Chamber Choir and Soprano-Alto Chorus, with Toronto Children's Chorus **NEW VENUE**

This concert was originally scheduled to take place at Eglinton St. George's United Church, but is now taking place at Trinity-St. Paul's United Church and Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts.

Toronto Children’s Chorus Chamber Choir, University of Toronto Chamber Choir, University of Toronto Soprano-Alto Chorus

Cristian Grases, guest conductor and composer

Kathleen Allan, Yuan Chen, Maria Conkey, Michael Denomme, Zimfira Poloz, and Melanie Yirenkyi, conductors

Soprano-Alto Chorus

Et Exultavit Spiritus Meus from Magnificat BWV 243

J.S. Bach, ed. Peter Robb

Le Train D’hiver

Marie-Claire Saindon🍁

Melanie Yirenkyi, conductor

What Was I Made For?

Billie Eilish O’Connell, Finneas O’Connell,  arr. Jennifer Lucy Cook 

Mariana Pit Torres Siebiger, cello

This recital is in partial fulfillment of the Master of Music in Choral Conducting.
Melanie Yirenkyi is a student of Jamie Hillman. 

This recital is in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting. 
Maria Conkey is a student of Jamie Hillman.

Massed Choir

Earth, No. 1 “Core”

J Cristian Grases

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Donors to Choral Studies

Advancement: Brittney Cathcart, James Conquer, Rachel Loo

Concert Office: Eric Chow

Librarian, Performance Collection: Karen Wiseman

Performance Office: Eddy Aitken, Amanda Eyer Haberman

Voice Studies and Faculty of Music Voice Faculty

Collaborative Piano studies and Professor Steven Philcox

*ensemble manager

BIOGRAPHIES

Dr. Cristian Grases

Cristian Grases joined the USC Thornton faculty in the Fall 2010 semester and is currently a professor of choral music, conductor of the USC Thornton Concert Choir, and Vice Dean for the Classical Performance and Composition Division. Born in Venezuela, he earned degrees from the Simón Bolívar University (MM) in Caracas, Venezuela, and the University of Miami (DMA). He has previously served as interim director of choral activities at Central Washington University; assistant professor in choral music at California State University, Los Angeles; and national coordinator of choirs for EL SISTEMA under Maestro José Antonio Abreu. He also served as conductor for the Women’s Chamber Ensemble of the University of Miami, the assistant conductor of the Miami Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Eduardo Marturet, and the conductor of the Young Musician’s Orchestra. Additionally, he is an award-winning conductor and composer and has been commissioned to write for several prestigious organizations such as the Piedmont Children's Chorus, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the Golden Bridge Choir, the ORA Singers, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

Dr. Grases has participated in numerous festivals, workshops, and events as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and conducting pedagogue in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He has also presented sessions in the World Choral Symposia in Denmark, Argentina, and South Korea. Additionally, he has presented at several ACDA regional and national conventions and conducted the National Latin American Honor Choir at the Salt Lake City ACDA National Convention.

Dr. Grases was elected into the Board of Directors of the International Federation for Choral Music in 2008 and served as a member of the Executive Board as a Vice-President representing the region of Latin America and the Caribbean until December of 2020. In addition, Grases was the chair of the Ethnic Music Repertoire and Resources Committee for the Western Division of the American Choral Directors Association (2009-2018), he was part of the editorial board of the International Choral Bulletin (2005-2018), was the editor of the Children’s and Youth Column for the bulletin (2005-2017), was the founding Artistic Director for the Esperanza Azteca Los Angeles Orchestra and Amazonia Ensemble, and serves in numerous international artistic committees including Songbridge, the World Youth Choir, and chaired the Artistic Committee for the World Choral Expo 2019; additionally, he served in the Artistic Committee for the World Symposium on Choral Music celebrated in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2023. In 2013 Dr. Grases started a new Choral Series entitled “The Choral Music of Latin America and the Caribbean” published by Gentry Publications as an editorial outlet for Latin American choral repertoire.

Kathleen Allan

Kathleen Allan is the Artistic and Executive Director of the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto and a member of the music faculty at the University of Toronto. In high demand as a guest conductor, commissioned composer, and clinician, she is equally comfortable working in early, contemporary, and symphonic repertoire.

Since the beginning of her tenure with the Amadeus Choir in 2019, the Choir has commissioned over a dozen new works, founded the Choral Creation Lab for emerging composers and poets, and formed new partnerships with diverse artists and ensembles throughout the GTA and beyond. From 2016-2023, she served as the Artistic Director of Canzona, Winnipeg’s professional Baroque choir, with whom she conducted many of the masterworks of the Baroque era. A devoted interpreter of early music and steeped in the practice of historically-informed performance, she is passionate about finding relevant contemporary context for the works of the past and sharing their universal power with broad audiences. Recent guest conducting engagements include the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Victoria Symphony, Regina Symphony Orchestra, Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and Early Music Vancouver. In 2015, Ms. Allan made her Asian debut conducting Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in Japan, and in 2016, she was the recipient of the Sir Ernest MacMillan Prize in Choral Conducting.

