About Us

BIOGRAPHY
The Halifax Camerata Singers is Atlantic Canada’s premier chamber choir. Founded in 1986 by Artistic Director Jeff Joudrey, the Nova Scotia ensemble has distinguished itself by performing exciting choral repertoire that covers all periods and styles, with special attention to Canadian music. The auditioned choir is known for its high performance standards, claiming national recognition and the Healy Willan Grand Prize in the 2010 National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs.

Members of the Halifax Camerata Singers come from many communities for the opportunity to perform demanding choral repertoire.

The choir often appears in collaboration with chamber ensembles, Symphony Nova Scotia, other musicians, and since 2001 has been the core choir of the Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus. The ensemble performs in regional concert series such as Music at the Three Churches, Musique Royale, Music at Trinity, Dartmouth Community Concert Series, and Indian River Festival, P.E.I.

The Halifax Camerata Singers organization has an active program of commissioning choral music from Canadian and international composers and is proud to encourage young singers through its Youth Mentoring Program, bursaries for the Nova Scotia Youth Choir, and a Young Composer’s Competition. The organization was also instrumental in the success of Xara, a choral theatre ensemble for young women aged 18–30 years, which was founded as a youth initiative of the Halifax Camerata Singers in 2008.

The Halifax Camerata Singers is a not-for-profit society managed by a volunteer board of directors. Funding comes from performances, donations, and fundraising, with supporting grants from the Canada Council for the Arts; Nova Scotia Communities, Culture and Heritage; and the Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation.

Artistic Director

jeff joudrey

Artistic Director Jeff Joudrey is highly regarded for his vision, musical leadership, and standards of excellence in choral music. Founder and former director of the First Baptist Girls’ Choir (1983 - 2012) and founder of Halifax Camerata Singers (1986), his leadership has provided challenge and reward for many Nova Scotia singers.

His choirs have established enviable reputations for performance excellence and innovative programming. The Halifax Camerata Singers has four recordings to its credit and, in addition to promoting choral music throughout the Maritimes, was awarded the prestigious Healey Willan Grand Prize as well as first place in the Chamber Choir category in the 2010 National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs.

Jeff is an enthusiastic supporter of Canadian choral music, and his choirs frequently commission works from both established and emerging composers. Committed to the development of young singers, conductors and composers, he has been guest conductor of the Nova Scotia Youth Choir’s 15th anniversary tour and Unisong 2009 in Ottawa.

In addition to being Director of Music at Trinity-St. Stephen’s United Church in Amherst, Jeff is Chorus Master of the Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus. He is also in demand as a guest conductor, choral clinician, teacher, and adjudicator. He has served on the faculties of Dalhousie and Acadia universities as well as the Nova Scotia Choral Federation’s Institute of Choral Conducting. Elected President of the Association of Canadian Choral Communities in 2012, he also is a former president of the Nova Scotia Choral Federation. He has served on juries for the Juno and East Coast Music Awards, the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council and the Association of Canadian Choral Communities.

A native of Nova Scotia, Jeff studied organ at Acadia University and the Haarlem International Academy in the Netherlands before going to McGill University to study with organists John Grew and Raymond Daveluy. His choral mentors include Canadian conductors Elmer Iseler and Wayne Riddell, and German conductor Helmuth Rilling.

Accompanist

Lynette Wahlstrom

Collaborative Pianist, Lynette Wahlstrom, having joined the Halifax Camerata Singers in September of 2013, is presently a Vocal Coach at Dalhousie Department of Music,as well as Music Director at First Baptist Church Halifax. She plays regularly with both Opera Nova Scotia and Halifax Summer Opera Festival, as well as special projects with Nova Scotia Choir Federation. Lynette has worked as Collaborative Pianist under the batons of Jeff Joudrey, Jakub Martinec, Caron Daley, Julian Wachner, Robert Ingari, and Patricia Abbot, as well as the studio classes of Sanford Sylvan, Lucy Hayes Davis, Greg Servant and Marcia Swanston, placing her in demand as repetiteur, coach and accompanist. Lynette holds a Bachelor of Music from Brandon University, a Master's of Piano Performance from Université de Montréal, as well as Master`s of Accompaniment from McGill University and is active on the Boards of Opera Nova Scotia, Halifax Summer Opera Nova Scotia Festival, Early Music Society of Nova Scotia, and RCCO Halifax.

Singers

All

All
Alto
Bass
Concert Manager
General Manager
Librarian
Soprano
Tenor
Volunteer Front-of-House Manager

Amanda Zadeh

Soprano

A member of Camerata since 2016, Amanda Zadeh grew up in Middleton, Nova Scotia, where she was surrounded with music from an early age, taking piano and voice lessons for...

Barbara Main

Librarian | Soprano

A native of Nova Scotia, Barbara Main joined Camerata in 2016 after retiring from teaching with the Toronto District School Board. A graduate of Acadia University School of Music, Barbara...

Bertrum MacDonald

Bass

Bertrum MacDonald has been a member of Camerata since 1991. Over 29 seasons he has enjoyed singing a wide variety of repertoire, recording the choir’s CDs, contributing to award winning...

Bill Perrot

Bass

After graduating from Westminster Choir College in 1975, Bill Perrot left Petersburg, Virginia, and headed to Auburn, Nova Scotia to teach music at West Kings. Eventually that job morphed into...

Bryan Crocker

Bass

Bryan Crocker has been conducting choirs since 2000, when he was appointed to his current role as Artistic Director of the Dalhousie Health Professions Chorale. This followed a successful pastime...

David Caldwell

Tenor

David Caldwell is thrilled to be joining Camerata this year. Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, USA and a graduate of Virginia's University of Lynchburg, he comes from a musical family and...

