Conseil d'administration

Directeur

Vancouver, C.-B.

(Anglais seulement) Adam was born and raised on the traditional lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. As a 4 th generation descendent of the Chinese Diaspora in Canada, he is grateful to be able to embrace his rich cultural and spiritual lineage while living and working as a guest on the beautiful traditional lands of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples in Victoria, British Columbia. Dr. Adam Jonathan Con is Co-Head of Music Education and conductor of the UVIC Symphonic Chorus at the University of Victoria. In addition, Dr. Con coordinates Graduate Choral Conducting, and serves as graduate faculty supervisor for the accordion applied area. His invitations to perform, conduct and present workshops include: Foro Coro Americano in Argentina, I Foro Internacional De Educación Musical in Mexico, HCES Music Festival in Australia, Podium Choral Conducting Symposium, ISME The International Society for Music Education, the Canadian GALA Conference, the Canadian and the American Orff-Schulwerk Conferences, the Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia Provincial Music Educator’s Conferences, the British Columbia Choral Federation, the Unitarian Universalist Musicians National American Conference, the Ohio and Georgia State Music Educator’s Conferences and the American Choral Directors Association. Adam has recently completed his role as principal investigator for the historic National Study on the State of Music Education in Canada.

Directrice

Toronto, ON

Anne is a strategic communications specialist for the cultural sector, helping arts organizations to be relevant and successful.  She developed and managed integrated marketing campaigns and strategic communications for the Royal Ontario Museum and the Ontario Science Centre, and is currently Director of Marketing for the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.  New initiatives that Anne has undertaken for the TMC include developing the TMC’s concert webcast programming and creating an active social media presence for the Choir. Anne taught Strategic Communications Planning in the Humber College post-grad Public Relations program for a number of years, and has conducted workshops and webinars for small non-profits that provide practical knowledge and build skills in online marketing. She has conducted these workshops for Choral Canada, Chorus America, Choirs Ontario, and the Association of California Symphony Orchestras. Choral music has been a part of Anne’s life since high school. She sings Alto for the Choir of the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Toronto.

Représentant des alliances chorales provinciales

Choir Alberta – Edmonton, AB

Recognized for his unique blend of artistic and administrative abilities, Dr. Brendan Lord is equally comfortable in the boardroom and on the podium. As administrator, he is Executive Director of Choir Alberta, Project Manager of Music Conference Alberta, and Advisor for Alberta Music Advocacy Alliance. Dr. Lord also served as Producer for Podium 2016, Canada’s national choral festival and conference. Artistically, he has conducted choirs at all levels including Spiritus Chamber Choir, Edmonton All-City Children’s Choir, Sherwood Park Festival Singers, and Sangkor Women’s Ensemble at the University of Alberta Augustana Campus. Between 2001 and 2016, Dr. Lord was a Sessional Instructor at the University of Alberta where he taught courses in the areas of conducting, music theory, and musicianship.

Directrice

Toronto, ON

Diane Kolin is a singer and a musicologist. She sings jazz and classical music, in choirs and smaller ensembles. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Musicology in 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 - Association Beethoven France et Francophonie. 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.

Directrice

Georgetown, ON

Hailing originally from the Canadian prairies, Diane Murray-Charrett is a PhD student in Music Education at the University of Toronto. She holds a Master of Music Education from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Music Education from Brandon University, and Orff Certification from the University of Manitoba. Diane was the founding conductor of the Gaudeamus Choirs of Halton Hills and now conducts the newly formed Cantando Women’s Choir, a community choir in her current hometown of Georgetown, Ontario. Over a 30-year career as an elementary music educator, most recently with the Halton District School Board in Milton, Ontario, she has developed a great passion for teaching young people to sing, working to help thousands of students find their voice. Her choral conducting experience encompasses community children’s choirs, including previous positions with the Oakville Children’s Choir and the Hamilton Children’s Choir, public school choirs at the local and regional level, musical theatre programs, as well as community and church choirs. 

