Choir Conductor and Accompanist

Choir conductor: Zaure Kjoell

Zaure Kjoell has significant conducting experience in Norway, with strong background in vocal/piano instrumental instruction. She also taught singing, piano, guitar, violin, and gave choir lessons for a number of years. “Music is a vital form of personal expression one that often transcends full understanding. As an educator, my role is not to judge creativity, but to facilitate it. I aim to develop independent musicians who are not merely followers of a conductor, but active creators, critical thinkers, and confident performers. I believe true musicality emerges when singers combine physical mastery with intellectual independence. My teaching provides both the technical foundation for healthy, sustainable singing and the analytical tools needed for lifelong artistry. The voice is a living instrument that requires careful stewardship. I empower singers through a science-based understanding of vocal physiology alongside rigorous musicianship. authentic artistic expression, always within a shame-free, supportive environment.”

Accompanist: Denny Culbert

Denny Culbert brings a lifelong love of music and choral singing to his role as Collaborative Pianist with the Chebucto Community Singers. His musical journey began at an early age, when he started playing piano and accompanying hymns at his home church in New Hamburg, Ontario. Over the years, that love of music has grown to encompass piano, voice, accompaniment, composition, improvisation, and a wide range of classical and contemporary music. Denny is particularly drawn to the collaborative and communal nature of making music—bringing individual voices, ideas, and experiences together to create something greater than any one person could create alone.

Denny holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours, Theory & Composition) from the University of Western Ontario, where he received the gold medal in his program. His musical experience includes choral singing, accompaniment, musical theatre, and performance in a variety of settings, including as a professional pianist in New Zealand, a keyboardist and worship musician in Ontario, and, more recently, as Music Director at Hillside United Church and a singer with the Halifax Gay Men’s Chorus.

Denny believes that music can comfort, inspire, and bring people closer together, and that nearly everyone can make meaningful music when given the encouragement and environment to do so. He appreciates music in all its forms and values the way shared musical experiences can create connection and a sense of community. As a collaborative pianist, he strives to listen, support, and respond to the ensemble while helping create a rehearsal and performance experience that is musically rewarding, welcoming, and fun. He is delighted to join the Chebucto Community Singers and to be part of a community that celebrates diversity, inclusion, and the joy of making music together