Wanda Kaluzny

Kaluzny, Wanda

Wanda Kaluzny. Conductor, teacher, organist, b Montreal 24 Oct 1953; BA (McGill) 1976, MA (McGill) 1985. At age 11, Wanda Kaluzny began conducting the choir of Montreal's Holy Cross Parish. She studied conducting with Alexander Brott at McGill University, and also trained at the Pierre Monteux School in Hancock, Maine (1974-6, 1978-80) with Charles Bruck, whom she assisted during a European tour in 1981.

Wanda Kaluzny is one of a handful of women in Canada to work as an orchestra conductor (others include Ethel Stark and Agnes Grossmann). Kaluzny founded the Montreal Chamber Orchestra in 1974 and has been its only conductor. She also conducted the McGill Conservatory Children's Orchestra and Choir (1982-3); the Alcan Choir (1989-91); the Montreal Yiddish Choir (1989-90); and the amateur I Medici di McGill Symphony Orchestra (1989-2000). She has made occasional appearances as guest conductor, in Canada (eg, with the Niagara Symphony in 1988); the US; Mexico; and Germany.

Teaching and Church Appointments

Kaluzny taught at the McGill Conservatory 1978-9 and 1982-4, and has taught at other schools in the Montreal area. She produced and hosted the televised educational series "Music and You" 1989-90. She was organist and/or choir director at Montreal's Church of the Ascension (1975-91); St. Cuthbert Church (1990-2); St. Andrew's-Norwood Church (1992-8); and beginning in 1998 at Wyman Memorial United Church in Hudson, Que.

Recognition
Wanda Kaluzny was honoured with the Montreal YWCA Women of Distinction award in 1999, and has received several other awards from Montreal organizations. She was featured in Glamour magazine in 1987 and is listed in Who's Who of American Women.