Short Version:
Dr. JOHN WIEBE is an award-winning conductor, pianist, educator, adjudicator and clinician based in Edmonton, Alberta, where he is the Director of Music and Choral Activities at the University of Alberta-Augustana campus, and for 21 years was the Artistic & Executive Director of the Edmonton Youth & Children’s Choirs. John has studied at Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Alberta, with Frieder Bernius from Stuttgart, Germany, and in Vienna, Austria. Choirs under his dynamic leadership have recorded six CD’s, performed coast-to-coast across Canada and around the world (Europe, Russia, South America and China), and have received awards for their performances locally, nationally and at the Langollen Music Festival and the World Choir Games. John is a regular clinician and adjudicator across the country, is a Past-President of Choral Canada and likes to keep in shape for his music schedule by travelling with his family, running, and playing hockey.
Long Version:
Dr. JOHN WIEBE is an award-winning choral conductor, pianist, orchestral conductor, singer, educator, adjudicator and clinician from Edmonton Alberta. Known for the energy, craftsmanship and passion he brings to his music making, John has multiple recordings, awards and broadcasts to his credit.
After completing a B.Mus.-Honours in Piano Performance at Wilfrid Laurier University John moved to Edmonton to complete his M.Mus and D.Mus in Choral Conducting. His conducting teachers include Leonard Ratzlaff, Debra Cairns, Malcolm Forsyth, Noel Edison, Howard Dyck, Frieder Bernius, and Salvador Mas Conde . His numerous awards include the H.Leslie Staebler Award for Piano Performance; Beryl Barnes Memorial Award; Gordin Kaplan Graduate Award; William Rea Scholarship and the Province of Alberta Graduate Fellowship. John’s conducting mentorship has a significant international component – in 2000 John studied with Frieder Bernius (Stuttgart, Germany) at the Manitoba Summer Choral Academy (one of only six active conductors chosen from across North America) and in 2002 was awarded the Johann Strauss Foundation Scholarship for Study in Austria, which allowed him to study orchestral conducting at the Wiener Meisterkurse (Vienna, Austria) with Maestro Salvador Mas Conde.
John Wiebe completed his doctoral studies at the University of Alberta in 2006, where his dissertation focused on the choral music of Carl Czerny, a 19th century Biedermeier composer. This dissertation research has resulted in numerous awards (Andrew Stewart Memorial Graduate Prize for Doctoral Research (2005); University of Alberta Dissertation Fellowship (2005); Austrian Canadian Council Dissertation Prize (2008)), publication by the University of Rochester Press (2008), and presentations (Alberta Music Conference 2007, University of Regina 2011).
John is the Director of Music and Choral Activities at the University of Alberta – Augustana Campus, and for 21 years was the conductor of the Edmonton Youth Choir, and the Artistic & Executive Director of the Edmonton Youth & Children’s Choirs. Choirs under his dynamic leadership have recorded six CD’s, been heard many times on CBC Radio, performed coast-to-coast across Canada and around the world (Europe, Russia, South America and China), and have received awards for their performances locally, nationally and at the Langollen Music Festival and the World Choir Games. John has presented numerous conference sessions at PODIUM, the national conference for Choral Canada, and at Music Conference Alberta.
Dr. Wiebe is active in the choral community as a clinician and adjudicator for events as diverse as the Western Canadian Music Awards, the National Youth Choir Apprentice Conductor Program, Kiwanis Music Festivals, Federation of Canadian Music Festivals, and chair of the Edmonton Arts Council Grant Jury. John has served on numerous boards and is a Past-President of Choral Canada, the national service organization for the Canadian choral community. When not busy making music, John enjoys spending time hiking with his family, renovating his house, and running.
