Governance and Staff
The OCS is a registered charity administered by a volunteer Board of Directors and its committees. In addition to box office revenue, the Choir operates with the financial assistance of the City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, its corporate sponsors, the proceeds of its special events and fund-raising campaigns, and the generous donations of its patrons.
Music Director: Matthew Larkin
This is Matthew Larkin’s sixth season as Music Director of the Ottawa Choral Society. Mr. Larkin is well known both as an organist and choral conductor. He received his early musical training as a chorister at St. George's Cathedral, Kingston, and was assistant organist there while in high school. He was Organ Scholar of Trinity College at the University of Toronto where he studied with John Tuttle, and later attended the Royal College of Music (UK), where he studied with Nicholas Danby. With commissions from the Ottawa Choral Society, Mr. Larkin has composed two song cycles, Four Songs of Love and Loss and ‘wife in winter’, and directed their premiere performances. Mr. Larkin has been closely involved in the choir’s important New Discoveries Auditions for Young Artists programme, serving as Chair of the jury and as accompanist for the Winners’ Showcase Recitals. Since 2003, Mr. Larkin has been Organist and Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral Ottawa, whose Choir of Men and Boys was invited to be choir-in-residence at Ely Cathedral for a week, in July 2009. Mr. Larkin was Director of the Anglican Chorale of Ottawa for ten years. He has appeared as organ recitalist throughout North America, the UK, and in Europe, has been featured on Canadian, American, and British public radio and has recorded extensively both as accompanist and director to some of Canada's finest church and concert choirs. Mr. Larkin is the founding director of the Larkin Singers, a Toronto-based professional chamber choir.
Associate Music Director: Kevin Reeves
Kevin Reeves is in his second year as Associate Director of the Ottawa Choral Society. He is also director of the Ottawa Regional Youth Choir and founding director of Ottawa’s premiere chamber choir, Seventeen Voyces. He has led that choir on national radio and television, and was one of three conductors for CBC television’s Easter Sunrise in 2003. He has also prepared choirs for renowned conductors including Trevor Pinnock, Franz Paul Decker, Lydia Adams, Jiri Belohlavek, Iwan Edwards, Robert Cooper, Jean-François Rivest and Pinchas Zukerman. In addition, Mr. Reeves is a highly respected vocal coach. He has sung and toured as a tenor soloist and chorister with the Notre Dame Cathedral Choir, the Anglican Chorale, La Chapelle of Quebec City, the Winnipeg Singers, the Tallis Choir and St. Simon’s Choir of Toronto, the Cantata Singers of Ottawa, and St. Matthew's Choir. His personal repertoire ranges from Monteverdi’s Vespers to Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and St. John Passion, Haydn’s Creation, and Britten’s St. Nicolas. Mr. Reeves is President of Zephyrus Productions Ltd., which has won numerous awards for its television drama and documentaries. He is also a published author and caricaturist of note.
Accompanist: Scott Richardson
Scott Richardson is active in Ottawa as a freelance accompanist specializing in choral accompaniment and in the flute repertoire. He grew up in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and went on to study music at Mount Allison University. His graduate studies took him in a different direction, however, and he later completed a Ph.D. in English literature at the University of Ottawa. Scott is currently in his sixth year as accompanist to the Ottawa Choral Society. In addition to his work with the OCS, Scott has also accompanied the Ottawa Children’s Choir and the Canadian Centennial Choir. Scott maintains a busy schedule of private teaching, and was for many years a music history instructor with the Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy. As an organist and choir director, he has held various positions in the Atlantic Provinces and in Ottawa – the most recent being that of Music Director at Orleans United Church.
Administration Manager: Kristine Bailey
In 2008, in response to the increasing demand for administrative support for the OCS Board, artistic staff and its vast number of volunteers, the OCS created the position of Choir Administration Manager. Kristine Shannon Bailey has held this part-time position since January 2009. Kristine works closely with the OCS Treasurer, and she provides administrative and logistical support to the ticket and subscription managers, the production and marketing teams, the Choir Manager and numerous volunteers. Kristine is also responsible for implementing and maintaining a comprehensive database system to support the choir's marketing and communications. Kristine brings 15 years of administrative management, marketing and customer relations experience to the position. In addition to her work with the OCS, Kristine is a recording artist and performer and is presently the Vocal Coach and Vocal Producer for Sound of the Muse Records, Artist Development.
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