Artistic Personnel

Carolyn Neumann VanderBurgh, Conductor

B.Mus, A.R.C.T., B.Ed., M.A.

Carolyn Neumann VanderBurgh is delighted to be a part of the choral and music education communities locally, provincially, and nationally. Currently, she is the conductor of the Inter-Mennonite Children’s Choir and the Laurier Concert Choir.  She was honoured to be the invited 2015 and 2016 guest conductor of Waterloo Region District School Board Kodály Festival Choir, through which she provided musical direction to approximately 1000 students and their teachers.  In the classroom, Carolyn is an elementary school teacher for the Waterloo Region District School Board and a sessional instructor at Wilfrid Laurier University for the Faculty of Music teaching courses in elementary music education and choral techniques.  Outside of the classroom, she is active as a clinician at local, provincial and national workshops and conferences, has served as the President of the Kodály Society of Canada and the President of the Kodály Society of Ontario. In August 2022, she was honoured by the Kodály Society of Ontario with a Lifetime membership for her contributions to music education in Ontario.

Carolyn’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Music from Wilfrid Laurier University, an ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music, a Bachelor of Education from Brock University, and a Master of Arts in Music Education (Choral Concentration) from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, as well as courses in the Kodály method of music education at the University of Calgary and in Kecskemét, Hungary.  Carolyn’s writing on music includes her Master’s thesis “Children’s and Conductors’ Perceptions of Leadership Behaviors that Demonstrate Emotional Intelligence of Female Conductors of Children’s Choirs”. Carolyn is married to Ian VanderBurgh, the Director of the Centre for Mathematics and Computing at the University of Waterloo. They enjoy working with choirs and raising their sons, Joshua and Daniel.

Christine Klaver-Schmidt, Accompanist

Christine Klaver-Schmidt graduated from the Amsterdam Conservatory in piano pedagogy studying with Danielle Dechenne and Willem Brons. She continued her studies at Wilfrid Laurier University with Professor Garth Beckett in Piano Performance. Since graduating, Christine has worked numerous times as an accompanist, choir director, and church organist. Christine retired from the Beckett School at Laurier after 36 years, but continues to teach at her private piano studio. She has held the position of accompanist for the Inter-Mennonite Children’s Choir since 2000.

Caroline Schmidt, Training Choir Director

B.A.

Caroline Schmidt graduated in 2017 from the University of Waterloo’s Honours Music program with an Intensive Music Specialization. Caroline is a member of the Da Capo Chamber Choir, The Edison Singers and is currently singing for Trillium Lutheran Church in Waterloo; she has previously performed at St. Matthews Lutheran Church in Kitchener, with the Grand Philharmonic Choir and the Spiritus Ensemble. Caroline is currently teaching music lessons privately, and is a licensed Kindermusik Instructor for Little Music Makerz studio in Kitchener. Caroline has prepared and performed multiple recitals, including a Noon Hour Concert at the University of Waterloo. She previously studied voice lessons and vocal pedagogy with Brandon Leis, and continues to further her studies by taking lessons from Dr. Elizabeth Lepock. Caroline is passionate about choral singing and is excited to build on that passion by re-joining the Inter-Mennonite Children’s Choir, as a member of the artistic team.