The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) announced that Kathleen Allan is the recipient of the 2025 Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting. She’ll receive the award on December 7 at the Amadeus Choir’s J.S. Bach Christmas Oratorio concert at Toronto’s Kingston Road United Church.
At the December 7 concert, Allan will be conducting the 130-member Amadeus Choir, along with former members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and members of the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, in a rare full performance of the oratorio that incorporates all six cantatas.
This year’s jury included Doreen Rao (Toronto), Vicki St. Pierre (Sackville, New Brunswick), and 2016 Leslie Bell Prize laureate Mark Vuorinen (Kitchener).
In making their decision, the jury wrote, “under Kathleen’s direction, ensembles show remarkable growth from first rehearsal to final performance. Her clarity and artistry draw expressive sound and deep engagement from singers and audiences alike.” They also noted, “she is poised at the threshold of an extraordinary career that is shaping the future of choral music in Canada and beyond.”
Additionally, the jury cited her vision of music as an accessible influence for positivity — a vision that has translated into concrete projects that look to bring the choral experience to a larger audience.
Currently, Kathleen Allan is the artistic director of both the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto and Chorus Niagara. She is also a member of the music faculty at the University of Toronto. Allan works in a range of material from early to contemporary to symphonic repertoire.
Kathleen began her tenure with Amadeus Choir in 2019, and since then, the Choir has commissioned more than a dozen new works, as well as founding the Choral Creation Lab for emerging composers and poets. In addition, the Choir has formed a series of new partnerships within the GTA and beyond with a diverse range of artists and ensembles.
She previously served as the Artistic Director of Canzona, Winnipeg’s professional Baroque choir, from 2016 until 2023. She was the 2016 winner of the Sir Ernest MacMillan Prize in Choral Conducting.
A sought after guest conductor, Allan has recently worked with the Luminato Festival, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Victoria Symphony, Regina Symphony Orchestra, Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and Early Music Vancouver.
As a composer, her music is inspired by her Celtic roots, and growing up in Newfoundland and Labrador, and often interweaves contemporary elements with ancient folk music. Her works have been commissioned, performed and recorded by ensembles throughout the Americas and in Europe, and have been featured at two World Symposiums on Choral Music.
Kathleen is also a soprano vocalist, and has performed as a soloist with the National Broadcast Orchestra, Berkshire Choral Festival, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
The Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting is awarded every two years to an Ontario resident who is an emerging professional conductor working with a professional, semi-professional or community choir.
It comes with a $10,000 cash prize that is facilitated by a financial contribution from the Leslie Bell Scholarship Fund and the OAC. The scholarship fund, administered by OAC, was established in 1973 by the Leslie Bell Singers and friends of the late Dr. Leslie Bell.
Previous winners include Dr. Elaine Choi (2023), Charlene Pauls (2018) and Mark Vuorinen (2016).
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