Association of Canadian Choral Condutors

Association of Canadian Choral Condutors

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Dr. Barbara Clark Receives 2011 Presidents' Leadership Award from Choirs Ontario

The 2011 Presidents’ Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Clark at the Toronto concert of the Ontario Youth Choir, August 28, 2011, for her extraordinary and multi-faceted contributions, over an illustrious career, to the art of choral music.

Established in 2001 to commemorate Choirs Ontario’s 30th anniversary, the Presidents’ 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. Barbara Clark, C.M., in recognition of her long and distinguished career in promoting and supporting choral music in Canada and beyond.
Dr. Clark began her career as an elementary school teacher and later worked as a music consultant with the Ottawa Board of Education.  For many years, she conducted the Central Children's Choir of Ottawa and in 1982, she founded the Ottawa Regional Youth Choir.  For the past fourteen years Dr. Clark has served as artistic director of Unisong, a national choral festival that brings together choirs from each province and territory in Canada in celebration of Canadian choral music.

As a volunteer, Dr. Clark has served on the Board of the Association of Canadian Choral Communities (formerly the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors), and on the board of Choirs Ontario (formerly the Ontario Choral Federation), service for which we at Choirs Ontario are particularly grateful! She has also served as the artistic director of the Niagara International Music Festival and the Canterbury International Music Festival in England, and has toured the world with her choirs giving masterclasses here in Canada, in the United States, Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland.

In 2006, Dr. Clark was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa from the University of Carlton, and is a member of the Order of Canada, this country’s highest civilian honour for her work in choral music.

Those who have known and worked with her over many years hail Dr. Clark as an “eloquent and tireless advocate” with “consummate organizational skill”. “She was the voice of reason at the table. She spearheaded many projects that included both fund-raising and artistic projects.”

The 2011 Presidents’ Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Clark at the Toronto concert of the Ontario Youth Choir, August 28, 2011 for her extraordinary and multi-faceted contributions, over an illustrious career, to the art of choral music.

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