Sasha Weinstangel – YCE guest conductor 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 Season
A prolific composer, Dr Sasha Weinstangel is a passionate conductor, and an accomplished violin virtuoso. Born in Croatia, he started his music education at the age of seven, published his first composition at the age of nine. He received academic degrees in both Violin and Composition from the University of Belgrade, and the Doctor of Music degree in Composition from the University of Toronto, where he studied under John Beckwith. He also undertook studies in conducting with Sir Adrian Boult and Antonio Janigro. Founding Artistic Director and Conductor of the National Chamber Orchestra of Canada, Dr. Weinstangel is a charismatic leader who leads his musicians with vigor and emotion. His compositions include chamber, orchestral and choral works, operas, as well as concertos for diverse instruments. He has taught in universities and colleges in North America and New Zealand.
Trevor Dearham – YCE Guest Conductor 2016/2017 Season
Trevor Dearham is currently completing a Master’s Degree of Music in Choral Conducting at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt. As part of the U of T master’s program, he performs with the MacMillan Singers and is also completing studies in orchestral conducting with Maestro Uri Mayer of the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In June 2015, Trevor retired as the Head of Music at Dr. Denison Secondary School in Newmarket where he taught instrumental and vocal music for 25 years since the school opened.
Trevor completed Bachelor of Music and Education Degrees at Western University where he studied choral conducting with Professor Deral Johnson and sang with the Faculty of Music Singers. He has also received musical training from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, the Banff School of Fine Arts and the University of Calgary’s Kodaly Institute. He holds an honours specialist certificate in music education from the University of Toronto.
Trevor’s experience as a performer, conductor and as an educator is extensive. He began his teaching career in the Province of New Brunswick where he taught music from Grades One through Twelve before moving back to Ontario in 1989 to commence employment with the York Region District School Board. Throughout his teaching career, Trevor’s school bands and choirs received many top awards at the regional, provincial and national levels.
While working in New Brunswick, Trevor became involved with conducting in the community and was the founding conductor of the Carleton Singers Community Choir. He has been the guest conductor for the York Region District School Board Staff Singers along with the York Chamber Ensemble on several occasions. More recently, he conducted the Blue Bridge Festival Choir and Orchestra. In 2014, Trevor was the only Canadian conductor invited to participate in a North American Fellowship Program with Alice Parker, a world-renowned choral conductor, author, arranger and composer from Massachusetts.
As a trumpet player Trevor has performed with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, The London Youth Symphony, The University of Western Ontario Symphony Orchestra, the Band of the Ceremonial Guard, the Apollo Chamber Ensemble, the York Symphony, the York Chamber Ensemble and the Huronia Symphony Orchestra. He continues to explore exciting new opportunities as a conductor and as a performer and is thrilled to be a guest conductor with the York Chamber Ensemble and Trinity Festival Chorus for the 2016-2017 season.
Mark Chambers – YCE Guest Conductor 2016/2017 Season
Mark Chambers is a conductor, cellist and early music specialist. He studied cello with Martha Gerschefski, Lubomir Georgiev and David Miller, and has performed extensively in the United States and Ontario as both a chamber musician and orchestral player.
At York University, Dr. Chambers is the Graduate Program Director of Music, Cello/Viola da Gamba instructor and conducts the York University Symphony Orchestra.He performs in a trio with his faculty colleague and clarinetist Patricia Wait and York alumna and pianist, Elizabeth Acker. He is also very active as a clinician and adjudicator throughout southern Ontario.
A former Theodore Presser Foundation Fellow, Dr. Chambers’ research interests include Baroque music, period instrument performance practice, the ‘Tartini Tone’, and scordatura, altered tunings for strings. He has authored several articles for the American String Teachers Journal and is a contributor to the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
Dr. Chambers recently released his first solo CD, “Canadian Voices: Works for Solo Cello” featuring unaccompanied cello works by Canadian composers, David Lidov, Al Henderson, Brent Lee and Stephen Brown.
York Chamber ensemble Inc. 