Artistic Director

Dr. Kinza Tyrrell

The year 2024 marks the 47th year that Dr. Kinza Tyrrell has been tickling the ivories.  She is one of Canada’s finest collaborators. She has extensive experience in choral conducting, vocal coaching and accompaniment, having been a participant of the International Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg, the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Graz, the Merola Opera Program, the Tanglewood Festival and the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio. 
 
Kinza was the Principal Répétiteur, Assistant Chorus Director and Assistant Conductor at Vancouver Opera from 2007 to 2020. She has also been on the music faculty at the Canadian Opera Company, has worked as Conductor, Assistant Conductor and Senior Répétiteur at Opera Nuova in Edmonton and the Opera As Theatre Program at the Banff Centre, and has held conducting and teaching positions at the University of Victoria, Vancouver Summer Opera Studio, Center for Opera Studies (COSI) in Sulmona Italy, Opera Kelowna and the Vancouver International Song Institute (VISI).
Some career highlights include singing with the University of Toronto Gospel Choir for Aaron Neville and Roberta Flack, touring with operatic Tenor Richard Margison and the violin/fiddle duo Bending the Bows, performing with Measha Brueggergosman at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, recording numerous Hollywood movie soundtracks with the Vancouver Film Orchestra, being the organist on an episode of IZombie, conducting Nico Muhly’s polygamist opera Dark Sisters at Vancouver Opera and translating Maxime Goulet’s new opera Flight of the Hummingbird from English into German.
 
She has a few hobbies that she does when she is not immersed in music. They include craft projects, woodworking, upcycling old furniture, general renovations, painting stained glass, gardening and hanging with her fuzzy sweethearts Darcy, Pippa and Willow.
 
Kinza is delighted to be directing South Island Harmony - a wonderful group of talented and enthusiastic singers.