Diane was honoured to recently share her research on Singer Identity in children at Podium 2022 and The Singing Network’s EXchange 2022 at IFCM’s World Choral Expo in Lisbon, Portugal. In her doctoral studies, Diane continues to examine how social, cultural, and political dynamics influence participation in group singing. A longtime member of Choral Canada, she is excited to be joining the Board of Directors and further support initiatives for our national group singing community.

Directrice

Halifax, N.-É.

Heather Fraser maintains an active career as a choral conductor, music educator and collaborative pianist in Nova Scotia.  She is the Artistic Director of the Annapolis Valley Honour Choirs (150 singers Grades 3-12), the Aeolian Singers (Halifax based women’s choir), and is an accompanist and music specialist in the Halifax Regional Centre for Education. 

Heather is grateful to have had the opportunity to study conducting and choral pedagogy with mentors across Canada, the USA and the UK.  She was honoured to be a Conducting Fellow with the Canadian Chamber Choir (2015), the first conductor in Pro Coro Canada’s emerging artist program (2016), and was Apprentice Conductor of the National Youth Choir of Canada under the guidance of Dr. Victoria Meredith (2010). 

A dynamic teacher, Heather is an active clinician, presenter and adjudicator. As the Program Director for the NS Choral Federation for seven years, she is passionate about the power of choral music to build community and foster our humanity.  After having served Choral Canada on both the Advocacy and National Youth Choir committees for many years, Heather is honoured to be elected to the VP Advocacy role, and feels humbled to be a part such a talented and invested team working on behalf of our diverse choral community. 

Trésorière

Edmonton, AB

Ancien-Président

Edmonton, AB


Passionné de la voix humaine, Laurier Fagnan détient une maîtrise en pédagogie du chant de l’Université Laval et un doctorat en direction chorale (University of Alberta/IRCAM, Paris). Il détient également un certificat en vocologie du National Center for Voice and Speech aux États-Unis. Responsable du programme de musique au Campus Saint-Jean à Edmonton, il est depuis 1995 chef de la dynamique Chorale Saint-Jean. En 2008 il a eu l’honneur de diriger un chœur de 1,400 voix lors du concert gala du 400e anniversaire de la Ville de Québec. Son domaine innovateur de recherche, l’acoustique des chœurs, l’a amené à donner des conférences lors de colloques internationaux et à offrir des ateliers en technique vocale pour des chorales au Canada, aux États-Unis et en France. Il a aussi été conférencier invité pour la Fédération des chorales de l’Europe en Bulgarie et pour l’Acoustical Society of America.  En 2012 il était directeur artistique des Choralies internationales Edmonton qui ont rassemblé des choristes de toute la francophonie et a agi en tant que président de Podium 2016, congrès et festival national de Canada Choral.  M. Fagnan est régulièrement formateur pour l’Alliance chorale du Québec et chef invité aux Choralies de Vaison-la-Romaine en France ainsi qu’à l’Académie internationale du Domaine Forget au Québec.


Il est récipiendaire du Richard S. Eaton Award et de la Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II en reconnaissance de sa contribution au chant choral canadien. En mai 2018, il fait sa première comme chef à Carnegie Hall à New York dirigeant la New England Symphony et quatre chœurs canadiens. Il a déjà servi comme président de Choir Alberta et en juin 2018, il est élu président désigné de Canada Choral, l’association nationale des chorales et chefs de chœur canadiens.

Directeur

Toronto, ON

Leo Li, an active choral conductor, focuses on cross-cultural and cross-language choral conducting. He has served the role as a choral conductor officially since age 18; in the same year, he conducted the choir and won the Gold Prize in Czech International Music Festival. He is pursuing his PhD at University of Toronto. 

Mr. Li experiences in conducting mixed choir, women’s choir, university choir, youth choir, children’s choir, community choir, school choir, and vocal ensembles in both Canada and China. He is passionate in building connections and bringing possibilities for different choirs/singing groups. His master’s major research paper, “Preparing and Conducting English Choral Works: a manual for Chinese choral conductors”, contributes to the Chinese choral community. 

