MCA GALA CONCERT

SATURDAY, OCT 28, 4:30 p.m. 
Red Deer College Main Stage

featuring...

ALBERTA YOUTH CHOIR
Dr. Elroy Friesen, guest conductor
Tova Olson, pianist

ANGELA RYU (violin)
AMY CHAU (piano)
JULIA CHAU (piano)

​ABA WIND SYMPHONY
Jason Caslor, guest conductor
TICKETS

​Admission is included with delegate registration fees.

​​Non-delegate tickets are available for $20 (general admission) 
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 under the direction of a renowned conductor.​ This year, 61 choristers from 29 different Albertan choirs  will come together under the direction of Dr. Elroy Friesen, director of Choral Studies at the University of Manitoba.

Following their three day residency and performance at Music Conference Alberta, AYC will embark on a tour to Saskatchewan.
ELROY FRIESEN, Alberta Youth Choir guest conductor

Described as “innovative, expressive, and dynamic,” Elroy Friesen is Director of Choral Studies at the University of Manitoba where he conducts numerous choirs, and teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting and music education.  He has recently been Artistic Director of Canzona, Winnipeg’s professional Baroque choral ensemble, and he actively researches Baroque performance practice.  Elroy has also published his research on the choral music of Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara and pursues his passion of study and performance of new Nordic repertoire – especially new Canadian works.  His award-winning ensembles tour nationally and internationally, and are frequently recorded and broadcasted by the CBC.  They enjoy collaborating with many outstanding local and national arts organizations, including the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Canadian College of Organists, WSO New Music Festival, Soundstreams Canada, Groundswell, Vancouver Chamber Choir, MusikBarock Ensemble, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and the Latvian Radio Choir.
 
 Dr. Friesen studied at the University of Manitoba (B. Mus., B. Ed., M. Mus.) and at the University of Illinois (DMA) receiving numerous scholarships and grants from the Manitoba Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Foundation for Choral Music in Manitoba.  Elroy is a co-founder of fikamusik (an intensive professional choral conducting program), the founder and past Artistic Director of Prairie Voices, and has recently appeared as guest conductor with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. He is in demand as a clinician, adjudicator, and conductor throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe.
TOVA OLSON, Alberta Youth Choir Pianist
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Tova Olson studied classical and jazz piano and hand drumming while at Augustana University College. She has been involved with Kokopelli, an Edmonton-based choral organization, as singer, accompanist and percussion coach since 2004. Tova is an experienced piano teacher and is currently the worship and music coordinator and principal organist for Messiah Lutheran Church in Camrose, AB. As well as being the music director for About Time Productions, Tova arranges music for various ensembles. She has recently started teaching Contemporary Piano and Hand Drumming at the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus and plays piano for the Battle River Big Band.
AMY CHAU

Winner of the 2017 AMEF Student Recognition Award in Community Service, Amy Chau is 18 years old and a student at the University of Alberta. She started learning piano at the age of 6 and is currently studying with David Tutt at the MacEwan University Conservatory of Music.  At the age of 13, Amy completed her Royal Conservatory of Music Grade 10 exam with First Class Honours. At the age of 15, Amy completed her Royal Conservatory of Music ARCT in Piano Performance diploma with First Class Honours and the highest mark in the Edmonton region. Amy has participated in the Edmonton Kiwanis Music Festival and Alberta College Fall Music Festival where she has won numerous scholarships for her outstanding performances, including the Richard Cook Chopin Piano Scholarship. Amy is also a 2014 Canadian Music Competition National finalist, where she placed fourth in her age category across Canada.

Amy is passionate about serving the community with her musical talent. She enjoys volunteering and performing at hospitals and seniors residences, where access to classical music is limited. Amy held a fundraising concert with her sister in 2015 to raise money for the MacEwan University Conservatory of music student scholarship fund. Amy has also been a recipient of the Ranald and Vera Shean Memorial Scholarship.
JULIA CHAU

Winner of the 2017 AMEF Student Recognition Awards' People's Choice Award, Julia Chau is 16 years old and started learning piano at the age of 5. She currently studies with David Tutt at the MacEwan University Conservatory of Music. At the age of 12, she received First Class Honours with Distinction for her RCM Grade 10 piano exam and the highest mark in the Edmonton region. She completed her ARCT in Piano Performance with First Class Honours in January of 2016. Julia was a two-time Canadian Music Competition National Finalist in 2013 and 2014.

