Training Choir Accompanist

Teresa van den Boogaard has enjoyed accompanying singers professionally since the mid-1980s, when she completed her B.A. specializing in piano performance, music history and theory/composition.

Teresa is a former organist- choir director of Dominion-Chalmers United Church, having also held positions at First Church of Christ Scientist, Notre Dame Cathedral-Basilica, and St. Matthew’s Anglican Church.

Teresa is perhaps best known around Ottawa as a keyboardist and director who works with choral and vocal ensembles: close to thirty Eastern Ontario groups at last count including the Anglican Chorale of Ottawa, Orpheus Musical Theatre Society, GOYA Theatre, Opera Lyra Boys Choir, Ottawa Regional Youth Choir, Vox Eclectica, and more mentioned below.

An Associate of the Royal Canadian College of Organists, Teresa has been a recitalist in the RCCO Pro Organo series as well as in others at First Church of Christ Scientist, St. Luke’s Anglican, St. Barnabas Anglican, and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian churches.

Her exceptional skills in organ accompaniment and ensemble playing have been featured in concert with CAMMAC, Canadian Centennial Choir, Cantata Singers, Cantiamo Choirs of Ottawa, Carleton University Choir, Euphonia Chamber Choir, Musica Viva Singers, National Capital Concert Band, Ottawa Choral Society, Seventeen Voyces, University of Ottawa Choir, and the choirs of St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Christ Church Cathedral, and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.

Teresa loves to sing and has studied voice privately with Carl Kaiser and Marjorie Sparks among others.  Teresa has sung in larger choirs such as Amadeus Choir and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, as well as in smaller ensembles including Toronto ConcertSingers, Hypatia’s Voice, a female jazz sextet, and her own a cappella quintet called Four Yorkshiremen.

Teresa teaches piano, organ, musicianship and music theory, and delights in the process of encouraging inquisitive, well-rounded, joyful and confident musicians of all ages.  She holds certificates in elementary and intermediate piano pedagogy from the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Teresa is so pleased and proud to be part of Cantiamo’s talented and dedicated choral education team.  Music-making together makes everything better!