Chorus America presents
The CHORUS MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, CANADA    August 22-24, 2008
Presented with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts Hosted by Chorus Niagara, in collaboration with the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors (ACCC) and Choirs Ontario

FACULTY

These arts leaders bring theory to life with a combination of practical advice and best practices:

Mary Ann de Barbieri Principal de Barbieri & Associates		Corty Fengler Consultant Canon for Development, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco		Graeme Page Arts Consultant Chief Communications & Development Officer, Alzheimer Society of Canada

Nancy Roberts Consultant Former Director of Marketing & PR, Chanticleer		Heather Wood Consultant Former Executive Director, Toronto Children's Chorus		Dianne Wright Partner, Strategic Evolution Chimpanzee—Evolved Thinking™

REGISTER NOW

For more information, please contact:
Jamie Roberts, Director of Programs, Chorus America
202-331-7577, x247; fax 202-331-7599; Jamie@chorusamerica.org

BIOGRAPHIES

Mary Ann de Barbieri - Mary Ann de Barbieri uses her thirty years of nonprofit management experience to help nonprofit organizations achieve their organizational goals. She was associated with The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C. for sixteen years, serving as managing director from 1981 through 1990. Prior to opening de Barbieri & Associates in 1994, she was director of the Washington, D.C. office of The Foundation Center. Mary Ann chairs the selection committee for the Washington Post Grants in the Arts program and was a trainer for the Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award seminars. She is the immediate past-president of the board of directors of the Washington, D.C. region’s Center for Nonprofit Advancement ( CNA) and was a member of the award selection committee for CNA’s Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management from 1995 through 1999, serving as committee chair from 1997 to 1999. A frequent speaker and trainer for local, regional and national organizations, Mary Ann has served as an adjunct professor in the arts management graduate program at The American University in Washington, D.C.

Corty Fengler - Corty Fengler is the Canon for Development at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Her 25 year career in philanthropy has included work at the San Francisco Symphony, the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Wellesley College, and Westover School as well as consulting. She is Senior Associate with John Brown Limited, a leader in the fields of planned giving and capital campaigns. As a consultant she has provided comprehensive management consulting services to non-profits such as the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and many choruses, orchestras and schools. She has served on national committees for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, the Alumnae Board of Wellesley College, and the Board of the Association of California Symphony Orchestras. She currently heads the Development Committee of Chorus America's Board and sings with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus.

André Jutras - Raised in Asbestos in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, André Jutras began his musical studies at age eight. He then graduated from the Montreal Conservatory of Music in oboe and chamber music and then went to l’Université Laval (Quebec City) to study composition, analysis and orchestration with François Morel.

Between 1985 and 1991, he held the English Horn position with l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec, while studying conducting with Simon Streatfeild and Gabriel Chmura.

In 1991, he became Staff Conductor with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, a three-year residency that would lead him to conduct 40 concerts a year and give him the opportunity to study with Mario Bernardi. In addition to Calgary, he has conducted orchestras in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Québec, Vancouver, Windsor and Thunder Bay and performances of the Alberta Ballet, as well as some choirs, jazz ensembles and concert bands.

In 1991 an 1993, he received the “Jean-Marie Baudet Award” from the Canada Council for the Arts as one of Canada‘s most promising young conductors. In 1998-1999, he was artistic administrator with l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec before joining the Music Section of the Canada Council for the Arts in April 2000 as Music Officer for professional orchestras and opera companies. For the past five years, he has been responsible for the choirs, the grants to individual musicians, the travel grants and the residencies programs.

Graeme Page - With an extensive career as a senior executive in the non-profit sector, Graeme Page is the Chief Communications and Development Officer for the Alzheimer Society of Canada (ASC). Graeme has a wide range of expertise, and is a leader in the field of major gift fundraising, facilitation, financial management and organizational development.

His most recent accomplishments include the planning and implementation of the $55 million RETHINK SPACE campaign to revitalize the Don Valley Brick Works. As the Campaign Director and Director of Development for Evergreen, Graeme assisted in securing a $20 million commitment from the federal government and a $10 million contribution agreement with the Ontario Heritage Trust, as well as contributions toward the $25 million private sector goal. The campaign is on-going. Graeme also managed fund raising activities that generate most of Evergreen’s annual operating budget, including corporate sponsorships and donations from foundations, corporations and individuals. He secured multi-year renewals at increased funding levels from all major program sponsors; attracted new sponsors and donors; and developed a case for support for the organization and each of its programs.

