Calgary Girls Choir

The Calgary Girls Choir is one of Canada’s most dynamic and celebrated choirs. Founded in 1995 by Artistic Director Elaine Quilichini, the Choir, a collection of six choral ensembles, offers exceptional choral music education and performance opportunities for girls and young women ages four to twenty-four years. Although the choirs frequently perform in public venues throughout Calgary, they have also brought their gift of music to many audiences throughout North America and Europe. The Artistic Director is its founder, Elaine Quilichini is recognized as one of North America’s outstanding choral leaders.

Dedicated to assisting girls as they develop into young women, the Calgary Girls Choir, through its commitment to the highest standards of choral music achievement, produces young women who are confident leaders. Their skills reach far beyond musical expertise - their expression of self-confidence, sense of self-worth and scholastic achievement are demonstrable outgrowths of their choir experience.

The Calgary Girls Choir is recognized for its outstanding accomplishments.

Release of compact disc recordings to critical praise and substantial distribution: Christmas Crèche, Calgary Girls Choir Collection, The Seven Joys of Christmas, and Christmas Blessing. Ms. Quilichini and the Choir launched two new recordings this season, 2006-07; A Child’s Question and Good Cheer.
Continuous commissioning of new works, written especially for the choir by recognized international and Canadian composers and arrangers – Michael Neaum, Eleanor Daley, Imant Raminsh and Rupert Lang. Additional works have also been gifted to the Choir.
Collaborative performances with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra - most recently at Beth Tzedec’s Three Cantors - One Voice, 2005. Also featured in A Choir of Angels, with the performance of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater on the CPO’s Baroque 2004 series. Previous concerts with the CPO in 1999-2001.
Exciting Calgary Girls Choir annual Festive Concerts at the Jack Singer Concert Hall, The Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts, Calgary, with acclaimed Organist Neil Cockburn and renowned Guest Artists.
Stirring performance of Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria, and Srul Irving Glick's Psalm Trilogy with Edmonton’s Cantilon Choir, Alberta Baroque Ensemble and professional soloists at the Opening Night Concert of the Alberta Music Educators' Conference 2005. Ms. Quilichini and Ms. Johnston shared the podium to the critical praise of the enthralled audience. The Choir also performed the Gloria with its own chamber ensemble at the Festive Concert 2005.
Official performances celebrating the Province of Alberta’s Centennial in Edmonton at Government House and in Calgary at the Lougheed House. The Choir’s music was warmly received by the Lieutenant Governor and Premier of Alberta
First interactive broadcast performance with international conductor Maria Guinand during The Phenomenon of Singing International Symposium 2005, sponsored by Festival 500 Sharing the Voices and Memorial University.
Concerts performed by Calgary Girls Choir-Ragazze at the prestigious 2005 National Convention, American Choral Directors Association in Los Angeles. The audience response was extremely rewarding, and Ms. Quilichini received personal congratulations from the ACDA president. Her choirs have performed at three previous ACDA National Conventions.
Calgary Girls Choir-Allegra performed concerts as the featured guest artist at a mini choral festival in March 2005 at Red Deer College hosted by the Nota Bene Youth Choir, Jenn Forsland-Artistic Director. The Glenmary High School Girls Choir from Peace River, Karen Tang-director, also took part. Exceptional music-making by three Alberta choirs. Thank you to the Alberta Choral Federation for generously supporting the program with a Workshops Work grant.
First Canadian Youth Music Exchange for Calgary Girls Choir-Allegra. The Guelph Youth Singers, Linda Beaupré-Artistic Director, performed at the Sopranos concert in Calgary in the fall, and then Allegra performed at the Senior Treble Choir Festival in Kitchener, Ontario with choirs from Eastern Canada. Thank you to SEVEC Canada for its generous support of the program.
Spring Concert Tours performed by Calgary Girls Choir-Viva in Saskatchewan, celebrating the Province’s 2005 Centennial year: Swift Current Children’s Choir, Marcia McLean-Artistic Director, 2006; and Biggar Majestic Theatre Concert 2005. Ms. Quilichini and the Calgary Girls Choir are extremely well received in Saskatchewan!
Guest Artist, National Orff Conference 2004, Calgary. Ms. Quilichini and Calgary Girls Choir-Viva performed to a standing ovations from conference delegates.
Artistic Director Elaine Quilichini’s conducting debut at Concert at Carnegie Hall May 2003. A Tribute to Peace and Freedom performed by the Calgary Girls Choir with American guest choirs, MidAmerica Series.
Performances in New York with the Harlem Girls Choir at The Choir Academy of Harlem, and in Boston at Historical landmarks, Old North Church and Church of the Covenant.
National broadcast of William Mathias’ Salvator Mundi for CBC Television’s Opening Night program. Program was re-broadcast in following seasons.
Prizewinner for both the Children’s and Youth Choir classes at the world-class Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales. The Calgary Girls Choir was the only Canadian choir accepted to compete at the 55th Festival in 2001.
Carmina Burana under the direction of Maestro Gzegorz Nowak, formerly of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, for the Millennium Music Foundation. The foundation released a live recording of this concert with the Hammerhead Consort and rising European Soprano Alexandra Kurzak.
The inauguration ceremony of the Famous 5 Monument on Parliament Hill at the request of the Government of Canada. Televised nationally by CBC Newsworld.
Canadian premiere of Credo by the International Composer of the Year, Krzysztof Penderecki, conducted by the composer himself at the Banff Centre for the Arts.
Invited performances at the 2000 National Conference of the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors (ACCC), and World Conference of the International Society for Music Educators (ISME), Edmonton. Two previous invited performances at ACDA National Conventions.
Launch of the Calgary Festival for Children’s Choirs 2000 by the Calgary Girls Choir, an opportunity for local choirs and guest choirs from Western Canada to learn, perform and enjoy music together.
A Child’s Christmas in Wales, with Allen Monk, for Alberta in Concert hosted by CBC Radio Two and the University of Calgary’s Music Department. CBC Radio broadcast the concert, a showcase of the province’s finest musicians, nationally from the university’s award-winning Rozsa Centre during the festive season.
Unprecedented first-class standing in the Treble Choral Class at the 1999 Vienna International Youth & Music Festival. Concerts and performances in Bratislava, Budapest and Prague.
Two consecutive first-place awards, 1996 and 1998, in the Children’s Choir category at Canada’s acclaimed CBC Radio National Competition for Amateur Choirs.
The choirs consistently received first-place standing and awards at the annual Choralfest, Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival, and the Provincial and National Festivals.

Past Season Highlights | The Calgary Girls Choir Society