Stephen Candow – Artistic Director
Mr. Stephen Candow is a highly sought-after choral clinician, adjudicator, and educator. He holds a Master of Music (MMus) from the University of Toronto (2001) and a conjoint Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Music Education (BMus/BMusEd, 1998) from Memorial University. His advanced studies in choral conducting and organ have taken him abroad to institutions such as the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England; the International Summer Academy in Göteborg, Sweden; and in Dublin, Ireland.
In 2011, Mr. Candow returned to St. John’s from Ottawa, where he served as Director of Music and conductor for the prestigious Choir of Gentlemen & Boys at St. Matthew’s Church, and as Choral Instructor at Ashbury College. Previous appointments include serving as the Guinness Organ Scholar at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland, and Assistant Director of Music at Metropolitan United Church in Toronto—often referred to as Canada’s “Methodist Cathedral.”
A well-known choral accompanist, Mr. Candow has collaborated with ensembles such as the Anglican Chorale of Ottawa, the Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir, the Newfoundland Symphony Youth Choir (Shallaway), Toronto’s Voices, and Ottawa’s Seventeen Voyces. He works extensively with singers as a conductor, vocal coach, and accompanist, and has performed with choirs across Ireland, England, and Canada. Notable collaborations include work with the Men & Boys Choir of Chelmsford Cathedral (Essex, UK), the Royal Irish Academy of Music Chamber Choir, and Ottawa’s Musica Viva.
As an organist, Mr. Candow has performed in prestigious venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall (U.S.), St. Paul’s Cathedral (England), Meistersingerhalle (Germany), St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Ireland), and St. Mary’s Cathedral (Scotland).
Mr. Candow is currently the Conductor of the Philharmonic Choir of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (PCNSO) and the Artistic Director of the St. John’s Choir.
Dr. Phil Roberts – Director of the St. John’s Chamber Choir and Associate Director of the St. John’s Choir
Dr. Phil Roberts has served as visiting assistant professor of piano for the School of Music at Memorial University, as accompanist and vocal coach for the instrumental and vocal faculties at Memorial, and as a much sought-after collaborative colleague in the larger St. John’s community. His solo and collaborative work has taken him across Canada and to the U.S. and Europe, where his impressively broad performance skills have allowed him to enjoy work in the genres of jazz, opera and musical theatre as well as classical chamber music. Phil was the founder and executive director of PlayPianoNL, an organization that helped to build a community of pianists in Newfoundland and Labrador and to inspire a deep love of the piano in countless young musicians.
Dr. Roberts holds graduate degrees in piano performance from the University of Montreal and has nearly a decade of experience teaching at the university level. He is currently a freelance musician in St. John’s, NL, as well as the pianist of Trinitas Chamber Ensemble (www.TrinitasMusic.com). Dr. Roberts also runs a hybrid online/in-person piano studio with students across Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition to his piano work, Dr. Roberts is the Director of the St. John’s Chamber Choir, Associate Director of the St. John’s Choir, Director of Newfound Sound Women’s Barbershop Chorus, pianist for the Philharmonic Choir of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (PCNSO), and Music Director at Cowan Heights United Church in St. John’s.