Category: Awards

by choirsontario

From Mark Vuorinen, President of the Choirs Ontario Board of Directors:

It is a great pleasure for me to recognize two individuals whose impact on choral music in Ontario has been both broad and very deep.

The President’s Leadership Award of Choirs Ontario recognizes individuals who, through their support or engagement in choral music-making, have made an exceptional contribution to the promotion and advancement of choral music in their communities.

The recipients of this year’s award have been supporting choral music in this province, across the country, and around the world for decades. They have demonstrated their commitment to and passion for choral music as volunteers, board members, philanthropists, Honorary Patrons and audience members as they have assisted choirs and choral organizations and encouraged conductors to fulfill a vision for choral excellence and creative transcendence.

The recipients of the 2019 President’s Leadership Award are Frieda and Vern Heinrichs.

They are Honorary Patrons of both the Elmer Iseler Singers and the Amadeus Choir, among many other groups.

As the jury for this award met, we encountered overwhelming support from the choral community for the Heinrichs’ nomination through many letters of nomination. To understand the breadth and depth of the Heinrichs’ rich contribution to the choral landscape of this province is to sample from the many extraordinary letters of nomination and support. I quote:

Vern and Elfrieda Heinrichs truly love the choral art form. They are there for advice, wisdom, and support of all kinds. They put all this into action every day of their lives. In their quiet way, they lift us up and lead us to a higher place, inspiring those whose lives they have touched to seek excellence in all that they do.

When our valued art form is continually experiencing the uphill struggle of funding, the Heinrichs’ engagement has brought an essential legitimacy to the support of choral music, influencing many others to do likewise. Their rich Mennonite heritage has been an immense influence in their philanthropy, which they demonstrate with modesty, humility and great passion and enthusiasm.

Vern and Frieda were instrumental through the Heinrichs Foundation in endowing the Elmer Iseler Chair in Choral Conducting and the Elmer Iseler National Graduate Fellowships in Choral Conducting at the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto. Their commitment to the importance of educating and exposing both current and future generations to excellence in choral music is evident in these and other endeavours.

Vern and Elfrieda are passionate about choral music, and they understand what a profound impact it can have on singers and audiences. They show their love and support for the choral community by their steady attendance at concerts, festivals and choral events of all levels in Toronto, Guelph, and throughout Canada and the US.

This very kind, compassionate couple has made an avocation of supporting choral music, and we in Canada have benefitted from their expertise and generosity. I can think of no better recipients for Choirs Ontario’s President’s Leadership Award.

Their kindnesses to musicians, their warm hospitality, their presence at so many events in the community, and their additional efforts behind-the-scenes to support the choral art are more than worthy of recognition from Choirs Ontario. In fact, I would say we are overdue in granting them this honour.

Please join me in recognizing and thanking Elfrieda and Vern Heinrichs for their transformational contribution to the choral music.

by choirsontario

The 2019 Ken Fleet Choral Conducting Scholarship awarded to Nila Rajagopal, Conductor’s Intern/Conductor’s Assistant, Toronto Children’s Chorus at Pro Musica’s Choral Masterpieces concert on Sunday, April 28th at the Church of St. Jude. The $1000 grant will help Nila with the cost of her choral conducting studies.

The Ken Fleet Choral Conducting Scholarship Fund was established by London Pro Musica Choir and named in honour of Ken Fleet, the choir’s beloved conductor for 23 years. The scholarship embodies Ken’s passion for music and education and gives young conductors a chance to forge their own path towards a career in choral conducting. The recipient must be an Ontario resident with formal music training.

Ken taught at Medway High School in Arva, Ontario, where his choral program won the CBC Choral Competition. He also taught at Western, conducting the UWO singers, and co-conducted the Amabile Mens’ and Boys’ Choirs in London with fellow Western graduate Carol Beynon, winning three CBC National Radio Competition awards.

The arts are vital to creating a vibrant, smart, and caring community. LCF is honored to steward this fund, ensuring talented conductors have the opportunity to follow in Ken’s footsteps, pursue their dreams, and contribute to their community through the gift of music.

