Leonard Peter Ratzlaff, CM, AOE (born January 27, 1949) is the choral conductor for

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

Richard Eaton Singers The Richard Eaton Singers is a symphonic chorus in Edmonton, Alberta. There are 150 members in the choir, which frequently performs with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and is at home in the Francis Winspear Centre for Music. The choir has commi ...

. Born in Swalwell, Alberta, he obtained his graduate degree in choral conducting from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...

, and his

doctoral dissertation A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...

on Anton Bruckner's ''

Te Deum The "Te Deum" (, ; from its incipit, , ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to AD 387 authorship, but with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin Ch ...

'' earned him the

American Choral Directors Association The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence in the field of choral music. Its membership comprises approximately 22,000 c ...

Julius Herford Dissertation Prize. A professor of Choral Music at the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...

since 1981, he also conducts the University of Alberta Madrigal Singers, and co-supervises the largest graduate program in choral conducting in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. His honours include induction into the City of Edmonton Hall of Fame, the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, the

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...

for distinguished service to Canadian choral music, induction into the

Alberta Order of Excellence The Alberta Order of Excellence (french: Ordre d'excellence de l'Alberta) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Alberta. Instituted in 1979 when Lieutenant Governor Frank C. Lynch-Staunton granted royal assent to the Alberta O ...

, induction as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and being named to the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

. In 2011, he and RES celebrated 30 years of his leadership as conductor.

References

External links

Alberta Order of Excellence citation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratzlaff, Leonard Living people Male conductors (music) Canadian music academics Members of the Alberta Order of Excellence Members of the Order of Canada University of Alberta faculty University of Iowa alumni University of Winnipeg alumni 1949 births 21st-century Canadian conductors (music) 21st-century Canadian male musicians Canadian Mennonites Mennonite musicians