Leo Li has performed and conducted in Australia, Canada, China, Czech, Russia, and Ukraine. In 2016, Mr. Li conducted Chinese and Russian pop and folk pieces in the Friendship Concert in The 9th World Choir Games, Sochi, Russia. 

In 2022, Mr. Li served as the Co-Chair of Community and School Engagement Portfolio and Local Choir Liaison Portfolio in PODIUM2022 with his colleagues; a new series of event – the Connections Series – is launched for creating a sharing platform for mainstream choral society and community/ethnic based choral/singing communities.

Secrétaire

Charlottetown, Î.-P.-É.

(Anglais seulement)  An active conductor, performer, and teacher, Dr. Margot Rejskind has directed choirs of all kinds, from beginner to professional, in both Canada and the United States. Known for her adventurous and eclectic programming, choirs under her direction have been praised for their musicality, artistry, and radiant sound. Dr. Rejskind is in demand as a guest conductor and adjudicator, appearing at conferences, festivals, and workshops throughout North America. She is the founding artistic director of Luminos Ensemble, a PEI-based professional chamber choir; artistic director of Forte Men's Choir, and music director of Island Choral Society; and also maintains a busy private voice and conducting studio, and lectures at UPEI. Until recently, she was a member of the Executive of the PEI Registered Music Teachers’ Association, and she currently serves as VP for Membership Development for the Atlantic Canada Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Margot is a native of Montreal, where she received formative conducting training under Iwan Edwards and Dr. John Baboukis, and earned a degree in Voice Performance (Jazz) from Concordia University. She earned her Masters and Doctoral degrees in Choral Conducting and Vocal Pedagogy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, studying with Dr. Chester Alwes, and Donald Schleicher.

Présidente

Vancouver, C.-B.

Morna Edmundson is one of Canada’s best-known choral conductors with a strong reputation for excellence. Based in Vancouver, she is Artistic Director of Elektra Women’s Choir and also EnChor Choir, an auditioned SATB ensemble for mature voices. Passionate since childhood about choral singing, Morna obtained degrees and diplomas in vocal music in Vancouver, Bellingham, and Stockholm, Sweden where her teachers included Eric Ericson. Under her leadership, Elektra is a proud leader in the women’s choir community, programming a season of concerts, commissioning, recording, and engaging with women of all ages and their conductors through a suite of outreach programs. For 14 years Morna shared her love of quality repertoire with a new generation of singers in her role as Associate Artistic Director of Coastal Sound Music Academy. Morna has adjudicated in North America and Asia, conducted state honour choirs, co-directed the American Choral Directors Association National Women’s Honour Choir, and gives frequent workshops with choirs of all ages. She curates a series of Canadian compositions and arrangements for accomplished treble choirs at Cypress Choral Music. Her accomplishments have been recognized with the BC Choral Federation’s Healey Willan Award (2000), a BC Community Achievement Award (2009), YWCA Woman of Distinction Award, Arts and Culture category (2011), and UBC Alumni Builder Award (2017). She served on the board of Chorus America for 9 years (2013-2021) and currently serves the BC Choral Federation as chair of its Willan Council. 

Morna is proud to serve Choral Canada as President from 2022-2024 and looks forward to working closely with staff, board, and members in this wonderful and unique organization.

