Windsor Choral Festival

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The Windsor Choral Festival is an annual event that brings together singers from across the Windsor-Essex region to share their love of choral music. The Festival offers free clinics that provide ongoing vocal training and education, fostering community through collaborative singing. With a clear mandate to promote Canadian choral music, the Festival highlights a Canadian work each year as the massed choir piece in its grand finale concert.

Windsor Choral Festival 2025

Dr. Jamie Hillman, Choral Clinician

Dr. Jamie Hillman is a Canadian-American musician, active as a conductor, singer, pianist, music educator, and composer-arranger. He holds the endowed Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting at the University of Toronto, where he serves as Director of Choral Studies and Associate Professor. He conducts the U of T MacMillan Singers and leads the master’s and doctoral programs in Choral Conducting, as well as the summer Choral Conducting Symposium. Dr. Hillman is also cross-appointed as adjunct faculty in Emmanuel College’s Master of Sacred Music program. In 2024, he received the Faculty of Music’s Teaching Award, which recognizes excellence, commitment, and innovation in teaching.

To learn more about Dr. Jamie Hillman, click the link here.

History of the Festival

Founded in 1977 by Director Emeritus Richard Householder, the Windsor Classic Chorale has become a cornerstone of the local arts community, presenting its annual concert season and performing at a variety of events throughout the Windsor area. The Chorale considers it a privilege to perform in this community and enjoys collaborating with organizations such as the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, the Windsor-Essex Youth Choir, the Walkerville Centre for the Creative Arts, and various solo artists.

“The Windsor Choral Festival is an annual tradition for me, offering the chance to collaborate with local singers and learn from leading choral clinicians.”

Hannah Cole, Windsor-Essex Youth Choir

The Chorale has appeared in a wide range of venues, including Heritage Auditorium at the University of Windsor, All Saints’ Church, the Windsor Yacht Club, and the Stone & Sky Music & Art Series on Pelee Island. It has also performed at events such as the Bright Lights Festival, the Mayor’s Walk, the City of Windsor’s Culture Days, Cemetery Sunday, and the installation of the University of Windsor’s Chancellor.

“The festival connects people who love singing and showcases the depth of Windsor-Essex’s musical community. It has united our choirs in ways we never imagined at the start.”

Melinda Munro, Windsor Classic Chorale

Each year, the WCC hosts the Windsor Choral Festival, providing singers of all ages with opportunities for musical growth and development—completely free of charge. Guest clinicians bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the community, offering local singers fresh perspectives on musical interpretation, vocal technique, and overall performance.

Past festival clinicians have included:

  • Dr. Catherine Robbins, Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music
  • Dr. Rachel Rensink-Hoff, Associate Professor of Music at Brock University
  • Dr. Adam Adler, Assistant Professor of Music Education at Nipissing University
  • Dr. Joel Tranquilla, Trinity Western University

“The Windsor Choral Festival welcomes singers of all ages, celebrating each unique voice to create a beautiful tapestry of music.”

Mackenzie Beltran, University of Windsor Singers Choir

With a strong focus on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, the 2020 Festival featured a commissioned work by Malaysian-Canadian choral conductor, composer, vocalist, pianist, and music educator Tracy Wong. The piece, written in both English and Malay, reflected her personal experiences as a new immigrant in Canada.

“The Windsor Choral Festival brings together talented local singers to share a love of choral music, learn, and connect. I was deeply moved by Bersatu Senada and Tracey Wong’s story, which resonated with my own musical journey. Visiting with my choir was an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to return.”

Lakshmi Tharuvai, Windsor-Essex Youth Choir

The 2022 Festival, held virtually, welcomed Dr. Melissa Morgan (University of Regina) and Prof. Karen Burke (York University) as clinicians. In 2023, the Festival returned in person with performances by the Juno-nominated Canadian Chamber Choir and Cree/Dene musician, composer, and educator Sherryl Sewepagaham. The 2024 Windsor Choral Festival featured award-winning conductor and music educator Dr. Elaine Choi as its guest clinician.

Gallery

Photos of Windsor Choral Festival 2024 by Kamryn Cusumano.

Donate

As a non-profit organization, the WCC relies on the generosity of individuals like you to cover basic operating costs as well as special projects, like the Windsor Choral Festival.

You can make a tax-deductible financial gift to the WCC in the following ways:

  1. Canada Helps donation. Use the “Donate Now” link on our CanadaHelps page to make a secure one-time donation or set up monthly contributions.
  2. PayPal donation. Use the “Donate Now” link on our PayPal page to make a secure one-time donation or set up monthly contributions.

Want to Learn More?

To learn more about the Windsor Choral Festival, read Dr. Danielle Sirek and Madeline Doornaert’s article, “Choir, Canadian Music, and Community: A Case Study of the Windsor Choral Festival,” published in Dynamic Magazine (Choirs Ontario), by clicking the link here.