The Alberta Emerging Musicians Festival showcases some of the province's finest student musicians. The festival's featured ensembles have been recognized across the globe for their outstanding skill and artistry.
Featured ensembles.
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Alberta Youth Choir
The Alberta Youth Choir is the province's honour choir for singers ages 16-22. AYC provides a unique opportunity for outstanding young singers from across the province to join forces in the pursuit of excellence in choral music. The 2018 Alberta Youth Choir is composed of 77 outstanding choristers from 32 different choirs and 18 towns and cities from across Alberta. The choir will be conducted by Dr. Cristian Grases, Associate Professor of Choral Music at the University of Southern California. |
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Alberta Wind Symphony
The Alberta Wind Symphony consists of outstanding band students from across the province of Alberta. One of the cornerstone programs of the Alberta Band Association, the Wind Symphony provides talented high school aged musicians the opportunity to work with some of the finest concert band conductors recognized both nationally and internationally, grow musically, and meet other musically vibrant instrumentalists. Admission to the Alberta Wind Symphony is made by music teacher/conductor recommendation. The 2018 Alberta Wind Symphony will be conducted by Jacqueline Dawson. |
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University of Alberta Madrigal Singers
Comprising 30 to 40 auditioned singers from across campus under the direction of Dr. Leonard Ratzlaff the University of Alberta Madrigal Singers have emerged in the past three decades as one of the foremost university chamber choirs in Canada. Frequent first-prize winners in the CBC's Choral Competition for Amateur Choirs, the Madrigal Singers have also had several successes at major international competitions in Germany, including first prize at the Robert Schumann International Choral Competition in Zwickau (1995), third prize in the 5th International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf (1997), first prize in the International Choir Competition in Cork, Ireland (1999), and the International Jury Award at this same competition in 2008. The most recent Madrigal Singers tour occurred in 2017, when the choir was invited to participate in a festival in Athens, Greece, together with several other US choirs, under the direction of esteemed British choral conductor Simon Carrington. In addition to singing in the joint performances, the Madrigal Singers presented three independent concerts in Athens. |
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University of Alberta Concert Choir
Founded in 1970, the University of Alberta Concert Choir is an ensemble of approximately 50 singers from a variety of faculties across the University. A wide variety of sacred and secular choral masterpieces are studied each year, ranging from motets, part songs and spirituals, to large works with orchestra. The University of Alberta Concert Choir has appeared with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, has performed at the Alberta Music Conference, been heard on national broadcast of the CBC, and been regular national semi-finalists in the CBC Amateur Choir Competition. University of Alberta Concert Choir is conducted by Dr. Sara Brooks. |
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University Symphony Orchestra
The University Symphony Orchestra, directed by professor Petar Dundjerski, is the full University of Alberta student symphony orchestra. Participation is mandatory for string students. The USO performs a wide range of repertoire, from the classical period to modern composers. The Symphony Orchestra gives a variety of concerts in the University's Convocation Hall each year, and often participates in choral concerts and operatic presentations. The USO has performed to full houses in the Winspear Centre, one of North America's finest performance spaces. |
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Symphonic Wind Ensemble
The Symphonic Wind Ensemble is a group of 50 of the university's most talented wind and percussion musicians, directed by Dr. Angela Schroeder. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble performs the most serious and challenging wind band music available. With essentially one player to a part, the repertoire is largely music that was originally conceived for the wind band. Recognized in national festivals and internationally, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble performs four concerts a year and several performances away from the campus and for special events. In 2010, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble performed at the regional conference of the College Band Directors National Association in Reno, NV. Most recently the ensemble were invited performers at the Percy Grainger Wind Band Festival in Chicago, IL, and had the distinction of performing at Orchestra Hall – home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra – in March 2016. |
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MacEwan University Big Band
The MacEwan University Big Band, now in its 45th year, is the flagship ensemble of the Music Department. It provides students with curricular opportunity to gain experience in the contemporary big band music. For 33 seasons it has been under the directorship of Raymond Baril. The band has had the distinct opportunity of working with internationally renowned musicians such as Maria Schneider, Bob Mintzer, Wayne Bergeron, Eddie Daniels, Jack Wilkins, Jens Lindemann, Ernie Watts, Sunny Wilkinson, Phil Woods, Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Shew, Christine Jensen, as well as Edmonton’s own PJ Perry and the late Tommy Banks. They have been a featured ensemble at the Edmonton International Jazz Festival, Cantando Music Festival, MusicFest Canada in Vancouver B.C., Alberta International Band Festival in Edmonton, International Association of Jazz Educators Conference in Washington D.C., and Rocky Mountain Festival in Banff. |
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MacEwan University Jazz Combo
The MacEwan University Jazz Combo under the direction of Kent Sangster, is one of the music department’s premiere performance ensembles. This group is comprised of some of the most advanced jazz performers in the program. The group rehearses twice a week and performs music written and arranged by its members as well as faculty. In addition to their own concerts at MacEwan they have performed for many MacEwan University functions, in many Edmonton area schools, at the Edmonton International Jazz Festival, as a feature group at Music Conference Alberta and were featured as part of the “Musicians In The Making” program in conjunction with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. |
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Bishop Carroll High School Virtuosi Strings
Bishop Carroll High School has one of the largest music programs in the province of Alberta, with over 350 students involved in Strings, Bands, Choirs, Jazz Band, and wind, brass, percussion and vocal jazz ensembles. The Strings program comprises four award-winning ensembles: Ensemble Eruditio, Ensemble Intermezzo, Cantabile Strings and the Virtuosi Strings. Virtuosi String students are enrolled in private lessons and participate in sectionals and large ensemble rehearsals. Each year, they study with Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra clinicians and Mount Royal University Conservatory faculty, and attend an annual Strings Camp. The Virtuosi Strings consistently attain “Superior” rankings at the Calgary Performing Arts Festival (CPAF), often perform at the Stars of the Festival concert, and are multi-year recipients of the CFAC-TV and Jeanette Sharples awards for top-ranking orchestra. In December 2017, they proudly represented Canada at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago during our country’s sesquicentennial year. We look forward to our inaugural performance at Music Conference Alberta! |
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John G. Diefenbaker High School Chamber Choir
Ensemble description coming soon! |
