Rita received both her Bachelor of Music Performance (French Horn) and Master of Music Performance (Conducting) from the University of Toronto.
In the course of her musical career, Rita has been a free-lance horn player, tutor, clinician, adjudicator, as well as a conductor. Rita’s past engagements have included The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada (Director of Music), the Richmond Hill Philharmonic Orchestra (Assistant Conductor), the Oakland Brass Band (Guest Conductor), the Silverthorne Silver Band (Bandmaster), and the Pickering Philharmonic (Assistant Conductor). She has been involved with the North American Brass Band Summer School in Halifax Nova Scotia in a support role for the last six years.
During her 29 years' service with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Primary Reserves, she conducted military bands for 20 years and taught Basic Conducting and Band Administration courses to Reserve Musicians. Just before her retirement from the CAF, she was working at the Brigade Headquarters as Staff Officer for Bands, and as Assistant Public Relations Officer. Founded by Rita in 2011, "A Little Wind Music", an 11-piece orchestral brass ensemble based in Barrie, Ontario, has expanded to a full British-style Brass Band by January 2018, now known as "Upper Canada Brass". The band has competed in the North American Brass Band Association Competition in the 2nd section in 2018 and 2019.
She has performed on Tenor Horn most notably with The Fountain City Brass Band (Kansas City, MI), while winning the U.S. Open Brass Band Championship in 2019.
Other current activities include The Oshawa Civic (Brass) Band (Music Director), Intrada Brass (Band) of Oakville (Solo Horn), The Metropolitan Silver Band, The Orillia Silver Band and other concert bands and ensembles. As a clinician, Rita has worked with community adult bands, high school bands, and cadet bands. Her private teachings focus on conducting, French horn and Tenor Horn. For more than ten years, Rita was an active member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Band Association (Ontario Chapter), which promotes community banding. She is also a current member of Brass Bands England, and Brass Band Conductors' Association.
| Location | Ontario, Canada |
| Telephone | |
| rita.arendz@gmail.com | |
| @rita.arendz | |
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