|
|
Equally at home conducting symphonic or choral repertoire, Ivars Taurins is the founding director of the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, celebrating its 30th anniversary. He was also principal violist of the Tafelmusik Orchestra for its first 23 years. Under his direction the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir has been widely praised for its clarity, nuance and brilliance.
Principal Baroque Conductor of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra from 2001-2010, he also appears as guest director with orchestras and choirs across Canada, including the Edmonton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Winnipeg, Victoria, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Saskatoon, and Windsor symphonies, Orchestra London, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Canadian Chamber Ensemble, Thirteen Strings, Vancouver Chamber Choir, Pro Coro Canada, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Elora Festival Singers. He was director of the 2000 and 2009 Ontario Youth Choir, 2003 Nova Scotia Youth Choir, and guest director of the London, Calgary and Nova Scotia Youth Orchestras. He has been appointed director of the 2012 National Youth Choir.
His regular appearances conducting the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and Orchestra have received widespread critical acclaim and are frequently heard on CBC Radio. His recordings (CBC Records) with Tafelmusik, have all received Juno nominations. Ivars Taurins and the choir have premiered works by R. Murray Schafer, Omar Daniels, Chan Ka Nin, Brian Cherney and Paul Frehner with Soundstreams Canada, and have also premiered works by Christos Hatzis, James Rolfe, Imant Raminsh, and Ruth Watson Henderson.
A passionate lecturer and teacher, Ivars Taurins teaches conducting and baroque ensembles at the University of Toronto, and has been a guest teacher/conductor at the universities of Sherbrooke, Queen’s, Western Ontario, Alberta, Calgary and Windsor, and the Glenn Gould School in Toronto. He is director of the vocal/choral programme at the annual Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute.
September 2011 |