The Victoria Conservatory of Music is pleased to announce that Colin Doroschuk has joined the organization in two artistic leadership roles: Head of Voice within the Ann & George Nation Conservatory School of Classical Music, and Director of the Voice Program for the Chwyl Family Contemporary School of Music.
In addition to his professional credentials in the classical domain, Colin has achieved world recognition in the field of popular mainstream music as a founding member of the internationally-acclaimed, chart-topping, Canadian band Men Without Hats (Safety Dance!; Pop goes the World!). Performing, recording, producing, the band has received numerous accolades, including multiple Gold & Platinum records, Grammy & Juno nominations, and Felix awards. The Freeways North American Tour was documented for posterity by the CBC in a legendary broadcast, Men Without Hats Live at the Spectrum.
“We are thrilled that Colin has decided to join the Victoria Conservatory of Music family. As the Conservatory works to build an engaged and innovative centre of music learning in the northwest, it is incredibly fortunate to have someone with Colin’s breadth of experience take on the leadership and expansion of our voice programs. Students and faculty alike are looking forward to working with Colin as we begin the new fall semester.” —CEO, Nathan Medd and Chief Artistic and Academic Officer, Stephen Green
As founding artistic director of the Northern Opera Theatre, Colin directed opera productions in Montreal and in Kingston. [Dido & Aeneas; Incoronazione di Poppea; Down in the Valley; The Telephone; Hansel and Gretel] He subsequently founded the avant-garde operatic ensemble Centrifugal Force. Serving as resident composer and artistic director of the company, he created, produced, performed, and toured new contemporary operas. Colin has performed extensively, appearing as a soloist in opera, recital, galas, concerts, and videos as well as on radio and on television. Performing and singing with the Coast Salish Singers & Dancers in his opera Heaven (2008), produced by the Victoria Symphony, was a special personal highlight. A vocal specialist who composes for the stage, Colin served as resident composer and music director of both Ballet Victoria and the Festival d’Opéra de St Eustache. There he has received many important operatic, symphonic, and ballet commissions. In 2014, he conducted the world-premiere of his 4 Act opera Évangéline in Rimouski for the Opéra Théâtre de Rimouski.
“I am very excited to join the Victoria Conservatory of Music. I feel as though I’m following in a family tradition. My mother, M. Betty Doroschuk served as the Head of the Voice department of McGill University for a decade, which gave me the valuable opportunity to observe at close hand, just how an important voice department can be managed, developed, and maintained.”– Colin Doroschuk
Colin holds a Bachelor of Music degree from McGill University, and a French Baccalauréat with distinction from the Académie de Caen. He has an Interdisciplinary Masters [music & theatre with special focus on opera] from the University of Victoria, for which he received multiple Dean’s scholarships. Colin trained as a classical singer studying at McGill University with M.Betty Doroschuk (Chair of the Voice Department at McGill University). There he apprenticed as teacher and as coach, subsequently joining the McGill Conservatory as a voice instructor.
“Over the years, I’ve had rewarding working experiences with most of the professional musical organisations in Victoria. The city hosts an excellent symphony, a fantastic opera company, as well as a burgeoning popular music scene,” added Doroschuk. “The Conservatory is a most important piece of this vibrant cultural scene in that it trains amateur & future-professional musicians, develops audience interest, as well as provides performance opportunities and regular concerts.”
Colin added, “These days, the students who wish to become pop singers realize, as I did, just what an asset classical technique can be towards developing range, timbre, power, flexibility, expressivity, as well as the endurance necessary to sustain a rewarding professional career,” continued Doroschuk. “One important challenge will be to create bridges between the classical and the contemporary voice departments with the goal of creating well-rounded, technically secure singers that are conversant in multiple styles.”
