Artistic Director
DR. JOHN WIEBE

DR. JOHN WIEBE has studied at Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Alberta and in Vienna, Austria. He is the founder and director of the AbendMusik Ensemble and director of the Edmonton Youth & Children’s Choir program. Under his dynamic leadership his choirs have received numerous awards, including finalists and semi-finalist in the prestigious CBC competition, consecutive first place prizes at the Saskatoon Unifest competition, and during a tour to Wales and England multiple awards at the Llangollen Music Festival. John is a regular clinician and adjudicator for choirs around Canada, has presented at Podium, the bi-annual conference
of the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors and has published musicology articles, including a chapter in a recently published book. To keep in shape for his music schedule John enjoys running after his two children, exploring Edmonton's river valley trail system with his family, cycling, and playing squash.

Accompanists
ERICA SORENSEN

Erica Sorensen maintains a private teaching studio in Edmonton, is an accompanist for the Edmonton Public School Board’s Music Enrichment Program through Victoria School of the Performing Arts and performs extensively as both a soloist and collaborative pianist.

Erica comes to us from the University of Alberta and brings with her a broad background of performance and teaching experience. Now entering into her Masters of Music (Piano Performance), she has attended the Vancouver Academy of Music and the University of Alberta with Dr. Jacques Despres (Bachelor of Music

Erica has competed extensively in festivals at the local, regional, and provincial levels and is the recipient of various performance scholarships and awards including the Ernesto Lejano Prize for Piano Performance and was a three-time recipient of the Beryl Barnes Undergraduate Memorial Award for excellence in performance. Additionally, she is the recipient of various academic scholarships from the University of Alberta for her studies throughout the past five years.

CHERIE LARSON
Cherie Larson, a native Edmontonian, has had connections to the choirs since 1998....either through occasionally accompanying, or through family members singing in EJCC, ECC and EYC and is thrilled to be joining EYV as accompanist this year. Cherie began piano at age four and violin at age seven and in her teens, added both the viola and the organ. First accompaniment job was at age 7 when the Sunday School choir pianist was sick one rehearsal! Spending time in Nanaimo in her teens, she sang and accompanied with school and community choirs. Currently, she is the Music Director of the Edmonton Society for Talent Education, holds an organist- accompanist position at Trinity Lutheran church, accompanies recitals and concerts, is actively playing all four instruments and has a studio of 25+ students

Primary Choir
MEGHAN RAYMENT

Meghan Rayment holds a Bachelor of Music from the Augustana Faculty of the University of Alberta, as well as a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Alberta. Meghan has had the pleasure of working with various ensembles in Edmonton and surrounding areas, including the Graduate Recital Choir and Orchestra. She is currently the conductor of the All-City Junior Choir for Edmonton Public School’s Music Enrichment Program and assistant conductor for the Da Camera Singers (2010-2011). In addition to maintaining an active conducting career, Meghan’s academic achievements have been acknowledged through awards such as: the Beryl Barnes Memorial Graduate Award, the John and Logie Drew Graduate Scholarship in Choral Conducting, the Swiss Ethnic Music Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship.


Girls' Choir
SUSAN FARRELL

Susan Farrell, B.Mus. and B.A. (Mount Allison University, 2008), M.Mus. Choral Conducting (University of Alberta, 2010), is beginning her first year with ECC. A proud native of Nova Scotia, Susan grew up in the Pictou District Honour Choir, where she acted as Head Chorister of the choir for four years. At Mount Allison, she was the assistant conductor for the Elliott Chorale and directed music for two bilingual plays put on by the Tintamarre theatre troupe. During her time at the University of Alberta, Susan has acted as assistant conductor for the Concert Choir, as well as leading the Recital Choir in her graduate conducting recital this past February. As a chorister, she has sung in many choirs and chamber ensembles, including the Bonnay Singers (Pictou, NS), the Strasbourg Cathedral Choir (Strasbourg, France), the Nova Scotia Youth Chamber Choir (Halifax, NS), and most recently the University of Alberta Madrigal Singers (Edmonton, AB). Last spring, Susan participated in a conducting masterclass at Podium with Julia Davids and the Canadian Chamber Choir as one of four young conductors chosen from around the country.


Boys' Choir
ADAM ROBERTSON

Adam Robertson has served as the assistant conductor for the University of Alberta Mixed Chorus since 2006 and is currently working on his Doctorate of Music degree in choral conducting at the University of Alberta. Adam has a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from the University of Lethbridge (2005). Adam has been involved in numerous honour choirs both provincially and nationally, including the National Youth Choir (2004). Over the course of his Master’s degree Adam sang with the University of Alberta Madrigal singers and served as both the Noon Hour Student Concert Series Coordinator and teaching assistant for the Opera Workshop. His previous conducting positions have included Lethbridge’s Cantare Girls Choir and Avanti ensemble, as well as the Sherwood Park Festival singers. His conducting teachers have included Dr. Debra Cairns, Dr. Robert de Frece, and Dr. George Evelyn. Adam is thrilled to working with the Boys’ Choir this coming year.


Youth Choir
JORDAN VAN BIERT

EYCC is pleased to welcome Jordan Van Biert to our staff. Jordan is an Edmonton native and graduate of the University of Alberta (MMus) and The King’s University College (BMus). He directs adult community choir Vocal Alchemy in Edmonton, serves as Director of Music at Trinity Lutheran Church where he conducts choirs in English and German, and teaches choir at Concordia High School.
Jordan recently worked with the Canadian Chamber Choir as Conducting Fellow for their Alberta tour, and has also recently conducted both the Vancouver Chamber Choir and the Norfolk (CT) Festival Chamber Choir in concert. He has produced a series of Bach Project concerts in Edmonton featuring sacred music for chamber choir, and two Illuminations Choir projects for Edmonton’s Winter Light festival. He is sought after as a clinician for workshops with choirs of all kinds. Jordan is an experienced ensemble singer, having sung in many notable ensembles including the National Youth Choir. He is currently a core singer with Pro Coro Canada.