OUR STORY

How it all began…

Since its inception in 1985, Youth Singers of Calgary has positively impacted the lives of thousands of singers, their families, and the arts community as a whole. When founder Shirley Penner dreamed of giving young people a chance to express themselves on stage, she could hardly have imagined the myriad ways this organization would grow and, in turn, allow its participants to grow. Through music, theatre arts, and dance, Youth Singers shapes leaders, teachers, and global citizens who in turn shape the communities they live and work in.

Starting with 28 junior high school students, the organization has expanded to 500 singers ranging in age from 3.5 to adult, providing its singers with a wonderfully diverse repertoire that spans all centuries and styles of music. Springing up around this core group is a vast community of families and volunteers who supply in excess 35,000 hours of volunteer commitment annually.

As the needs of the Youth Singers community have grown and changed, so has its programming. In addition to its core instructional and performing divisions, Youth Singers has expanded to offer STAR, a unique program exploring the joy of music with youth and young adults with cognitive delays; the HUB, an intergenerational informal choir that gives alumni and friends a chance to sing side by side; and, in response to our singers’ rising awareness of complex social issues, the formation of a Board subcommittee of singers, with a voice in making the future of Youth Singers’ programs more equitable and inclusive.

Guiding this vast community on their musical journey is a talented and passionate group of artistic educators, a focused board, and a small but dedicated administrative staff. This organization is steered by the principle that a musical education is for all, not an elite few, and providing opportunities for music appreciation and performance leads to a life-long positive impact.

Youth Singers’ touring program has allowed our young people the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase their talents across Canada and in over 20 countries on 5 continents. Youth Singers are wonderful ambassadors for the city, province and country and never fail to bring a smile to the faces of their audiences through their exuberance and passion for their art.

Today, you can find the thousands of Youth Singers alumni across the country and around the world exercising their creativity and using the skills they learned in our programs – whether onstage, in the boardroom, in a classroom, or anywhere in between. This is the true sense of purpose that our singers learn in their time with us, doing what they love.