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Vice Presidents with Portfolios


Advocacy

Diane Loomer (Vancouver, BC)
Loomer
Diane Loomer, C.M. is internationally recognized as one of Canada's leading musicians; a sought-after conductor and clinician on the international choral scene with engagements taking her to all corners of the world. She is founder and conductor of Chor Leoni Men's Choir, co-founder and co-conductor of Elektra Women's Choir and most recently founder and conductor of EnChor Chamber Choir. She taught on the music faculty at the University of British Columbia. Her choirs have repeatedly won first prizes in national and international competitions and her choral compositions have been published and recorded internationally. and She frequently appeared on CBC national radio and CBC TV as a spokesperson for the classical arts. The first woman to conduct the National Youth Choir of Canada, Diane received the Healey Willan award in 1990 for her service to choral music in British Columbia; in 1994, she was named YWCA's Vancouver's Woman of Distinction of Arts and Culture; and in 1997 and 2004 received Distinguished Alumni Awards honouring her achievements in choral music. In 1996 and in 2002 she received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for her significant contribution to Canada’s culture. Diane has conducted several ACDA State Honour Choirs and has conducted Provincial Youth Choirs and Honour Choirs in every province in Canada. In 2003, Diane was appointed by the University of Victoria to the University Women’s Scholar Lecture Series and in 2005 was appointed Conductor Emeritus to Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. In 2008 she was named as a Paul Harris Fellow to the International Rotary Foundation for her tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding among peoples of the world. She has held positions on numerous boards of Arts Organizations both nationally and internationally and is proud to say she has sat on board of the ACCC for many years. With the help of her husband, Dick, she has established Cypress Choral Music as a thriving source of new Canadian choral music and an encouragement to Canadian choral composers. In recognition of her achievements in and service to music and humanity throughout Canada, Diane was honored in 1999 to receive the country's highest civilian honor, the Order of Canada.


Communications

Carolyn Nielsen (Keswick Ridge, NB)

Nielsen
Carolyn received a Bachelor of Music in voice from Acadia University followed by a Bachelor of Education from UNB. She spent many years as a public school music educator in New Brunswick during which time she was active in both the New Brunswick Music Educators' Association and the Canadian Music Educators' Association. She was hired by the Department of Education in 1978 to organize and found the New Brunswick Choral Federation and served as the first executive director of that organization for ten years. She was instrumental in helping to establish the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors and also served as their administrator from 1984 - 1988. 

She has conducted numerous school, church and community choirs, performed regularly as an alto soloist, presented workshops and served on many committees, most recently as the chair for Podium 2008. Carolyn continues to maintain her involvement as an active choral musician and looks forward to the challenge of serving as VP, Communications for the Association of Canadian Choral Communities. In her spare time she enjoys running, Pilates, Yoga and driving her Triumph TR6!

Professional Development

Andrée Dagenais (Brandon, MB)

Dagenais Andrée Dagenais is an associate professor at Brandon University where she conducts the Brandon University Chorale, the Brandon Concert Choir and founded the Brandon University Women's Voices in 2003. Under her direction BU Chorale toured Saskatchewan in 2008 and France in 2007 for a choir exchange with the Ensemble vocal of l’Université de Poitiers. BU Chorale has been invited to perform at the Choral Conductor’s conference in Québec in 2005, at the Winnipeg New Music Festival (2003 and 2004), the Festival Unicanto de Corais de Londrina and at the Festival of sacred music in Sao Paulo (2002). The BU Chorale represented Manitoba at the National Festival of music and won the City of Lincoln trophy in 2000 and 2001. Prior to coming to Manitoba in 2000, Dr. Dagenais taught at Université de Montréal, McGill University and University of Saskatchewan. She holds a doctorate from University of Iowa.

Most recently, she guest conducted in Poitiers the Ensemble vocal of l’Université de Poitiers. As an associate researcher for the Conseil National de Recherche Scientifique at the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles, she is responsible for the critical edition of the collection of the grands motets by Pierre Robert, an important composer from Louis XIV’s Royal Chapel. In 2006 she guest conducted at the Choral Festival of the first International Outgames held in Montreal and the Manitoba Provincial Women’s Voices Honour Choir. In 2005 she team taught with Bernard Tetu the A Choeur joie International’s Choral Workshop for Advanced Conductors in le Haut-Rhin, France. Andrée has been co-chair with Henry Schellenberg of the Programming Committee for Podium 2004 in Winnipeg. She has been invited to Venezuela three times to conduct workshops and be part of the choral competition jury for the VIII Edición del Festival Internacional D'canto. She taught several times for the Alliance des Chorales du Québec’s summer conducting workshop. She returns to Québec regularly to conduct at CAMMAC, the music center of the Canadian Amateur Musician, Musicien Amateur Canadien.