Luminous Voices, Calgary’s professional chamber choir, was founded in 2012 by conductor and Artistic Director Timothy Shantz. We unite local, national, and international artists and organizations to illuminate choral music of the past and present, spanning cultures and traditions. We engage audiences in Calgary and beyond through exceptional sonic experiences encompassing live and virtual performances, recordings, workshops, new commissions by contemporary composers, and community education and development.
Luminous Voices continues to thrill audiences in Calgary and beyond through performances, recordings, workshops and youth education. The choir has five commercial recordings. The most recent Fire-Flowers: Exploring themes of loss, grief, and hope, the album’s centrepiece is Brahms’ beloved Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) in a special collaborative arrangement for two pianos. Ispiciwin, released in 2023 on the Leaf Music Label. Artem Vedel: Twelve Sacred Choral Concerti & Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, released in 2021 on the Leaf Music Label. Sea Dreams, music by Peter-Anthony Togni released in July 2020 on the Leaf Music label, was nominated for a 2021 JUNO Award. The Far West was released in May 2016. Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, “beautifully sung, as everything here is, by the aptly named Luminous Voices under Timothy Shantz.”
Our programming includes 4-5 self-produced concerts per season. All concerts are at The Bella Concert Hall at Taylor Centre for The Performing Arts.
We organize free workshops for youth.
We have earned an irreplaceable spot in the choral community in Calgary and beyond:
Luminous Voices is a registered non-profit organization with charitable status and people can support it by coming to the concerts and making donations. With our patrons’ support we are able to produce exceptional choral music for the audiences in Calgary and beyond.
We welcome volunteers for our concerts (4-5 per season) as well as for ongoing help with promotion.
We are looking for new Board members with expertise in accounting, donor relations and marketing.
Our funding priority is to produce world-class music during performances and recordings: to pay choristers, composers, guest artists and to provide service to Calgary’s communities.
Donations up to $499
donate to Luminous Voices’ area of greatest need
support the ongoing work of our singers from educational workshops to reading sessions
$500-$1,000
bring a singer to the stage of the Bella for a concert
purchase new music scores
produce archival recordings
$1,000-$5,000
feature guest artists throughout our season
support the assistant conductor position
$5,000-$15,000
commission a new work, a shorter 3-5 minute work or a substantial commission
support an entire performance in our season