About Us

Organization

Jump to: Faculty | Board of Directors | Honourary Advisors | Administrative Staff

Faculty

Kellie Walsh, Artistic Director
Leslee Heys, Collaborative Pianist
Jennifer Hart, Associate Accompanist & Associate Conductor - Youth Choir
Deirdre Costello, Associate Conductor - Children's Chorus
Susan Knight (retired), C.M., O.N.L, Ph.D, LL.D, Founder & Artistic Director Emertius
Ki Adams (retired), Associate Conductor & Principal Accompanist
Rob Power, Percussion Program
Christina Smith (Director), String Program

KELLIE WALSH, is a proud native of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Artistic Director of Shallaway: Newfoundland and Labrador Youth in Chorus, the Founder and Artistic Director of Lady Cove Women's Choir , and the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Newman Sound Men's Choir .

Kellie enjoys a busy schedule as a guest conductor, workshop clinician and adjudicator. She has worked with such internationally-acclaimed conductors as Maria Guinand of Venezuela, Sir David Willcocks and Alan Hazeldine of London, England, Jon Washburn of Vancouver, Pinchas Zukerman of the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa, and Helmuth Rilling of Germany.

Kellie holds Bachelor degrees in both Music and Music Education from Memorial University, in addition to a Master's degree in conducting, having studied with Dr. Douglas Dunsmore, Dr. Donald Buell, and Maestro Marc David. Kellie serves as an adjunct professor of choral music for Memorial University's School of Music.

Kellie was named Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council's Emerging Artist for 2008, for her contribution to arts and culture in our province, particularly the choral sector.

LESLEE HEYS - Of the many professional hats that Leslee Heys wears, being the principal accompanist for Shallaway is her favorite. She also serves as part-time faculty for Memorial University, has a dynamic private piano studio, and enjoys a very busy schedule of vocal coaching, chamber playing, adjudicating and composing. Leslee's skills as coach/accompanist have led to national and international performances, as well as participation in Festival 500, Opera on the Avalon, the National Music Festival, and the rESOund Festival of Contemporary Music. Live recordings of her numerous collaborations with local and visiting artists have been frequently aired on CBC Radio. She holds a Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Music Performance from the University of Western Ontario, specializing in Collaborative Piano. She is a proud HBC (Here By Choice) and lives in St. John's with her husband Howard, and two children, Erin and Bill.

JENNIFER HART is a graduate of Memorial University's School of Music where she studied piano with Timothy Steeves and completed the conjoint Music and Music Education programs in May of 2007. Jennifer shares her love for choral music with various community choirs including Lady Cove Women's Choir, The Memorial University Chamber Choir, and St. John's based vocal chamber ensemble, Innismara. She is delighted to be the Associate Conductor/Accompanist of Shallaway Newfoundland and Labrador Youth in Chorus as well as Associate Conductor of Newman Sound Men's Choir. Jennifer teaches piano privately, manages the Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival and in September 2010 returned to Memorial University to persue a Master's Degree in Choral Conducting.

DEIRDRE COSTELLO is a recent graduate of Memorial University, where she received bachelor degrees in Music and Music Education, and was recipient of the 2010 University Medal for Music Education. While at Memorial, she majored in voice, and participated in the Chamber Choir, Opera Workshop Program, and as vocalist with the Jazz Ensemble. She has furthered her musical training through programs both in and out of the province, and has represented the province at the National Youth Choir of Canada. Deirdre is currently a proud member of Lady Cove Women’s Choir, Quintessential Vocal Ensemble, and the Innismara Madrigal Singers. An alumna of Shallaway, Deirdre is thrilled to continue as part of the organization, having completed the Choral Scholar program, and also having worked as part of the Administrative Team.

SUSAN KNIGHT (retired) is a socio-cultural entrepreneur working in choral music. A conductor, educator and producer of international repute, she works through the arts to celebrate heritage while also invoking/provoking change. Her innovative practice works through the transformative power of music to create empathetic community, promote leadership and global consciousness and develop youth as critical agents-of-change. Founder of Shallaway (1992) and Festival 500 (1994), she is active as a consultant, speaker, clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor. She currently serves on the Boards of Chorus America , Irish Business Partnerships , World’s End Theatre Company , International Federation of Choral Music , the Canada Council for the Arts and the Canadian Commission to UNESCO . She is invested in the Orders of both Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador, and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Memorial University .

KI ADAMS, (retired) a native of Birmingham, Alabama, is an Associate Professor in Music Education and Organ at Memorial University . A Founding Artistic Director of Festival 500 Sharing the Voices , he is Co-Director of the festival's Phenomenon of Singing International Symposium. Ki is Music Director at St. Thomas' Anglican Church and has recently retired after 14 years as Associate Conductor and Accompanist of Shallaway (formerly NSYC). He is one of the national Directors of the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors .

Board of Directors

Board of Directors 2010-2011

Karen Skinner, Chair
Lisa Hutchens, Treasurer
Ray Gosine
Luben Boykov
Carolynn Spurvey
Karen McCarthy
Caroline Coady
Gerri Nicholas
Christine Healy
Sarah Colbourne-Penney
Christopher Spurvey
Kathryn Atkin (ex-officio)
Kellie Walsh (ex-officio)

Shallaway Honourary Advisors

The Shallaway Honourary Advisors are either Newfoundlanders or professional artists closely associated with our province and represent the spectrum of artistic endeavors.

Gwynne Dyer	London, UK	Journalist/Historian	Media
Christopher House	Toronto	Director	Theatre and Dance
Seamus O'Regan	Toronto	Broadcaster	Media
Gordon Pinsent	Toronto	Actor/Writer/Producer	Drama
Christopher Pratt	St. Mary's Bay, NL	Artist	Visual Art
Mary Pratt	St. John's/Vancouver	Artist	Visual Art
Doreen Rao	Toronto	Conductor	Choral
Sir David Willcocks	Cambridge, UK	Conductor	Choral

Administrative Staff