High Park Choirs of Toronto receives Ontario Trillium Foundation grant

TORONTO, Sept. 28 /CNW/ - The High Park Choirs of Toronto is very pleased to announce that it has received a grant of $120,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The grant will be administered over the next three years to realize its new strategy, "Reaching Out to our Growing Community."

The High Park Choirs (HPC) announced its new strategy in May 2010 upon which it based its grant application to the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Between July 2010 and June 2013, HPC will use the Trillium funding to intensify the quality of its programs, the depth and scope of its community reach, and the frequency of performances for each of the choir levels.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director, Zimfira Poloz, and her talented artistic staff, HPC is focussing on three key areas to transform itself into a unique choir representing all areas and socio-economic backgrounds in culturally diverse Toronto:

    
    -  Artistic - Transforming the choir program structure by making
       chorister placement skills-based rather than age-based.
    -  Community Profile - Focussing on activities that deepen and broaden
       the choirs' reach into the community and the Greater Toronto Area,
       reach out to underserved children, increase registration, profile and
       revenue generation.
    -  Organizational Capacity - Enhancing employment opportunities for
       skilled arts professionals and for publicity and fundraising
       professionals.
    

The Trillium funding has allowed the choirs to take important steps to realize its new strategy. HPC has hired Assistant Conductor Tatiana Korotkova, an award-winning choral educator with extensive international experience. It has also allowed HPC to hire its first Development Manager, Cheryl Burrowes. Cheryl has successfully promoted many international choirs and musicians.

With its 25th anniversary approaching in 2011, HPC has reached a high level of artistic quality and public recognition. It continues to evolve into a uniquely inclusive choir for the children of Toronto and is targeting children from disadvantaged areas in partnership with local service groups. It is reaching out to these children with financial support using an expanded Bursary Program.

The choirs are also leveraging their status as Children's Choir-in-Residence at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music to seek opportunities with respected teaching staff.

Performance opportunities abound for the choirs at the community, city and international levels and HPC will progressively increase its performances, collaborating with many different artists and organizations, over the next three seasons. It will develop its multimedia choral productions, perform with two choirs from Germany and was selected to participate in the international choral Festival 500 in Newfoundland in 2011. During its 25th anniversary year, the Choirs are planning an ambitious performance schedule to accommodate its growing audience.

About Zimfira Poloz

Zimfira Poloz has been the Artistic Director for the High Park Choirs of Toronto since 2004, and under her direction, the choirs have earned praise nationally and internationally. She is a highly respected conductor, educator and adjudicator with a distinguished international reputation. She has been decorated with numerous awards in her long career, including the Honoured Representative of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan Award, the city of Hamilton's V.I.P. Award and the Leslie Bell Prize Award for Choral Conducting from the Ontario Arts Council. She is invited regularly by presenters and educators from across Canada, Europe and around the world to act as clinician and educator for festivals, conferences and competitions. She is also invited to serve as a clinician for festivals, lead workshops for educators, and jury international choir competitions, including the renowned Choir Olympics.

About High Park Choirs

The High Park Choirs was founded in 1986 as a girls' choir and now comprises over one-hundred-and-twenty boys and girls aged five to eighteen arranged in five skill-based divisions. The choirs develop the children's choral and musical ability while promoting inclusiveness, fun, teamwork, cultural diversity and choral excellence.

The choirs are guided by highly acclaimed artistic staff whose talent and choice of innovative repertoires, from Bach to Eric Robertson, has drawn singers from 71 schools across the GTA. The choirs have also benefited from collaborations with renowned Canadian and international composers and are the Children's Choir-in-Residence at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. Children interested in joining the choirs are encouraged to attend an open rehearsal and audition at Runnymede United Church.

Revenue Canada Charitable Registration Number: 88621 7793 RR0001

For further information: Kathy Tudor, [phone], [email protected], www.highparkchoirs.org