FRIDAY, OCT 21, 8:00 p.m.
TRIFFO THEATRE, ALLARD HALL
​RECEPTION TO FOLLOW
featuring...

YOUTH SINGERS OF CALGARY and ONCUE

SOLOISTS:
Kiana Zhu, piano (Alberta Music Education Foundation Student Recognition Award Winner)
Anna Yin, violin (Alberta Registered Music Teacher's Association & Edmonton Youth Orchestra Northern Alberta Concerto Competition Winner (Senior Division))

ALBERTA YOUTH JAZZ ENSEMBLE
Raymond Baril, guest conductor
TICKETS

​Admission is included with delegate registration fees.
​​A limited number of non-delegate tickets are available for purchase.

General Admission (non-delegates): $20.00

Performers

YOUTH SINGERS OF CALGARY

Youth Singers of Calgary has been a staple of Calgary's arts community for nearly 40 years. Building on a foundation of choral excellence, performers of all ages add movement and performance skills to create an engaging, unique experience for audiences and singers alike. With over 15 programs for performers aged three to adult, including choirs, camps, school residencies, professional performance groups, and classes for children and youth with cognitive delays, Youth Singers is a home for hundreds of Calgarians every year. Today's singers are members of Youth Singers' choirs for students in junior high through young adult, singing under the direction of Kathryn Parrotta.
KATHRYN PARROTTA, conductor

Kathryn is the Choral Director for the JUNIOR HI division. She is also the vocal coach for SHINE, clinician and arranger for all divisions, resident composer, and lead creator of the BRAVO! talent showcase. Outside of Youth Singers, Kathryn directs the University Chorus at the University of Calgary. She is also a sought-after vocal and choral clinician throughout Alberta and maintains a private voice studio. Kathryn holds a Bachelor's degree in voice performance from the University of Calgary as well as a Master of Music degree in choral conducting. As a composer, she has been commissioned dozens of works for choirs around Alberta, many of which can be found published by Alliance publications in Houston, Texas, and Cypress Music Publishing in Canada. Many more self-published works can be found at www.kathrynparrottamusic.com.
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ONCUE

ONCUE is an a cappella ensemble featuring smooth harmonies and creative arrangements, blended into a unique brand of top-notch entertainment. Their diverse and versatile repertoire has won them many awards and a strong reputation throughout Western Canada and beyond. ONCUE has released 5 albums to date and performs at dozens of events each year. As a professional ensemble of the Youth Singers of Calgary, ONCUE is a leader in the organization, acting as mentors to younger performers and featuring members of YSC's staff. ONCUE sings under the direction of Dean Lauderdale.
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DEAN LAUDERDALE

Dean has been a part of the Youth Singers Artistic Team since 2012, starting out as Gleek Out Camp Music Instructor and Camp Administrator. He has since been a member of ONCUE, a professional a cappella ensemble within Youth Singers of Calgary, and has been leading the group as Director since 2016. He is also the Assistant Director for the JUNIOR HI division, director for the YSC Camps, as well as an arranger for ONCUE and YSC Camps. Outside of Youth Singers, Dean works as a composer for Alberta Dance Theatre and teaches private voice/guitar/piano lessons of all skill levels at his home studio, Long & McQuade, and Forte Music. He also is highly involved in the Calgary music scene, performing as a one-man band at venues around Calgary. Dean holds a Music Diploma in Classical Vocal Performance from Mount Royal University as well as a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Humber College.
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ALBERTA YOUTH JAZZ ENSEMBLE
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The Youth Jazz Ensemble of Alberta is an auditioned jazz band open to high school aged students in the province of Alberta. It provides an advanced performance experience for those students who demonstrate excellence in leadership, musicality, and engagement as well as an interest and understanding of the jazz idiom.  North America's leading jazz educators work with students in an intense rehearsal process and the experience culminates in a performance at Music Conference Alberta. The 2022 Youth Jazz Ensemble of Alberta will be directed by renowned Canadian saxophonist and conductor Raymond Baril.​
RAYMOND BARIL, Alberta Youth Jazz Ensemble Conductor

Raymond Baril is Associate Professor of Music and Head of Performance Studies in the Department of Music at MacEwan University. Recently, Raymond accepted the position as Director of Community Engaged Scholarship in the Office of Research Services at MacEwan. He is in his 23rd season as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Edmonton Winds and is in his 6th season as director of the River City Big Band. He has been Director of the MacEwan University Jazz Ensemble for 37 seasons. Raymond remains a much sought after national clinician and adjudicator as well as a featured guest speaker at music education conferences across the country.
 
Raymond was a regular member of the Tommy Banks Big Band for 25 years and has appeared with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra on numerous occasions as an orchestra member, soloist, and guest conductor.
 
Raymond holds a graduate degree in conducting from Northwestern University, undergraduate degrees in both performance and education from the University of Alberta. In 2018 Raymond was inducted in the Edmonton’s Cultural Hall of Fame. In 2016 he was recognized with a Distinguished Teaching Award from MacEwan University. In the past, he has been the recipient of many awards for his contribution to music and music education from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Alberta Band Association, Edmonton Public Schools District Service Award and from Alberta Learning.​
KIANA ZHU, piano
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Kiana Zhu is 15 and began piano at 4. Since she was 5, she has won awards and scholarships from numerous competitions and festivals from the local to international levels. Some of her accomplishments include achieving first at the 2022 Alberta Provincial Music Festival in both the Solo and Concerto categories, first at the Conero International Piano Competition juvenile division, the 2019 RCM Level 10 Regional Gold Medal, and the 2021 ARMTA ARCT highest mark award. Kiana is also a two-time CMC national finalist and a recipient of the Munn Wallin Awards, Shean Scholarships, and AMEF Student Recognition Award. Additionally, she volunteers with the Music Spirit Society and performs at Canterbury Manor and Our Parents’ Home.
ANNA YIN, violin

Anna Yin is fourteen years old and attends Archbishop Macdonald High School in Edmonton. At age six, she began her violin studies with James Keene. In 2020, Anna received the National Gold medal for her Level 10 RCM exam. She was awarded first place in the Alberta Strings Association 2021 Music Festival and has been presented numerous awards and scholarships from the Edmonton Music and Speech Arts Festival, Fall Music Festival, and the Alexandra M. Munn Scholarship Awards. Anna was recently awarded the first prize of the 2022 Northern Alberta Concerto Competition in the senior category and was a finalist in the Canadian Music Competition this June. Currently, Anna is a first violinist in the Edmonton Youth Orchestra. She has also performed violin with the Freemason's society fundraiser at Freemasons Hall and volunteered for a fundraising event at St. George’s Church. For the past few years, she has been volunteering at Canterbury Court Senior Residence with her brother by holding concerts together. Anna also finds enjoyment in sculpting and playing French horn in her free time.