Peterborough Singers Appoint New Artistic Director and Conductor

Shawn Grenke has been named as the new artistic director and conductor of the Peterborough Singers, appointed by its Board of Directors on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough SIngers.

“I am absolutely delighted to join you as your new Artistic Director and Conductor,” said Grenke. “It is a true honour to become part of such an outstanding musical community and I look forward with great anticipation to making music together.”

He currently serves as Director of Music at Eglinton St. George’s United Church in Toronto, Artistic Director of the Achill Choral Society in Orangeville, and Instructor of Conducting at Brock University. He holds degrees from Mount Allison University and the University of Toronto and is completing a doctorate in Choral Conducting at the University of Alberta.

Grenke takes over from the founding artistic director, Syd Birrell. The latter announced his retirement in November after 35 years in the role, having founded Peterborough Singers in 1990.

Birrell says he and Grenke share a common vision of what it means to sing in a great choir.

“When I announced my retirement, I told transition committee members that they needed to ask themselves what makes us the choir that we are, and what values we treasure most,” he said. “This choir has always been about more than just good singing. It is about building something meaningful in a community and about believing that a small city can produce music that rivals anything in the country. Shawn shares that belief, and I cannot wait to see what he does with it.”

Over the coming months, Grenke starts his role by preparing a program lineup for the 2026–2027 season.

“I am especially grateful for the remarkable legacy created by Syd Birrell during his extraordinary 35-year tenure,” he said. “To follow in the footsteps of a founding conductor is both humbling and inspiring.”

“I am so thrilled to be able to tell you today that the future of the Peterborough Singers looks very bright indeed,” concluded Birrell.

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