Meet The ARC Board and Team

Get to know the passionate and dedicated professionals driving our mission forward. Our board of directors brings strategic guidance and vision, while our team works every day to make that vision a reality. Together, we’re committed to making a meaningful impact and we’re proud to introduce the people behind the work. 

ARC thrives thanks to dedicated individuals like you. We’re seeking passionate Directors to help guide and support our vibrant choral community. To help guide and grow our vibrant choral community, check out the role details here or email board@archoirs.org.
 

ARC Board of Directors and Board Members

Christene Gordon

Christene's Bio

Christene Gordon B.A., B.Ed., M.Sc. (ARCT – Performer voice)


After 20 years working in senior leadership with the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and
Northwest Territories, Christene retired in February 2024.


In addition to her work in the field of dementia care she has had over 30 years
experience as an educator; specializing in program design, development and delivery in
various settings including the Calgary Board of Education, Calgary Zoo, Calgary Health
Services and Heritage Park.


Musically her tastes lean towards classical, opera and musical theatre and she would
travel anywhere to hear Bryn Terfel, Cecilia Bartoli or Elaine Fleming. Her hobbies
include travel, gardening, baking for friends and family and walking her beloved border
terriers, Caper and Reiver.


She joined ARC in 2010 and found herself singing and loving every second of the
eclectic repertoire that the ARC choirs perform. She served on the ARC board executive
from 2013 -2019, with terms as Vice President, President, Past President.


President

Robyn Jackson

Robyn's Bio

Robyn brings to ARC over 25 years of experience in the charitable sector in event and project management, fund development, and leadership roles. She has enjoyed serving a variety of causes, including arts and festivals, animal welfare, women and children's services, professional associations, and disability supports.  She even spent 2013-2018 as ARC’s Executive Director!

 

There is music in the genes on both sides of her family and she remembers singing into the mirror as a kid, wholeheartedly believing she could be the next Olivia Newton-John. Her 2 years spent with Up With People primed her to be a member of ARC - though “Uppies” don’t call it choreo, they call it vamping! Robyn has no favourite songs but can never pass up a good show tune or a harmony with The Indigo Girls.


Vice-President

Cheryl Grant


Treasurer

Lynne Cowe Falls


Secretary

Gail Kennedy

Gail's Bio

According to her siblings, Gail sang before she talked. Not surprising as the 4 older siblings were always playing piano or playing their records. Her parents enrolled her in dance lessons at age 6 and she adamantly exclaimed that she “didn’t want the slow dancing, just the fast dancing with the noisy shoes!” The tap dancer was born!


At 12, Ms. Kennedy auditioned for the local summer stock theatre in Helena, Montana, singing America the Beautiful. Her audition was successful and she sang and danced as a town child in her first musical Brigadoon. She continued to study drama, music, and dance through high school and university, eventually with a secondary education focus. Jobs for high school drama teachers weren’t to be found, so Gail pivoted sideways and started sewing costumes for the professional theatres in Edmonton. She was sought after as a makeup specialist and was given a grant by the Alberta Government to pursue film and television makeup and makeup effects artistry in New York State.


Ms. Kennedy has worked as a professional makeup and makeup effects designer and supervisor in Canada for nearly 50 years, garnering 6 Emmy nominations with one win.


Gail served as Vice President on the Board of The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 212 for 15 years. She is also on the Board of Performing Arts Lodges of Canada, Calgary chapter, an organization dedicated to pursuing affordable housing options for arts workers.


Ms. Kennedy is excited to be with the ARC family and to continue the ARC excellence with her new found friends.


Director

Amy More

Amy's Bio

Amy has had a passion for music since a young age. She enjoyed piano lessons, band and
choir all thru her school years. Her university career took a sharp u-turn from a music and
education degree to graduating with a bachelor of management, major; marketing from the
University of Lethbridge.


She is very proud of her 13 year career in seniors housing and health care. She has a passion
for seniors and the support they and their families need when they are diagnosed with cognitive
impairments.


