When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

GC - I started with Kodaly classes at age 3 and then sang in Cantare Children's Choir for 14 years.

MD - I first joined choir in Grade 11 in high school. At the time I had little to no singing experience and only joined because a friend convinced me to give it a try- I never would have realized how much I'd grow to love it! I stayed throughout the rest of high school, and singing in choirs has been a steady passion since.


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

TF - Outside of music, I have a love for taking care of animals and gardening, as well as an express interest in trying out new vegan baking recipes. I am inspired most notably by interdisciplinary art practices, and the exploration of combining mediums of visual art and music especially in contemporary performance.

WI - Hmmm. I love to be by myself, but I do also love spending time with others. By myself, I enjoy walking/hiking, exploring a city if it's new to me. With smaller, more intimate groups of people (2-3), I like to talk about everything under the sun.


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

GC -  I originally heard the National Youth Choir with Michael Zaugg at Podium in Edmonton in 2016 and it was such an incredible performance that it made me want to audition.

MD - I first heard of NYCC when I participated in the BC Youth Choir program back in 2017, and immediately made it a goal to be a part of it one day. That goal was achieved initially when I was accepted into the 2020 iteration of NYCC, but unfortunately the program was cancelled due to the pandemic. I'm excited and grateful to have been invited back for 2022.


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

TF - I am most excited to meet and work with other dedicated musicians from across Canada!

WI - There is so much that I am looking forward to: Singing this rep, working with JS, singing with a high-level ensemble, spending time in Ottawa (and area). Perhaps most of all, I am looking forward to to getting to know Everyone involved in this project. In my experience, music making can allow for a degree of closeness/togetherness that transcends, or at least is different from just talking with someone, or getting to know things "about" them. I suppose I am really looking forward to seeing how the dynamic takes shape between this group of people, with this music.

Ryan Henwood - Nova Scotia
Chenuka Lakwijaya - British Columbia
Spencer Sweet - Nova Scotia
Andrew Whiteside - Alberta
Frank (Enquan) Yu - New Brunswick

When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

RH - I was somewhat of a late bloomer to choir! I began singing with my high school choir in grade 12 as I was preparing for my university auditions. Since then, I have had the opportunity to work with many inspiring choral conductors during my time at Dalhousie University and through participation in the Nova Scotia Choral Federation’s programs like the Nova Scotia Youth Choir and Adult Choir Camp.

FY - I first started singing in choir back in Grade 9 in Fredericton. Our choir director encouraged me to join as they needed tenors, just like every other choir! I started taking voice lessons in Grade 8 when I first started doing theatre and continued throughout high school with both classical and musical theatre repertoire.


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

CL - I love to read (favorite book at the moment: Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro), play sports (ultimate frisbee, cricket, and table tennis), and listen to podcasts (my favorites being the Anthropocene Reviewed and Philosophize This)! 

SS - I enjoy spending time with friends and family and playing games of all sorts. I am inspired by the chance to better the lives of people around me and to enjoy those moments of happiness with others, no matter how big or small.


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

RH -  My decision to audition for the NYCC in 2018 was the culmination of many factors. I had just participated in the Nova Scotia Youth Choir for the first time in 2017, led by Rachel Rensink-Hoff, and she recommended that I look into the program. Many of my friends and fellow choristers had participated in prior years and I was already working with Jeff Joudrey through the Halifax Camerata Singers. Feeling as if the universe was urging me to audition, I sent in my audition tapes and was excited to be picked as the Tenor for Nova Scotia in 2018!

FY - After hearing about NYCC through Dr. Jamie Hillman here at the University of Toronto, I decided it would be an excellent opportunity for me to not only create music with great singers, but also to represent New Brunswick and the Chinese community. I have heard many amazing things about NYCC through teachers, peers and friends which makes the experience even more exciting.


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

CL - Getting to know my NYCC colleagues and perform with them on tour and at PODIUM!

SS - I’m most excited to create an extremely high quality of music with some of the best musicians I’ve met. I’m also excited to get a chance to make music with my fellow Canadians from all across the country and to share that bond with them.

William Austin - Nova Scotia
Oliver Dalton - British Columbia
Fletcher Bryce Davis - Québec
Ryan Doyle - Québec
Nathan Gritter - Ontario

When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

OD - The first choir I sang with was my high school choir in the eighth grade. After that, I joined the Coastal Sound Youth Choir directed by Carrie Tennant and it was such a good experience that I've been singing in choirs ever since.

