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Dr. John Brough (Choral)
John Brough is in his tenth year as artistic director of Da Camera
Singers. Edmonton’s longest standing chamber choir. Da Camera's
latest CD "Kings and Shepherds" was released this past Christmas,
and is available, along with Da Camera’s other recordings, through
their webpage, www.dacamera.ab.ca. Although comfortable
conducting all styles of music, Dr. Brough’s focus is on early
period performance practice, in particular the works of the English
Renaissance and Baroque periods.
John Brough began music lessons at an early age, singing as a boy
chorister with the Men and Boys’ Choir at Ottawa's Christ Church
Cathedral under Frances Macdonnell. He attended the University
of Ottawa where he completed a Bachelor of Music in Organ
Performance (1997). John received a Master of Music in Choral Conducting (2000), and
his Doctor of Music (2007) at the University of Alberta. His conducting teachers have
included Lawrence Ewashko (Ottawa), and Leonard Ratzlaff, Debra Cairns and Malcolm
Forsyth (Edmonton) Frieder Bernius (Germany) and Jon Washburn (Vancouver).
Dr. Brough travels throughout Canada as an examiner with Conservatory Canada, and as
a choral clinician. He has appeared as an adjudicator in the disciplines of piano, organ,
choral and voice in festivals across Canada, including Ottawa, Toronto and London
Ontario, as well as many locations within Alberta, and Whitehorse, Yukon. He is an
adjunct professor at the Concordia University College in Edmonton where he teaches
music history and conducting. He is organist and director of music at Holy Trinity
Anglican Church in Edmonton, and continues to sing as tenor chorister and soloist with
Pro Coro Canada. John lives in Sherwood Park, Alberta, with his wife Kathleen and their
three-year-old daughter, Annie.
Jean Desmarais (Piano Quick Study and Sight Reading)
In constant demand as a soloist, chamber musician and pianist,
Jean Desmarais earned his Masters degree and Premier Prix
in Piano and Chamber Music at the Conservatoire in Montreal
and continued his studies in Paris , Berlin and in the USA . He
studied with Monique Collet-Samyn, Anisia Campos, Monique
Deschaussées, Johanna Stieler and Dalton Baldwin. He has been
a member of the new Canadian music Pierrot Ensemble and
premiered over 50 works written by Canadian composers.
Mr Desmarais has been guest soloist of many orchestras
including: National Arts Centre Orchestra, Philharmonic
Orchestra of Brasov (Romania), Philharmonic Orchestra of
Stettin (Poland), Philharmonic Orchestra of Chihuahua (Mexico), I Musici of Montreal,
Les violons du Roy and many others.
As an international performer, he has embarked on a collaboration with Barytone Denis
Lawlor that enables him perform art songs and chamber music on restored historical
instruments in Berlin . He has performed in Canada , France , Germany , Italy , Mexico ,
Romania , Poland , Switzerland and the USA .
Mr Desmarais has been on the faculty at the National Arts Centre Young Artists Program
and Young Conductors Program, the University of Ottawa (Guest professor), Carleton
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