CMFAA User Profile

Dr. Mark Ramsay is Coordinator of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor in Music Education at Western University’s Don Wright Faculty of Music. He teaches at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and is the conductor of Western University Singers. He earned a Doctor of Musical Arts (Choral Conducting) and a Master of Music (Choral Conducting) at University of Toronto under the tutelage of Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt, and a Bachelor of Music Education (Piano) from University of Prince Edward Island.

Mark is the Artistic Director and Conductor of Toronto’s award-winning Exultate Chamber Singers. In recent years, the ensemble has been invited to perform at Podium: Canada’s national choral conference and festival, recorded their sixth album At First Light at the Glenn Gould Studio, and was named first place winner in the adult mixed-voice chamber choir category in Choral Canada’s National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs. Under his leadership, the organization has created programs to support both young conductors and composers, and has commissioned sixteen new works by Canadian composers.

As a writer and researcher, Mark’s work has been published in the official publications of Choral Canada, American Choral Directors Association, Canadian Music Educators’ Association, and Kodály Society of Canada. He has also contributed to three books from GIA Publications. In 2022, Mark co-developed the “Choral Connections” column for the Canadian Music Educator journal in collaboration with colleague Dr. Tracy Wong. He has also worked as a recording assistant for the Canadian Chamber Choir on their two most recent albums, Where Waters Meet with featured artist Sherryl Sewepagaham, and Seasons of Life and Landscape.

Mark is a strong advocate for music education and community music making. He is currently a board member of Sirens Choral Association and a former co-chair of Podium 2022. Mark also served on the board of Choirs Ontario and is a past editor of their publication Dynamic. He is frequently invited to appear as a guest conductor and clinician for choirs, community festivals, and conferences, and he has worked as an adjudicator at the local, provincial, and national levels including the National Finals of the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals. Mark has worked as a high school music teacher, provincial curriculum specialist, church music leader, and community choir director.