Montreal, City of Music 2004 - Concerto Della Donna Vocal Ensemble

Concerto Della Donna Taking its name from a female vocal ensemble of the Italian Renaissance, Concerto Della Donna is a dynamic, Montreal-based choir of 17 young singers between the ages of 18 and 25. Under the direction of noted conductor Iwan Edwards, they perform an extensive repertoire of traditional, classical and contemporary works, from both secular and liturgical sources, including madrigals, motets, Romantic lieder, spirituals and avant-garde pieces. The choir's goal is to combine technical precision with emotional depth, allowing the strength and beauty of the young women's voices to emerge through a repertoire at once serious and light-hearted.   Since its inception four years ago, Concerto Della Donna has earned awards and a growing reputation among audiences in Canada and abroad. In April 2002, the choir won the special prize for Best Performance of a Canadian Work at the 14th CBC National Competition for Amateur Choirs. A few months later, the choir was awarded prizes in all categories at the International Music Eisteddford in Llangollen, Wales. Concerto Della Donna has just released its first CD and will participate this month in the performance of Gustav Holst's The Planets with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, under the direction Jacques Lacombe.   Iwan Edwards Iwan Edwards has been a choral conductor in Canada since 1965, the year he left his native Wales. His work has gained him a solid international reputation as a conductor, teacher and adjudicator. In addition to helping develop a number of major Canadian choirs, he has performed with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, the Lanaudière festival orchestra, and even the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra in the Czech Republic. These experiences have allowed him to work alongside prominent conductors such as Charles Dutoit, Franz-Paul Decker, Zubin Mehta, Bramwell Tovey, Trevor Pinnock, Helmut Rilling, Robert Shaw, Leonard Slatkin, and Roger Norrington, to name a few.   Mr. Edwards is in his 18th season as Director of the chorus of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. Over this long period, he has been in charge of preparing the chorus for all the orchestral and choral works performed or recorded by the OSM. He has received a number of prizes, the most notable being named a member the Order of Canada in May 1995 for his exceptional contribution to the arts.