Edward Connell

Mr. Connell has been the Music Director of Forte—The Toronto Men’s Chorus, since 2002. During his tenure, he has led Forte through several wildly successful concerts, tours as far afield as Vancouver, and into the realms of classical music. Anyone listening to the chorus will immediately recognize the artistry and personality of his extraordinary musical leadership, which has led Forte to become Canada’s finest gay men’s chorus.

Versatility, artistry and good humour have been the hallmarks of Edward Connell’s distinguished musical career. Mr. Connell comes from Edmonton, where he won the Royal Conservatory’s Gold Medal in Piano while still a teenager. After completing further degrees in piano, music theory, composition and conducting, he embarked on a very successful career in theatre, acting as music director to more than 200 professional theatre productions. He is the composer, lyricist and co-author of eleven original musicals, including the DORA award nominated Awful Manors (with celebrated marionettiste Ronnie Burkett), Young Art (with Brad Fraser) and The Other Side of the Pole, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary as an oft-produced family Christmas favorite throughout Canada.

In the 1980’s, Mr. Connell shifted his focus to teaching and church music. He was appointed Director of Music of the historic McDougall United Church, where for the next twelve years, he built on a century long tradition of leading Edmonton’s finest church choir. He was also appointed to the faculty of Alberta College Conservatory of Music (the second largest music school in Canada) where he was chair of music theory, as well as being principal conductor for the Schola Cantorum choir program for children. While at the Conservatory, he became the founding conductor of the International Music Academy Chorale, a chamber choir comprised of twenty young virtuosi from around the globe.

Edward is also a professional singer. He sang for several years with ProCoro Canada, one of only three fully professional choirs in Canada, where he also was a frequent pianist, organist and conductor. His many experiences as a choral conductor include the Artistic Directorship of Cantilena Consort, a professional vocal chamber music ensemble, and numerous guest conducting events with choirs throughout Canada. He was one of the founders and the first conductor of Edmonton Vocal Minority, which is now one of Canada’s largest LGBT choirs.

A renowned organist, Mr. Connell holds four diplomas in organ performance, including gold medals from both the Royal Conservatory and the Western Board of Music, as well as the highly coveted FRCCO (Fellow of the Royal Canadian College of Organists), with the Doreen Porter Prize, the Heather Spry Prize and the Healey Willan Prize. He is, remarkably, almost entirely self-taught as an organist.

In August 2000, he moved to Toronto as Director of Music of Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, where he led one of the largest and finest church music programs in Canada. In 2005, he left that post to take up entirely new challenges as a musician with the National Ballet of Canada, where he provides his musical talents for Canada’s finest dancers.