 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Bass Section
|
Steve Belanger An accomplished clarinetist as well as a singer, Steven is a graduate of both Queen’s University and McGill University. He has performed with ensembles of all sizes and genres across Canada including the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal (SMAM), Les Violons du Roy, Opéra de Montréal and VivaVoce, and has appeared as soloist with the OSM, the McGill Baroque Orchestra, Voix Libres, the Grand River Chorus and the Quinte Symphony. He has participated in over a dozen recordings for such labels as Decca, ATMA and Naxos, and has recorded music for television as well as for the Cirque du Soleil. A relative newcomer to Vancouver, Steven has performed locally with the Erato Ensemble and the Laudate Singers. In addition to singing with the Vancouver Cantata Singers, he is also a full-time member of the Vancouver Chamber Choir. When not practicing, rehearsing or performing, Steven enjoys studying languages and spending time with his dog, Ravioli. |
|
Doug Colpitts Doug Colpitts has been a member of the Vancouver Cantata Singers since March, 1976. For a few years in the late 70's and early 80's, he was joined by his wife, Elizabeth, his brother, Dennis, and sister-in-law, Carol. Both his sons have also sung with the choir, James in the 97/98 season, and Geoff since the 06/07 season.
|
|
Geoff Colpitts Geoffrey has been a member of Cantata Singers since 2006, and now also fills the position of rehearsal accompanist. Geoffrey works as a freelance musician, performing on piano, keyboards, voice, accordion, and trumpet. In addition to Cantata Singers, he manages and performs with a 7 piece reggae rock and african band, and he is actively involved with both the jazz and Irish folk music scenes.He also enjoys drying herbs, seed saving, and cheese. Due to an inherited gene defect from Doug, he thinks he is both smart and funny.
|
|
Gerald Harder A member of Vancouver Cantata Singers since 2006, Gerald has been hooked on choral music since encountering Haydn and Vivaldi in high school back in 19XX. An organ performance graduate of Biola University in Los Angeles, Gerald went on to graduate study in music at the University of Western Ontario. For the past eight years, he has been the Director of Music at St James Anglican Church in Vancouver ( www.stjames.bc.ca ), affectionately known as "Smokey Jim's". Previous incarnations have seen Gerald working as a teacher and a librarian. Gerald is an avid jazz fan, and hopes that if he behaves himself, he will be allowed a future incarnation as a jazz pianist.
|
|
J. Evan Kreider
J. Evan Kreider has sung with VCS off and on since 1983. After conducting early music research for the New York Pro Musica, he taught musicology at SUNY Geneseo (1971-75) and UBC (1975-2007), where he was also Associate Director of Music and then Associate Dean of Arts. Now blissfully retired, he continues editing and enjoying Renaissance choral music, singing for two choirs, and volunteering for various Mennonite projects. He frequently attempts to break 100 when golfing, but his time is frankly better spent on photography (see: http://kreiderskorner.blogspot.com/.
|
|
William Liu While William was teaching golf part-time, he started reminiscing about singing Handel’s Messiah solos as a boy soprano. He then started taking voice lessons from Edette Gagné and went on to sing the title role of The Mikado by G&S in the Okanagan Vocal Arts Festival. William recently graduated from the Douglas College music program under the tutelage of Eric Hannan on full scholarship. He was a past member of St. Patrick Regional Secondary’s Chamber Choir and Concert Choir, Spirit Alive Men’s Chorale and the British Columbia Boys Choir. He is currently singing with the Corpus Christi College Chamber Choir and is extremely excited to be singing his first full season with the Vancouver Cantata Singers. Aside from singing, William enjoys yoga, eating well, and is looking for more time to get a round of golf in. |
|
Nathan McDonald
Nathan completed his Bachelor of Music in Trumpet at the University of Victoria in 2008. While spending a fair chunk of time in orchestras throughout his studies, he found himself gradually consumed to an ever greater extent by the phenomenon that is choral music. Some of Nathan's choral credits include the UVic Chamber Singers, Vox humana (Victoria), Voces Intimae (Victoria), the BC Youth Choir, National Youth Choir of Canada, World Youth Choir, and currently the Pacifica Singers and Vancouver Cantata Singers. Nathan worked as Music Director/Cantor for Lutheran Church of the Cross in Victoria, BC from 2006-2009 where he enjoyed directing the choir and trying his hand at composition. In his spare time Nathan works at Mountain Equipment Co-op, plans extended cycling tours, and climbs rock faces of varying difficulty.
|
|
Jim Sanyshyn
Jim has been singing since the ripe young age of 7, when he began singing with his church choir in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. Music became his passion through high school and he went on to play alto sax in the jazz band, oboe in the symphony orchestra and bassoon in the concert band. Jim completed his Bachelor of Music and Education degrees at UBC in the 90's. He went on to complete his Master of Arts in Music Education at McGill University in 2000. Jim has belonged to the following groups over the years: University Singers (UBC), Vancouver Mens' Chorus, Vancouver Bach Choir, Phoenix Chamber Choir, St. Lawrence Choir, Montreal Symphony Chorus, and of course, VCS! Currently, Jim works as a union official for the Burnaby Teachers' Association and is a secondary French and Music teacher. In his spare time...he has none!
|
