Jon Washburn to transition to Conductor Emeritus

Jon Washburn Announces Transition at the Vancouver Chamber Choir

After 46 years, the Vancouver Chamber Choir’s founder and long-time conductor Jon Washburn is announcing his intent to step down as Artistic and Executive Director to become the professional choral ensemble’s Conductor Emeritus. He will continue to lead the Choir through its 47^th and 48^th concert seasons (2017/18 and 2018/19) while the organization searches for his successor. Once that new person is designated he will assume his new role as Conductor Emeritus and principal guest conductor.

“I’m sorry to be leaving the Choir so soon,” he laughs, “but I should be giving some younger conductors a chance, before they, too, start reaching retirement age!”

Vancouver Chamber Choir

Known internationally for his mastery of choral technique, repertoire and interpretation, Washburn still travels widely as guest conductor, lecturer, clinician and master teacher, though his schedule has been slowing down a bit since he entered his 70s. He is also an active composer, arranger and editor of choral music and has had many compositions published, performed and recorded around the world.

In 1971 he founded the Vancouver Chamber Choir, which is Canada’s longest-existing professional choir. In the subsequent four-and-a-half decades he has performed to audiences at home in Vancouver and on 90 tours, both international and in Canada. Under his leadership, the organization has sung countless performances and broadcasts, presented a variety of impressive educational outreach programs, made over 55 recordings and received numerous awards.

Washburn is a Member of the Order of Canada (the nation’s highest civilian honour, awarded to him in 2001) and has received Queen Elizabeth’s Silver, Gold, and Diamond Jubilee Medals for his lifetime contribution to Canadian choral art. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors in 1996 and the Louis Botto Award from Chorus America in June 2000, in recognition of “innovative and entrepreneurial spirit in the development of a professional choral ensemble of exceptional quality.”

Also in 2000, he was given the Friends of Canadian Music Award by the Canadian Music Centre (CMC) and the Canadian League of Composers in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the performance and promotion of music by Canadian composers. He was later named a CMC Vancouver Chamber Choir
Ambassador, and was awarded a Star on the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame’s Starwalk in downtown Vancouver. In June 2014 he received the prestigious Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art, presented by Chorus America in Washington, DC at their annual conference.

Jon Washburn Steven Point Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Jon Washburn and The Honourable Steven Point, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, at the 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal investiture.

Eric Ericson and Jon Washburn, 1982

“I have a thousand memories of our first 46 years,” he said, “Special concerts in Moscow, Beijing, Prague, Taipei, Tokyo and Helsinki. Hundreds of performances of pieces by R. Murray Schafer, Stephen Chatman and Imant Raminsh. Misa Flamenca with guitarist Paco Peña’s flamenco troupe. The Brahms Requiem and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. The ground-breaking Music for Healing CDs. Singing with the King’s Singers, and with Eric Ericson and Helmuth Rilling. The marvelous BaroqueFest concert, broadcast and recording for Expo 86. The 26 Messiah performances and the 37 National Conductors’ Symposiums. And the myriad magical moments in rehearsal and performance when the Choir turned the phrase ‘just right’. But now I’m looking forward to the next few seasons, as the Choir transitions into its new configuration and I find my new role in its future.”