ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & SENIOR CHOIRS CONDUCTOR – EMILY PETRENKO
Born in London, Ontario, Emily started piano lessons and singing in choir at the age of three. She grew up playing wind and percussion instruments in concert bands, jazz groups, and percussion ensembles, and rapidly developed a love of music. Emily earned an Associate Performer’s Diploma through Conservatory Canada (piano), a Bachelor of Music (piano and voice) and Chamber Music Diploma from Wilfrid Laurier University, as well as a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Music in Literature and Performance (solo piano) from the University of Western Ontario.
In her early career, Emily taught private lessons in piano, voice, and theory. She adjudicated at many music festivals, developed workshops for Conservatory Canada, and presented them to music teachers across Canada. Emily established programs like the Elora Youth Singers and the Elora Festival Kids Camp—a program she ran for 14 summers during which children performed a musical after only five days of rehearsals. For several years, Emily was the Music Director for the Centre Wellington Singers and was the Artistic Director of the Mississauga Children’s Choir.
For more than two decades, Emily sang with the professional Parish Choir of St. John the Evangelist in Elora and participated in numerous recordings on the Naxos and independent labels. She directed St. John’s Volunteer Choir for 11 years and their Youth Choir for 18 years.
As a qualified educator and member of the Ontario College of Teachers, Emily has a vast range of experience teaching instrumental music, vocal music, guitar, and elementary music in public and private schools. Emily is currently a teacher with the Upper Grand District School Board at École King George Public School in Guelph and is proud to be a Google Certified Educator. In addition to her day job, Emily is a member of the College of Examiners of the Royal Conservatory of Music, and currently serves as an online and in-person examiner.
At home, Emily enjoys life with her husband Jurgen on a 24-acre hobby farm near Elora. They reap the benefits of an organic life tending to their gardens, two dogs, two horses, twenty-four chickens (including Fabio, the rooster), and approximately two million honeybees.
After working with the GYS Chamber Choir in 2023–2024, Emily is thrilled to take on the role of Artistic Director.
JUNIOR CHOIRS CONDUCTOR – MARLYS NEUFELDT
Music has been a vital part of Marlys’ life since she was a young child growing up in Calgary, Alberta. Singing in choirs and solos, playing piano, playing flute in school concert band, accompanying and performing piano with chamber musicians, leading at Ontario Mennonite Music Camp, directing choirs and teaching music in the classroom, Marlys enjoys all sorts of musical experiences.
She achieved her Associate Diploma (Piano Performance) with the Royal Conservatory of Music (University of Toronto). Performance highlights include winning the Rose Bowl for Top Performer in the Saskatchewan Valley Music Festival, performing at provincial levels of Kiwanis Music Festivals in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and playing in the lobby at a Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra performance. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Canadian Mennonite University (Winnipeg, MB), along with a B.Th. – CMU, B.A. – UW, and B.Ed. – UT, with a Vocal Music certification as a Music Specialist. She also has training in Orff I and II, and Kodaly I training through the RCM. She started teaching private piano lessons and theory rudiments at age 15, teaching at schools such as Montcrest (Toronto), Rockway (Kitchener), and Beckett School (Kitchener) as well as her own private studio. She has taught vocal and instrumental music as a teacher in the Toronto and Waterloo school boards, and was Head of Music at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate for 7 years. She is now in the Upper Grand board at École Guelph Lake, teaching music and other subjects in French.
Marlys enjoys singing with amateur and professional choirs, currently with Da Capo Chamber Choir and Spiritus Ensemble in Kitchener/Waterloo, and occasionally with the Parish Choir of St. John’s Church of Elora.
Marlys is the mother of 3 wonderful young adult children, and lives in Guelph with her enthusiastic chocolate labradoodle, Evie. When not making music, she enjoys running, yoga, hiking, camping, canoeing, cooking, and reading.
Marlys is delighted to join the artistic team of the Guelph Youth Singers. She sees the musical potential within each singer, creating a fun, warm and inclusive community as well as a challenging environment for young people to learn music. Her vision is to equip choristers with skills and experiences so they, too, can see choral music as a fun, creative, collaborative expression of joy which the world needs!
COLLABORATIVE PIANIST & ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR – DERICA SCOTT
Derica Scott is an accomplished pianist currently studying at Wilfrid Laurier University in the history, critical analysis, and theory department. She has a decade of experience teaching piano and voice of all ages and styles. Her most recent accomplishments are her accolades in both Royal Conservatory performance and theory exams and one-on-one work with vocalists through the NATS vocal competition and university juries. As an alumnus of GYS, it is her pleasure to be able to work with the choir as a collaborative pianist.
MINI MUSIC MAKERS DIRECTOR – EMILY STEERS
Emily Steers (she/her) is a soprano, conductor, and voice teacher based in Guelph, Ontario. After completing her MA in community music, she keeps busy growing her active voice studio and performing with local choirs, operas, and musical theatre groups.
Emily’s teaching approach is always about process over product, creating space for students to have fun and be able to engage in music through curiosity and facilitated exploration.
