Program Advisory Committee

TINA ALEXANDER-LUNA, GRANDE PRAIRIE
Kristina Alexander-Luna has her Masters in Voice Performance from the University of Ottawa, and an Advanced Certificate in Performance from the University of Toronto. She is currently completing her Doctorate at the University of Toronto in Voice Performance and Pedagogy with countertenor, Daniel Taylor. Tina is also currently Instructor of Voice and Choir at Grande Prairie Regional College, and hopes to continue growing as a performer, conductor, and educator. As a teacher of Voice, she loves to encourage and instill confidence in her students, as well as giving them opportunities to grow as expressive communicators and versatile singers through performance of all styles and genres. Tina is a member of ARMTA (Alberta Registered Music Teachers Association), NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing), and CAEA (Canadian Actors Equity Association). 
​JOANNE COLLIER, LETHBRIDGE
Joanne Collier has shared her passion for choral singing with people of all ages as either a singer or conductor her entire life. Currently she teaches for Holy Spirit Catholic Schools at The Children of St. Martha School in Lethbridge, is Music Director at St. Augustine’s Church, and Music Director of Vox Musica Choral Society. For nineteen years she was on faculty at Medicine Hat College where she taught voice and directed children’s, youth, and adult choirs including the award-winning MHC Girls’ Choir. Originally from Boissevain, Manitoba, Joanne holds a Bachelor of Music (Performance) from the University of Manitoba and Master of Music (Vocal Performance) from the University of British Columbia. Following an accomplished career of almost twenty years, she entered the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge in 2011 where she received the William Aberhardt Gold Medal upon graduation. She is the recipient of the Alberta Choral Federation’s “Con Spirito” award for contributions to choral music in her community, the Johann Strauss Foundation scholarship for study in Austria, Medicine Hat College Employee of the Year and City of Medicine Hat Civic Award for contributions to the arts.   ​
LIZ DIMARINO, CALGARY
Liz DiMarino has been a music specialist with the Calgary Board of Education for 17 years.  She has a passion for choral music and shares her love of singing as the director of Calgary’s Westside Senior Children’s Choir.  Liz has also been selected as guest conductor at the Naramata Centre in BC, for the Youth Singers of Calgary, and as the rehearsal conductor for the Alberta Children’s Choir.  She’s given workshops for the University of Calgary’s Centre for Performing Arts, the Calgary Orff Chapter, and for CBE’s Global Learning Services.  She has presented at both the Calgary and the Southwestern Alberta Teacher’s Convention.  Liz has her Level Three Orff Certification, was a semi-finalist in the 2013 Excellence in Teaching awards, and was given a Service of Excellence certificate from the Alberta Government for her contribution to elementary school music.
CATHERINE GLASER-CLIMIE, CALGARY
​​Catherine Glaser-Climie has nurtured and inspired singers of all ages through her acclaimed work with choirs and singers for more than thirty years.  Choirs under her direction have won awards at the local, provincial and national level and regularly perform with Calgary Opera, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and are frequently heard on radio and television.  Currently she is Founder / Artistic Director of the Cantaré Children’s Choir in Calgary, a nationally-acclaimed programme of one hundred and fifty singers ages six to eighteen, and serves as Minister of Music at Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Cross. In demand to share her expertise with all levels and ages, and known for her captivating warmth and enthusiasm, invitations to appear as adjudicator, lecturer, guest conductor and clinician take Catherine across North America.
JUSTIN MACOSKY, CALGARY
Justin Macosky loved choral music from a young age. He spent eleven years singing with the Mount Royal Family of Choirs, touring across Canada and to Mexico. During his time with the Mount Royal Youth Choir, he was a student at Central Memorial High School in the Performing and Visual Arts Program in vocal music as a counter tenor. Starting in 2007, Justin was the choral director for Forest Lawn United Church directing both the adult choir, and children’s choir. He also served as Artistic Director and Conductor for the Ismaili Muslim Youth Choir from 2009-2012. Since 2010, he has been the Director of Choral Programming with Hillhurst United Church. In 2013, Justin began working with the Alberta Choral Federation as the Calgary and Southern Alberta Programming Assistant. He served as tour manager for the Alberta Youth Choir tour in 2013, along with organizing Choralfest South, and Choralfest South Jazz 2013 & 2014. Starting in 2015, Justin began teaching children from birth to six years of age with Gymboree Play and Music of Calgary, and continues to teach while completing the Early Childhood Education program at Mount Royal University.
