WILLI  ZWOZDESKY

A life-long love of choral music continues to fuel Willi Zwozdesky’s career as a choral conductor, arranger, clinician, publisher, and administrator.  He is internationally known for his decades-long tenure as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Vancouver Men’s Chorus and for the masterful craftsmanship of his arrangements. His long-term dedication to choral music has been recognized with both a Legacy Award from GALA Choruses and a Willan Award from the British Columbia Choral Federation.

Willi Zwozdesky’s undergraduate work at the University of Alberta in Edmonton (BMus, music theory) led to graduate studies (MA, music theory, MMus, choral conducting) at the University of Washington in Seattle. Following his move to Vancouver in 1981, he undertook the development of the voice of the Vancouver Men’s Chorus. An active choral clinician and adjudicator, Willi was most recently honoured to serve as Co-Artistic Director for Unison Choruses Canada for their Unison Festival 2026 in Vancouver and as conductor of the inaugural performance of GALA Choruses’ Sage Elders Chorus in 2024 in Minneapolis. Willi has also volunteered on a number of national and regional organizations, including the Canadian Music Centre and GALA Choruses, Inc. In addition to his freelance work, he enjoys a long-term career in the global print music industry, and has served as the Executive Director of the British Columbia Choral Federation since 2005 and on the national Board of Directors of Choral Canada from 2008-2025.