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The Canadian choral conductor, pianist, harpsichordist and music teacher, Roland Graham, began his choral training as a boy chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Ontario, and subsequently enjoyed formative experiences with the St. Matthew’s Choir of Men and Boys, the Ontario Youth Choir, the Anglican Chorale of Ottawa, and various other ensembles in the National Capital Region. He also studied the piano and composition in his youth. He obtained his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Ottawa where he studied piano performance with Jean Desmarais, and his Master of Music degree in Music Interpretation from the Université de Montréal where he studied piano interpretation with Jimmy Brière and Marc Durand.
A multi-faceted creative, Roland Graham is an accomplished keyboard musician, conductor, composer, educator and impresario. He moved to Ottawa in 2010. He was Founding Music Director of Rideau Chorale from its foundation in 2015 until 2021, during which time he established the ensemble as the respected community chorus it is known as today, leading the choir in 10 stirring concerts of masterworks including George Frideric Handel's Coronation Anthems, Requiems by W.A. Mozart, Gabriel Fauré and Maurice Duruflé, and Orff’s Carmina Burana. Hailed “an excellent conductor and inspiring educator”, Roland supplements strong creative organizational vision with an innate gift for teaching, honed through formative experiences with renowned mentors including pianists Jean Desmarais and Marc Durand, conductors Ivars Taurins and Matthew Larkin.
Roland Graham is the Director of Music at Southminster United Church, as well as the founder and Artistic Director of both the Doors Open for Music at Southminster (DOMS) and Concerts by the Canal series, as well as the Master Piano Recital Series. In 2021, he stepped down from Rideau Chorale to focus on other projects and his growing family. He continues to produce innovative ‘choral workshops’ as skill-developing immersive performance projects for amateur singers on an occasional basis through the year. He currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario. |
