Biography

Edward Connell trained as a concert pianist in his native Edmonton, eventually accumulating several degrees, diplomas and medals. He then embarked on a career as a theatre musician and, along the way, wrote plays and musicals (all published and produced), acted and composed incidental scores to a wide range of theatre productions.

Simultaneously, Edward took up a secondary career as an organist, choir director and singer. For more than a decade, he has been the music director of St. Timothy’s Anglican Church. Since 2002, he has been artistic director of Forte – Toronto Gay Men’s Chorus, building it into one of Canada’s finest male choirs.

In 2005, Edward joined The National Ballet of Canada. He has been lauded for his performance in such ballets as 24 Preludes by Chopin by Marie Chouinard, Polyphonia by Christopher Wheeldon, Being and Nothingness by Guillaume Côté and his honky-tonk piano playing and conducting of the orchestra in Elite Syncopations by Kenneth MacMillan.