David Garber – Founder, Artistic Director, Executive Director, Conductor
David Garber is a multi-talented musician and educator with a rich background in choral conducting and trombone performance. A graduate of Eastern Mennonite University, he pursued graduate studies in Choral Conducting at the University of Alberta. His passion for music led him to serve in various leadership roles, including Founder, Artistic Director, Executive Director & Principal Conductor of Edmonton Metropolitan Chorus. He has also held positions as Executive Director for Pro Coro Canada, General Manager for Richard Eaton Singers, and Administrative Director for i Coristi Chamber Choir.
In addition to his administrative roles, David is an accomplished graphic designer, lending his skills to numerous musical organizations and events, including Edmonton Metropolitan Chorus, A Joyful Noise Choirs, and more. With 24 years of experience teaching bands and choirs in public schools, David has also shared his expertise at institutions such as Alberta College Conservatory of Music, The King’s University, and the University of Alberta.
As a seasoned vocalist, David was an original member of Pro Coro Canada, sang with them for 28 seasons, and co-founded VOCE – the a cappella experience. He has lent his voice to several renowned ensembles, including Da Camera Singers, Richard Eaton Singers, University of Alberta Madrigal Singers, and i Coristi Chamber Choir.
David’s dedication to the choral arts has earned him recognition, including an Alberta Foundation for the Arts Award for Career Development and the Alberta Choral Federation’s Con Spirito Award. His commitment to artistic direction has also garnered him nominations for the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Artistic Direction.
Remi Do, Resident Accompanist
Remi Do is an accomplished pianist, collaborative musician, choir assistant and conductor based in Edmonton. She completed her Bachelor of Music in piano at the University of Alberta in 2006 and started expanding her stage as collaborative pianist since.
She started her piano training at the age of 4 and also grew up singing in choirs since she was 6. She loves performing with instruments, singers and especially choirs. With many years of her broad experience in choirs, she became an active musician as collaborative pianist and choral assistant for many schools in Edmonton.
Remi is the resident accompanist for Edmonton Metropolitan Chorus, Edmonton Children’s Choirs, Edmonton Young Voices, Archbishop MacDonald High School Choir and serves as choir conductor at Edmonton Korean Antioch Church.
Janet Smith, Soprano Vocal Coach
American-born Janet Smith came to Canada after receiving a Master’s of Music degree from the University of Michigan. Career highlights include her opera debut in Postcard from Morocco by Dominic Argento (conducted by Nicholas Goldschmidt at the Guelph Spring Festival), the role of Nephthys in the premiere of R. Murray Schafer’s RA, and the title role in The Merry Widow with the Hamilton Philharmonic (Boris Brott) for CBC television.
She is often heard in recital with pianist Jeremy Spurgeon, and as soloist with orchestras and choirs as diverse as Pro Coro Canada, Richard Eaton Singers, Concordia Community Chorus and Orchestra, Da Camera Singers and the Cosmopolitan Music Society “Tuesday” Band.
In April 2006 she sang Bachianas Brasileiras #5 by Heitor Villa-Lobos with the Edmonton Symphony, conducted by William Eddins. Bill Rankin of the Edmonton Journal wrote, “…the most spectacular part of the afternoon came from the sound of the human voice. Soprano Janet Smith’s performance – at times strikingly serene, at times strikingly passionate – was astonishing.”
Hendrick Baerends, Tenor Vocal Coach
Hendrick Baerends is a Baritone who grew up in Leduc County, Alberta. He’s currently in his second year of a Masters of Music, majoring in Vocal performance.
He started singing in choirs at the age of 5 and has been ever since. He has participated in Podium with the Edmonton Youth Choir and has been a member of the Alberta Youth Choir.
Hendrick has also been a member of the Concordia Concert Choir throughout his degree, Chronos Chamber Choir, and was a chorister at Concordia’s summer choral program, Singspiration.
Hendrick began his formal vocal training in 2016, during that time, he was selected to participate in the Alberta Provincial Music Festival. After completing his masters degree, he will pursue a career of teaching voice and conducting.
