Wes Froese is a composer, performer and music educator in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He studied at the University of Regina with Bill Moore, and at the University of Saskatchewan with Robin Harrison. He also spent a year studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel. Wes is the former director of music at Horizon College and Seminary; founder and original artistic director of Eclipse Chorus, a Saskatoon community choir; and developer of the educational series Starting With Blues. His piano compositions can be found in Canadian National Conservatory of Music Northern Lights collections, and in both volumes of Saskatchewan Registered Music Teachers’ From Prairie to Pine.
Wes’s compositions span a wide variety of styles. Contemporary harmonies, driving rhythms, and reflective melodies permeate his music. A thorough knowledge of the blues/jazz genres coupled with the appreciation of what students like to play, make his music very popular with students of all ages.
At present, Wes operates a private piano studio in Saskatoon, specializing in training musicians to play by ear, read charts, improvise and compose. He adjudicates for music festivals in western Canada. He also works in long-term care as a recreation coordinator, providing music for long-term care residents. Wes created and leads the workshop Giving Voice to the Leader in You which presents principles of leadership through the experience of singing in a choir.
His latest endeavour is the creation of a jazz trio with two musical friends; an experience he highly recommends. The trio goes by the name of Frozen Cod
