Leonard Ratzlaff

A member of the University of Alberta Department of Music faculty since 1981, Leonard Ratzlaff obtained his graduate degrees in choral conducting from the University of Iowa. His doctoral dissertation on Anton Bruckner’s Te Deum was awarded the Julius Herford Dissertation Award by ACDA. His duties at University of Alberta include co-supervising the graduate program in choral conducting and conducting the Madrigal Singers, a group that has distinguished itself at several national and international competitions and has produced five CD recordings.

In addition to his work with the Madrigal Singers, he directs the Richard Eaton Singers, a symphonic chorus that frequently collaborates with the ESO and that has toured both in Canada and abroad. In recent years the choir has premiered new works for chorus and orchestra by Canadian composers John Estacio, Christos Hatzis and Allan Gilliland, as well as other choral works by Ruth Watson Henderson, Imant Raminsh and Mark Sirett. He has guest conducted the Alberta Baroque Ensemble, Calgary Bach Society, Edmonton Symphony, National Youth Choir of Canada, Pro Coro Canada and the Winnipeg Singers. Honors include induction into the City of Edmonton Cultural Hall of Fame, the University of Alberta Undergraduate Teaching Award, the Alberta Order of Excellence, Order of Canada, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Ratzlaff is a frequent adjudicator, clinician and guest lecturer in Canada and the US. He is also a member of the board of directors of Chorus America.