Tony Araujo, Artistic Director

Tony Araujo’s career as conductor and master teacher links the standards of professional performance with the goals of music education. Celebrated for his spirited and moving concerts, Araujo’s commitment to choral music is recognized in his innovative programming, teaching initiatives, conducting appearances, and award-winning ensembles that have performed throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

 

Araujo’s seminal work fostered the award winning choral music program at St. Patrick Regional Secondary in Vancouver, BC where nearly half the school population each year has been enrolled since 1995.  St. Patrick Regional Secondary’s non-auditioned concert choir and its auditioned chamber choir repeatedly garnished gold rankings at festivals throughout North America, including the United States Festival of Gold concert series, to which the school received an invitation in 1999 as the first Canadian choir to participate.  Journalist Rosemary Phillips described Araujo’s Spirit Alive choral concert series initiative as “compassion, caring, wisdom and passionate vision for educating young artists with hope and gratitude”.

 

Araujo is also Artistic Director of the BC Boys Choir, a position he has held since his appointment in 2003.  He has conducted the Touring Choir on international tours throughout China and Australia, Portugal, Spain, Italy and France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands and Costa Rica in 2012.  The Touring Choir has garnished international acclaim for performing demanding repertoire spanning centuries, from Gregorian chant to contemporary commissioned works.

 

As founder and Artistic Director of Corpus Christi College Chamber Choir, Araujo has enjoyed a long association with the Catholic Liberal Arts College and the Archdiocese of Vancouver.  Araujo is invited to conduct at diocesan events, perform community concerts and participate in outreach initiatives each year.  In 1998 Araujo composed Spirit Alive for the Vancouver Archdiocese’s celebration at BC Place Stadium and has since recorded five Spirit Alive choral music cds.

 

Araujo’s sole musical training began with organ lessons at the age of five.  Araujo continues to study conducting through his association with esteemed colleagues and mentors, including Doreen Rao, Rodney Eichenberger and Weston Noble.  Araujo holds undergraduate degrees in English Literature, in Education and graduate studies in Pastoral Studies and Depth Psychology.  Araujo’s teaching contribution and research explores the vocational and transferential aspects of the choral music experience, applying new theories and practices of depth psychology to cultural transformation and healing.  This commitment to an archetypal pedagogy that teaches to the soul has been documented in magazine and textbook publications for bridging diversity, creating community and enabling personal individuation.

 

Tony Araujo continues to guest conduct, lecture and teach throughout the Pacific Northwest.  He has been invited as guest conductor of the American Choral Directors Association Honor Choir and has enjoyed choral residences with festival and concert associations throughout Canada and the United States.  Araujo was inducted as a lifetime Honorary Member of the Golden Key International Honor Society by the University of British Columbia for his scholastic achievements, leadership and community service.  Araujo is the recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for teaching Excellence.