2023 Festivals

Edmonton: April 16-19

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Okanagan: April 23-25

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Whistler: April 27-30

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2023 Cantando Festival Information

We have secured the following dates for next year and are VERY EXCITED and looking forward to next spring. We are in the process of hiring some great adjudicators, clinicians and guest artists and will put them on them on our website (www.cantando.org) throughout the summer and fall.

EDMONTON CANTANDO
Sunday evening, April 16 through Wednesday, April 19

Concert bands, Wind Ensembles and Orchestras start performances at 6:30 pm through 10 pm on Sunday and all day Monday and Tuesday. Workshops are generally scheduled for the day following their performance but can be arranged on the same day for a few select groups.

Choirs perform on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings with workshops held in the afternoon.

Jazz ensembles perform on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with workshops following each performance.

GUEST ARTISTS perform in the Winspear on Monday and Tuesday evenings.

OKANAGAN CANTANDO
Monday, April 23 and Tuesday, April 25

Concert Bands, Wind Ensembles and Orchestras perform on Monday and Tuesday at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre (a GREAT venue with workshops immediately following.)

Choirs and Jazz Ensembles perform in Kelowna on Monday and Tuesday – choirs perform in the morning with workshops in the afternoon, jazz ensembles also perform the same days with workshops immediately following their performance.

GUEST ARTISTS perform on Monday and Tuesday evening at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre.

WHISTLER CANTANDO
Thursday evening, April 27 to Sunday noon, April 30

Concert Bands, Choirs and Jazz Ensembles perform on Friday and Saturday (with options for Sunday morning) with workshops immediately following their performance.

A dance and social for all participants is held Thursday evening with GUEST ARTISTS performing on Friday and Saturday evening.

ALL FESTIVALS FEATURE

Instrumental workshops, Mass Choir rehearsals and concerts, 50 minute workshops following performances and much more.

Past guest artists have featured world class artists like Jim Walker (principal flute, LA Phil), Eddie Daniels – renowned jazz and classical clarinetist, Fred Hemke – classical saxophonist, Allan Vizzutti – trumpet soloist par excellence, Jeff Nelson – hornist with the Canadian Brass, Grant MacEwan faculty big band – a pro ensemble, jazz ensembles, orchestras and wind ensembles from most western Canadian Universities, choirs from around the world including Rajaton and the University of Pretoria Youth Choir. These performances are the highlight of our festivals and the reason students leave feeling excited and enthused about music. We’ll keep you updated with all the amazing talent we bring to Cantando festivals as we get schedules finalized.

A couple of other major changes are occurring – ALL 3 OF OUR FESTIVALS are open to any travel agency you wish to contact. Cantando music festival fees will be collected prior to the festival with a $500 deposit required upon fall registration and the remainder by February 15th. Fees can be paid with cheques or via VISA as well.

Travel, accommodation, meals, etc. can be taken care of by anyone or agency you choose, and if you want or need help with suggestions for any of our festivals, we can assist you with this as well. We have utilized this concept in Edmonton since its inception and wanted to offer this to our participants for all of our events.

ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL NEED TO REGISTER ON OUR WEBSITE

You can choose your performance and workshop times to better fit your schedule and it makes schools with many ensembles a breeze to register. Festival fees are being determined now and will be up on our website in the summer. With the options mentioned above, we feel that schools can now get great value for the services they require.

If you aren’t on our email list, send me a note and we’ll add you to it – we send monthly emails to all possible participants and along with our website, you will get lots of information on a regular basis. Just shoot me an email at dprime@cantando.org

Have a great summer and look forward to getting back to a new and positive 2022-2023 school year.

Dr. Dennis Prime
Director
Canadian Cantando Festivals

Our Story


Below are typical responses by participants and guest artists as well:





"Cantando Festivals are an amazing musical oasis for the young musicians of North America. Being able to perform for these students is always unforgettable exciting and regenerating!"

- James Walker, Guest soloist



"I want to thank you for inviting the UBC Symphonic Wind Ensemble to perform at this year’s Whistler Festival. It was really a joy to perform for such and large and enthusiastic audience, and I know my students appreciated the opportunity to “pay it forward” by creating as much excitement among the young musicians as they could muster!"

