Byron Hermann

Byron Hermann (he/him) moved to Nova Scotia in 2017 to retire from 40 years of conducting, choir singing, education research, restaurant and music venue ownership, and cultural tourism consultation to focus on composition (and spend more time with the grandkids.) “Retirement” did not last long as Byron returned to music ministry with the United Church, choir singing with Nova Voce and Nova Scotia Symphony Chorus and now Camerata. He studied piano, organ and composition at the University of Western Ontario at the same time as studying for the priesthood at St. Peter’s Seminary. He subsequently moved to Montreal and obtained a MMus degree in Composition from McGill studying with, amongst others, Alcides Lanza, Don Patriquin, Bengt Hambraeus and Bruce Mather as well as continued choral conducting mentorship from Wayne Ridell and with Iwan Edwards and the St. Lawrence Choir. He later obtained a certificate in Education from Université du Québec à Montréal. This interest in music education led to studies in Toronto at the Ontario Institute of Education and an M.A. in Education. After graduating in 1985 he received a SSHRC award for PhD studies in cognitive science specializing in music cognition and early emergence of learning strategies in children and has won several composition competitions as well as receiving commissions for choral works from ensembles across Canada. He has travelled and performed throughout Asia including 10 years in Taiwan where he wrote and produced 8 CDs of children’s songs for use in the classroom. It is a real pleasure to be singing with Camerata, an ensemble of the highest calibre he has often aspired to be a part of.