Professor Ardelle Ries conferred honourary membership of the Kodály Society of Canada

Congratulations to Augustana professor and director of music, Ardelle Ries, who has been named an honourary member of the Kodály Society of Canada, a national music education association.

Professor Jody Stark, assistant professor of music education at the University of Manitoba and current president of the Kodály Society of Canada conferred this honour upon professor Ries at the Kodály Society Annual General Meeting last summer, and had this to say:

"From time to time, our association honours someone who has made a marked impact in the Canadian Kodály community. It is my great privilege today to confer an honourary membership on our beloved professor Ardelle Ries. 

Professor Ardelle Ries studied conducting at the University of Alberta where she completed her Doctor of Music and holds an advanced musicianship diploma from the Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary where she has also served as a faculty member. While in Hungary, Ardelle also taught at the Kodály Conservatory.

Since her return to Canada in the early 90s, Ardelle has been an influential leader in the Canadian music education community. She has advocated for quality music education for every child and person in her roles as choral conductor, president of the Alberta Choral Association, advisor to the Alberta Kodály Association and as a director of the Kodály Society of Canada. This commitment is also foundational to her work as associate professor and director of music at the University of Alberta Augustana Faculty, and director of SingAble Choir. Ardelle has also served on the board of the International Kodály Society and has taught the musicianship and conducting components of Kodály teacher education programs at Wilfred Laurier, the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta, a program that she helped to start. Ardelle has been an inspiring role model of Kodály philosophy and pedagogy for students and colleagues across the country. 

In 2017, Ardelle chaired the International Kodály Symposium on behalf of the Kodály Society of Canada and the Alberta Kodály Association. This project was not only a labour of love, but it was so successful that it left significant funds to both the Alberta Kodály Association and Kodály Society of Canada. 

If you know Ardelle, you have experienced her inspiring passion for all things singing, her tireless advocacy for quality music education and music-making opportunities for all people, her brilliant mind and musicianship and most of all, her incredible care for each and every person who she encounters. Ardelle’s tireless work in the name of Kodály music education in Canada has been nothing less than inspirational.  

Ardelle has been the recipient of numerous awards for her dedication to music education in the province of Alberta. She has been recognized by Choir Alberta, the Alberta Kodály Association, the U of A Augustana Faculty, the Alberta Council of Disability Services, the Association for Life-Wide Living of Alberta and the Camrose Association for Community Living. We are delighted today to add a national award to this list of honours. Please join me in congratulating our newest honourary member, professor Ardelle Ries."

Congratulations on this amazing honour!