Calgary Girls Choir

he 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.
Over the years, the Choir has experienced tremendous growth and earned a stellar reputation in the choral community, gaining recognition and acclaim for its brilliant performances and many accomplishments.

Since its inception, the Calgary Girls Choir has received numerous first place awards and major prizes both at home and abroad. In 2007, CGC Allegra was featured as the Choir in Residence at the National Convention of American Kodály Educators in Chicago. The Choir received first place (for the third time) in the CBC Radio 2008 National Competition for Amateur Choirs, Youth Division. Summer 2008 saw the senior choir’s, Ragazze, stunning debut at Festival 500 in Newfoundland. Last spring the youngest of the touring choirs, Viva, enjoyed an exciting tour to Whistler, BC where they and Ms. Quilichini led a festival and workshops for choirs from around the province. They shared their expertise with and performed for a delighted audience.

Past accomplishments include wins at the Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod in Wales and the Vienna Youth and Music Festival. The Choir has performed several times at the American and Canadian National Choral Conferences and the World Conference of Music Educators. In 2003, Ms. Quilichini and the Choir were proud to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City where Ms. Quilichini debuted as maestro for the choral concert “A Tribute to World Peace and Freedom” on the American Memorial Day weekend.

The accolades and opportunities for this Choir and their conductor continue to grow as their reputation increases. Ms. Quilichini was selected as the guest conductor at the recent visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Calgary. The event, held in the Pengrowth Saddledome, played to a capacity crowd and featured 200 singers drawn from across Calgary, including forty members of the Calgary Girls Choir. Ms. Quilichini was able to draw a truly inspired performance from the choir. The day provided a moving and memorable experience for all involved.

In July of 2010, in celebration of the Choir’s 15th year, Ms. Quilichini and a touring choir of 65 choristers from Viva, Allegra and Ragazze will travel to Italy for a twelve day concert tour. The Choir is thrilled to have been confirmed to sing Mass not only at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome but also at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. What a wonderful testament to their skill and reputation. In addition, the Choir will do numerous concerts in other historic venues in Florence, Lucca, Venice and Rome. They are particularly excited to do a “friendship” concert with two Italian youth choirs. Italy offers a wealth of artistic, historic and cultural experiences that will enrich the girls’ lives and musical experience in countless ways. The tour is sure to be an amazing experience for all and the Calgary Girls Choir is very proud to provide an opportunity of this calibre to its members.

Presently the Choir numbers over 325 choristers in an organization of six ensembles. Singers range in age from four through twenty-four years. Programs presently offered include a Junior Program that offers three different levels of Kodály based music education. The Kodály philosophy reflects the belief that the human voice is the most fundamental and essential instrument and that musical training based on singing is the most effective and musical way to develop all aspects of musicianship.

Junior Program, including Prima, Bella and Dolce:Prima, for girls ages four and five, is designed to stimulate musical intelligence and beautiful singing through playful music-making. The Bella choir, for girls ages six and seven, offers young singers a program of music education combined with a choral component. Dolce offers singers in Grades 3 and 4 an opportunity to benefit from increasingly advanced musical experiences before graduating to the Senior Choral Program.

Three senior choirs, including Viva (Grades 4-6), Allegra (Grades 7-10) and Ragazze (Grade 11 and up):They offer exciting and challenging programs designed to advance musical skills to a place of musical literacy and independence, and to provide for the performance of great choral music at the highest possible standard of excellence and artistry. The season runs from September through May/June and offers a wide range of experiences and performance opportunities. Weekly rehearsals, choir camps and varied performances challenge and inspire. Process and product are equally valued and supported.

The Calgary Girls Choir presents a sold-out seasonal Festive Concert at the EPCOR CENTRE’s Jack Singer Concert Hall that has become a favorite way for Calgarians to welcome in the season! Their year culminates in a spectacular Celebrate Concert in May to showcase and celebrate the Choir’s accomplishments.

It takes a whole village, as the saying goes, and the Choir is pleased to have a staff of highly trained and gifted accompanists who perform with the choirs over the course of their season. All of these individuals are in their own right wonderful musicians and talented performers.

Recording, touring and the commissioning of new choral works are exciting and ambitious undertakings of the Calgary Girls Choir. All of these activities enrich the experience of each girl involved and enrich the entire choral community. These projects help the Calgary Girls Choir to fulfill its mandate to serve as a model and inspiration for others.
The Calgary Girls Choir offers a rich and varied opportunity for girls and young women to find music, mentorship, self confidence and personal growth through an exemplary program of music education and performance.

Calgary Girls Choir Society