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Bruce Pullan, Music Director
Bruce Pullan was born in England and received his early training as a choral scholar at King's College, Cambridge,
with Sir David Willcocks. He spent some years as a teacher, singer and conductor in London performing with most of
the major choral groups, teaching voice, directing the Tiffin School Choir and conducting opera and choral music.
Since his arrival in Canada in 1974, Mr. Pullan has established an enviable reputation as a singer in the field of oratorio and
lieder. As well as recital and concert appearances, he has been heard on many CBC radio broadcasts. He sang Schubert
Lieder in a special television documentary based on the composer's life.
Mr. Pullan is also much in demand as adjudicator for such organizations as the Metropolitan Opera Auditions and is a
sought-after guest conductor.
In 1983 he was made Music Director of the Vancouver Bach Choir and has conducted the major choral repertoire with this
and other choral groups, with both the Vancouver Symphony and the CBC Orchestras. In 1986 he conducted the massed
choirs for the opening ceremonies of Expo and the Vancouver Bach Choir and Vancouver Symphony in a very successful
documentary film, "Whalesong," which has been shown worldwide.
Mr. Pullan was a professor in the Music Department at Western Washington University for 18 years and was President of the
Vancouver Academy of Music from 1993 to 1997. He joined the faculty of Vancouver Community College Music Department
in 1997 and this season is Director of Choral Activities at the University of British Columbia.
Stephen Smith, Assistant Conductor
Stephen Smith grew up in rural Nova Scotia, where he sang and played the piano from an early age. After initial studies in
his home province in both piano and organ, he attended the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. While
there he participated in national and international competitions, and won numerous awards and distinctions. Since 1990,
Stephen has lived in Vancouver, obtaining his doctoral degree in piano performance from the University of British Columbia
as a student of Jane Coop, and contributing to the musical life of the city as a performer, teacher, lecturer, adjudicator,
conductor, and composer.
Currently, in addition to his work as assistant conductor of the Vancouver Bach Choir and of UBC's University Singers,
Stephen accompanies Elektra women's choir and the Vancouver Men's Chorus, and directs the male-voice ensemble Synergy.
In May 2006 Stephen received the BC Choral Federation's Joyce O. Maguire Award for outstanding long-term service as an
accompanist. He was a featured composer at the 2006 ChorPodium festival in Victoria and a guest conductor at the Unison
2006 festival in Vancouver, and he has recently fulfilled commissions for new works from the Vancouver Chamber Choir,
Chor Leoni men's choir, the Vancouver Men's Chorus, and the Halifax Camerata Singers.
Marisa Gaetanne, Conductor, Junior Choirs
Marisa obtained her Bachelor and Master's degrees at UBC's School of Music, studied voice in England, Italy
and the US and came home to win the 1989 Western Canada Metropolitan Opera Auditions. She blends an active solo
career with teaching voice at UBC; co-directs the BC Choral Federation's Choral Stage summer program for
children and works with her husband, Stephen Horning, as vocal coach for their growing family of choirs in Surrey.
Amber Salladin, Accompanist
Graduating from Wheaton College Conservatory of Music in 2000 and from the University of Southern California with a
Masters of Music (Choral Music) in 2004, Amber Salladin was appointed accompanist of the Vancouver Bach Choir in
January of 2005. She was a teacher and lecturer in Music and directed a number of choirs in California for several years
and now resides in Canada.
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