Kantorei choral festival 2023
MORE THAN 380 SINGERS TUNE-UP FOR CALGARY’S INAUGURAL IMMERSIVE FESTIVAL OF CHORAL MUSIC
Kantorei Choral Festival will welcome composers Joshua Rist and Emmy Award-winning Jake Runestad
Festival concerts will include world premieres from each composer
Hundreds of choral singers from across Canada are preparing to attend Calgary’s first-ever immersive festival of choral music, Kantorei Choral Festival, from April 12th – 16th, 2023, hosted in the prestigious Bella Concert Hall.
The festival will be attended by multi-award-winning composers Jake Runestad and Joshua Rist who will be taking choral groups through their paces and helping them to hone their unique craft. The festival will culminate in two concerts where choirs will perform selected works individually and en masse.
Choirs will also perform the world premieres of Runestad’s Ritual and Rist’s I Will Walk You Home.
Emmy Award-winning and Grammy nominated Runstad said:
“After the pandemic had silenced choirs everywhere, it’s electrifying to see the choral world singing more passionately than ever. Choral music is one of the most powerful forms of expression and community, and festivals like the Kantorei Choral Festival unite diverse people to collaborate, listen deeply, and share messages of hope and positivity. If everyone in the world sang in a choir, humanity would be happier, healthier, safer, and more compassionate."
Choral groups attending the festival represent a diverse range of voices and include: Les Petits Chanteurs de Laval, the largest choral organization in Quebec, Cantares Latin Choir, Ventus Women’s Choir, Calgary Men’s Choir and Mount Royal Kantorei.
Mount Royal Kantorei is the flagship chorus of Mount Royal University’s Conservatory. Established in 1995, Kantorei is a mixed-voice, auditioned choir of 85 members helmed by musician, conductor, and educator John Morgan.
Morgan is also the Artistic Director of Kantorei Choral Festival. He said:
“With a growing number of active choral groups and thousands of choral singers, Calgary has one of the most vibrant choral music communities in Canada. So, it is fitting that the city should have its own choral music festival. Choral music provides a medium through which we can communicate so much with so many, which is one of the many reasons it is one of the fastest growing music genres in the world. We are excited to bring Calgary’s choral energy to the stage and hope the audiences are ready to be blown away.”
Kantorei Choral Festival is supported by Calgary Arts Development, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Calgary Foundation, Mount Royal University Conservatory, and the Taylor Centre for Performing Arts.
Tickets to the Gala Concerts can be purchased at www.tickets.mru.ca