Caelis Academy Ensemble
What's in a Name?
Caelis - a derivation of the Latin word for heaven, which reminds us that our music-making is rooted in the spiritual pursuit of beauty
Academy - this honours our mission to be a place of learning, and where our respect for tradition lives alongside our quest for new expressions, new creativity, and renewed outreach
Ensemble - our shared commitment to community, where no singer sings alone but as a member of a team on which everyone's contribution is needed and valued
We are an outstanding chamber-concert choir, founded in the summer of 2017 by Matthew Larkin and a community of friends and colleagues who have worked together for many years. To date, we have completed seven successful seasons, and have offered the very best of the oratorio and liturgical music traditions, with performances of masterworks old and new. We are unique among Ottawa choral ensembles, in that every member of the choir has grown through the cathedral tradition of music-making, and all have a strong commitment to the ethos of sacred music, and we offer tremendous performance and learning experience to young singers in particular.
But that's not all: many of our artists are multi-genre performers and have strong experience in a variety of musical spheres and influences. Our embrace of diverse repertoire points our artists and audiences toward many musical pathways with authenticity and integrity. We value collaborative relationships with orchestral and chamber musicians, and have worked frequently with the Ottawa Baroque Consort, and others. We are frequently honoured to share the stage with some of Canada's most outstanding vocal soloists. We perform in some of Ottawa's most historic and beautiful performance places, including churches, event spaces, and concert venues.
Please see our Past Performances page for some of our most recent concert offerings, and our Upcoming Events page for what we have planned in the near term. We hope to see you at one of our concerts, and we warmly welcome your encouragement and support.
About Matthew Larkin
Organist, conductor, composer, and educator Matthew Larkin has been at the forefront of concert, liturgical, and ensemble choral and keyboard performance in Canada for thirty years. He received his early musical training as a cathedral chorister, and undertook advanced studies at the University of Toronto (as Organ Scholar of Trinity College), and the Royal College of Music. He has since served in a leadership role in the music of several prominent Canadian churches, including St. James Cathedral (Toronto) and Christ Church Cathedral (Ottawa). He has served as Music Director of the Ottawa Choral Society, Canada’s most historic philharmonic choir, and he founded Ottawa’s Caelis Academy Ensemble in 2017, which now stands among Canada’s finest chamber choirs.
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As organist, pianist, and collaborator, he has performed throughout North America, Europe, and China, and as soloist with several of Canada’s orchestras including that of the National Arts Centre, the Toronto Symphony, and the Vancouver Symphony. His discography is extensive, and he is both a Naxos and ATMA recording artist. Currently, Matthew serves as Custodian of Music at Ottawa’s St. Andrew’s Church, is Resident Conductor of New Opera Lyra, and keeps a very full diary of concert events.