encouragement and opportunity to students outside the classroom and choral rehearsal that directly relates to, but is not in competition with, the choral program or other music programs.

It depends on the goals and activities that you choose to do, and how you choose to do them. 

1. Organizing activities and sessions at the local level that engage in the training and experience of student choral musicians.

2. Encouraging student attendance and involvement at Choral Canada’s national biennial conference—Podium—through applying for student oriented programs and opportunities, and through attending the conference.

3. Encouraging and stimulating student membership and involvement in Choral Canada’s programs and projects that are relevant to the students at the local, provincial and national levels.

4. Promoting and recognizing the involvement of Student Chapter Branches on post-secondary campuses.

1. Student workshops and symposia

2. Conducting masterclasses

3. Reading sessions

4. Submitting articles for consideration in Choral Canada’s journal Anacrusis

5. Network/social events with other choral programs/groups in community and/or post secondary schools

6. Community engagement activities (e.g. singing in hospitals, workshops in elementary schools)

7. Organizing activities and sessions at a provincial choral association’s events (e.g. conference) that directly relate to the training and experience of student choral musicians

8. Other professional development and educational opportunities

The Chair/Co-Chairs of each Branch are required to send an annual report to the Choral Canada Student Chapter Executive Committee’s email address ([email protected]) by June 1 each year.

1. Discuss interest in starting a Choral Canada Student Chapter Branch with fellow students and/or a choral conductor/professor at your post-secondary institution. If applicable, identify a faculty member (likely the choral conductor/professor) who will be willing to be the Branch Advisor.

2. Review the goals of the choral program at your post-secondary institution and determine the advantages of forming a Choral Canada Student Chapter Branch, and potential goals and activities of the Branch that would support the program studies.

3. Encourage students to join Choral Canada and your CCSC Branch.  Choral Canada Student Membership annual fees are $35 plus tax (2023-24) and start on the day of purchase. If the membership is a financial barrier, Choral Canada does offer a “Pay-What-You-Can” option. Membership can be done online through the Choral Canada website (choralcanada.org). 

4. Obtain any required approval from your post-secondary institution officials to become a recognized student organization on your campus.

5. Send completed Choral Canada Student Chapter Branch Application Form to the Student Chapter Executive Committee email address ([email protected]).