Artistic team
James Hawn
Artistic Director
James Hawn, Director of Music since 2003, has been active with the Saskatoon Chamber Singers for most of its history, and has been involved with singing and choirs for as long he can remember. Prior to his current appointment as Director, he was a long-time member of the bass section, and served as the choir’s president for ten years. James has also been actively involved in national and provincial choral organizations for over twenty-five years. He is a member of the Saskatchewan Choral Federation (SCF) and Choral Canada and has served for a number of years on both organizations’ boards. In 2006 he was presented with the SCF’s Pro Musica Award, which recognizes “exemplary service to choral music in Saskatchewan.” James was an English language arts teacher for thirty-two years with the Saskatoon Public Board of Education. During that time he also taught music, was involved in choral and church music, musicals, and drama both in the school system and in the community. He has regularly directed plays and musicals for Saskatoon’s Gateway Theatre and the Saskatoon Summer Players. Actively engaged with the broader cultural sector, he has served on the boards of TCU Place, the Broadway Theatre, and SaskCulture; and he is currently on the board of Persephone Theatre. He taught for six years in the Adult Basic Education department at SIAST (Saskatchewan Polytechnic).
[photo credit: Amy Violet Photography]
Connor Elias
Collaborative Pianist
Connor Elias is a pianist from Martensville, Saskatchewan. He holds a Bachelor of Music Honours from the University of Saskatchewan, as well as an ARCT in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Connor has many influences and include his teacher Bonnie Nicholson. Throughout his undergrad, Connor has received various accolades at provincial and national music festivals, including second in the 2023 Saskatchewan Concerto Competition and third in the 2022 Canada West for piano solo. Apart from piano, Connor is involved as a chorister in the Greystone Singers, conducted by Dr. Jennifer Lang. He enjoys teaching his wonderful piano students, laughing with friends, and spending time with his family.
General Manager
Marley Duckett
Marley Duckett (she/her) is a fundraiser, cultural anthropologist, instructor, and theatre artist. She loves to write, dance, read her horoscope, and, of course, to sing! She has worked with many arts organizations in Saskatoon including Persephone Theatre, LiveFive, Saskatoon Opera, The Greystone Singers, Aurora Voce, and The Saskatoon Chamber Singers. She is deeply passionate about strengthening the arts communities in Saskatoon, SK.
“There are few things more powerful for community-building than creating art together. I have always loved to sing and to support art organizations in various capacities - so this new position is the very best of both worlds. I first joined the choir as an alto and have loved to sing with this fabulous group. I hope to bring my skills in development and fundraising, and community outreach to this position. I am excited for this new role as General Manager – but my heart will always belong to the altos.”
Board President
Matthew Praksas
By day, Matthew Praksas works for the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra as their Librarian and a Production Assistant. By night, he balances his commitments to his private piano studio and the Saskatoon Registered Music Teachers’ Association Executive, and to the Saskatoon Chamber Singers as a singer and section leader in addition to being the Board President. Matthew will be receiving a M.Mus. at U of S in Choral Conducting this Fall under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Lang.
Matthew has been involved with the local independent theatre company Ppl R Ppl since 2018, playing in their productions Avenue Q (2018), Little Shop of Horrors (2019), and [title of show] (2021). Recently, Matthew has accepted the Conductor position for the Cecilian Singers adult community choir for the upcoming season and looks forward to expanding his role in the Saskatoon choral community. His involvement with the Saskatoon Opera Association as a chorus member since 2016 and assisting with fundraisers, and with Music for the Gut as their pianist for 2023 keeps him visible on stage and behind the scenes.
When not doing music things, you can find Matthew biking along the river or trying out a new pound cake recipe.