Heather Johnson

Founder & Artistic Director

Heather founded the Cantilon Choral Program in 1999. Recognized for her ability to inspire, she seeks to create an atmosphere in which every singer may experience the joy of choral music and understand the importance of their own individual role in the creative process. Heather studied at the University of Alberta (M.Mus., choral conducting; B.Ed. secondary music education), the Kodály Pedagogical Intézet in Kecskemét, Hungary (Kodály Diploma) and the University of Lethbridge (B.Mus, piano performance). In great demand as a choral clinician, adjudicator, lecturer and guest conductor, Heather also maintains an active voice and piano studio.

Elaine Myhre

ASSISTANT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Elaine Myhre brings an inspiring approach to choral music education rooted in the belief that only the best is good enough for children. An experienced conductor and pedagogue, she holds a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from the King’s University and a Master of Music in choral conducting from the University of Alberta. Elaine is the assistant artistic director of Cantilon Choirs and currently directs the Cantilon Children’s Choir and lower voice ensemble, Vox Hominis. Under her instruction, both choirs have continually received the highest rankings at both the local and provincial music festivals. In addition to her work with Cantilon, Elaine also sings periodically with Pro Coro Canada. Elaine’s past conducting engagements include the Cantilon Primary Choir, Belle Canto Women’s Ensemble, All-City Youth Choir, All-City Children’s Choir, Sherwood Park Festival Singers, and The King’s University Concert Choir.

Victoria Biel

CONDUCTOR

Victoria Biel has a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta and a Masters of Music from the Univeristy of Western Ontario. She is an active performer, director and secondary teacher in the Edmonton area, though in recent years she has spent most of her time with her young and very busy family! Victoria has a passion for teaching music to young singers by incorporating movement and fun and a great love of Musical Theatre. She has performed in and directed dozens of productions including directing several of Cantilon’s recent Broadway productions. She has sung regularly with the wonderful ladies of Belle Canto for the last 15 years and is thrilled to be back directing the Cantilon Primary Choir!

Olivia Mitchell

CONDUCTOR

Olivia Mitchell is entering her second year at the University of Alberta in the combined B. Mus/B. Ed degree program. Upon graduation, Olivia was awarded the Kevin Gaetz Award for excellence in academic achievement. A chorister with Cantilon Choirs since the age of 4, she has sung with the Cantilon Primary, Children’s, and Chamber Choir. As a senior member of Cantilon Chamber Choir, she participated in the tour to Hungary for the Béla Bartók International Choral Competition in 2018. Olivia is excited to meet her young choristers this year and walk with them along their musical journey!

Amy Bautista

CONDUCTOR

Amy Bautista holds a degree in Elementary Education with a focus in Special Education and teaches Kindergarten at Wild Rose Elementary School. Her creativity in her pedagogy and passion for teaching have been recognized with an Alberta Excellence in Teaching Award. A budding accordion player, she has sung with Cantilon Choirs for over 25 years and is a current member of Belle Canto. Since 2006, she has also been the proud conductor of the St. Albert KinderSingers. Amy loves watching children learn and grow in their love of music-making, and is very excited to be working with the very youngest singers of Cantilon this year.

Sherry Steele

CONDUCTOR

Singing and choir have always been a part of Sherry’s life!  

Originally from London Ontario, Sherry is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario.  She has performed as a soloist with orchestras and in musical theatre throughout Canada, and toured internationally as a featured singer in Riverdance – The Show.  Sherry also performed with the Broadway company of Riverdance, at the Gershwin Theatre for more than a year.   

Sherry has been teaching music and voice for more than thirty years, most recently at the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University, and at the University of Alberta.  She is a proud mother of four children and a Labrador retriever. 

Megan Crane

PIANIST

Megan Crane has a master's degree in piano performance from the Universite de Montreal. Her work with choirs has given her the opportunity to work with many award-winning ensembles across Canada, including the Toronto Children's Chorus, I Coristi Chamber Choir, and now the Cantilon Choirs and Ariose Women's Choir in Edmonton. She is a studio accompanist for the voice program at Concordia University and music director at St. Augustine of Canterbury Anglican Church. She maintains an active freelancing career in Edmonton and is a frequent collaborator with Edmonton Opera's outreach programs. Megan keeps a hive of bees and a large fruit and vegetable garden with her husband and two kids in Edmonton.

Ashley Urquhart

PIANIST

Ashley holds a Bachelor’s in Piano Performance with honours from the University of Toronto (class of 2011). Accompanying is a great love of hers and she has done so in both choir and soloist contexts: working with the Kiwanis music festival, as MD for the Lower Ossington Theatre and Children’s Theatre Projects and most recently as a choral pianist for St. Paul’s Anglican Church. Her experiences working as a cruise ship musician and as an active member of the Toronto live music scene have amounted to many hours logged on stage as both a band leader and as support. After twenty years in Toronto, Ashley has recently moved home to Alberta and as she immerses herself in Edmonton music community she is excited to become a part of the Cantilon Children’s Choir!

Julianna Tinga

PIANIST

Julianna Tinga has been involved with Cantilon Choirs for nearly twenty years as a singer and accompanist. She graduated with distinction from The King's University, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and English, and is currently working toward a Bachelor of Education. Driven by a passion for music-making and a knack for collaborative arts, she is thrilled to once again be working with Cantilon's youngest singers. Julianna plays for a number of other children's choirs, sings with ProCoro Canada, and spends her limited free time reading and performing whenever possible.

Sophie Turgeon

PIANIST

Sophie is a Grade 12 student at Strathcona High School, and a current member of the Cantilon Chamber Choir. With over 13 years of musical experience in both piano and voice, Sophie has competed both locally, provincially, and internationally. She is honoured to have been awarded numerous top marks and scholarships and to have had the opportunity to participate in four Edmonton Opera productions as a member of the Ragazzi (Carmen, Turandot, Hansel and Gretel, and La Boheme). Sophie has also been a choir member (Alto 2) of many award-winning ensembles that have competed in international choral competitions. Most recently she sang with Cantilon's Belle Canto chorus, touring throughout southern France and winning the Grand Prix award at the International Choral Competition in St. Raphael, Provence.  In addition to individual achievements musically and academically, Sophie intends to pursue a career in science through medicine, physics, or biology. In the meantime, she spends the majority of her free time outdoors on adventures with friends and family, swimming in lakes, sitting by a fire, and camping. As the youngest member of the Cantilon staff, Sophie is excited to be part of such an amazing team and to join this group of hard working people!