ACCC National Choral Awards

The National Choral Awards program was established in 1988 to honour outstanding contributions to Canadian choral music. The awards are presented publicly every two years during our national conference, Podium, to honour and celebrate excellence in achievements during the previous two seasons. Each winner receives a certificate. The full list of award winners is posted on the website.

Members of ACCC are eligible to participate in our National Choral Awards program by nominating those in the association who have excelled in areas of artistic achievement, innovative sponsorship or philanthropy, academic achievement, or distinguished service. Nomination Deadline is February 15, 2014.

Winners are selected by a panel of choral experts appointed by ACCC; there is a new roster of people serving on the award jury panel for each competition.

See National Choral Awards

Prix nationaux de chant choral de l'ACCC

Le programme de prix nationaux de l'ACCC a été créé en 1988 en vue de récompenser l'excellence en matière de contributions au chant choral au Canada. Les prix sont décernés publiquement tous les deux ans lors de Podium, notre congrès bisannuel, et reconnaissent les accomplissements effectués pendant les deux saisons précédentes. Chaque lauréat reçoit un certificat. La liste complète des gagnants est affichée sur notre site web.

Les membres de l'ACCC sont invités à participer au programme en nommant d'autres membres de l'Association qui ont excellé dans un des domaines suivants: réalisation artistique, parrainage innovateur ou philanthropie, réalisation scolaire, service exceptionnel. La date limite pour les nominations est le15 février, 2014.

Les lauréats sont sélectionnés par un groupe d'experts désignés par l'ACCC. Les membres du jury changent en fonction du concours.

Voir Prix nationaux de chant choral

2nd Annual HALIFAX SUMMER CHORAL CONDUCTING SYMPOSIUM July 22-26, 2014

Join us this summer for the Halifax Summer Choral Conducting Symposium - July 22-26, 2014 in Halifax, Nova Scotia!

The Halifax Summer Choral Conducting Symposium is a 5-day intensive workshop offering group instruction in choral/vocal pedagogy, conducting technique, choral repertoire, and Dalcroze Eurhythmics; and individual instruction in conducting, voice, piano and organ.  Designed to support the practical work of all levels of choral conductors, we invite school/university educators, church musicians, studio teachers, and undergraduate/graduate music students to participate.

This summer, we welcome Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt, Director of Choral Activities at the University of Toronto, as our guest clinician. 

We also welcome Dr. Caron Daley (Choral Pedagogy, Dalcroze Eurhythmics), Dr. Susan Boddie (Vocal Pedagogy), Lynette Wahlstrom (Church Music, Piano), and Shawn Whynot (Church Music, Organ) to our teaching faculty. 

There are four ways to participate in the symposium:

• Active Conductor (8 spots) - deadline to apply May 15
• Auditing Conductor (unlimited spots) - deadline to register June 1
• Daily Registrant (unlimited spots) - deadline to register June 30
• Member of the Symposium Chorus (by audition) – email halifaxsummerchoral.com for more information

To learn more about the event, or to register, please visit www.halifaxsummerchoral.com*

To join our list-serve for monthly updates, please email halifaxsummerchoral@gmail.com.


*The Halifax Summer Choral Conducting Symposium operates in cooperation with the Nova Scotia Choral Federation, the Royal College of Organists, the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Long and McQuade.  Members of any Canadian provincial choral federation receive a discounted tuition.

NYC 2014 Conducting Apprentice Announced

Congratulations to Irene Apanovitch who has been selected as the 2014 National Youth Choir Apprentice Conductor. Irene will spend two weeks working and studying with NYC/CNJ 2014 conductor, Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt. During this time, she will have the opportunity to observe rehearsals, discuss choral techniques and conduct the NYC/CNJ in performance.

This program is made possible through the generous support of The Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation.

Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Announces Conductors Selected for the 4th Annual Choral Conductors’ Symposium in January 2014

The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s annual Choral Conductors’ Symposium brings together five emerging conductors for a week of intense master classes and workshops with acclaimed conductor Noel Edison. During the week of January 28 – February 1, 2014 the conductors, selected through a juried application process, have the rare opportunity to conduct both the chamber-sized Elora Festival Singers and the large-scale Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. The Symposium concludes with a free public concert on Saturday, February 1, 2014 at 3 pm at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church in Toronto.

This year the Symposium will focus on Canadian composers; the conductors will work with the choirs on music by Calvert, Chatman, Corlis, Daley, Holman, Raminsh and Willan.  They will also work on excerpts from some of the classical masterworks as well, including Dona nobis pacem from Bach’s B Minor Mass, The Lord is Great from Haydn’s The Creation, and Hear my prayer, O Lord by Purcell.

The five conductors coming to Toronto for the 2013 Symposium are:

Renata Dworak is currently a graduate student in Choral Conducting at the Eastman School of Music. She is the Director of the Repertory Singers at Eastman and Music Director of Lakeville United Church of Christ in Lakeville, NY. She graduated from DePauw University with a Bachelor of Music Education and taught choral music at a High School in Indianapolis.

Jeffrey Moellman is a choral conductor, organist and member of the Royal Canadian College of Organists. He has been Director of Music at Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Orillia, Ontario since 2010.  He received his Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Kent State University and his Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance from The Cleveland Institute of Music.

Sarah Morrison is a music educator, choral conductor and soprano soloist. She began her singing career with the Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir.  Sarah has a Master of Music Education from the University of Toronto and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education.  She sings first soprano in the Canadian Chamber Choir and has been the Artistic Director of The Oakville Children’s Choir since 2007. Sarah was awarded the Leslie Bell Prize in Choral Conducting in 2010.

Raymund Ocampo currently lives in Tampa Bay, Florida where he is Associate Conductor of Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and completing his Master of Music in Choral Conducting studies at the University of South Florida. Prior to the move to Tampa Bay, Raymund was the Director of Music Ministry at Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church and the Founder and Artistic Director of ascend, a professional choir, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Zachary Maxwell Thompson is a tenor and conductor. He has a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Voice and is currently completing his Master of Music in Choral Conducting at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee.  Zachary is Director of the Community School of the Arts Adult Chorus in Clarksville, Tennesse and is Assistant Conductor of the Unviersity Choir and Opera Chorus Master at Austin Peay.

Observers are welcome during the Symposium workshops; observer fees are $20 per session or $50 per day.

Find out about the Symposium Schedule: http://www.tmchoir.org/education/conductors-symposium.cfm.

Find out more about the Free Public Concert: http://www.tmchoir.org/tmcPerformances/conductors-symposium-concert.cfm.

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Nick Halley Sunday, December 8, 2013: 9:05 - 10:00 am, (9:35 - 10:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

Things you never knew about famous Christmas tunes
This Sunday on Choral Concert Nick Halley takes you on a little tour of the mysterious stories behind famous Christmas tunes. Your take on "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "Silent Night" will never be the same.

As Christmas comes down the pike you can also be sure that whether you're a grumpy Scrooge or a chipper Christmas elf, Nick Halley will bring you choral music that is bold, beautiful and fun - starting this Sunday with the bombastic "Christmette" by Michael Praetorius.

INTERPLAY Interactive Workshops for Canadian Choral Composers Application Deadline: December 10, 2013

Jon Washburn and the Vancouver Chamber Choir will deliver the award winning Interplay: Interactive Workshops for Canadian Choral Composers February 7, 2014 in Sudbury, ON and April 8, 2014 in Vancouver, BC

The application brochure is here.