Canadian Cantando Festivals

2023 Festivals

Edmonton: April 16-20

Okanagan: April 24-25

Whistler: April 27-30

2023 Cantando Festival Information

EDMONTON CANTANDO

Sunday evening, April 16 through Thursday, April 20

Concert bands, Wind Ensembles and Orchestras start performances at 6:30 pm through 10 pm on Sunday and all day Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday. 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, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

OKANAGAN CANTANDO

Monday, April 24 and Tuesday, April 25

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

Choirs (both concert choir and vocal jazz) perform in Kelowna at the acoustically superb St. Michael's Cathedral on Monday and Tuesday – Performances on Monday and Tuesday morning have workshops in the afternoon.

Jazz ensembles perform on Monday or Tuesday in Kelowna (location TBA) with workshops immediately following their performance.

A special choral concert is scheduled on Sunday evening in Kelowna (location TBA) and concerts are also
booked on Monday and Tuesday evening at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre

WHISTLER CANTANDO

Thursday evening, April 27 to Sunday afternoon, April 30

Concert Bands, Choirs and Jazz Ensembles perform on Friday and Saturday (with options for Sunday until 4pm) 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. Recommended Travel Agencies can be found on our contact page. 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 electronic transfer (see our fees page under each festival).

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. In some cases, we can schedule groups to attend with only one evening stay but suggest a two night minimum (with many groups electing to stay 3 or more) to take advantage of all we offer. In a few isolated cases, we can schedule groups to perform and take advantage of workshops without an overnight stay.

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 listed on our website. 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

Good Luck in the new 2023 school year and I look forward to hearing your ensembles at one of our festivals.

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!