RD - When I was nine years old, my music teacher volunteered me for a children's choir festival - the rest is history!


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

WA - I enjoy cooking, baking, reading, pondering and having a good laugh with my roommates. I also have two darling plants at home to take care of! Aside from music, I truly love science and learning about why things are the way they are. I am aspiring to become a doctor!

RD - My family immigrated to the U.S. from the Caribbean, so I grew up speaking Spanish and continue to love studying other foreign languages. I'm constantly inspired by artists across the world who champion new and innovative work, from fellow conductors like Donald Nally to designers like Iris van Herpen and composers like Dale Trumbore.


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

WA -  I first heard of the NYCC through the NSYC, and then my voice teacher urged me towards it in 2020, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that it has returned, I jumped at the opportunity right away!

RD - I first heard NYCC recordings on CBC and loved the sound and musicality of the performances!


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

OD - I'm most excited about performing interesting repertoire at a really high level, and getting to meet singers from choral communities all over Canada.

WA - After a near two-year hiatus from choral singing, I don’t see what there isn’t to be excited about! Challenging repertoire, community, a united passion for singing… What more could you ask for?

When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

CS - I started singing in choirs around the age of 5 and fell in love with it right away! I went on to sing in choirs at my school and in my community and am grateful to still be singing in multiple choirs today.

AZ - I've loved to sing for as long as I can remember, but didn't find my love for choir until high school. I sang in choir all throughout high school and then began to sing with the Alberta Youth Choir as well. I have now been a member of the University of Alberta Madrigal Singers for four years! 


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

AO - I love going on spontaneous adventures around Nova Scotia, thrift shopping, and drinking too much tea.

EY - I enjoy drawing, crocheting, embroidery, baking, and hanging out with my dog in my free time. I am passionate about expanding classical canon and studying diverse repertoire. I want to highlight BIPOC, LGBTQ, and women composers in my studies, and look at the ways in which gender and otherness plays a part in musical portrayal. I enjoy connecting with an audience through performance and enjoy creating and developing performances.


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

KV -  I sang with NYCC in 2016 and it was the most rewarding musical experience of my life so far—I knew that if I could qualify again, it would be just as enriching and inspiring. Amid some difficult years for the world and for the performing arts, I am ecstatic to be singing once again with such a talented and passionate group of musicians.

CS - My dad sang in NYCC in the 80's and ever since he shared his experience with me I have always wanted to be a part of the choir. Choir is such an important part of my life so I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity to audition.


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

AO - I've been waiting for this moment since 2020, and the excitement has only built since then. Some of my life's happiest memories have been with choir and I can't wait to make more.

KV - The music itself will be incredible, but what stuck with me from my experience with NYCC 2016 was the sense of community and connection that the intense rehearsal period forges within the choir. I was humbled and inspired to make gorgeous music with peers whom I knew would go on to join the next cohort of choral conductors, composers, and performers. I cannot wait to bond over our shared passion for music once again!

When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

AM - I started singing in choir when I was around 6 years old at my local church in Kenora, Ontario. I quickly fell in love with singing and continued to participate in choir and other musical programs throughout high school and university.

EG - I've been singing for as long as I can remember - both my parents are classically trained professional singers, so you might say it runs in the family :) I joined my first choir at age 5, and have never not been in a choir since!


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

ZG - I went back to school to study American Sign Language and Deaf Studies due to my interest in ASL, and I’m so glad that I did! My hobbies include knitting, sculpting, and trying to solve Rubik's Cubes while blindfolded. I find nature particularly inspiring.

NK - Apart from singing of course, I love watching movies/tv shows, volleyball and dancing. The people I love are the ones that inspire me!


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

BC -  I learned about the NYCC through some friends at the Schulich School of Music who've sung with the choir in the past and from others who are in it now.

AM - I've had friends participate in previous years of NYCC, but it was my choral director at Brandon University, Dr. Andrée Dagenais who encouraged me to audition for National Youth Choir.


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

BC - I'm super excited to have the opportunity to participate in workshops and to be able to meet and connect with singers from across Canada!

EG - I'm most excited to make new friends from all across the country, and also to make some amazing music with some incredibly talented and hardworking people!