Her compositions have been commissioned, performed and recorded by ensembles throughout the Americas and Europe and have been featured at two World Symposiums on Choral Music. Her music is published by Boosey and Hawkes, Oxford University Press, and Cypress Choral Music, and she is a MusicSpoke composer. Inspired by her Celtic roots and musical upbringing in Newfoundland and Labrador, her compositions often fuse contemporary rhythms and harmonies with undertones of ancient folk music. Also an accomplished soprano, she has appeared as a soloist with the National Broadcast Orchestra, Berkshire Choral Festival, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. In addition to freelancing regularly in Canada and the US, she has performed as a member of the Vancouver Chamber Choir, the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Vienna), Skylark Vocal Ensemble (Atlanta), Clarion Choir (New York), and the Yale Schola Cantorum (New Haven). 

As a passionate educator, she has served as Visiting Professor of Conducting at Western University (2019-2021) and now conducts the Chamber Choir at the University of Toronto. She holds a degree in composition from the University of British Columbia and a master’s degree in conducting from Yale University.

Yuan (Alba) Chen 

Yuan Chen holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and a master’s degree in Choral Conducting from Memorial University. She is currently in her first year of the Doctor of Musical Arts program at the University of Toronto.

Previously, Yuan served as the Musical Director at Nomad Stages in Stephenville, Newfoundland, where she led her choir to win the Best Choir award at the Stephenville Rotary Music Festival. This summer, she also took on the role of Music Director for the 46th Stephenville Theatre Festival, further showcasing her exceptional leadership and communication skills. Additionally, she is a guest conductor for The Atlantic Boy Choir.

With over a decade of experience conducting choirs of all ages—from children to university students and seniors—Yuan has garnered significant accolades. She led the Chorus of the Department of History at Fudan University to a Silver Award in the Annual Chorus Competition and directed the Chorus of East China University of Political Science and Law to a Third Prize, both starting from scratch with no prior music background.

Maria Conkey

A native of Newfoundland and Labrador, Maria Conkey (she/her), is an inspiring and innovative conductor, clinician, and pedagogue. She is passionate about using choral music to build community and nurture leadership skills in young people. In addition to beginning her Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) at the University of Toronto, she is the Artistic Director of the Oakville Choir for Children & Youth and the Outreach Coordinator at St. Michael’s Choir School. 

Maria is also the 2024-25 recipient of the Elmer Iseler National Graduate Fellowship in Choral Conducting, and a nominee for the 2023 Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting. She has also received the Beryl Barnes Memorial Graduate Award and the Andreas Barban Memorial Scholarship.

Past engagements include the Junior Choir Conductor at St. Michael’s Choir School (ON) - on leave while studying, the Artistic Director of Young Voices Toronto, the Conductor of the award-winning senior choirs at St. Bonaventure’s College (NL), and the Choral Director at the Basilica of St. John the Baptist (NL). She has also worked with Shallaway - Newfoundland Youth in Chorus and several children’s, youth, and adult choirs, including the Alberta Youth Choir and the University of Alberta Madrigal Singers.

Michael Denomme

Michael Denomme is a Conductor, Music Educator, and pianist originally from North Bay, Ontario, and is now based in Toronto. Michael holds a BMus in Music Education, as well as an MMus in Choral Conducting from the University of Toronto where he studied with Dr. Jamie Hillman, Dr. Zimfira Poloz and Uri Mayer. While at UofT, Michael worked as the Assistant Conductor of the MacMillian Singers and the Tenor-Bass Choir. He was the recipient of the Elmer Iseler National Graduate Fellowship in Choral Conducting in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, and also received the Faculty of Music’s Teaching Award in 2023, for teaching assistant of the year.

Outside of the University setting, Michael is extremely passionate about children's choir and community choir, and is ardent about building community through choral singing. He is involved as a conductor at numerous youth and children’s choir organizations, specifically, the Mississauga Children’s Choir, the Toronto Children’s Chorus, and VIVA Singers Toronto. He has also contributed to the organization of multiple provincial treble choir festivals, most recently acting as the project manager for the 2024 Ontario Youth Treble Festival, which hosted 8 choirs and over 300 singers in Toronto for a full day of collaboration and performance.

Michael has also had the pleasure to participate and conduct in choral conducting workshops across North America, including the Vancouver Chamber Choir’s conducting symposium, the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music’s international conductors training program, and most recently the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Conducting Symposium. Michael also has a deep passion for orchestral conducting, having performed with orchestras across Ontario over the past few years.

