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Ivars Taurins

Ivars Taurins
Ivars Taurins photo
  • Faculty, The Glenn Gould School

Specialty(s)

Conducting

Equally at home conducting symphonic and choral repertoire, Ivars Taurins is founding director of the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, now in its 38th season. He was also founding member and principal violist of the Tafelmusik Orchestra for its first 23 years. Under his direction the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir has been widely praised for its clarity, nuance and brilliance.
 
Mr. Taurins works regularly with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom he was Principal Baroque Conductor from 2001-2011. He also appears as a guest conductor with orchestras and choirs across Canada, including the Edmonton, Victoria, Kitchener-Waterloo, Winnipeg, Regina Symphonies, Calgary and Hamilton Philharmonics, Orchestra London, Symphony Nova Scotia, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Vancouver Chamber Choir, Pro Coro Canada, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Winnipeg Singers, Halifax Camerata Singers, the Elora Festival Orchestra and Singers, and at the Festival International de Musique Baroque de Lamèque (NB). 
 
Mr. Taurins was director of the 2012 National Youth Choir of Canada, and has directed provincial youth choirs and orchestras across the country. In 2016, he directed Handel’s Alcina at the Glenn Gould School. In October 2017 Mr. Taurins went to Havana, Cuba to co-direct the Schola Cantorum Coralina together with its founding director Alina Orraca in a special concert celebrating the 85th anniversary of Glenn Gould’s birth and Canada’s 150th birthday.
 
His regular appearances conducting the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and Orchestra have received widespread critical acclaim. His recordings with Tafelmusik (CBC Records, Tafelmusik Media), have all received JUNO nominations. His most recent recording is a JUNO Award-nominated live-performance recording of Handel’s Messiah (Tafelmusik Media). 
 
A passionate lecturer and teacher, Mr. Taurins teaches orchestral conducting at the University of Toronto. He is also on the faculty of the Glenn Gould School in Toronto. He has been a guest teacher/conductor at universities across Canada. Mr. Taurins is director of the vocal/choral programme at the annual Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute.