STAFF & BOARD
CONDUCTORS
 Nicholas
Fairbank became VIVA’s Artistic Director
in the 2009/10 season and is Conductor of the Chorale, Concert
Choir and Young Men’s Ensemble. Dividing his time between
teaching, performing, composing, conducting and adjudicating,
he is currently on the faculty of the Victoria Conservatory
of Music, Artistic Director of the Via Choralis chamber choir,
an Examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music and an Associate
Composer of the Canadian Music Centre.
After early studies in Vancouver Mr. Fairbank pursued advanced
musical training in England and France. As well as earning Associateship
diplomas from the Royal Conservatory of Music (gold medal winner
for pipe organ, 1981), and the Royal Canadian College of Organists
(Willan and Barker prizes, 1998), he has Masters degrees from the
University of Paris (musicology and French literature), the University
of California at Santa Barbara (French language and pedagogy) and
the University of Victoria (music composition), winning the Martlet
Music Award for Excellence in Advanced Composition. His works have
been performed across Canada and in Europe.
 Marnie
Setka-Mooney, who conducts the Foundation
Choir at UVic, and the Boys and Girls Choirs, and has three
children aged 6, 10, and 16, two of whom sing in VIVA. On Faculty
at the Victoria Conservatory of Music since 1998, Marnie has also taught at Pearson College
and the Victoria School of Ideal Education. She has adjudicated
for the VCM Lieder Competition and has taught Children's Voice
for the VCM Diploma Program. As a performer,
she has sung professionally as a recitalist in Winnipeg (Women
of Note), Vancouver (Cantata Singers), Kelowna (Philharmonic
Orchestra), and Victoria (Bel Canto/Viva). A believer in professional
development, Marnie has sung in Master Classes and is an active
member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.
Ms. Setka-Mooney has been awarded the Certification Level
I qualification from Princeton's Music Together Center for
Music and Young Children for outstanding achievement in teaching
and articulating of the Music Together Program. Her interest
in both the singing and speaking voice has led Marnie to conduct
workshops for non-singers, i.e. business people and teachers.
Her students have consistently won awards in the Greater
Victoria Performing Arts Festival, and several have moved
on to post-secondary institutions in Waterloo, Los Angeles,
and Victoria.
 Arlene Overman is Conductor of the Viva West Shore Children’s Choir and Foundation Choir (West Shore). Her Master of Music in Vocal Performance was earned at Western Washington University and her Bachelor of Arts in Music and English at Trinity Western, where she was assistant Concert Choir conductor. Mrs. Overman has nearly 20 years’ experience as a voice, piano & music theory teacher in a private music studio. She also served seven years as Children's Choir Director at Central Baptist Church, and has taught at a Montessori pre-school, presented music workshops aboard the Carnival Spirit, and job-shared with her husband as Music Director at Central Baptist Church and in Bellingham WA. She has sung several opera roles and performs locally as a soloist and with Hexaphone vocal sextet. Some of her other interests include playing guitar, hiking, camping, traveling, entertaining and sewing. She home-schools her three children, two of whom are Viva choristers.
VIVA ACCOMPANISTS
David Archer,
accompanist for the younger levels on Tuesdays, began making
music at the piano at age four. In 2007, he completed a bachelor
of music degree with distinction at the University of Alberta.
David plays piano and keyboard in his church's worship band,
and arranges vocal and instrumental music of many kinds.
Alana Johnson accompanies the West Shore Choir and is currently studying music education at UVic. Though she majors on trumpet at school, she’s played piano since 5 years old and regards it as her instrument of choice. She also has a passion for singing and hopes to focus on choral music in her future teaching career.
Kevin Ngo,
who accompanies the Concert Choir and Chorale,
holds an ARCT Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory
of Music and is a Piano Performance - Bachelor of Music student
at UVic. He also gives private piano lessons to students of
all ages and levels.
VIVA YOUTH CHOIRS SOCIETY OF VICTORIA, Board of Directors
As a non-profit charitable organization, the VIVA Youth Choirs
Society of Victoria (VYCS) oversees the operations of VIVA
Choirs, and provides tax credits for donations.
VYCSV is proud to announce its current Board of Directors.
Tamara Malczewska is Chair of the Society, along with Directors
Dola Dubé (Secretary), Bill Jamieson (Treasurer) and
Directors-at-Large Greg Cook, Jocelyn Jenkyns and
Susanne Reul-Zastre. Honourary Members are Linda Angus, Kathryn
Cowden, Bob Gill, and Sue Gill; Honourary Solicitor is Paul
Scambler.
OFFICE STAFF
General Manager Margaret Brownrigg's involvement with VIVA began with the enrollment
of her daughter in the Choirs' first season in 1988. She served
or assisted in most of the possible volunteer jobs prior to
her current administrative position.
Founding Artistic Director
 Connie
Foss More [B. Mus., M. Mus., Cert. Liszt Academy
(Budapest)] founded the Greater Victoria Youth Choir in 1988,
overseeing its transformation to VIVA Choirs a few years later
as an independent non-profit organization under the umbrella
of the Victoria Youth Choirs Society.
She was listed in the International Who’s Who of Business
and Professional Women and has been one of five members worldwide
on the Early Childhood Commission of the International Society
for Music Education. Ms. More has been a music teacher and
clinician since 1969, with students from pre-school age through
adulthood in public schools, universities, and at the Victoria
Conservatory of Music. Her choirs have consistently earned
high acclaim in concerts, festivals and competitions. Her
final season with VIVA before her retirement was 2008/09.
Click here to read more about
Connie's Accomplishments/Awards |
