The Alberta LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce: Edmonton Queer Artist Showcase

On June 12, the Chamber invites you to an evening of wine, craft beer and refreshments while enjoying the varied artwork available for purchase from local artists and artisans. Hosted at the radio station for CKUA, Alberta’s voice for music, arts and culture, attendees are in for a night of good company and stellar entertainment. Meet local drag artists while visiting the artist booths and later enjoy the choral music of local queer composer Stuart Beatch performed by the Chronos Vocal Ensemble. Among the pieces performed will be the work, Chosen Family, recently performed at the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra’s New Music concert, The Wolf of Lafontaine: Song & Dance. Well known Edmonton poet and co-founder of the Glass Bookshop, Matthew Stepanic will also be doing some poetry readings during the evening.

Evening Program

5:30 pm - Artist Booths Open (booths remain open for the entire evening)

6:15 pm - Entertainment

Formal program ends at 8:00 pm. Connect with guests, artists and performers until 9:00 pm

Stuart Beatch and the Chronos Vocal Ensemble

Stuart Beatch (b. 1991) is a Canadian choral composer currently living in Edmonton, Alberta. He is the current Composer in Residence for Chronos Vocal Ensemble in Edmonton, and former Composer in Residence for The Fourth Choir (an LGBT chamber choir in London, UK). Beatch received a Master of Music in Composition from King’s College London under composer Rob Keeley, having previously studied composition at the University of Alberta and music education at the University of Regina. He is an Associate Composer with the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers.

Chronos Vocal Ensemble was founded in 2013 by Jordan Van Biert. Combining a commitment to traditional choral repertoire with a passion for new Canadian choral music, the ensemble has delighted large audiences through its concerts in Edmonton, tours of four provinces, and at Podium, Canada’s national choral festival. The choir has released three successful recordings. Chronos has performed with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Alberta Baroque Ensemble, and collaborated with choirs including Vocal Alchemy, Spiritus Chamber Choir (Calgary), Da Camera Singers, and Edmonton Youth Choir. Other appearances include multimedia productions in Edmonton and Calgary such as National Geographic: Symphony for our World and Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses.

Matthew Stepanic

Matthew Stepanic is an Edmonton based freelance writer and poet. Among their many accomplishments , they co-founded the literary magazine, Glass Buffalo, which publishes works by emerging writers. They have also contributed to several magazines, including Avenue Edmonton, Mortar & Pestle, U of A Engineer Magazine, and The Yards. Their poetry has appeared in Eighteen Bridges, The New Quarterly, Funicular Magazine, Poetry Is Dead, and short fiction has appeared on coffee sleeves and beer cans in Edmonton. FIPP named him one of the Top 3 Rising Stars in Media in 2015, and Avenue Edmonton named them one of the Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2019.

Learn more about the other artists participating in the event in the upcoming weeks!