Fraser Valley Children's Chorus - Canada
The Fraser Valley Children’s Chorus (FVCC) was founded by Artistic Director Heidi Epp in 2017 a year after she moved to the community of Yarrow in the Chilliwack area. It has grown to 3 divisions. The oldest division is the Cantabile Choir, whose singers range in age from 5 – 19 years. In their first year the singers of the Cantabile choir composed “The Heart of Beautiful BC” and with it won first place in the Lieutenant Governor of BC’s Sing Me A Song competition (photos here). It has since been sung in many venues by other children’s choirs. We are proud to be bringing it to Kathaumixw as part of our Canadian content! The FVCC enjoys collaborating with other arts organizations and choirs including the RYHC and the Chilliwack Youth Orchestra (CYO).They are also looking forward to hosting for the first time guests from the Bakerview Music Academy (an El Sistema program in Abbotsford, BC) at their fall training camp. The FVCC is an active choir in the local community often performing at local events.
Heidi Epp attended the Vancouver Academy of Music and the Canadian Mennonite University, followed by an acting degree from the Vancouver Film and Theater School. Ms. Epp is the founding Artistic Director of the Fraser Valley Children's Chorus which is currently in its 5th season. She is currently in her 11th season as the Artistic Director of the Richmond Youth Honour Choir. Since becoming the Artistic Director she has been able to grow the program and take the choir on two international tours, first to Wakayama, Japan and then in July 2018 to Africa. There the choir participated in an exchange with the COTA Youth Choir in Windhoek, Namibia, following which both choirs travelled to the World Choir Games in Tshwane, South Africa where the RYHC was the official Canadian representative. She also conducts the Yarrow Community Choir, keeps an active private piano studio and freelances as a workshop presenter, guest clinician, adjudicator and conductor. Most recently, Ms. Epp has taken on the role of Program Director of the Bakerview Music Academy in Abbotsford which is a program based on the Il Sistema program.