Zane Zalis is an award-winning composer, lyricist, writer, producer, and educator. His accolades include the PhD Dissertation Award (CSSE ARTS SIG), the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence, and multiple honors such as the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond and Gold Medals, the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Inter-Religious Understanding, and six Opus Klassik nominations (Germany). He has received international recognition, including the Canon of Culture Prize (Poland) and a Canada Council for the Arts grant. As a composer, his works have been performed at prestigious venues worldwide, including Lincoln Center (New York), Roy Thomson Hall (Toronto), and the Grand Theatre (Poland), with orchestras such as the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Bayer Philharmoniker. His oratorio I Believe has been recorded internationally, and he was invited to be a member of the prestigious BMI Musical Theatre Workshops (New York). Beyond classical composition, he has contributed to commercial music, television, and music theatre, while pioneering innovative music education programs at both secondary and post-secondary levels.

 

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In his own words...

It all began with making music with spoons and drumming on cups and plates, which led to music lessons on accordion for a number of years. Eventually, I added improvising/composing/lyrics at an early age, bass guitar, guitar, and piano. For me, creating, imagining sounds and ideas, and improvising were natural expressions of what I was thinking and feeling. Over time, I became keenly aware that my childhood experiences of freely creating and making music critically informed my creative work in adulthood as a composer, conductor, artistic director, writer, and educator. I am endlessly grateful for the insight, wisdom, and unwavering support I received from my family, friends, and teachers, who seismically impacted me in many meaningful ways.

Creative & Production Work

I have contributed to over 200 studio recordings as a session musician, arranger, producer, and composer. My original works have been performed internationally, including:

Orchestral & Symphonic Works

  • I Believe – A symphonic contemporary oratorio performed worldwide, featuring Broadway soloists Sara Jean Ford, Alex Gemignani, and Drew Gehling. Including outstanding performers Kelsey Cowie, Marc Devigne, Jean-Pierre Ouellet, Marko Zeiler, and Stefan Muller-Ruppert, conducted by Roberto Paternostro, Alexander Mickelthwate, Bernhard Steiner, Jonathan Griffith, and Klaus Breuninger.
  • Nostos: A Journey of Others – A symphonic contemporary oratorio with international performances. Featured soloists include Arabella Fenyves, Hanna-Maria Hartmann, Marko Zeiler, Kai Preußker, Martin Haider, and Matthias Sziedat.
  • Currently composing an opera (music & libretto) for various choirs and music organizations.
  • Original compositions for Donna Ellen Dunshirn (Vienna State Opera) and Kelsey Cowie (soloist).

Commercial & Studio Work

  • Producer/composer/arranger on multiple albums and songs, recorded at various international studios, including Abbey Road.
  • Commercial composer/producer for national and international scoring projects.
  • First-call commercial writer for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC Winnipeg).
  • Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee concert – Winnipeg, Canada (national broadcast).
  • Arranger for Juno Award-winning group Nathan, performing with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
  • Producer/arranger for Remember CD, a Canadian National project in remembrance of D-Day.

Choral & Live Performance Direction

  • Choir Director for the North American Symphonic Premiere of Lord of the Rings at the MTS Centre with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
  • Vocal/choral direction for Sarah Brightman’s Winnipeg Concert.
  • Vocal/choral direction for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra New Music Festival and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Pops.
  • Vocal/choral direction for performances with Michael Burgess, Jann Arden (with WSO), and Rainbow Stage Musical Theatre.
  • Past Board of Directors and Chair of Production for Rainbow Stage.

Education & Recognition

  • Composer Laureate for St. Paul’s College (University of Manitoba).
  • Invited as a composer-member of the prestigious BMI Musical Theatre Workshops (New York).
  • PhD Dissertation Award Winner for research in performative inquiry and arts-based research on cognition (Creativity, Knowledge Generation, and Understanding of Otherness).
  • Founder & program developer of groundbreaking music education programs, focusing on creative development, performance, and pedagogy.