Artistic Director Announcement

The Board of the Phoenix Vocal and Performing Society would like to formally introduce our Artistic Director

Dr. Nicholle Andrews, D.Mus (she/her)

Originally from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, Dr. Nicholle Andrews is Director of Choral Studies at the University of Redlands in Southern California, and Artist Director of Phoenix Chamber Choir in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is in high demand across North America as a conductor, adjudicator, and clinician.

Andrews has worked with such composers as William Bolcolm, Joan Tower, Libby Larson, Gunther Schuller,  Imant Raminsh, R. Murray Schafer, alcides lanza, and Krzysztof Penderecki, and eminent conductors Bramwell Tovey, Sir David Willcox, Bobby McFerrin, Tõnu Kaljuste and Georg Titner. Under her direction, choirs at the University of Redlands have been invited to perform at festivals and conferences such as the Canada’s national choral conference Podium on the Edge, National Collegiate Choral Organization Convention, California Music Educators Association Convention, California All State Music Educators Conference and Festival 500 Sharing the Voices. Her choirs have performed with legendary rock group The WHO, Sarah Brighman and Josh Groban.

At the University of Redlands, Andrews’ areas of specialization include choral conducting, body mapping and ear training. She also offers graduate seminars on performance anxiety, score study, rehearsal technique, an undergraduate course on understanding contemporary music titled Ear Cleaning, and a Freshmen Music Seminar. Andrews has received recognition for her outstanding teaching as the recipient of Advisor of the Year, Professor of the Year, and Faculty Outstanding Service Award.

Andrews is a licensed body mapping educator and her areas of research include the study of performance anxiety in musicians, pitch perception, and awareness of the body through conducting. Her publications can be found in sources such as the Journal of Research in Music Education and she is currently serving as the Collegiate Research and Repertoire Coordinator for the Western Division American Choral Directors Association.

In January 2013, Andrews created the University of Redlands Youth Choir as a training program for children from surrounding communities, and music education students at the university. The program is now in its seventh year and has grown in numbers allowing the creation of a training chorus (ages 5-8) as a feeder ensemble for the youth choir (ages 9-16).

Having completed her doctorate and master’s in choral conducting at McGill University, Andrews studied with Professor Iwan Edwards, Dr. John Baboukis, and Dr. Julian Wachner. While at McGill University she taught musicianship, instrumental conducting and choral conducting. She completed a double Bachelors of Music in oboe
performance and music education at Memorial University of Newfoundland where she studied conducting with Dr. Douglas Dunsmore.

Andrews has also taught music (kindergarten to grade 12) in several public schools throughout Canada and England.