Cantare Children's Choir - Calgary

Being a member of Cantare Children's Choir has been the best experience of my lifetime, to date. Not only did I gain a profound knowledge of musical skills, but about history, political and philosophical thought, and what it means to be a young musician in todays reality. Cantare is like a family to me and always will be. The travel opportunities, lifelong friends, and personal growth will always be close to my heart. I could not recommend Cantare enough - it will be the best choice you could make for your family.

I can't say enough good things about Cantare. Catherine is truly a gift. The level of music education my kids receive at Cantare is second to none. We've only been involved for one year and most of it was forced to be online, but the girls still enjoyed it and can't wait to get back to in-person singing. Calgary is lucky to have an organization as professional, disciplined, educational and most importantly fun as Cantare. Additionally, for anyone with kids in piano lessons, Cantare is a perfect compliment.

I consider myself very lucky to have been a part of Cantare as a chorister for many years. The musical education was incredible and Catherine was (and continues to be) a mentor and a friend. The opportunities afforded to us by being members of Cantare (including trips to Italy and Germany) will remain some of my fondest. Could not recommend Cantare more highly.

Highly recommend Cantare! Students learn superb musicianship and vocal performance under Catherine’s masterful direction. Her passion and humor make for a very engaging teaching style for kids of all ages and ability levels. The choir is a diverse community that works as a closely knit team. They also have the most organized and thoughtful staff you’ll ever encounter! Because of their professionalism and amazing sound, Cantare has the ongoing privilege of collaborating with high profile organizations such as Calgary Opera, CPO, Field of Crosses and many more. They have even sung for the Queen of England and traveled around the world! As parent volunteers, we’ve enjoyed friendship with the other parents and have witnessed kids gain poise, skill and confidence beyond their years. Thankful to be a part of it!

It has been 15 years since I last sang with Cantare... and I think about my experience with this organization every day. I am a deeply thankful Alumni of the Cantare program, and continue to be in awe of the dedication, passion and love for both the music, and the children that come into the program that Catherine holds in her heart. In my own experience, the lifelong friendships, and an expectation of excellence in everything I work on are only two examples of the incredible gifts this program instilled in me. This is on top of the extraordinarily high level of musicianship that Catherine gradually scaffolds into the program. I would recommend this organization to any parent looking for a music program to enroll their child in. Even 15 years later, I am still in awe of the life skills I learned through my tenure with Cantare.

Cantare Children's Choir has surpassed all of our expectations. The quality of musical instruction is phenomenal! The children quickly learn impressive vocal skills, and the concerts are truly a pleasure to attend. In addition, they receive a thorough knowledge of music theory and history. We have also been really impressed with the life skills our kids learn through Cantare. Our eldest is very introverted, and it has been a pleasure to watch her confidence and independence grow, through numerous opportunities to perform, as well as during the annual weekend retreats. Our younger child is much more spunky, and has also grown enormously, learning to focus during rehearsals and to make decisions based on the best interests of the entire group. Don't be intimidated by comments about how wonderfully the ensembles sing. My kids were interested in singing, but had no particular aptitude, and Catherine teaches them everything they need to know!

I cannot say enough about this choir. I have been part of Cantare Children's Choir for about 5 years and it has changed my life for the better. Each week we learn something new from our brilliant, creative, kind, thoughtful, smart director and our behind the scenes team is amazing. The vocal training is exceptional and I've learned so much about music and my passion for people and music has only grown since I joined. Being part of Cantare opens all sorts of once in a lifetime opportunities including being part of an opera (sometimes two or three), singing with Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, singing with other professional choirs everywhere and just travelling the world. I myself have been in an opera, sung with CPO dozens of times, sung the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, traveled all over Alberta and so many other things all in the span of 2-3 years. Retreats each season are always fun, where we make huge leaps in our learning and progress during the year, build and solidify friendships (really its a family), eat delicious meals and explore the woods and the river. Workshops on the weekends are filled with learning, games, singing, history, yoga, and sometimes even dancing. Aside from all of the experiences, opportunities, friendships and boatloads of learning and knowledge Cantare provides, Cantare has a general attitude of, and aspires to be a place of professionalism, discipline, hard work, family, friendship, respect, creativity and independence. I think that that is part of the reason Cantare is doing so well during Covid- because we are determined to keep working and learning. Going online for choir is not an easy thing to do but the Cantare team is making it happen, and we are still learning a lot. Cantare is a lifestyle I would highly recommend.

Words can hardly express the positive impact that Cantare Children's Choir has had on my life. Catherine instills a love of music in her choristers through her passionate and vibrant direction. As a young person, singing with Cantare taught me many important life skills, including being part of a team, the value of hard work, and the joyful feeling of sharing my gifts on stage with dear friends (who I am still connected to 25 years later!). I am forever grateful for the experiences and opportunities being a part of the organization afforded me, from travelling and performing in unique venues, to working with world class musicians and adjudicators, to teaching me valuable musicianship skills and a love of music that has allowed me to pursue a career in music education.