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Markus Howard -- Music Director
As a conductor, director and choreographer, Markus Howard has worked
extensively in the arts throughout Canada and abroad. He has appeared in 27
countries, working with musicians of varying ages, cultures and experiences. An
educator, adjudicator and private teacher, Markus works in many musical genres
including opera, musical theatre, pop and jazz voice. His students have included
members of the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, Toronto's Lion King, Mamma Mia,
Billy Elliott, The Producers, and Jersey Boys, and a number of Broadway and National
Touring companies. His talents have been recognized by Yamaha Music Canada,
The Swedish Ministry of Culture, the Ontario Arts Council and the International
Association of Jazz Educators. Markus Howard was a candidate finalist for the 2008/
2009 Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting.
Mr. Howard was on the faculty of the Royal Conservatory of Music, Glenn Gould
School for 7 years where he taught Choral Studies, Advanced Sight Singing, and
Stage Craft for the Opera Division. For the Young Artist Performance Academy, he
was the founding conductor of the Academy Choir. In the College Program at the
Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, Markus lectured theory and history
courses, directed shows, founded the choral division, and was a studio teacher in
both the music and dance faculties. Markus served as Lead Teacher in the Children's
Program for 7 years. At the University of Toronto, he directed the award winning
Hart House Jazz Choir, Onoscatopoeia for 5 seasons, producing the group's second
album, and leading them to the semi-finals of the International Competition for
Collegiate A cappella. He currently leads choirs at Massey College. Markus was a
popular teacher for Hart House Athletics, teaching dance for 13 semesters.
Mr. Howard has appeared as a chorister with the Stuttgart Kammerchor (Germany),
the European Octet (Sweden), the World Chamber Choir (Belgium), and numerous
Canadian professional choirs. He is the founding conductor of the professional
chamber choir, La Movida, his proudest accomplishment to date. Markus
represented UNESCO as an ambassador of Arts and Goodwill from 1996-1999, and
continues to share his skills with aspiring artists at home and abroad.
Robert Grandy -- Accompanist and Composer-in-residence
Robert began his musical studies in Port Hope and later continued at York University. He is the former Organist-Choirmaster at St. Mark's Anglican Church, Port Hope, a position he held from 1981 to 2004, and is currently Director of Music at Trinity United Church in Peterborough. Robert has been involved with the Oriana Singers for many years, as a singer, guest soloist, director, accompanist and composer. His excellent ear and skillful technique continue to be a gift to the choir.
A long-time member of the Royal Canadian College of Organists, Robert's own musical compositions have been sung by a number of church choirs in the local area, choirs in Peterborough and Toronto, as well as by MusicMakers and the Oriana Singers. As composer-in-residence, he has been commissioned by the Oriana Singers several times over the last few years. In 2005, he was commissioned to write three short anthems for the Spring 2005 concert: "The Paradise of God" (for SATB a cap), "Arbor Amoris" and "The Vine" (both for SATB and piano). For the Oriana Singers' entry into the CBC Choral Competition, Robert composed "Le Vaisseau d'or" with text by Emile Nelligan. Another composition, "Fairytale Madness" was written especially for the Oriana Singers' Spring 2005 concert. In 2006 the choir asked him to write a work for former Music Director Marie Anderson's last concert with the group. The result, "Prayer and Benediction" used one of Marie's favourite texts: "Christ be with you, Christ within you".
His latest commission is a joint project with the Concert Band of Cobourg. Robert has arranged the Southern United States folk-hymn "Wondrous Love" into a set of variations for choir and band. It will be premiered at the November 10th 2007 concert. For more information, visit Robert's personal website here.
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