Jamie Drake

Jamie Drake is a percussionist, drummer and composer, whose musical interests span from environmental chamber music to Motown, and who values collaboration and integrity. As a member of TorQ Percussion Quartet, he has performed across North America and as a featured soloist with the Toronto Symphony, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Niagara Symphony, Kingston Symphony, Kitchener Waterloo Symphony and the Buffalo Philharmonic, as well as numerous wind ensembles, and has premiered works by composers including Christos Hatzis, Dinuk Wijeratne and Nicole Lizée. Jamie regularly performs with orchestras and choirs across the GTA, and also serves as the percussionist for the Hamilton Children’s Choir. Active in musical theatre, Jamie has played drums and percussion for Mirvish, MusicalStage Company, Soulpepper, Young People’s Theatre and Canadian Stage, and has played drums for singers including Ron Sexsmith, Jackie Richardson, Jully Black, Divine Brown and more. He received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Toronto, and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Percussion at the DAN School of Drama and Music at Queen’s University.

Rebeca Lluveras Matos

Born in Cuba, naturalized Mexican citizen, Rebecca began studying the piano at the age of eight. Since her early age she received numerous awards in piano competitions in her home country of Cuba.

Ms. Lluveras completed her Bachelors of Music at the prestigious Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) in Havana in 2005. A year later she was invited to Austria to study with maestro Harald Ossberger where she was selected for further study with the members of prestigious faculty at the University of Vienna. In 2008, she earned with honors her Master’s in Piano Methodology in Havana under the leading Cuban teacher Teresita Junco. In 2021 she earned another degree in Piano Technique and Biomechanics at the Higher School of High Performance Music (ESMAR-SPAIN). During her years in Cuba, she performed as a soloist with the Cuban Symphony Orchestra, as well as in contemporary Music Festivals. She also taught at the Instituto Superior de Arte for five years.

In 2012 Ms. Lluveras moved to Mexico. Currently she is on the faculty at the University of the Arts of Yucatán. She has performed in the Manuel M. Ponce Hall of the Palace of Fine Arts, Blas Galindo Auditorium of the National Center of the Arts, Sala Netzahualcóyotl of the University Cultural Center of the UNAM, Centro Cultural Helénico, Teatro Degollado (Guadalajara), Sala Felipe Villanueva, (State of Mexico) José Peón Contreras Theater (Mérida, Yucatán) among others. She has also performed as a soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of the National Polytechnic Institute. She has served as a juror of the National Piano Competition at the University of Guadalajara, as well as in the internal piano competitions at the Faculty of Music of UNAM and the Escuela Superior de Música de Bellas Artes, in Mexico City.

Zimfira Poloz

Dr. Zimfira Poloz is a passionate musician, educator, award-winning conductor, and internationally respected adjudicator and clinician. When working with young musicians, Zimfira believes that ‘brilliance has no age.’ By building the finest capabilities and encouraging superb artistry with boundless positive energy, she is able to unleash the creative and musical potential of every child unlike any other. Dr. Poloz has been decorated with numerous awards, including Honoured Representative of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the city of Hamilton’s VIP Award, and the Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting (Ontario Arts Council).

Zimfira teaches “Vocal Pedagogy for Young Choirs” at the University of Toronto, Music Faculty. She is a Canadian Representative for Choral Space – International Academy for Choral Arts as well for the Interkultur World Choir Council, and a mentor for ACDA International Activities. She is a Board Member for the World Alliance of Children’s Choirs (A Global Network of Children’s Choirs and Conductors) and curator/editor for the choral music publisher, Cypress Choral Music.

Zimfira established her musical credentials in Kazakhstan, where she served as founder and principal of the nation’s first choir school. Upon her arrival in Canada, Zimfira’s skill and passion was recognized by TCC’s founder and conductor Laureate, Jean Ashworth-Bartle, offering her a life changing opportunity. She then conducted at St. Michael’s Choir School, and eventually became the Artistic Director of Hamilton Children’s Choir and Young Voices Toronto. Now as the Artistic Director of TCC, Zimfira has come full circle and has returned to her home away from home.

Dakota Scott-Digout

Originally from Nova Scotia, Toronto-based pianist Dakota Scott-Digout has been heard in recital across North America as both a collaborator and soloist, gaining praise particularly for his performances of chamber music and art song. Dakota is an in-demand and passionate educator, maintaining a full studio of piano students. A strong proponent of choral singing, Dakota serves on the artistic staff of the Toronto Children’s Chorus and is the collaborative pianist for Toronto’s VOCA Chorus. He is highly sought as a vocal coach and is a collaborative pianist and coach for undergraduate vocal classes at the University of Toronto.