When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

MG - I started when I was 6 years old and I haven’t stopped since!

LS - I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember and have the embarrassing family home videos to prove it! But my first introduction to choral singing was at the age of 11 with the Cantaré Children's Choir.


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

EP - My other interests include cooking, attending concerts, reading, and cuddling with my goofy mini schnauzer. Spending time with friends and family is also very important to me.

LS - Before I became a full-time student, I was an early childhood educator. The children I worked with lit a spark in me. They showed me that I loved advocating for the more vulnerable. I loved being a source of stability, comfort, and protection for the children who may not have found it elsewhere. Those little muffins have inspired me to be the best version of myself, and to be someone on which one can rely. I am also a huge advocate for mental health awareness and de-stigmatization.


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

PW - I spent two summers as a part of the Ontario Youth Choir and learned about NYCC through Choirs Ontario. After the amazing experiences I had with OYC I knew NYCC was something I had to do in the future.

EP - I first heard about NYCC when I did the Ontario Youth Choir (OYC) and they were holding auditions during the program. I loved OYC, and this sounded like the 2.0 version, so I figured it had to be awesome.


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

KU - I'm really looking forward to getting to make music in a group, in person, and share that with audiences after a long 2 years of being apart.

PW - I am most excited to get to know the choir and everyone involved! Working with a group of people who have the same passion for singing and choral music that I do is something really special and I cannot wait to collaborate with them on such incredible repertoire. I can't wait to see everyone in Ottawa!

As we get ready for this year’s program and tour, we thought it would be fun to learn more about some of the incredible young singers coming from across Canada to sing in this year's National Youth Choir of Canada.

Olivia Albert - Alberta
Mélanie Dupuis - New Brunswick
Isabel Friesen - Manitoba
Kara Friesen - Alberta
Natasha Gosling - British Columbia
​

When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

MD - I first started voice lessons and began participating in children and community choirs when I was 8 years old.

IF - I grew up in a very musical family so I don't remember when I first started singing. Probably before I could talk. I first started singing in choirs when I was in grade 2 and have been in at least one choir per year ever since.


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

KF - I enjoy backpacking, skiing, snowshoeing, and speed skating. Good adventures make for great stories!

NG - In my spare time I like to knit, write, watch movies, and spend time with the people I care about. As a teacher, what inspires me is seeing a student light up when they experience something new.


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

MD - I decided to audition for NYCC two years ago, with the recommendation and support from my voice teacher, as I was beginning to look for new opportunities that would broaden my experience as a singer and help me gain useful and important skills as a young artist, chorister, and student. I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to participate in NYCC 2022 and finally work alongside so many amazing people!

KF - Ever since a musical mentor recommended NYCC to me several years ago, I've wanted to join it. I am so thankful for this opportunity!


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

IF - I'm excited for a lot of things, I don't think I can pick just one. I'm excited for the challenging music, the amazing sound I know this choir will have, and the friendships I'll build through this experience.

NG - The thing I am most excited for in NYCC 2022 is the friendships I know are going to come out of it that will extend for years beyond the choir itself.

​Dr. Wilkinson holds the Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice and the Certificate in Singing Health from The Ohio State University, a collaboration between the departments of music, speech and hearing science, and otolaryngology. At once a singing teacher, voice and speech coach, and voice scientist, he is one of Canada’s leading voice pedagogues with a singular ability to habilitate and rehabilitate both professional and aspiring professional voice users. In addition to his rare background in clinical voice therapy and laryngology, he is known as an expert in educational psychology, curriculum design, and the neuroscience of learning. He enjoys paying what he’s learned forward to individuals and groups from all walks of life, no matter the reason and no matter their level of experience. 

“Everybody should have access to understanding how the voice works, what it is, and how to take care of it.” – Dr. Mark Wilkinson

On March 5, the 2022 NYCC singers met virtually with Dr. Wilkinson. The premise of his workshop was to debunk the most common myths about the voice and the breath, all while giving the choristers the opportunity to learn the basics of how the voice truly works. We were delighted to share in this experience, and to learn from such a humble and inspiring teacher. We look forward to seeing Dr. Wilkinson again (in person) in Ottawa in May!