Mireille Rijavec, Alto Vocal Coach, Vocal Pedagogue
Mezzo-soprano Mireille Rijavec has been heard on the CBC as a soloist and has appeared with Pop Goes the Opera, Alberta Baroque Ensemble, Richard Eaton Singers, Pro Coro Canada, Edmonton Metropolitan Orchestra, among others. Theatre being her first love, Mireille has found a number of ways of involving song in theatre works, such as her cabaret Brie, Baguette and a Broad that she has been presenting for 15 years, and a number of collaborative works such as A Most Beautiful Deception, a play based on the poetry by Melissa Lacroix and Lost in Montmartre, a play about a fictional wake for Érik Satie, all presented at the Edmonton Fringe.
Mireille has a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of British Columbia. She was Music Faculty at the University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean from 1999 to 2012 and was on staff at Concordia University of Edmonton from 2006 to 2016 as a voice instructor, Manager and Program Coordinator of Concordia’s School of Music. Mireille was a member of Edmonton’s professional choir Pro Coro Canada for many years and from 2016 to 2019, their Executive Director. In June of 2018, she was elected to the Edmonton Arts Council. Mireille continues to act as a consultant for not-for-profit organizations.
Mireille presently teaches voice privately and is a vocal pedagogue and alto vocal coach for Edmonton Metropolitan Chorus. She works with students of all levels, from children to adults and stresses the importance of being able to read music, healthy vocal technique grounded in physiology, and ultimately the joy of communicating through song. Mireille’s students are active singers in the community, and many have continued their vocal studies in classical voice and musical theatre in post-secondary institutions across Canada and the United States. As well as enjoying adjudicating, she is a member of ARMTA (Alberta Registered Music Teachers Association), NATS (National Association of Teacher of Singing) and is an Affiliate Member of the Association for Body Mapping Educators.
Graham Fast, Bass Vocal Coach
A recent graduate of the University of Alberta (Masters of Music, Choral Conducting), conductor, singer and percussionist Graham Fast is a passionate and versatile musician. During his time in Edmonton, Graham has worked with many of Edmonton’s finest choirs including Edmonton Metropolitan Chorus (conductor and vocal coach), Men of EdMetro Chamber Choir (conductor), Richard Eaton Singers (assistant conductor), Pro Coro Canada #connect, the University of Alberta Madrigal Singers, Chronos Vocal Ensemble, Vocal Alchemy, and Cantilon Choirs’ Vox Hominis men’s choir.
Graham completed his Bachelor of Music at the University of Calgary in 2014, focusing on Vocal performance with an integrated focus on wind band conducting. In the fall of 2015 he began his studies at the University of Alberta under Dr. Leonard Ratzlaff, where he received the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in 2016 in recognition of his academic and artistic excellence.
While Graham’s singing and conducting involvements in the Edmonton area develop, he still maintains connections with his Calgary roots where he is frequently engaged with musical projects. Graham currently lives in Edmonton where he actively contributes to the flourishing choral community in the area, both as a singer and a conductor.
Brett Ludwig, Resident Choral Arranger
Brett Ludwig is a piano player, singer, arranger, and studio musician, with 20 years of experience in choral and a cappella singing, and is an accomplished pianist and accompanist. As an ensemble singer, he has performed with Ben Folds, Glass Tiger, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Reuben Studdard, and Mark Masri, Alberta Ballet, Citie Ballet, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Epsilon, 6 Minute Warning, and various barbershop quartets.
Brett arranges for choirs & a cappella groups and composes choral and instrumental music. He has a diploma in Jazz Piano Performance from Grant MacEwan, studied piano in the Royal Conservatory curriculum, and has been a member of Pro Coro Canada for 10 years.
Sam Seo, Special Projects Coordinator
Honorary Ambassador, Gangneung City, Korea
Arts Director, Korean Canadian Association, Edmonton
General Manager/Director, Edmonton Korean Association
Director, Alberta Weekly Newspaper
Director, 2012 Expo Music Festival, Korea
Director, 2010 Winter Olympics Asian Music Festival, Vancouver
Honorary Ambassador 2010 World Expo
Board of Directors
Executive:
Margaret Ward, Chair
Les Bell, Past-Chair
Brian Kiely, Vice-Chair
Emma Pérez, Secretary
Nicole Bosch, Treasurer
Directors-at-Large:
Alejandro Moreno Ruiz
Chris Moore
Margaret Mitchell
Members of the Chorus
Edmonton Metropolitan Chorus is a chorus for men and women of all ages and abilities, all sizes & shapes, all colours & backgrounds. It is a chorus where all can feel safe and accepted. It is a chorus through which all can explore the wonders of music.
