Elfrieda Heinrichs

Elfrieda Heinrichs has enjoyed a lifetime association with choral music, from her early participation in church and school choirs as a singer and accompanist, to her more recent role as a major supporter of choral groups and activities. She has served on the board of the Ontario Arts Council as well as the boards of both provincial and national choral service organizations in Canada. The Heinrichs Foundation, founded by Elfrieda and her husband Vern, supports a diversity of musical activities. The Heinrichs are honorary patrons of the Elmer Iseler Singers, the Toronto Children's Chorus, and the Amadeus Choir of Toronto. From 1996 to 2006 the Heinrichs Foundation supported the Faculty of Music professional choir in residence program with the Elmer Iseler Singers. The Foundation also endowed the Iseler Choir in Conducting and the Iseler National Fellowships in Choral Conducting. In 2004, The Heinrichs Foundation assisted in launching the three-year International Bach Festival Toronto at the University of Toronto and served as its honorary co-chairs. In 2001, the Heinrichs were awarded Chorus America's Michael Korn Founders Award for Philanthropic Contribution to the Arts. Currently, Elfrieda also serves on the board of the Oregon Bach Festival, and she is a member of the development committee of the Handel House in London, England.