Brett Ludwig
I've been singing & playing piano since I was a child (my mom made me join a choir and piano lessons, for which I will always be grateful), and love to explore both pop, rock, and classical music. I love when those worlds collide. Kyle Carter may have said it best, though: "The sound of Brett singing is like a Care Bear stare blasting you right in the face. You may be laughing now, but you’ll be fighting back the tears when he rips your heart out with the fragile sensitivity of his voice. You’ve been warned."
What is your major musical influence?
Definitely my teachers & conductors over the years. With piano, I had been playing Conservatory music for years and wanted to branch out, the day Esther took me as a student she played through dozens of songs until Chopin's Nocturne Op 9 No 2, and I fell in love with the piano. Monica Dear & Scott Leithead, who opened my eyes to how singing can be about sharing the deepest part of your self with the people you love and your audience.
What are your favorite Pro Coro Canada performances?
Without question my favorite is The Nightingale - I love Ugis' work in general, but this is a masterpiece the whole way through. He blends pop & rock with contemporary choral music - it is a delight and a challenge to sing. Path of Miracles of miracles is also an easy favourite, especially since it marks when we first got to start working with the incredible maestro Michael Zaugg.
Which performance should people come and hear, and why?
The best thing about Pro Coro's repertoire is how many diverse themes and types of music we explore, and Michael Zaugg is extremely thoughtful about how he structures each concert in its theme - in particular the way he names concerts is very evocative of the experience you will be getting. I believe the best gift you can give yourself is to read the names that he gives the concerts, and whichever name inspires you, go to that one. I promise the experience will be a beautiful hand-crafted experience centering and revolving around that theme.
