Matthew Emery

Matthew studied at the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto.

He is a member of the Canadian Music Centre, Canadian League of Composers and is composer-in-residence with the Amabile Choirs of London, Canada and the ORIANA Women’s Choir in Toronto.

Allison Girvan

Directors of four choirs in the Nelson Youth Choir program as well as the a capella women’s ensemble,

Shenango. Featured soloist on recordings and in performances with many ensembles. Allison lives in Nelson B.C., where she continues to record for TV and feature films. She directs four choirs in the Nelson Youth Choir Program, as well as the a cappella women’s ensemble, Shenango.

Laura Hawley

Laura Hawley is a Canadian musician known for her compelling approach to musical leadership and artistic programming, multi-faceted community engagement, and distinctive compositional style.

While Ms. Hawley writes for many of Canada’s top performing ensembles, her unique understanding of developing musicians and sensitivity to a commissioner’s vision has established her as a widely sought composer for educational ensembles as well. As result, Laura has written a variety of instrumental and choral works for children, youth, and developing adult musicians; works that lend themselves well to educational growth. Her works are published with Rhythmic Trident Music Publishing, Cypress Choral Music, and on www.laurahawley.ca.

Sarah Quartel

Sarah Quartel is a Canadian composer and educator known for her fresh and exciting approach to choral music. She celebrates the musical potential of all learners by providing singers access to high quality repertoire and engaging music education. Sarah's choral works are performed by children, youth, and adults throughout the world and her work as an educator connects exciting musical experiences with meaningful classroom learning.

Sarah regularly partners with ensembles worldwide on commissioning projects. In 2015, her work ‘Wide Open Spaces’ was commissioned by the American Choral Directors Association and received its premiere performance under the baton of Bob Chilcott. In 2017, her work ‘Snow Angel’ was performed at Lincoln Center in New York City by the National Children’s Chorus of the United States of America. Her compositions have been featured in numerous concerts, commercial recordings, and radio broadcasts internationally.

Sarah is signed to Oxford University Press. She is an educator in Ontario, Canada and continues to work as a guest clinician at various music education and choral events internationally. She currently lives and writes in both Ontario and Hawaii.

Marie-Claire Saindon

Holds a BMus in Composition from the Schulich School of Music and McGill University, and an MMus in Composition of film and multimedia music from the Universite de Montreal.

She currently scores films, composes choral commissions, and is composer in residence for the Montreal upper-voice ensemble Choeur Adleisia.