Our Staff
Gordon Burnett, Director
Choir Director Gordon Burnett maintains an active musical career as a singer, voice teacher and conductor. As a singer, his professional experience includes the Elmer Iseler Singers, Elora Festival Singers, Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and Tactus Vocal Ensemble. Solo work includes Messiah, Mozart Requiem, Bach Cantata 4 and 140, Pilate (St. John Passion), Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle and Stainer Crucifixion. He is currently the bass section lead in the Guelph Chamber Choir and at St. Thomas Anglican Church, Toronto. In April 2016 he completed a Masters in Vocal Pedagogy at the University of Toronto and has opened a private voice studio at his home in Waterloo.
As a conductor, he has worked with children, youth and adult choirs, most notably, the University of Guelph Symphonic Choir, the University of Waterloo Choir, the Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir, Menno Youth Singers, Milton Choristers, Jubilate Singers of North York and is the present conductor of the Renaissance Singers (Kitchener). Advanced conducting studies have included work with Elmer Iseler, Jon Washburn, Don Neuen and Peter Phillips.
Mr. Burnett is also the founder and artistic director of the Voices of Hope Choral Ensemble. This ensemble is dedicated to helping our community through music. The group works on projects which generate funds to support charitable organizations in the community and beyond. This has resulted in fundraisers for Out of the Cold, the Grand River Cancer Centre, Haitian Relief, ALS Ontario, Parkinson Society Southwest Ontario and the KW Alzheimer Society.
Krystyna Higgins, Accompanist
Accompanist Krystyna Higgins was born in Hamilton, Ontario where she began her piano studies, culminating in an ARCT in Piano Performance before finishing high school. She has been active for many years as a teacher, liturgical musician, chamber performer and accompanist. She has collaborated with choirs and soloists both in Ontario and in New Brunswick where she lived for nine years until relocating to Guelph in 2015. Earlier in her career, as accompanist for Kitchener's Concordia and Music Alive choirs under the direction of Alfred Kunz, she toured in eastern Canada and in Europe. With an M.A. in English, Krystyna also does occasional work as a freelance writer and editor but music remains her first love, especially in a collaborative capacity.