Crane School of Music Alumni Board Honors Linda A. Beaupré '74 with Music Teaching Award

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L to R: SUNY Potsdam President Kristin Esterberg, Alumni Association President Jeffrey Washburn, award recipient Linda A. Beaupré ’74 and Crane Alumni Board President Ralph Hastings.

POTSDAM, NY (07/23/2014)(readMedia)-- The SUNY Potsdam Julia E. Crane Alumni Association recently honored Linda A. Beaupré, a member of the Class of 1974, with the 2014 Helen M. Hosmer Excellence in Music Teaching Award, at the College's annual Reunion Weekend.

The Helen M. Hosmer Excellence in Music Teaching Award is presented each year to an alumnus or alumna in public school music education who has demonstrated exemplary service in any of the areas of choral, instrumental or general music education. Beaupré was honored for her extraordinary career as an educator and performer.

Linda A. Beaupré has devoted herself to choral music and music education in the greater Toronto area. Her skillful artistry, inspiring musicianship and dedication to youth have made her a highly respected and sought-after choral clinician, adjudicator and workshop facilitator throughout Canada and the United States. In 1987, she founded the Bach Children's Chorus of Scarborough, and serves as its artistic director to this day. She conducted the Guelph Youth Singers from its inception in 1991 until 2013. Beaupré has also taught school music and school choirs in Australia and Nova Scotia.

Beaupré's choirs have been chosen to perform nationally, and have received numerous awards from the CBC Choral Competition for Amateur Choirs and the Federation of Canadian Music Festival. Her choirs have collaborated with several composers, premiered many works and have regularly recorded soundtracks for movies, television shows, documentaries and children's education recordings.

Beaupré received her Bachelor of Music degree in music education, with concentrations in piano and voice, from SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music, and went on to complete her Master of Music degree in vocal performance from the University of Western Ontario. In addition to her choral work, she is a professional singer, having served as a soprano vocalist with the Elmer Iseler Singers and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir for many years. Both are award-winning choruses, and have performed as guest artists on CDs and television programs.

Beaupré is a co-author of a series of music theory workbooks and albums. Several of these workbooks are in use throughout North America, and as far away as New Zealand and Indonesia. Her awards include the 2006 Leslie Bell Prize for Conducting from the Ontario Arts Council and Choirs, the Guelph YM/YWCA Women of Distinction Award in the arts and culture category, and the 2002 Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for service to her community. She was the conductor of the 2008 Ontario Youth Choir and received the Bicentennial Award of Merit from the City of Scarborough.

For more information about SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music, visit www.potsdam.edu/crane.

Founded in 1816, and located on the outskirts of the beautiful Adirondack Park, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges. SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls approximately 4,300 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its handcrafted education, challenging liberal arts and sciences core, excellence in teacher training and leadership in the performing and visual arts. Empowered by a culture of creativity, the campus community recently launched Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which aims to raise $27 million by the College's bicentennial in 2016.

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