VCCA

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Vancouver Chinese Choir Association
ABOUT VCCA

July 2005 - University Of Calgary

2004 Orpheum

VCCA in San Francisco - Sept. 1998

The Vancouver Chinese Choir Association (VCCA) was formed in 1984 by a group of music enthusiasts with the objectives of promoting Chinese choral music to the local community, participating in community cultural activities, and enriching its members' musical experience. It is a non-profit organization registered under the Society Act of the Province of British Columbia and is an active member of the British Columbia Choral Federation.

At present, the Choir has 160 voices divided into eight parts. Its repertoire consists of a wide selection of traditional and contemporary Chinese music arranged for mixed-voice choir with piano accompaniment.

In addition to staging public concerts, VCCA performs at community and multicultural events, care homes, hospitals, and other institutions whenever requested, and to the extent possible. It also performs in communities outside of Vancouver, and enjoys working with other choirs. In 1990, 1993 and 1995, VCCA was invited by the Duncan Choral Society, the Kelowna International Choir Society and the Newcombe Singers of Victoria to perform in Duncan, Kelowna and Victoria respectively. In 1991 and 1995, it hosted joint concerts with the Regina Chinese Singers and the Newcombe Singers in Vancouver. In May 1996, VCCA staged a successful concert in Calgary, Alberta, with the Regina Chinese Singers again as its guests. In August 1997, VCCA hosted the Huang He Chinese Women's Chorus from Yokohama, Japan, in a very successful joint concert at the Orpheum Theatre. VCCA made its debut performance in the United States in San Francisco and Los Angeles in September 1998. In the year 2000, VCCA held joint concerts with the RongRong Chinese Folk Choir of Seattle in both Vancouver and Seattle. In May 2001, VCCA staged a concert in Toronto with guests, the Chinese Canadian Choir of Toronto. In November and December 2002, VCCA toured Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong and presented five very successful concerts in those cities. In 2005, it staged a concert in Edmonton with Red Maple Music Association as its guest choir and also revisited Calgary. In November 2006, "A Poetic Journey Downunder" was undertaken by VCCA with performances in Sydney (with guest choir, Hwa Sheng Chorus) and Melbourne, followed by a return visit to Hong Kong after a 4-year absence. In its Silver Jubilee year (2009) VCCA toured China and performed with local choirs in Shanghai and Guangzhou. VCCA participated at the Cantus Salisburgensis International Choral Festival in July, 2011 and following that, toured Central Europe with performances in Salzburg, Prague, Budapest, Eisenstadt and Vienna."

2002 11 23 - Ipoh Concert

2006 11 19 - Canberra Parliament Building

2009 11 08 - Shanghai Concert

2011 07 08 - at the Mozarteum, Salzburg, Austria

Members of the choir are amateurs, most of whom came from Hong Kong, with others from China, Taiwan and S.E. Asian countries. Their ages range from the early-thirties to the late-eighties. Weekly practices are held on Tuesday evenings. For membership information please call (604) 328-8622.

Artistic Advisor:
VCCA's music director since its inception, now artistic advisor, Frank Huang, is a well-known music educator, singer, conductor and cellist. He is a graduate of St. John's University and the National Conservatory of Music in Shanghai, China. Mr. Huang went to Hong Kong in 1953, obtained the Licentiate of the Royal School of Music Diploma in 1954, and joined the Education Department, Music Section, of the Hong Kong Government where he worked until his retirement. While in Hong Kong, he founded the Hong Kong Oratorio Society, and was its music director in its early years. He was also principal cellist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

Since emigrating to Canada in 1975, Mr. Huang was invited on numerous occasions to return to Hong Kong to act as guest conductor for various choral and orchestral performances. He has also been contributing his musical expertise to the local community and is frequently invited to adjudicate at local singing competitions and host choral and conducting workshops. In addition to the VCCA, Mr. Huang conducts the Chown Memorial and Chinese United Church Choir, the Vancouver Oratorio Society and the Vancouver Formosan Oratorio Society. He is also a cellist with the Elgar Strings.

Conductor:
Ling Lu, born and bred in a musical family, learned to play piano at a very young age. In 1994, she was admitted into the Department of Choral Conducting at the Russian Gnesins Academy of Music as a postgraduate to further her pursuit of music. At the same time, she furthered her piano studies under the guidance of Professor Evgeny Liberman. She completed her master’s degree in music with honours. In 2000, she majored in conducting under the guidance of Professor Stanislav Kalinin, Dean of the Choral Conducting Department at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. During the period of her studies in Moscow, she participated in many different types of concerts and successfully conducted numerous choirs, including the Gnesins Chamber Choir, Choir of the Russian Gnesins Academy of Music, Choir of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and the Moscow National Academy Choir of Kazanikov in the Gnesins Concert Hall and Rachmaninov Concert Hall of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, etc. After immigrating to Canada in 2003, she has been active in various music activities. Ms. Lu has conducted VCCA since 2004.

Assistant Conductor:
Veronica Lee has been singing with the VCCA since 1993 and also assumes the role of conductor when needed. She graduated at the Hong Kong Baptist University majoring in music education and obtained her Master in Music Education degree at the University of Reading in Great Britain. Ms. Lee was a secondary school music teacher in Hong Kong and directed school, church and children’s choirs before emigrating to Canada. In Vancouver, besides teaching piano and theory, Ms. Lee has conducted and accompanied several church choirs.

VCCA's accompanists are Rita Kwan, B.Mus., Sze Lok Wong, M.Mus., Betty Hon, M. Mus.,and Edward Ko B.Sc, D.C.

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Vancouver Chinese Choir Association ABOUT VCCA

Vancouver Chinese Choir Association
ABOUT VCCA