Audition recommendations + applications are now OPEN!
Auditioning for AYC involves a two-stage process:
- Conductors and teachers recommend singers for an audition OR singers apply for an audition
- Singers submit their audition online which is evaluated by a provincial jury
Preparing an audition?
Excellent! We're very much looking forward to meeting you and hearing you sing! Here are the links you need:
AUDITION FORM (including the Singer Questionnaire) – to be submitted in advance of your audition
RHYTHMIC EXERCISE – to be prepared for performance at your audition
AUDITION FORM (including the Singer Questionnaire) – to be submitted in advance of your audition
RHYTHMIC EXERCISE – to be prepared for performance at your audition
Schedule overview
Rehearsal weekend |
31 Jan-1 Feb 2026 |
Calgary Stampede Youth Campus |
Residency |
19-21 Feb 2026 |
University of Alberta, Edmonton |
Tour concert |
21 Feb 2026 |
TBA |
Showcase Concert |
22 Feb 2026 |
Winspear Centre, Edmonton |
2026 Artistic Team
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JEAN-SEBASTIEN VALLEE
Guest Conductor Jean-Sébastien Vallée is a Canadian-American conductor, scholar, and pedagogue recognized for his artistry in vocal, choral, and orchestral repertoire. He has led ensembles across North America, Europe, and Asia, collaborating with world-renowned orchestras including the Chicago and Toronto Symphony Orchestras, l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Vallée is Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, as well as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. He has previously served on the faculties of California State University, Los Angeles, and the University of Redlands. His acclaimed recordings on the ATMA label include Remember (2024), Distance (2021), Requiem (2018), and Lux (2017). Recent engagements include appearances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre symphonique de Québec, and at the Liszt Ferenc Academy in Budapest. In 2024, Université Laval honored him with its distinguished Alumni Award. |
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KIM COUSINEAU
Pianist Kim Cousineau, B.Mus, ARCT, AVCM, received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Victoria, and studied privately with Anna Cal, student of Russian pianist Pavel Egorov. He is an alumnus of Opera Nuova's collaborative pianist program and has studied at the Franz Schubert Institute in Baden, Austria. Kim has worked as a répétiteur and music director for numerous organizations including Pacific Opera Victoria, Opera Nuova, Mercury Opera, Mayfield Dinner Theatre, MacEwan Theatre, and Concordia University of Edmonton. He is in high demand as a choral accompanist, collaborating with many groups including Concordia Concert Choir, King's Cantorum and Chamber Choir, Da Camera Singers, Vocal Alchemy, Chronos Vocal Ensemble and A Joyful Noise. In addition to his work with choirs, Kim freelances as a vocal coach and studio pianist in the Edmonton area. |