She continues to join many competitions such as the Edmonton Kiwanis Music Festival and the Alberta College Fall Music Festival, where she has won many scholarships such as the Nadine Thiru-Chelvam Special Scholarship and the Dorothy Buckley Piano Special Scholarship. Julia is the recipient of the Alexandra M. Munn Scholarship and the Ranald and Vera Shean Memorial Scholarship.
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Julia enjoys using her musical ability to help out in the community, and is a member of the HCMP, where she has volunteered as a piano teacher, performed at the annual fundraising concert, and participated with the Heart of the City Music Performance Troupe. At the age of 14, she held a fundraising concert with her sister to support the MacEwan University music scholarship fund. She has performed at hospitals, senior's residences and various concerts through the MacEwan University Conservatory of Music.
ANGELA RYU

Winner of the 2017 AMEF Student Recognition Award in Performance, 17 year old violinist, Angela Ryu began studying the violin when she was five in her hometown, New Denver, British Columbia. In 2009, Ryu moved to Calgary and began studying at the Mount Royal Conservatory. She is currently in the Advanced Performance Program under William van der Sloot. As part of the program, Ryu has worked with numerous international guest artists such as Andres Cardenes, Tong Weidong, Pinchas Zukerman, James Ehnes, and Noah-Bendix Balgley.

Ryu has also participated in and won several provincial and national competitions. She is the 2015 Grand award winner of the FCMF National Music Festival and first prize winner of the 2015 Canadian Music Competition. As well, Ryu is a two-time winner of the Calgary C3 Concerto Competition where she has had the opportunity to perform with the Calgary Civic Symphony. Ryu is also the 2nd prize winner of the Frank Simpson Concerto Competition (2015) where she soloed with the Calgary Youth Orchestra. She as well has been concertmaster of the Calgary Youth Orchestra for the last three years. Also, Ryu recently performed with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as a finalist of the RBC Concerto Competition and will have the opportunity to perform with them again as part of their 2017/2018 season. In 2016, she was a featured soloist, performing a recital as part of the High River Gift of Music concert series: “Young Musicians Extraordinaire”. Ryu was also a semifinalist of the 2016 OSM Manulife Competition.

Ryu has attended several summer music programs as well. She had been a participant of the prestigious Morningside Music Bridge program for four years where her chamber group won first prize at the 2015 chamber music competition. She also took part in the Orford Music Academy for two consecutive summers. Most recently, Ryu studied at the Meadowmount School of Music this past summer in Westport, New York for an intensive seven-weeks under Gerardo Ribeiro.
ABA WIND SYMPHONY 
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The ABA Wind Symphony is comprised of outstanding band students from across the province of Alberta. One of the cornerstone programs of the Alberta Band Association, through this opportunity thousands of Alberta’s finest music students have had the chance to grow musically and to meet and perform with their peers.

Music educators have been able to meet and observe the work of some of the most outstanding band directors in the world. Many benefits have accrued to Alberta music programs from this valuable program of the ABA.

​Each year, an international guest conductor is selected to work with the group, providing these students with a unique opportunity to learn from a leading band director. The guest conductor selects the pieces of music that will be performed by the Honour Band based on his/her knowledge of music and the average level of past bands.
Jason Caslor, ABA Wind Symphony Guest Conductor

Dr. Jason Caslor is Assistant Professor of Music and Associate Director of Bands and Orchestras at Arizona State University (ASU). In addition to directing the Wind Ensemble and Philharmonia, he also mentors graduate conducting students, and teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting courses.

From 2010-2015, Caslor served as Assistant Professor of Instrumental Conducting at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada where he conducted the Wind Ensemble and oversaw the undergraduate and graduate instrumental conducting programs. Prior to that, he spent three seasons as Resident Conductor with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra (TBSO). During his tenure with the TBSO, he conducted over 75 concerts (including a CBC Radio national broadcast) and recorded a full-length, internationally distributed CD with Canadian blues artist Rita Chiarelli. Recipient of an “Excellence in Teaching Award” from Memorial University’s Students’ Union in 2012, Caslor also spent several years teaching in the public school system as an instrumental and choral instructor.

In addition to numerous regional engagements, Caslor conducted the 2016 National Youth Band of Canada and has presented his research at the 2016 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the 2015 WASBE International Conference, and the 2013 CBDNA National Conference. Upcoming opportunities include the 2017 Alberta Band Association's Wind Symphony, the 2018 Ontario Honour Band, and the 2018 South Dakota All State Band.

Caslor’s current research interests include developing a user-friendly iPad application that will allow for the transmission of high quality audio over the internet for the purposes of internet-based rehearsals/clinics and spontaneous improvisation as it pertains to both conducting pedagogy and large ensembles.

Caslor completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts (Conducting) at Arizona State University. Prior to earning a Master of Music (Conducting) degree from the University of Manitoba, Jason earned his Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education degrees from the University of Saskatchewan.
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More information can be found at www.jasoncaslor.com.