Représentante des alliances chorales provinciales

Alliance chorale du Québec – Montréal, QC

Roxanne a découvert ce qu’était une chorale au début du secondaire lorsque son professeur de français a mis sur pied la première chorale de son école. Ce fut le coup de foudre et elle navigue dans l’univers choral depuis ce temps, que ce soit à titre de choriste, chef de pupitre alto, pianiste-accompagnatrice ou directrice musicale. Elle a fait des études universitaires en piano à l’Université de Montréal, a commencé à enseigner le piano à 14 ans, fait partie de nombreux chœurs, entre autres sur la rive-sud de Montréal, a fondé l’ensemble vocal à voix égales de femmes l’Écho de la Montagne en 1996 et a joint le Chœur Ste-Dorothée en tant que pianiste-accompagnatrice en 1997. Dès 2001, elle en a repris la direction musicale et occupe toujours cette fonction. Elle a été secrétaire du conseil d’établissement de l’école Saint-Luc pendant 9 ans et s’est impliquée activement pendant plusieurs années à l’organisation du rassemblement chorale Automnie de l’Alliance chorale du Québec, à titre de responsable de pupitre et en 2005 à titre de coordonnatrice musicale. Parallèlement à cela, elle a travaillé dans le milieu humanitaire international pendant 22 ans pour l'organisme Vision Mondiale Canada, dont les 13 dernières années comme gestionnaire. Roxanne est donc très enthousiaste de pouvoir combiner sa passion pour le chant choral avec ses compétences en gestion en joignant l’Alliance chorale du Québec, en juillet 2021, en tant que directrice générale.

Directeur

Montréal, QC

Sebastien Duckett is currently a student at McGill University’s Faculty of Law, where he is completing the joint BCL/JD degree program. He is also a Student-at-Law at Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP, a leading national law firm. Sebastien holds a bachelor’s degree in music from McGill, where he majored in vocal performance under the tutelage of Brett Polegato and John MacMaster. He has sung in numerous ensembles, including the National Youth Choir of Canada, the Ontario Youth Choir, McGill University’s Schulich Singers and the choirs at St. Michael’s Choir School. For several years, Sebastien served as a director and officer at Young Voices Toronto, a Toronto-based children’s choir. In his time at YVT, he played a pivotal role in the organization’s governance reform, financial planning and pandemic response.

Représentant des alliances chorales provinciales

NS Choral Federation – Halifax, N.-É.

Tim Cross is a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He worked with the Nova Scotia Choral Federation as Program Coordinator from 1987 until 1997 when he assumed his current position as Executive Director. Prior to working with the federation he owned and operated the acclaimed Halifax restaurant Café Quelque Chose, worked as a dietetic supervisor at the Halifax Infirmary Hospital and was a qualified fitness instructor with the YMCA.
He has served as a volunteer on committees and boards of several choirs as well as the Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council, the YMCA, the Family Pride Camping Association, Mocean Dance, and Kinap Community Centre. Currently he is a board member and Past President of the Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia and Past President and board member of Halifax Gay Men’s Chorus and Board member of of Unison Choruses Canada.  He helped host Podium 1998, Podium 2014 and is Co-chair of Unison Festival 2023. Tim makes his home in Bedford. He has enjoyed singing with a few local community choirs. Tim is a founding member and currently sings with Halifax Gay Men’s Chorus.

Représentant des alliances chorales provinciales

BC Choral Federation – Vancouver, C.-B.

Willi Zwozdesky is widely-known as a choral conductor and for his work as an arranger, which form a large part of an active musical career that also includes music publishing and arts management. A native of Alberta, Zwozdesky later moved to Seattle, where he completed a Master of Music in choral conducting and a Master of Arts in music theory at the University of Washington in 1981. Following his move to Vancouver in that year, he established himself as a leader in the city’s cultural community, working in choral music, education, musical theatre, and most notably, as the conductor of the Vancouver Men’s Chorus, a position he still holds today. He also trained in arts administration at The Banff Centre School of Management and at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. 

At the core of Zwozdesky’s career are his choral arrangements, many of which regularly appear in concert programs and recordings across Canada and abroad. In 1990 he established Rhythmic Trident Music Publishing, which focuses on his own and new Canadian work. An active choral clinician and adjudicator, Willi has also volunteered on a number of national and regional organizations, including the Canadian Music Centre, GALA Choruses, Inc., the World of Children’s Choirs 2001 and, presently, Choral Canada. In 2004, his dedication to choral music was recognized with both a Legacy Award from GALA Choruses for his contributions to that movement and a Willan Award from the British Columbia Choral Federation for outstanding service to British Columbia’s choral community. In addition to his freelance work, he serves as the Executive Director of the British Columbia Choral Federation.


