MUSICIAN OF THE MONTH: HEATHER FRASER
We’re so excited to share our August Musician of the Month with you: Meet Heather Fraser!
Heather Fraser is a dynamic choral music educator hailing from Nova Scotia. She is Artistic Director of the Annapolis Valley Honour Choirs and incoming Artistic Director of the Aeolian Singers Women’s Choir.
Heather is an active clinician and has adjudicated for festivals across Canada. She is part of the “Perform NS! Artists in Residence Program,” conducting choral workshops in schools across Nova Scotia for students and teachers. Believing strongly in the power of choral music to build community, Heather serves as Program Director for the Nova Scotia Choral Federation, developing programs to meet the diverse needs of Nova Scotia singers. She also sits on the Advocacy and National Youth Choir Committees for Choral Canada.
An Apprentice Conductor of the 2010 National Youth Choir of Canada, Heather has studied at Westminster Choir College Summer Institute with Charles Bruffy and was a Conducting Fellow with the Canadian Chamber Choir. Most recently she was the first conductor of Pro Coro Canada’s Emerging Artist program, and spent an amazing professional development sabbatical year studying with different conductors and their choirs across Canada and the USA.
1.What is your idea of perfect happiness? Oh gosh – I have a few “ideal moments”. For sure any warm sunny summer evening, with beautiful food and drinks and friends is among the top – either on my back patio at home in my beloved valley, or on the ocean, or in an exotic country somewhere. Any day spent out walking/hiking/canoeing ending with a beautiful (remote) campsite curled up with a book by a fire and some craft brew is a close second. Aren’t we lucky to live in an area of the world that provides these opportunities so often? I think I’m well suited to live where I do! 🙂
2. What are your earliest memories of hearing music? I actually cannot recall at all. I just know it was there from the beginning…
3. If you were driving alone and could sing along to any recording, what would it be? Probably some ABBA … or a CD of Monty Python songs… Not very sophisticated, I know. 🙂
4. What else besides music would you do, all things being possible? I would be a food critic and combine my other two favourite things besides music (travelling and eating) and circumvent the globe finding the most amazing little restaurants! 🙂
5. What/where is your favourite place to eat? Hardest question ever! Too many to choose from! (see question above). But the Flying Apron Inn and Cookery in Summerville (on the Kempt Shore) is pretty darn special and at the top of my list at the moment. (If you haven’t been – GO!)
6. Which composer (dead or alive) would you most like to share a meal with and why? Oh gosh… probably Rachmaninov actually. For my Dad – he was one of his favourite composers. He often wondered how he could possibly write music so unbelievably beautiful. If I could, I would try to find out for him.
7. What are you most looking forward to this fall? Three things: First, being back with all 150 of my Annapolis Valley Honour Choir students, and working on some great musical projects with both them and the amazingly dedicated volunteers/board. Exciting times for that fantastic organization! Secondly, starting my new musical directorship with the Aeolian Singers Women’s Choir! Can’t wait to get to know them all and to make music with such a lovely group. Third: Rowing on the Northwest Arm with the club in the amazing September/October weather!
8. All-time favourite film? Sound of Music. So cliche for a choral conductor, I know, but if I had to pick one… that has to be it I think! I’ve only seen it about 20 times…
Keep up with Heather Fraser’s work with the Annapolis Valley Honour Choir and the Aeolian Singers.