Introducing … Joel Tranquilla

Originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Joel Tranquilla is a conductor, collaborative pianist and music educator who has worked extensively in the areas of church music and theatre music. The newly appointed Artistic Director of the Windsor Classic Chorale, Joel is also the Chorus Master of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, having already prepared the Chorus for performances of Handel's Messiah, Vivaldi's Gloria and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. In April 2011 he made his conducting debut with the WSO in a performance of the Duruflé Requiem. He has been invited to work with some of Canada's finest choral conductors including Lydia Adams, Noel Edison, Diane Loomer and Jon Washburn, and he has participated in such conducting master classes as the Vancouver Chamber Choir National Conductors' Symposium, Festival 500 Sharing the Voices, the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute and the Sarteano Chamber Choral Conducting Workshop with Simon Carrington.

Joel holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Mount Allison University and a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from the University of Michigan where he studied with Jerry Blackstone. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies at Michigan State University where he assistant conducts the University Chorale and accompanies the Men's Glee Club. Joel has taught at Dalhousie University and spent three seasons as Musical Director at the Chester Playhouse Summer Theatre Festival on Nova Scotia's South Shore. Joel served as the assistant conductor of the award-winning Halifax Camerata Singers as well as the Xara Young Women's Choir. He has led workshops for CAMMAC (Canadian Amateur Musicians/Musiciens Amateurs du Canada) and the New Brunswick Choral Federation and has adjudicated at the South-West Nova Music Festival on the French Shore of Nova Scotia.

Joel is an alumnus of the National Youth Choir of Canada and an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto with diplomas in both piano and voice performance. A versatile musician, Mr. Tranquilla has performed across the country with the Canadian Chamber Choir as both singer and pianist. His recording credits include the Canadian Chamber Choir's recent release, "In Good Company" (featured pianist) and the Halifax Camerata Singer's CD, "Solace: Songs of Remembrance" (assistant conductor).