Our Artistic Staff
Zimfira Poloz, Artistic Director
Conductor, Brio and Allegria Choirs
Zimfira Poloz is a highly respected conductor, educator and adjudicator with a distinguished international reputation. She has been decorated with numerous awards in her long career, including the Honoured Representative of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan Award, the city of Hamilton’s V.I.P. Award, and more recently, the Ontario Art Council’s Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting. She is invited regularly to serve as clinician for festivals, lead workshops for educators, and jury International Choir Competitions, including the Choir Olympics.
Ms. Poloz first established her musical credentials in Kazakhstan, founding the country’s first Choir School. In addition to her duties as Principal of the school, she served as Artistic Director and Conductor of the school’s Concert Choir, “Koktem”. Under Ms. Poloz’s direction, “Koktem” attained top international choral status and was a frequent prize-winner in choral competitions and festivals around the world.
Ms. Poloz is currently the Artistic Director for both the High Park Choirs of Toronto and the Hamilton Children’s Choir; in addition to her global travels as clinician and conductor, she teaches Vocal Pedagogy for Young Choirs at the University of Toronto. Ms. Poloz is a specialist in the Phonopedic Method of Voice Development, created by Professor V. Yemeljanov of Russia, an innovative educational program which includes voice development, coordination and training.
Melanie Marlin
Conductor, Intermezzo Choir and Assistant Conductor, Brio & Allegria Choirs
Melanie Marlin is an emerging conductor who brings a vibrant, energized approach to choral artistry. An experienced vocalist and pedagogue, Melanie is pleased to be leading young singers with three outstanding organizations: High Park Choirs of Toronto, Hamilton Children’s Choir, and Chorus Niagara Children’s Choir.
Originally from Nova Scotia, Melanie holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice and Choral Conducting from Dalhousie University and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Alberta, under Dr. Debra Cairns. Through participation in workshops, masterclasses and symposiums, Melanie has studied with a number of renowned conductors, including Michael Zaugg, Noel Edison, Simon Carrington and Fred Sjöberg.
Melanie has experience leading choral ensembles of all ages, including Sherwood Park Festival Singers, The King’s University College Concert Choir, the University Settlement Children’s Choir, and most recently as an artistic staff member of the Toronto Children’s Chorus.
As a scholar, Melanie has been the recipient of several awards including the Chancellor’s Scholarship at Dalhousie University, a SSHRCC grant, and the inaugural Jocelyn Rogers Pritchard Graduate Award in Music from the University of Alberta.
Marina Filippova
Conductor, Piccolo Choirs
Marina Filippova was born and grew up in Almaty (Kazakhstan), where she received her PhD in Music Theory at the Music College and Almaty State Conservatory. For 17 years she worked with the singing choir school (Almaty) as a teacher of solfeggio, theory and history of music and piano, developing several special programs for the teaching of solfeggio and theory. She took part in International Choir Festivals and Competitions with the Children’s Choir “Koktem” (founded by Zimfira Poloz) in Russia, Germany, Hungary and Austria. Ms. Filippova settled in Canada in 2004 and in addition to her duties with the High Park Choirs of Toronto she is a theory and piano teacher at the Mississauga School of Music.
Sheldon Rose
Accompanist, Brio and Allegria Choirs
Concert Pianist
Sheldon Rose is a graduate of St. Michael’s Choir School in Toronto and of the Faculty of Music (B.Mus. Theory and Composition) at the University of Toronto. He has extensive choral experience, serving as Director of Music and Organist for more than a decade at St. Clare’s Church (Toronto), as Choirmaster for the Appleby College Chapel Choir (Oakville) and as piano accompanist to the Oakville Children’s Choir for seven seasons.
Sheldon has also written many fine choral compositions for treble choirs, many of which have been performed by the High Park Choirs, and some of which have been published by Kelman Hall (Waterloo) and Rhythmic Trident Music Publishing (Vancouver). His complete music resume is available online at http://www3.sympatico.ca/sheldon.rose.