 

Président-élu

Montréal, QC

Reconnu pour sa fougue, ses interprétations vives, sa programmation novatrice, Xavier Brossard-Ménard est directeur artistique et chef du chœur professionnel Les Rugissants.

Partenaire Casting en chant du Cirque du Soleil depuis 2017, il mène des auditions internationales pour la compagnie. En 2018, il dirige l’Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil dans un programme latin pour chœur et orchestre, et une nouvelle fois en 2019 pour les célébrations du 100e anniversaire de la Société chorale de Saint-Lambert dans un programme flamboyant réunissant Vaughan Williams et Bernstein. Durant la saison 2020-21, il devient chef-assistant de l’Orchestre classique de Montréal et du Brott Music Festival et dirige plus de 10 concerts symphoniques.  

En avril 2022, il dirige l'Orchestre Philharmonique du Maroc dans un programme Vivaldi au côté du violoniste Christophe Quatremer.

Au cours de sa carrière, Il a dirigé plusieurs ensembles de renom dont Les Muses Chorale, le Toronto Children’s Chorus, les McGill Conservatory Singers, le Chœur des jeunes de la Faculté de musique de l’Université de Montréal, les chœurs de l’École de musique Vincent-d’Indy et fut artiste en résidence à l’École F.A.C.E.

Clarinettiste chambriste chevronné, il a été directeur artistique de l’ensemble QAT, récipiendaire de la bourse LOJIQ-RIDEAU et du Prix de tournée du Conseil des arts de Montréal pour son spectacle 1938.

Il est président-élu de Canada Choral depuis septembre 2022.

Personnel

Directrice générale

Toronto, ON

Depuis 2014, Meghan Hila est la Directrice générale de Canada Choral, l'Organisme de service national dans le domaine des arts de la communauté chorale canadienne. Meghan a beaucoup d'expérience dans l'administration et gestion des arts et a travaillé pour plusieurs organismes tels que la danse et l'orchestre du Centre national des arts, l'école de musique de l'université de Windsor, le Windsor Capitol Theatre, le Festival Kiwanis de la région de Toronto, Bowman Media, les Talisker Players et Choirs Ontario. Meghan détient un baccalauréat en musicothérapie (spécialisé en chant) de l'université de Windsor et un certificat en gestion des arts. Meghan a chanté dans plusieurs chorales comme bénévole ainsi que comme professionnelle. Jusqu'à tout récemment lorsque elle est devenue mère, Meghan chantait avec Orpheus Choir of Toronto sous la direction de Bob Cooper ainsi que le chœur Evensong de l'église St. Thomas dirigé par Matthew Larkin.

Directeur des programmes et de la communication

Keswick, ON

Originaire de la Nouvelle-Écosse, Colin Frotten est pianiste, ténor, directeur musical et administrateur artistique. Il est diplômé de l'Université Mount Allison où il a été choriste de la Elliott Chorale pendant cinq années consécutives, agissant souvent comme chef de section et ténor soliste, en plus de travailler comme gestionnaire et bibliothécaire de la chorale. 

Plus récemment, Colin a chanté avec That Choir pendant huit saisons et a été leur directeur général de 2015 à 2022. Il continue à travailler en tant qu'interprète actif dans tout l'Ontario et les provinces de l'Atlantique. Il a notamment travaillé avec l'église Bloor Street United, First Act Productions, Fredericton Symphony Orchestra, Halifax Summer Opera Festival, Maritime Concert Opera, Opera Atelier, Opera by Request, Opera York, OperOttawa, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir et le Toronto Chamber Choir.

En tant qu'éducateur passionné et champion des arts, Colin a également un studio actif de piano/voix et travaille présentement comme enseignant et directeur musicale avec First Act Youth Company.

Bannière: Scott Leithead et Dominic Gregorio, PODIUM 2016. Photo: Friday Design and Photography