Next up for our choristers:
​
March 26, 2022
​The Creative Entrepreneur with Laura Adlers

May 13, 2022
Breathing and Balancing: Mental Wellness Tools for Musicians with Sara Brooks​

Learn more about the 2022 National Youth Choir of Canada, and stay tuned for more exciting content via email, and on Facebook and Instagram.

They always came back to NS with so much new music, friends, and experiences that sounded like the provincial program but even larger and longer. Choir for me was my safe space, and when I could spend a whole weekend touring Nova Scotia with friends singing, what better time could be had. So, 2 weeks sounded like one of the best experiences I could possibly imagine. When I finally turned of age, I jumped at the opportunity. I still remember auditioning for Heather Fraser and Christina Murray at St Georges in Halifax. To this day it is an experience I will always remember.

What were you doing at that point in life? 
When I was in National Youth Choir I had just moved home to Halifax, started working as a Music Director at a church in downtown. I had started singing with Halifax Camerata Singers and working part time at the Gap. I was just kind of getting my bearings and living at home, had just done a tour with the Canadian Chamber Choir (CCC) and was starting off my life in Halifax. 

What are you doing now? 
Currently I am a Store Manager Trainer with Starbucks in St. John’s Newfoundland. I manage a busy drive thru location and train new managers when they start with the company here in Newfoundland. 

How is choir still a part of your life? 
I still sing as much as I can. I play piano for a good friend’s women’s choir in Conception Bay South, I sing Tenor with Projekt Chamber Voices and when COVID isn’t rearing their horns, I sing Tenor with the CCC and tour with them. COVID seems to prevent some of these activities some of the time, but when possible, you will find me out there singing. 

What is your favourite memory of NYCC? 
My favourite memory is hard to pinpoint. There were so many highlights from singing at Podium in Saskatoon, rehearsing with Dr Meredith at the University of Saskatchewan, and working with her which is still a highlight of my life until this day. Her technique of changing seating order based on blend was mind blowing, and her trust in the choir to fix mistakes. But I have to say the memory that I still picture was singing Danny Boy of all things in Marysburg, Saskatchewan. I can remember Dr Meredith explaining the reason behind the song, it was not because it was challenging, or the next new choral hit, instead it was so that when we toured rural areas of the province, they would be left with a song they knew, and we were going to knock their socks off with how well we would sing it. And Marysburg is this town that comes out of nowhere like Brigadoon, (I have since been back touring with the Canadian Chamber Choir and it’s as if nothing had changed) and this town has this beautiful cathedral in the middle, with gorgeous acoustics, and the friendliest people you will ever meet. I can remember how Danny Boy sounded in there and it was simply divine. She started off the piece with 45 singers from across the country singing as softly as we could and bloomed into the beauty of the space and music. When we arrived at our billets house, we would inevitibely talk about the concert, provincial politics, music, you name it. Well, our billets could not say enough about Danny Boy, and that’s when I realized exactly the impact a piece like that can have. Did they enjoy the Childs, Whitacre, and Rossini? Of course, but what really impacted them was that one song. I don’t know why that still sticks with me until this day, but it reminds me of impact to audiences and knowing who you’re singing for. 

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Are you an NYCC alumna/us or know someone who is? Connect with the Alumni Committee here, or email nyccalumni@choralcanada.org for more information.

These 40 singers will be meeting in Ottawa May 8-20th to rehearse at the University of Ottawa School of Music facility. ​This intensive training week also includes time for cultural learning in Ottawa, as well as workshops and community engagement in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.
 
Prior to the training week in Ottawa, singers will participate in 3 professional development workshops and have access to NYCC Mentorship Pilot Project, launching in early 2022. These opportunities will offer the singers learning and connections with professionals in the choral arts sector.
 
The 2022 tour will kick off on May 14th, and includes the following performances, with more to come:
 
Box Office and Ticket Information
 
Saturday May 14, 2022 | 7:00 PM
​Presented by:
OTTAWA CHAMBERFEST
 
Thursday May 19, 2022 | 8:00 PM
​Presented by:
PODIUM 2022
 
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COVID-19 has kept us all working diligently to secure accommodations, facilities, and performances for the 2022 NYCC and we’re thankful for the faculty and staff at the University of Ottawa School of Music and their enthusiastic support of this program. We would also like to thank our program sponsors the Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation and the Azrieli Foundation, as well as our many private donors. Your support is vital to the success and continuation of this program. Donations can be made by visiting our DONATE page.