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Our Music Director

PETER V. DENT – MUSICAL DIRECTOR

Peter Dent is looking forward to conducting the Newcombe Singers for the coming season. Dent has a Master of Education degree from the University of British Columbia where he studied Choral Conducting with James Fankhauser and Arranging with Fred Stride. He is the composer of two major choral works: A Jazz Mass – 1993 and A Canadian Requiem – 2003. Prior to taking up conducting, he sang for several of Canada’s premiere choir directors and was a paid chorister. He directed an a capella vocal jazz ensemble made up of members of the Vancouver Bach Choir throughout the 1980’s.

Peter Dent is also a jazz pianist and choral arranger. His CDs are played regularly on the CBC and several of his works have been performed by Canadian choirs. He is comfortable conducting a variety of musical genres and styles.

Over the past 15 years he has managed to achieve much as a choral conductor. He was the manager and co-conductor of Vivaldi Chamber Choir of Vancouver during the choir’s two tours of Mexico and one of Central Europe. In an International choral competition in 2002, the Pacific Singers which he founded in 1999 received the highest mark awarded in the Adult Mixed Voice Choir category in the annual Prague Folk Music Festival. He has been a guest juror in international choral competitions in that city in both 2004 and 2007.

Peter is currently the director of Coro Galiano, a chamber choir performing many ambitious and different choral works. The choir’s most recent concert included the Canadian premiere of Jonah, an oratorio written in 1775 by Jamaican composer Samuel Felsted. He is also the artistic director of two musical travel opportunities for singers: SING TO THE LORD, classical sacred music centred in Prague, Cz. and SOUNDS LIKE HEAVEN, gospel, folk and pop singing in Cuba. Both major undertakings operating for several years, these programs assemble singers from many regions of Canada to form a non-auditioned choir in the host country, rehearse for 5 to 7 days, and then give performances.

Peter Dent enjoys programming interesting works which satisfy the singers and have broad audience appeal. He prefers working with non-audition community choirs to create a positive and nurturing climate which allows all singers to maximize their aesthetic sense of achievement and enjoyment that only group singing can provide.

Peter Dent and his wife Dorothy now divide their time between Victoria and Galiano Island.

Our Accompanist

Kim Cousineau

Kim Cousineau was born in 1981 in Errington, BC and began playing the piano at 11. He was self taught up to the RCM Grade 8 level. Kim completed his AVCM at the
Victoria Conservatory of Music and ARCT in 2002, and obtained his B. Mus. (piano performance) from the University of Victoria in 2005. For the past nine years, he has
worked as a collaborative pianist for private lessons, concerts, exams, and numerous choirs, including the Victoria Philharmonic Choir. Former teachers include Donna
Atkinson, Michael Redshaw, Robin Wood, and Cary Chow. He is currently studying solo piano with Anna Cal. Awards include recipient of the Roberto and Mary Wood
Scholarship in 2001 and the senior representative to the provincial finals of the GVPAF in 2002.

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