- Gerald Fagan
Infobox Comics creator
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birthname = Gerald Richard Fagan
birthdate = birth date and age|1939|9|19
location =London, Ontario
deathdate =
deathplace =
nationality = Canadian
area = Conductor, Composer, Teacher
awards =Gerald Richard Fagan (born
September 19 ,1939 ) is considered one of Canada's premiere choral conductors [cite web |url=http://www.lfscgfs.com/pages/gerald_fagan.html|title=Fanshawe Chorus London Pages] . He is currently Conductor and Artistic Director of Fanshawe Chorus London, The Gerald Fagan Singers, and the Concert Players Orchestra. [cite web |url=http://www.choirsontario.org/adultvocalweek.html|title=Chiors Ontario] . He has been married to Marlene Fagan since1961 . They have five children; Leslie, Louise, Judy, Jennifer and Jonathon.Biography
Gerald Fagan was born in
London, Ontario on Sept. 19, 1939 to Cyril and Nora Fagan.He attended both elementary(Ealing Public School/Trafalgar Public School) and high school (Sir Adam Beck Secondary School) in London. He received his earliest music training from the Sisters of St. Joseph at Sacred Heart Convent. He attended the University of Western Ontario and was graduated with a B.A. in music in 1961. He studied conducting with Robert Shaw, score analysis with Julius Herford (Indiana), vocal pedagogy with William Vennard (University of California), and diction with Madeline Marshall (Julliard).In his distinguished career, he has conducted choirs from
Russia ,South Africa ,the United States ,Poland ,Taiwan andArgentina . Mr. Fagan has often been a judge for theJuno Awards , the CBC Choral Competition and was conductor of the 2001Canada Summer Games Choir and Orchestra. [cite web |url=http://www.lfscgfs.com/pages/gerald_fagan.html|title=Fanshawe Chorus London Pages]Mr. Fagan is the
Conductor of the Fanshawe Chorus London which consists of 110 musicians with its fully professional symphony (Concert Players Orchestra). Each season they perform the major works of the choir/orchestral repertoire. [cite web |url=http://www.lfscgfs.com/pages/fagan_singers.html|title=Fanshawe Chorus London Pages]The Gerald Fagan Singers, a semi professional chamber choir of 26 musicians, explore music of all eras suitable for a chamber ensemble. The two choirs have twice won the Lieutenant Governor's Award for the Arts based on their artistic performances, fiscal responsibility and dedication to Canadian composers.The Gerald Fagan Singers have travelled to ten countries since 1998, including
England ,Belgium ,France ,Holland ,Poland ,Lithuania ,Monaco ,Spain ,Czech Republic andGermany performing Canadian repertoire to new audiences. [cite web|url=http://www.choirsontario.org/NewsManager/detail?id=40282ab213f4bc3f011408978fa20001|title=Chiors Ontario]Twice Artistic Director of the Ontario, Youth Choir, Mr. Fagan was also the founding conductor of the
Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir and his talents have led him to conduct all -province choirs inNew Brunswick ,Newfoundland ,Prince Edward Island , Ontario,Saskatchewan ,Manitoba andAlberta . Presented with the `Citizen's Medal' by PresidentAdamkus ofLithuania , he has also been honoured by Conservatory Canada with an Honourary Licentiate and chosen to conduct the Fagan Singers at the Monserrat Monastry Pilgrimage in Spain where they performedPablo Casals choral repertoire. Gerald Fagan has performed as conductor withMaureen Forrester ,Lois Marshall ,Victor Borge ,Ben Heppner , Thomas Paul,Roberta Peters , Janis Taylor, Gary Relyea, Leslie Fagan, Mark Du Bois, Mark Pedrotti, Darryl Edwards, Brian McIntosh andMary Lou Fallis . [cite web |url=http://www.lfscgfs.com/pages/gerald_fagan.html|title=Fanshawe Chorus London Pages]In past seasons , he was Guest Conductor at Festival 500 in
Newfoundland , a jurist for the CBC Choral Competition , a clinician inHalifax at Podium '98 and returned to Newfoundland's Festival 500 in 1999 to conduct choirs from around the world. [cite web |url=http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=27298135|title=Zoom Info]Career Highlights
1958 Gold Medalist Piano Performance – Western Ontario Conservatory of Music1971 Two first prize awards at the Cork International and Dance Festival
1973 Memorial Award at Canadian Music Educators Convention1978 Founding Conductor, Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir/Founding Conductor Gerald Fagan Singers1981 Conductor, Scarborough Summer Symphony Chorus/Conductor, Simcoe County All County Choir1983 Founding Conductor, Concert Players Orchestra1985 Gerald Fagan Singers Concert Tour, Newfoundland1987 Appointed National Chair, Chamber Choirs of Canada by the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors1989 One of three concert collaborations withVictor Borge 1991 Awarded Citizen of the Year by London City Council1994 Honored as Citizen of the Year by the City of London and for his contribution to the Arts1995 Release of compact disc of Messiah –Handel , first all Canadian recording in 50 years1996 Received Award of Distinction for contribution to choral music in Canada, awarded by the Ontario Choral Federation1997 Guest Conductor, Newfoundland’s Festival 500, conducted choirs fromRussia ,England ,Africa ,Cuba ,Taiwan ,Argentina ,Scotland ,United States andCanada
Received Honorary Licentiate of Music from Conservatory Canada
The Gerald Fagan National Voice Scholarship established by Conservatory Canada1998 Concert tour of England,Holland andGermany with Gerald Fagan Singers, promoting Canadian Music2000 Conducted Gerald Fagan Singers in performances in Holland, Germany
Conducted Gerald Fagan Singers in a private performance for PresidentAdamkus , Royal Palace, Vilnius, Lithuania
Presented with Citizen’s Medal from President Adamkus(Lithuania)
CD "Songs Abroad" " released by Gerald Fagan Singers2001 Conductor of the Chorus and Orchestra at the Canada Summer Games
Released the CD "Trillium Christmas, Music of Ontario Composers"2002 Conducted worldwide Rolling Requiem performance of Mozart’s Requiem honouring 9-11-2001 victims2003 Was his Silver Anniversary as Conductor of the London Fanshawe Symphonic Chorus
He released the CD "Nice and Easy" featuring the Gerald Fagan Singers2004 Saw the Third International Tour with Gerald Fagan Singers promoting Canadian music
They performed inMonaco at the Royal Chapel, inFrance at Pope’s Palace Avignon onBastille Day , inSpain at the Monserrat Monastery and inBarcelona at the Great Cathedral,Gaudi Church (They were the first choir to perform there)2005 He was the Guest Conductor at the Festival 500,Newfoundland and at the Rochester Oratorio Society2006 Gerald became the Founder/ Executive Director of "In Good Company, A Celebration of Women in the Arts"
Artistic Director/Conductor of the Ontario Youth Choir
2007 Fourth International Tour with Gerald Fagan Singers
They performed in theCzech Republic at the Pilsen (Great Synagogue),Germany at the Dresden State Opera and at the German Trade Conference.References
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