Laurence Ewashko's wealth of experience as both a singer and a choral conductor, and his fluency in five languages make him uniquely qualified to realize the best possible sound from a choir. He is known for working with singers until they attain an exceptional sound and are able to achieve an outstanding performance.

Associate Professor of Choral Activities at the University of Ottawa, where he also has a private voice studio, Laurence has studied at the Gliere Music Academy in Kyiv, Ukraine and with Helmuth Rilling in Stuttgart, Germany. With the assistance of the Canada Council, he completed six years of postgraduate studies in Austria, at the Academy of Music and at the Conservatory of Music in Vienna.

Former conductor of the Vienna Boys' Choir, Laurence was invited back in 1998 to take the boys on tour throughout Mexico and the United States, which also included a special appearance on the Late Night Show with David Letterman. He has served as Chorus Master and Vocal Coach at the Banff Centre for the Arts, and has lectured in Canada, the United States, Italy, and in Sweden. In Ottawa he conducted the Cantata Singers of Ottawa for many years, and until recently, the University of Ottawa Choir. He has taken both these choirs on successful tours abroad, notably to the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Austria, Hungary, Italy, France, and Russia.

Laurence has just returned from a highly successful tour of Italy with the Ewashko Singers, with concerts in Venice, Florence, and Rome, and now embarks on his 22nd year as Chorus Master with Opera Lyra Ottawa. This season he will lead the Ewashko Singers in three concerts: "In Celebration of Chopin and Shumann," "Christmas With a Twist," and "Lisztomania!"

In addition to his work with Ewashko Singers, Opera Lyra Ottawa, and the University of Ottawa, this season Laurence will also be preparing Ottawa choruses for performances of Mendelssohn's Lobgesang and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, as well as a world premiere by Malcolm Forsythe, all at the National Arts Centre.

An established and sought after choral clinician, vocal coach and adjudicator, Mr. Ewashko has garnered accolades for his musical skills and makes a significant contribution to the quality and appreciation of vocal music wherever he goes. Through his extensive involvement with professional and amateur choirs and orchestras throughout Canada and Europe, Laurence Ewashko continues to contribute significantly to the quality and appreciation of choral music in Canada and abroad.