-Dr. Rob Taylor, UBC Conductor

"This was our first time attending this festival. Having heard so many great things about the festival, we finally had a chance to try it out. I can’t say enough on how refreshing the experience was. The adjudicators were fantastic. The non-competitive nature of the festival was supported by every instructor and was embraced by all the students and teachers involved. Thank you for an amazing musical experience and learning opportunity for my music students... I highly recommend this festival - high marks for sure!"

- Kathy Fester, Heritage Woods Secondary School Port





"Cantando sets a new standard for music festivals. My musicians loved every minute of it!"

- Colin Clarke, Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra



"We had a great tour! So much fun! Great adjudicators and opportunities for students at the festival with the mass choir, girls and boys voices clinics and great concerts to watch. Our students loved the opportunity to perform in the adjudicators choice concert!"

- Heidi Wood, Lord Beaverbrook Choir

"What a GREAT time we had at Cantando. I don’t know how it could have been better and thanks for giving us hot weather pool days. We had a great travel and festival schedule, we had a great hotel, we had great meals, we had great weather! I have never seen so many happy girls over a period of 4 days with no issues at all. The girls are glowing as we debrief and I will recommend that the Whistler Cantando be a continuing event and I will now retire with great memories from my time at CGS."

- Dr. Donald Christianson, Calgary Girls School

"This was our first time attending this festival. Having heard so many great things about the festival, we finally had a chance to try it out. I can’t say enough on how refreshing the experience was. The adjudicators were fantastic. The non-competitive nature of the festival was supported by every instructor and was embraced by all the students and teachers involved. Thank you for an amazing musical experience and learning opportunity for my music students... I highly recommend this festival - high marks for sure!"

- Kathy Fester, Heritage Woods Secondary School Port Moody, BC

"Thanks so much for such a fantastic trip. Of all the trips that I have taken my choir on, this was definitely the best. The hotel was a lot of fun, Whistler Village feels so safe, the scenery is memorable, the clinicians were excellent, the concerts were great, and the massed choir was such a positive experience. My students, and my parent chaperones, can't say enough good things. Thanks for all of your excellent communication in helping us organize this."

- Jean-Marie Michaud, Seattle Youth Choir and Eckstein Middle School Choir





"Just wanted to tell you how much we loved every moment of our trip. Your attention to detail is outstanding and we truly appreciate your work making this trip a lifelong memory for our students😊"

- Anita Anton, Cardinal Carter Catholic Toronto


"The Cantando Music Festival is a truly transformative experience in the educational and artistic development of young musicians. The combination of high caliber clinicians, adjudicators, and guest artists, along with the breath-taking backdrop of the festival locations themselves, are among the most impressive of any festival we've been a part of. We can't wait to work with them again!"

- Jeff Smith, Artistic Director, M-pact

Past Adjudicators:

Elise Bradley ~ Jodi Proznick ~ Chee Meng Low ~ Erin Bodnar ~ Joel Gray ~ Essi Wourela ~ Robert Ambrose ~ Katy Luyk ~ Réjean Marois ~ Jerrold Dubyk ~ Dorothy Dyck ~ Christin Reardon-MacLellan ~ Andrew Withington ~ James Smart ~ Wendy Grasdahl ~ Shelley Jagow ~ Gillian Mackay ~ Fraser Linklater ~ Angela Schroeder ~ Larry Gookin ~ Don Owens ~ Mark Lane ~ Jacquie Dawson ~ Dean McNeill ~ Ray Baril ~ Fred Stride ~ Carrie Tennant ~ Scott Leithead ~ John Chalmers ~ Jennifer Lang ~ Gordon Brock ~ Robert Spittal ~ Elroy Friesen ~ Dinah Helgeson ~ Rob Taylor ~ Brad McDavid ~ Graeme Langager ~ Jennifer Moir ~ Dominic Gregorio ~ Frank Lee ~ Allison Girvan ...and more.

Past Guest Artists:

...and more!