The 2024/2025 season marked the fourth year of our Neufeld Emerging Artist Program, an initiative dedicated to supporting young artists as they begin their careers. In collaboration with the Artistic Director, successful candidates identify specific goals related to conducting, rehearsal leadership, choral arranging, program curation, and solo work. Through bi-weekly meetings with Charlene Pauls, these goals are mentored and developed.
This year, we were pleased to welcome two talented artists: Hannah Piercey and Laura Fleming.
Hannah Piercey has been studying in music for the past decade, honing her skills in performance, composition, and teaching. She recently completed her Honours Bachelor of Music and Opera Diploma at Wilfrid Laurier University. Hannah currently studies under the direction of Kimberly Barber.
Laura Fleming is a Grade 12 plus student at John F. Ross CVI, where she participates in a wide range of arts programs, including drama, music, and dance. She has been a member of the Guelph Youth Singers for over 10 years and has also served as an assistant for Choirs I and II.
To wrap up this season, we asked Hannah and Laura to reflect on their experiences in the program.
What have you learned throughout your time with GCC?
Hannah: GCC has taught me so much! My biggest takeaway is how vital confidence and communication is! We have to listen to each other, anticipate what comes next, and put our trust in our conductor. Watching, listening, and feeling the music each and every moment. That is how music is made! Before coming into this year, I hadn’t sung in a choir or conducted for a few years and mostly focused on solo performance. Now, through singing in four successful concerts, conducting lessons with Dr. Charlene Pauls, and conducting for the choir with immediate feedback from my peers, I feel more confident in my ability as an artist and a leader.
Laura: My time with the Guelph Chamber Choir has been truly inspiring and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity. I have learned so many things from my time with GCC. I have learned skills in directing, conducting, leading, and many musical skills. Being in a choir with more advanced singers and music allows me to learn about different keys in music, how a piece is structured, how chord progressions work, and history about certain pieces and their composers.
What aspects of the program have you loved the most?
Hannah: What I loved most was making music with people from all walks of life. I had never sung in a choir with people that had years of professional experiences. Their wisdom and openness to all the challenges we were faced with this year gave me the confidence to put myself out there and trust the process.
I also loved the experience of getting to work closely with Dr. Charlene Pauls, as she is smart, witty, and challenges me to think beyond the notes on the page. Every program she put on this year has made me fall in love with the process and inspires me to create my own concert program!
Laura: There are so many great aspects of the Emerging Artist program that I love, the highlight being the performances. I truly enjoyed the Not-So-Silent Film: Phantom of the Opera. It was not something that is common in other programs. I enjoy getting the chance to lead as well as conduct. While the conducting can be a little nerve wracking at times, I still found ways to enjoy it.
What exciting plans do you have for the future?
Hannah: I am excited to continue on my music journey through higher education and auditioning for more performance opportunities. My main goal in life is to do what I love and tell a story. There is nothing I love more than performing, and the things I learned about myself and the communities I can find myself in through GCC is something I will forever be grateful for. I hope to come back to the choir and continue singing with them whenever I can!
Laura: Next year I will be a student at the University of Guelph. I am most looking forward to their musical theatre program as well as the choir they have there. I plan to continue singing in choirs forever thanks to the Emerging Artist program here at GCC.
We are deeply grateful to Hannah and Laura for their participation in this incredible program. We look forward to watching them grow in their musical careers and can’t wait to see all that they will achieve!
If you know a young artist who would be a great fit for this opportunity, please encourage them to reach out to us at info@guelphchamberchoir.ca for more information about the 2025/2026 season and the Neufeld Emerging Artist Program.
