In December of 2005, a small group of singers assembled to perform at the Habitat for Humanity Christmas Concert in La Conner, Washington.  From that original group, Cantabile was formed.  Today, Cantabile is a 24-member ensemble of select vocalists gathered from Skagit, Whatcom, and Snohomish counties.  We enjoy a range of repertoire from all periods and styles, bringing a wide variety of entertainment to our audiences. In this, our seventh season, we are proud to welcome a new director, Stephen Marshall-Ward, who brings a passionate love of choral music and gifted leadership to this celebrated vocal ensemble.  We are excited about the 2012-2013 season and the musical experiences we will share with our audiences.  One of those new experiences was our participation in the Cascade Youth Symphony in November 2012 at Benaroya Hall.

       Cantabile’s purpose each season is to enhance the community’s enjoyment and understanding of choral arts through communicating the beauty of music.  The group has been honored to support Skagit Opera, Skagit Valley Chorale, Skagit Symphony, and other performing arts groups through members’ active participation in their productions and concerts.  We are pleased to be working in collaboration with the Anacortes Arts Foundation this season. We look forward to seeing you and your family at our inspiring concerts.

Stephen Marshall-Ward's love for all kinds of great choral music and the joy he finds in the choral experience have inspired him as a professional choral director for more than thirty-five years. As Professor and Chair of the Music Department at Trinity Lutheran College in Everett, he teaches conducting and directs the Chamber Ensemble, Trinity’s premier vocal group. He co-founded The Institute for Spirituality and the Arts,  was an instructor of  music theory and directed the men’s chorus at Seattle Pacific University, and is a past Dean of the Seattle chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Stephen is currently completing a doctorate in sacred music at Oxford University in England through the Graduate Theological Foundation.  His education has included post-graduate studies at Westminster Choir College and Southwestern Theological Seminary's School of Church Music, studying organ privately with John Weaver, Chair of the Organ Department at the Juilliard School, and various workshops and symposiums from Los Angeles to New York City to Cambridge University in England.  Stephen has also taught privately for most of his life.  He is delighted at the opportunity to join Cantabile, building on its strong leadership and further developing the gift of great choral music, both sacred and secular, for the people of Skagit Valley and beyond.  The members of Cantabile are excited about working with Stephen, and are sure our audiences will appreciate the fresh new voice he brings to our community and to the arts in the Skagit Valley and beyond.