Elyse Delaney

Alto

Originally from Chéticamp, Elyse Delaney did her studies in music education at l'Université de Moncton, from which she graduated in 2016. Since then, Elyse has moved to Halifax to teach...

Frederick LI

Tenor

Frederick Li is a recent member of Camerata's tenor section (2017). He was originally an instrumentalist and played lead trombone with the Queen's and Dalhousie University Jazz ensembles. He got...

Geoff Gillespie

Tenor

Tenor Geoff Gillespie first joined Camerata for the 1997/98 season, then returned to the group for good in 2005 after working abroad for several years. A graduate of Acadia University’s...

Greg Lypowy

Bass

Greg Lypowy grew up in Calgary, Alberta and started singing in high school with the Alberta Youth Choir. After finishing his studies in Computer Science and Classics at the University...

Jill Rafuse

Alto

Jill Hemeon Rafuse (Alto 2) joined the Halifax Camerata Singers in 2003. A native of Liverpool and a graduate of Mount Allison University, she had a rewarding career in journalism,...

John Lindsay-Botten

Concert Manager | Tenor

Since moving to Halifax in 2004, John Lindsay-Botten has been active in Greater Halifax with church music and presently acts as Minister of Music and Dramatic Arts at Knox United...

Joseph Goodwin

Tenor

Hailing originally from Toronto, Ontario and Sussex, New Brunswick, Joseph Goodwin officially joined Camerata in 2018 after having occasionally sung with them in years prior. Along with many local choirs,...

Juliette Moncada

Soprano

On Sabbatical Juliette Moncada is a singer and voice teacher with over ten years of experience in France and now in Canada (Halifax). Since March 2018, she has also been...

Kallie White

Soprano

A member of Halifax Camerata since 2014, Kallie White has always felt most at home singing in a choir. She has studied voice and vocal pedagogy, international development studies, and...

Kelly Hart

Alto

Originally from Kingston, Ontario, Kelly Hart is a graduate of Mount Allison University where she obtained her Bachelor of Music degree. Kelly moved to Halifax in 1998 where she has...

Laura Beth Smith

Soprano

This is Laura Beth Smith’s second season with Camerata. Hailing from Halifax, she began harmonizing with her dad at an early age and learned that singing with dad gets you...

Lisa Annand

Alto

Lisa Annand lives in Maitland with her husband Albert. She received her education at the University of Western Ontario, Mount St. Vincent University, University of Calgary and the Kodàly Institute...

Liz Hadfield

Soprano

Singing since she was old enough to hold music, Liz Hadfield has made a point of joining choirs each time she moves to a new place. This has included Rochester...

Mackenzie Costron

Alto

Mackenzie Costron has been a member of the Canadian choral communities since 1998. She holds a Bachelor of Music Therapy from Acadia University and is an Accredited Music Therapist and...

Megan Hayward

Alto

Mezzo Soprano Megan Hayward is a new member of Camerata. She lived in Ontario until two years ago when she decided to make the move to Halifax. She is a...

Michael James

Tenor

Hailing from Canada’s smallest province, Michael James (van der Gaag) graduated from University of Prince Edward Island with a Bachelor of Music in 2010, and is an alumni of the...

Robert Pecknold

Bass

Robert Pecknold hails from Halifax and joined Camerata in 2018. In addition to singing, Robert plays piano, cello and flute. Previously he has sung with the Nova Scotia Youth Choir...

Rosalie Dowling

Soprano

Mezzo-soprano Rosalie Dowling is an up-and-coming graduate of Bishop's University (2017). Rosalie grew up in Kingston, Nova Scotia, and is now living in Dartmouth, where she is quickly making her...

Ryan Henwood

Tenor

Ryan Henwood is a Halifax-based composer, conductor and choral singer. Ryan graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Music in Composition in the spring of 2017. As a composer,...

Sean Pecknold

Bass

Hailing originally from Montreal, where he completed a PhD in Physics at McGill University, Sean Pecknold has lived in Halifax since 1996. Sean has been singing in choirs all his...

Simon Hardman

Tenor

Simon Hardman grew up in Montreal and Ottawa but moved to Halifax in 2002, where he sang with the Camerata Singers for seven seasons. A veteran of the Ontario and...

Spencer Gough

Bass

Spencer Gough hails from Kitchener, Ontario. His choral experience began at a young age, with the Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir (directed by Nancy Tanguay and Howard Dyck), with highlighted performances...

Steven DeWitt

Bass

A former New Brunswicker who sang in several community, classical and special-event choirs in that province, Steven DeWitt joined Camerata in 2018. When not working as an independent French-to-English translator,...

Board of Directors

The Halifax Camerata Singers is a not-for-profit society incorporated under the laws of the Province of Nova Scotia and is managed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Board is responsible for the day-to-day activities of Camerata, including concert arrangements, grant applications, fundraising, publicity, contracts and public relations.

The society maintains close relationships with such organizations as Symphony Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Choral Federation, the Saint Cecilia Concert Society and Musique Royale, and with choirs and directors throughout the country.

Members of the 2018-19 Board of Directors are: Diane Zwicker (Chair), Shauna O’Brien (Vice-Chair), Rand Weeks (Treasurer), Leslie Theriault (Incoming Treasurer), Gisela O’Brien (Secretary), Keely Wallace (Fundraising Chair), Blois Hennigar (Member-at-large), Rick Nason (Member-at-large), Kelly Hart and Spencer Gough (Choir Representatives), Jeff Joudrey (Ex-Officio), Peggy Walt (Ex-Officio).

Administration