Prior to that, Graeme worked as the Campaign Director for Canada’s national Ballet School. There, he was responsible for the planning and implementation of Project Grand Jeté, the $50 million private sector capital campaign that together with the $45 million in funding from the federal and provincial government provided a new campus for the school.

Along with his professional experience, Graeme is also active in the community. He was the Secretary of the Canadian Arts Summit and is a member and Past President of the Association of Cultural Executive. He is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and has served as a guest lecturer for arts management programs and the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, and Humber College. He is also the founding member of the Canadian Brass, and was President of the Canadian Brass Music Productions Inc.

Throughout his career, Graeme has proven himself a leader, mentor, and team builder who has revitalized organizations, and implemented strategies to attract funding for long-term sustainability.

Nancy Roberts - Nancy Roberts has years of experience in marketing and public relations, communications and project management for non-profit arts organizations. Most recently she served five years as Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Chanticleer, the internationally-renowned, GRAMMY-winning vocal ensemble. In 2006 she decided to shift her focus to the challenges facing the earth, and began the Green MBA program at Dominican University. Previously Nancy was Director of Marketing for San Jose Symphony, COO for Opera World, and Information Service Director (in charge of research and publications) for OPERA America, the service organization for professional opera. She also has held positions at Media Map, Target Software and the New England Foundation for the Arts. Nancy has a bachelor’s degree in History (Phi Beta Kappa) and a master’s in French Literature from The George Washington University. She began her working life at the age of 17 as a professional ballet dancer in Europe.

Heather Wood - Heather Wood is a professional arts administrator with more than 20 years’ experience and has devoted her career in developing and managing a number of arts organizations. Her past experience has provided her with skills in board development, strategic planning, fundraising, marketing and international touring. She has been recognized for her exceptional organizational and managerial skills and also for her integrity and warmth.

For the past eighteen years Heather was General Manager of the internationally renowned Toronto Children’s Chorus, where she developed a highly successful partnership with its Founder/Artistic Director, Jean Ashworth Bartle and was instrumental in the guidance of the organization to its current status as a leading choral organization on the world stage. During her tenure the Chorus was successful in establishing an Endowment Campaign which raised $1.2 million providing the organization the ability to strengthen a number of its programs as well as its long term sustainability. She developed and implemented a total of nineteen national and international highly successful tours throughout North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, ensuring the artistic integrity of the performances and maximizing the educational experience for the choristers. Under her management the choir’s high level of achievement has been captured in several award-winning CDs as well as a number of other prizes including the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario’s Award for the Arts. The Chorus was also successful in being accepted as one of the twenty five recipients of the Creative Trust Working Capital for the Arts Sustainability Program

Ms Wood is well known and highly respected in the Arts community, both in Toronto and further afield. At the TCC’s International Choral Conductors' Symposiums, she hosted the conducting participants at regular sessions on choir management and administration, generously sharing her wealth of experience with conductors from all over the world. She also worked in close contact with the managers of many performing arts organizations, arranging collaborative concerts and sharing ideas.

Prior to joining the TCC, Heather was Director of Debut Atlantic, a chamber music concert series presented throughout Atlantic Canada, which was co-sponsored by the Canada Council for the Arts, CBC Radio and local community presenters. During her tenure with Debut Atlantic, she developed and managed concert tours for many artists, including violinist Scott St. John; pianists Jamie Parker and Angela Cheng; violist Rivka Golani; Kevin McMillan, baritone; and ensembles including L’Ensemble Arion and Amici. She led the organization through a number of board development initiatives as well as developing strategies to enhance the long term sustainability of the organization.

Heather began her career in the performing arts where she spent a number of years with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio Music department, where she managed its three national competitions: for Young Performers; Young Composers; and Amateur Choirs.

Having been with the Toronto Children’s Chorus for eighteen years, Heather stepped down from her position in June 2007 to pursue new opportunities. She currently works as a consultant on a number of projects in the music field in Canada.

Dianne Wright - coming soon!