Now, her career path has shifted into motherhood. She has two amazing boys and enjoys all the
things being a stay at home mum.


ARC is more than just a choir, it’s a community, it’s a happy place! It’s an extended family where
she’s grown as a singer and built confidence thru all the support of the members and artistic
team.


She is honored to be a board director and help shape the future of ARC.


Director

Mike Smith

Mike's Bio

Mike Smith has previously served as an ARCS Board Director and has rejoined the board to offer insight and experience as he is a member of more than one ARC choir and is one of the original ARC members still singing and performing. He joined the Second Chants choir directed by Brian Bowman around 1998 and moved with Brian to become a founding member of Up2Something in 2002. Mike has sung solo, terrified, in many year-end concerts and notes - "when you are the only person on the risers, they shake in rhythm with your knees". He has taught in Junior and Senior High Schools where he founded and ran the Calgary Region Schools' Programming Competition (1981 - 2000) that attracted Elementary, Junior and Senior High students from across Southern Alberta. He is a recently retired University of Calgary Engineering Professor having received Provincial and National awards for his innovations and enthusiasm in presenting Science and Engineering to Elementary and University students. Mike has put in many volunteer hours with a variety of organizations as well as ARC, currently contributing to the Alberta Disabled Sailing Association, the Spark Science Centre, the Alberta Science Network and the Harmony First Chorus .


Director

Venita Ramanna


Director

Reg Gerlitz


Director

Marni Fieldberg


Director

Carleen Smith

Carleen's Bio

Past President  

Carleen is a born and raised Calgarian. She attended the University of Lethbridge where she achieved her Bachelor of Fine Arts in New Media and is now a graphic designer for a Real Estate brokerage. 

Carleen has been singing her entire life and finds sharing her voice, both solo or with a choir, extremely exhilarating and something she can never stop doing. Her favourite things about ARC: the people and the amazing productions that consistently get better every year! Carleen's favourite song is: "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence and the Machine

 


Past President

Administration, Artistic and Production Team

Torri Airhart

Torri's Bio

Torri was born and raised in Yellowknife, NWT. He grew up in a very musical family where both his parents were involved in singing and playing piano/organ on a weekly basis. Torri started piano lessons at the age of 4 and that remained one of his greatest passions up until University. He attended University of Manitoba for his undergrad degrees (B of Music/ B of Ed), during which he was actively involved in numerous vocal groups (University Singers, Bison Men's Chorus, VocalEase) where he also developed a keen passion for Vocal Jazz.

After University, Torri spent 7 years as a full-time worship pastor in Winnipeg and Minneapolis. Upon returning to Canada, he received a Masters in Music (Choral Conducting) from the University of Calgary where he studied for two years under Malcolm Edwards. Alongside his studies, Torri became involved in the Calgary Choral scene, holding positions with Youth Singers of Calgary, The Savridi Singers, and was a founding director of Harmony through Harmony. During this time, his day job included building a music program that included concert band, jazz band, choir and vocal jazz that won multiple awards at local, national and international competitions. He has also been an adjudicator and clinician for Westwinds and Three Hills Musicale. 

Torri is excited to join ARC and work with an amazing group of singers and staff people - and to be a part of the new chapter in ARC's next 20 year history! 

Torri's musical tastes are incredibly varied - classic rock, pop, Broadway, jazz, and even some occasional modern country! But the two most frequent “go to” stations would be Bach or Jazz.


Artistic Director
torri@archoirs.org

Leslie Forward

Leslie's Bio

A born and raised Calgarian, Leslie has been involved in the arts scene, specifically music (concert/jazz/marching bands), for most of her life. She is a CPA, CGA by day and an avid volunteer by night, supporting various organizations to further arts, education, western culture and overall continue to keep Calgary shining! 

She is excited to partner with ARC to not only support their current business needs, but also strategic initiatives to keep the songbirds singing, helping to provide a great space for community building, creative activities and engagement within the city. 