“This is a unique scholarship meeting an important need”, says Lori Runciman, who represented LCF at the concert on Sunday. “We commend London Pro Musica’s desire to honour Ken and his vision in this lasting way.”

by choirsontario

Established in 2001 to commemorate Choirs Ontario’s 30th anniversary, the President’s Leadership Award recognizes individuals who, through their support or engagement in choral music-making, have made an exceptional contribution to the promotion and advancement of choral music in their communities. Choirs Ontario is proud to present this year’s award to Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt and Linda Beaupré in recognition of their remarkable contribution to the promotion and advancement of choral music in the province. The jury panel commended recipients’ outstanding impact on choral education and larger arts community in this province.

Linda Beaupré, through her amazing career, has changed the lives of thousands of young singers through her two exceptional organizations, The Bach Children’s Chorus/Bach Chamber Youth Choir and the Guelph Youth Singers. With her joyous approach to music making, and her unstinting dedication to excellence, Linda Beaupré is truly one of the foremost conductors in this country.

Ms. Beaupré is a musical force of nature who exemplifies the very best of humanity. Through her inspired leadership in her exemplary career, and with her excellence, inspiration, vision and artistry, her dedication and integrity, she has made a truly positive difference in Ontario and the world to thousands of children, creating and nourishing, over 30 years, organizations that count themselves among the very best internationally. Linda’s outstanding career as a conductor, educator, adjudicator, arranger, author and editor has positively inspired thousands of children and children’s choir conductors in Ontario and internationally.

Dr.  Apfelstadt has been a model leader and educator.  In her  role as  the  Director  of  Choral  Activities and  Professor  of  Conducting,  she  fostered  a  collegial  and  collaborative  community  across  all  the  Faculty  of  Music  choral  ensembles.  During her tenure as the Elmer Iseler Chair of Conducting and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Toronto, Dr. Apfelstadt created one of the most diverse programs for choral conducting in the country. Her conducting, mentorship, and high standard of excellence and artistry fostered a love of choral music in all her students who continuously showcase her lasting positive impact in their ongoing work as some of the province’s leading conductors, music educators, and singers. An advocate for choral music across the broader community, she built and strengthened connections between the University of Toronto and various schools, youth groups, and community choruses such as the Orpheus Choir, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Young Voices of Toronto Choirs, and Cawthra Park High School Choirs. Dr. Apfelstadt has a sincere passion for promoting Canadian music locally and internationally.

Choirs Ontario applauds Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt’s and Linda Beaupré’s work and is pleased to be honouring them with this award.

The 2018 Presidents’ Leadership Awards presentation times and locations:

December 2, 2018 @ 2:30 PM
Choirs in Concert: For the Joy of the Singing – A Tribute to Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt
Elaine Choi, Trevor Dearham, Lori-Anne Dolloff, Mark Ramsay, conductors

Join the choirs of the Faculty of Music as they pay tribute to Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt, recently retired Director of Choral Activities, with a concert featuring the music of Orban, Balfour, and Pinkham.

MacMillan Theatre, 80 Queen’s Park
$30, $20 senior, $10 student | BUY TICKETS ONLINE or call 416-408-0208

December 8, 2018 @ 7:30 PM
Mystical Light – A 2018 Holiday Concert by Bach Children’s Choir and Bach Chamber Youth Choir
A Tribute to Linda Beaupre

Presenting a glowing holiday concert including “Chasing the Northern Lights” to and “I Want To Stare At My Phone With You”. Our award-winning choirs will feature music from Raffi, Gordon Lightfoot, as well as many festive choral favourites!

Toronto Centre for Performing Arts, 5040 Yonge Street
$35/$40 | BUY TICKETS ONLINE

by choirsontario

The Choral Canada Distinguished Service Award is given in recognition of long-term service to choral music in Canada. Awards are based on the significance and extent of transformative service in building, nurturing or promoting the Canadian choral community through a primary career in Canada. The individual’s contributions may have been made through teaching, conducting, or leadership.

by choirsontario

New award honours work created for women’s voices

by darrenpuscas

Congratulations to Douglas Price, composer of the winning composition, Laughter & Light