Guest artists

SANDRA SNOW, GUEST CONDUCTOR

Dr. Sandra Snow is a conductor, pedagogue, and scholar, widely acknowledged as one who brings singers of all ages and abilities to artful performance through an understanding of the music and its context in the world around them. As Professor of Choral Conducting and Music Education at the Michigan State University College of Music, the MSU Women’s Chamber Ensemble has appeared as featured performers at American Choral Directors Association conventions at state, regional, and national levels. As a guest conductor, she travels extensively in North America and abroad.

In 2017, Snow created mirabai, a project-based professional women’s chorus. mirabai features alumna associated with the MSU Women’s Chamber Ensemble. mirabai was a featured ensemble at the Texas Choral Director’s Association conference in 2018. The inaugural recording, Ecstatic Songs, was released in 2018. mirabai will open the 2020 conference of the Southwest Division of the American Choral Director’s Association.

Snow is the Artistic Director of the CME Institute for Choral Teacher Education, produced annually at MSU. Snow is author of the DVD Conducting-Teaching: Real World Strategies for Success (GIA, 2009), a resource for conductor-teachers at all levels of teaching, and she edits the choral music series In High Voice, published by Boosey & Hawkes. Snow is a recipient of the Michigan State University William J. Beal Award for Outstanding Faculty, the MSU Teacher-Scholar Award, and the Dortha J. and John D. Withrow Award for Excellence in Teaching.
BRUCE CABLE, RESIDENT CONDUCTOR

Bruce Cable began his teaching career after graduating from the University of Alberta, teaching choral music at Junior High and High Schools in the Edmonton area.  In 2017 he was awarded a Prime Minister’s Excellence in Teaching Award for his work at Victoria School of the Arts, where he currently teaches choral music and vocal Jazz. Since completing his Masters in Choral Conducting from the University of Miami, he has been a baritone in Pro Coro Canada, the director of Grant MacEwan’s vocal jazz ensemble, the associate conductor of Kokopelli Youth Choir, a Musical Director for the Citadel Theatre, and an active choral clinician throughout Canada.  As a former singer with the Alberta Youth Choir, he always looks forward to any opportunity to work with this amazing group of singers.  Special thanks for Choir Alberta for their tremendous work in “Raising the Voice of Choral Music”.
NATALIE PRANDO, APPRENTICE CONDUCTOR

Involved with music from a very early age, Natalie Prando has developed a special passion for choral music. She joined her first choir at the age of seven, and led her first choir at the age of sixteen. Graduating with Honours from the University of Calgary, Natalie completed her Bachelor of Music with vocal and conducting lessons from Anne Hasek, Laura Hynes, Jeremy Brown, Gareth Jones and Kathryn Parrotta. Prando just completed a season as apprentice conductor at Westwinds Choral Ensemble, under the tutelage of Anne Gray. Natalie is currently choir conductor and music director at First Evangelical Free Church in Calgary. She is also a pianist and cellist, and loves to pass on her passion for music to other people.
GAVIN CALDWELL, PIANIST

Gavin Caldwell is soulmate to beautiful Sarah, tender guardian of Tigra, and has two passions: music and people. In his work as pianist, vocalist, coach, educator, accompanist, composer, songwriter, arranger, improvisor and bandleader, he gratefully and gracefully combines both. He would not be who he is today without the friendship and guidance of all his fellow artists.

Gavin accompanies many choirs, including the Savridi Singers and William Aberhart high school; he’s a clinician and coach at Western Canada High School; he’s a vocal instructor with the Young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede; and he directs music at St. Pius X Catholic Church.

He was the recipient of Choir Alberta’s ‘Con Spirito’ award in 2017 for his contributions to choral music, and all who know him benefit from his inviting personality, razor-sharp wit, musical brilliance, and flowing curls.