The main reason that music is so important to Leslie is her philosophy that individuals do not need to share a common language to understand and communicate with one another when music is involved and it is a large mood shifter. The moment certain songs, such as YMCA, Bohemian Rhapsody, Friends in Low Place and others come across a radio, everyone turns into the best backup singer! Classical and Jazz are usually playing in her home to set a relaxing background atmosphere but nothing is better than country in the car for a long drive!


Executive Director
leslie@archoirs.org

John Vooys

John's Bio

Born and raised in Calgary, John grew up enjoying music through playing piano. He entered the choir scene in college as he completed a BFA in drawing at ACAD and a Master of Christian Studies from Ambrose. One of his many talents is composing music and he has more recently begun sharing it with people, including our ARC family! 

One thing that excites John about ARC is that he loves making great vocal music with other people, and this community gives him the opportunity to stretch singers who have less experience or confidence with their voices. To John, music is something that helps us feel and understand, while singing together creates felt connections that other forms cannot. His favourite choir song is "O Maria" by Anuna and his favourite non-choir song has got to be "Inspector Norse" by Todd Terje!


Associate Artistic Director
john@archoirs.org

Lorel Leal

Lorel's Bio

Lorel Leal Lorel had her Canadian upbringing on a family farm. One thing that excites her about ARC is creating great music, all together as a community. To Lorel, music brings satisfaction, comfort and a personal sense of accomplishment! Favourite song? I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor!


Director and Accompanist of Something Good

Krista Willott

Krista's Bio

Coming Soon...


Production Manager

Lisa Ryan

Lisa's Bio

Coming Soon...


Choreographer

Garrett Krause

Garrett's Bio

Accompanist 

Garrett is a born and raised Calgarian, who began his musical training at a young age through the singing-based Kodály music program at Mount Royal. He sang in children's choirs before switching to focus on playing the piano from junior high onward. As well as attaining his piano performance ARCT he studied music composition at the University of Calgary and is a national award-winning composer. 

He enjoys working as an accompanist, especially with choirs like ARC, because of the chance to collaborate and be a part of a group and community of excited people who are all there to share their love of music. He believes that music has such a strong power to unite people and connect all our emotions and powerfully tell stories. 

Garrett loves pretty much all music: from early medieval chants to modern avante-garde orchestral pieces, film scores, pop and rock. A long-time favorite song of his is Tusk by Fleetwood Mac.


Musical Director and Accompanist

Conor Maney

Conor's Bio

Coming Soon...


Assistant Choreographer

Reina Gomez

Reina's Bio

Coming Soon...


Accompanist

Emmanuelle Hagey

Emmanuelle's Bio

Coming Soon...


Volunteer Coordinator

Susie Dooley


Systems Administrator


The ARC Story 

ARC exists because we believe everyone deserves to find joy, connection, and creative expression through music. Founded by Brian Bowman in 2002, we created a welcoming community where adults, regardless of experience, could discover and share their voices. With a commitment to inclusivity, we built vibrant choirs performing eclectic music and stunning productions that bring people together. Today, under Artistic Director Torrance Airhart, we continue our mission, fostering deep connections and enriching lives in Calgary. 

ARC thrives thanks to dedicated individuals like you. We’re seeking passionate Directors to help guide and support our vibrant choral community. To help guide and grow our vibrant choral community, check out the role details here or email board@archoirs.org.

 

We Welcome New Voices! 

We are always delighted to welcome new singers to our adult choir. Whether you are an experienced vocalist or simply passionate about music, there's a place for you here. Sign up today to become a member and share in the joy of choral singing.

Become a Member

 


Join the Harmony and Become an ARC Volunteer! 

Volunteers are the heartbeat of ARC, bringing energy and passion to our community. Whether backstage, supporting rehearsals, or engaging with audiences, your time makes a real impact. 

Volunteering with ARC is a great way to connect, gain experience, and contribute to Calgary’s arts scene.

Ready to help? Visit our contact page and email us at info@archoirs.org today to learn how you can get involved!

Have questions or inquiries? Please email us at info@archoirs.org!
You can also keep up with us via social media! Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!  

 

 

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