KAREN PORKKA, EDMONTON
Originally from southern Alberta, Karen Porkka has made Edmonton her home for the past 30+ years as a musician, vocalist, composer, improviser, and music educator. She is the creator and co-creator of several musical projects; releasing CD’s with world music group d’Cana, the avant garde jazz group The Parkers and her own original project. She works as a collaborator with dancers, visual artists and other musical projects including Namibian born artist and recent Juno winner Garth Prince. Karen is the founder of the Vocal Improvisation Network of Edmonton (V.I.N.E.) and community choir the Soul Song Circle Singers, which is part of the Ubuntu Choirs Network, upholding the belief that it is our birthright to sing. She has studied with master improvisers Bobby Mcferrin and Rhiannon, and has worked internationally as a vocal improviser presenting at conferences in Portugal, Hawaii and was a guest conductor in Oakland’s Sing For Your Life yearly CircleSinging event in 2019. She offers a monthly Circlesinging gathering in Edmonton and travels to share her passion for vocal improvisation and community singing in workshop and retreat settings.
TIMOTHY SHANTZ (COMMITEE CHAIR), EDMONTON​
Timothy Shantz is Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Alberta’s Department of Music and Founder & Artistic Director of Calgary’s professional choir, Luminous Voices. For over a decade he was Chorus Master for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and Artistic Director of Spiritus Chamber Choir, gaining recognition including the Healey Willan award. In 2021, he was honoured with the Richard S. Eaton Award of Distinction from Choir Alberta in recognition of exemplary service to choral music in the province of Alberta. He has multiple recordings with both Luminous Voices and Spiritus Chamber Choir, including the JUNO nominated Sea Dreams (2020). Tim holds a Doctor of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
ANDREW SNYDER, RED DEER
Andrew Snyder is the choral teacher at Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School in Red Deer, and has held the position since 2017. He studied voice performance and education at the University of Lethbridge where he graduated with great distinction. Andrew is slowly (emphasis on slowly) working towards achieving his Masters in Leadership Studies from Royal Roads University on Vancouver Island and is passionate about Values-Based Leadership. He loves being active, leadership, music, fun and being creative, and is passionate about music literacy and growing his student's choral skills. Andrew currently sits on the board for Choir Alberta and is the department head of Fine Arts at his high school. He and his wife Denise have three children - Theo, Jack, and Celia.
HEIDI WOOD, CALGARY
Heidi Wood (B. Mus, B. Ed, M.Mus - opera performance) has been an active participant in the Alberta Choral Community for over 30 years.  As a chorister, soloist, choral conductor, vocal coach, festival organizer, educator, curriculum advisor and clinician, she has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience that she shares in her classroom everyday.  Ms. Wood has been the director of choirs at Lord Beaverbrook High School in Calgary for over 10 years where she has grown the program to include 3 traditional choirs and 2 vocal jazz ensembles.  As a teacher, singer and performer, Heidi strives to share her love of music and singing through personal experiences, demonstration and inspirational stories.  She endeavors to find creative and teachable moments that enrich and engage students through exciting repertoire and performances.   Ms. Wood is thrilled to be working with Choir Alberta while continuing to contribute to organizations like CADME (Calgary Association for the Development of Music Education), and working and collaborating with teachers across the province.  In 2016, Heidi’s efforts in the classroom were recognized with a nomination for an Alberta “Excellence In Teaching Award”.  She was also honoured with a large grant for the choirs at Beaverbrook provided by MusiCounts in conjunction with the Juno Awards.  Heidi is a passionate life-long learner and hopes to continue to be inspired and learn from not only her students, but also choristers and professionals across the province and beyond through her support of the initiatives of Choir Alberta. 
​LAUREN WOODS, CALGARY
Lauren Woods, soprano, performs in operas, oratorios and concerts from coast to coast. As a born-and-raised Calgarian, she was thrilled to return home as one of Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artists in 2016-2017. Lauren grew up singing in Cantare Children's Choir, touring through Canada, the United States as well as Europe. She went on to complete a diploma in Voice performance at MRU, a bachelor’s degree in Opera at UBC and a master's in Voice at McGill. Lauren was a finalist in the Wirth Vocal Competition in Montreal, and was one of six Canadians invited to the International Belvedere competition in Amsterdam. Currently, Lauren performs with Luminous Voices and is a vocal coach for a number of Calgary-based choirs. Aside from performing, Lauren is a visual artist, mother of two and teaches voice and piano through her private studio. ​