Artistic Leadership

CHORUS CONDUCTOR

Brigid Coult

Brigid Coult trained and worked in England until coming to Canada in 1982. She has been the conductor of Richmond Chorus since 1994, and in her hands the Chorus has grown both in numbers and musicianship. She retired last year having served as Director of Music at St. Mary’s Kerrisdale Anglican Church for 20 years, and she has also served on diocesan and national church committees. She has been a member of Canada’s award-winning women’s choir, Elektra.

Ms. Coult was President of the British Columbia Choral Federation (BCCF) for 13 years, and has just retired from an 18-year term as its Project Manager; she has served on the Board of Choral Canada as BC representative and as President. She was involved in the planning and execution of the World Symposium on Choral Music (III) held here in Vancouver in 1993, the World of Children’s Choirs – 2001, and the joint CC /BCCF ChorPodium conference, held in Victoria in 2006. She has been an adjudicator and choral clinician for festivals throughout BC and in retirement continues as a devoted volunteer and supporter of Richmond’s Cat Sanctuary!

ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR

James Malmberg

A graduate of the UBC School of Music, James Malmberg enjoys a career of teaching, performing and conducting. He is the Artistic Director of the Valhalla Suzuki Institute in New Denver BC and has adjudicated at festivals in Langley, Powell River, Sechelt, and the Kootenays. He has performed with the National Youth Orchestra, Lions Gate Sinfonia, the Orca String Quartet, Vancouver Opera, Vancouver Island Symphony and the Kamloops and Okanagan Symphonies. Since graduating from UBC he has continued his studies in Suzuki Pedagogy in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Edmonton and has spent his summers teaching at the Yukon Summer Music Festival, the UBC Summer Music Institute, and the Edmonton Suzuki Institute. He was appointed conductor of the Richmond Orchestra in 2007 after being concertmaster for several years.

CONCERTMASTER

Larisa Lebeda

Larisa Lebeda, Master of Music, accomplished her studies in Gnessin College of Music, Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow (Russia) and Karol Lipinski Academy of Music Wroclaw (Poland). During her career, she has performed as a soloist (violin and viola) with orchestras in Poland, Tunisia, Germany, Colombia and Canada. Larisa’s teaching carreer includes such universities as Wroclaw Academy of Music, Conservatoire National de Tunisia and Institute Superior de Music en Tunis, University of Ibague and Javeriana University in Bogota – Colombia. Many of her students are members of professional orchestras and/or have been accepted to prominent conservatories in the world. Since her arrival in Canada in September 1999, Larisa has played with various orchestras such as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Opera, Victoria Symphony, Vancouver Island (Assistant), and Kamloops (Concertmaster), and has also taught in Douglas College and Vancouver Academy of Music.

CHORUS ACCOMPANIST

Jeon Mok

Jeon is a pianist with extensive experience, currently collaborating with nearly a dozen choirs across various levels ranging from community and secondary schools to university, on a regular basis. Renowned for his expertise in choral accompaniment, Jeon brings a unique blend of precision, sensitivity, and artistry to his performances. His versatile repertoire and musicality has earned him a reputation as a sought-after accompanist in the choral community. Jeon holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of British Columbia.