The Powell River Academy Choirs

The Powell River Academy Choirs would like to welcome our friends to the International Choral Kathaumixw 2002. Today, the Powell River Academy of Music choral program is flourishing with performing choirs at all levels and encompassing all musical periods from Gregorian chant to 20th century avant garde music, from the classics to folk and vocal jazz.

The Academy vocal ensembles include: The Apprentice Choir (Susan Hoekstra, conductor), Powell River Girls' Choir (Lisa Fernandes, conductor), Powell River Boys' Choir, Academy Singers and the Academy Swing Choir (Walter Martella, conductor), Powell River Youth Choir, (Paul Cummings and Peter Taylor conductor), Academy Chamber Choir (Don James, conductor), and the vocal jazz ensemble "Sound Trax" (Peter Taylor, conductor).

Beginning with a young boys' choir in 1985, the Academy Choirs have reached out to the world through concert tours, recordings, and radio and television broadcasts sharing their music with enthusiastic audiences. The choirs have been guests at several important music, cultural, and political events including the "Celebration for Peace" as guests of the City of Hiroshima and UNESCO, the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (San Francisco, USA), Europe Cantat (Strasbourg, France 1985; Vittoria, Spain 1991; Herning, Denmark 1994; Linz, (Austria 1997), Festival Internacional de Choros (Isla de Margarita, Venezuela), International Sympaatti (Espoo, Finland), Golden Gate International Children's Choir Festival (USA), Eisteddfod (Wales) and International Choral Festival Arnhem (The Netherlands).

Academy Choirs have won many prestigious awards including first and second prizes in the CBC National Amateur Choir Competition in Children's Contemporary Music and Youth choir categories, the Golden Gate Internatioal Children's choir Festival and have been finalists in the European Broadcast Corporation's "Let the People Sing" Competition.

Choirs from the Academy have sung with important orchestras and conductors in Canada, Europe and Asia. Their concert tours have included sixteen countries. The Academy Choirs have been important ambassadors for Powell River.