Cantatrice Staff
Originally from St. John’s, NL, has been a music educator and choral director with the Halifax Regional School Board since 1988. She currently teaches at Harry R. Hamilton School as well as the Dartmouth All-City Music Department. An enthusiastic choral conductor, Karen directs the Cantatrice Ensemble Girls’ Honour Choir, Dartmouth All-City Youth Choir and Harry R. Hamilton School Choir. Choirs under her direction have performed at various events locally, nationally and internationally. Karen is also a busy as a clinician and adjudicator, having presented for the Atlantic Festival of Music, Nova Scotia Music Educator’s Association, New Brunswick District Music Educators, Nova Scotia Choral Federation, Kodaly Society of Nova Scotia, PEI Music Educators’ Association, Annapolis Valley Regional School Board, Nova Scotia Department of Education and Halifax Regional School Board. Karen has been involved with many projects of Nova Scotia Choral Federation over the years, including Fall Youth Sing, Junior Choir Camp, Children’s Chorus of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Youth Choir and Juvenata. Karen holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Dalhousie University as well as a Master of Education from Saint Mary’s University, and has attended conducting institutes with several conductors including Dr. John Trotter and Linda Beaupre. Karen has been a choral singer for over twenty years, having sung with choirs in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, and is dedicated to sharing this passion with her choristers. Choirs under her direction have participated in events including MusicFest Canada: The Nationals (Ottawa, Toronto and Niagara Falls, ON), Canadian Rocky Mountain Music Festival (Banff, AB), Disney Honors Festival (Orlando, Florida), Disney Performing Arts Series (Orlando, Florida), Mid-America Children’s Choir Festival at Carnegie Hall (New York City, New York), Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festival (Halifax, NS), Juvenata! (New Glasgow, Sydney and Lunenburg, NS), Rotary Music Festival (St. John’s, NL), Atlantic Festival of Music (Halifax, NS), Toronto Festival of Music (Toronto, ON) and David Foster’s “Crescendo” Charity Gala (Halifax, NS). She and her husband Mike, also a choral director, are the proud parents of choristers Lauryn and Taylor MacDonald.
Pamela received her undergraduate degrees in music and music education from Memorial University in her home province of Newfoundland.
She received her Masters degree in piano from the University of Western Ontario and has studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England. She has been a music teacher with the Halifax Regional School Board since 1994. In addition to directing the Halifax Boys' Honour Choir, and co-directing the Nova Scotia Youth Choir, she serves as accompanist for the Dartmouth Choral Society and Cantatrice Ensemble Girls’ Choir.
She received her Masters degree in piano from the University of Western Ontario and has studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England. She has been a music teacher with the Halifax Regional School Board since 1994. In addition to directing the Halifax Boys' Honour Choir, and co-directing the Nova Scotia Youth Choir, she serves as accompanist for the Dartmouth Choral Society and Cantatrice Ensemble Girls’ Choir.