Dakota holds degrees in piano performance from Université de Montréal and Mount Allison University. Currently, he is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Toronto where he was named the 2020 winner of the Gwendolyn Koldofsky Prize in Accompanying, awarded to the top collaborative pianist at the Faculty of Music. His principal teachers have included Stephen Runge, Jimmy Brière, and Steven Philcox. Particularly passionate about French repertoire, Dakota’s research interests are centred around early twentieth century performance practice and the mélodies of Gabriel Fauré.

Melanie Yirenkyi

Melanie Yirenkyi is a music educator, conductor and singer based in Toronto. Her passion for music inspired her to make the switch from biomedical sciences to music during her undergraduate studies. Melanie went on to obtain a BFA in music from York University, and later, a B.Ed from Queen’s University’s Artist in Community Education program.

Melanie is dedicated to refining her skills as a conductor and has engaged in numerous choral workshops and masterclasses, working with various choirs such as the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and learning from esteemed conductors: Eugene Rogers, Jennifer Tham, Kari Turunen, and Ragnar Rasmussen.

Melanie is presently the interim music director at Jarvis St. Baptist Church, where she has been involved in the Music Ministry as both a pianist and vocalist for over ten years. Melanie is delighted to be studying under Dr. Jamie Hillman in the Master of Music in Choral Conducting program.

TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS

Velkomne Med Aera (Welcome with Honour)

We welcome you in honour.

We will sit here in peace,

in God’s peace,

our three neighbours.

Ta Na Solbici (And So We Dance in Resia)

There was a wedding in the village of Stolvizza (Solbica).

Feet were hitting the floor so loudly that they drowned out the river Bila.

It was echoing off the Kanin Mountain. 

There was a wedding in the village of Stolvizza.

Feet were hitting the floor so loudly that they drowned out the church bell.

It was echoing off the Kanin Mountain.

The high mountain of Kanin.

Two Mountain Songs

I. Wrapped by the Wind 

Oh, perhaps my mother was the vicuña 

of the pampas, 

or my father was the stag… 

To be wandering 

through the mountains 

and the pampas, 

barely wrapped in wind, 

dressed in wind and cold. 

Oh, I was born in the nest 

of the Emerald Hummingbird 

in the pampas, 

barely wrapped in wind, 

dressed in wind and cold, 

calling, calling, calling. 

II. Emerald Hummingbird

Emerald Hummingbird… Oh!

One that flies the highest,

one of the golden plumes,

one that shines

in the sun, in the air…

Hummingbird!

I want to give you a charge.

Emerald Hummingbird,

hide your golden wings.

(one of the golden wings…)

Hummingbird,

do not keep me.

Like the dove that has lost its young,

oh, they are calling me,

they are looking for me:

My mother, my father, my parents!

Oh, how much you question me:

From where do I come, from where am I.

(one that has flown so high…)

Look at that mountain:

There I was born,

among flowers,

Oh, they are calling me,

they are looking for me:

My mother, my father, my parents!

That fire that I’ve started,

that I lit on the mountain,

at the summit,

must be blazing, must be burning,

Look if there still blazes

if the mountain still burns

at the summit.

And if there is much fire,

oh, get along, Emerald Hummingbird!

Oh, they are calling me,

they are looking for me:

My mother, my father, my parents!

That fire that I’ve started,

that I lit on the mountain,

at the summit,

must be blazing, must be burning,

Hummingbird…

one that flies the highest,

Emerald…

one that shines and shines.

I want to give you a charge

I want to give you a mission:

Carry this letter to my parents.

I do not know if they will weep

(I weep, too)

when the read my name

of if they will have forgotten me

and now will not cry.

That fire that I’ve started,

that I lit on the mountain,

at the summit,

must be blazing, must be burning,

Look if there still burns,

Get along, Hummingbird!

My mother, my father, my parents!

Oh, Hummingbird!

Singkap Siaga

Singkap = to open, to reveal, quick change

Siaga = ever ready

Abendlied

Remain with us,

for it will be evening soon,

and the day has drawn to a close.

Et Exsultavit 

And my spirit rejoices 

in God my saviour.

Le Train D’hiver

The billowing train whistles through winter 

At a furious rhythm, burning coal 

Smoke stacked, wagons rocking 

As an iron iceberg, it plunges through the cold.

Towing this chasing load 

The locomotive, battling, presses on 

Tearing straight ahead on snowy tracks Iron furies buried beneath ice.

And from afar echoes a muffled roar 

On these endless tracks, in this frozen landscape 

In the dead of winter 

And the chill of the wind.

As it slices the endless spread 

The convoy contrasts with the white countryside 

Protesting, it stretches away 

Into the lost season.

Ticket Prices: $30 Adult, $20 Senior, $10 Student. 
University of Toronto students with a valid T-Card are admitted free at the door (space permitting, some exceptions apply). No ticket reservation necessary.