SANDRA JANE GAVINCHUK
Born August 2, 1954 at Elk Point, Alberta, the eldest daughter of three children of George and Lila Gavinchuk of Smoky Lake, Alberta. Sandra is the granddaughter of Walter and Lena Kuziw of Heinsburg. Before moving to Smoky Lake, George was stationed at Heinsburg as a C.N.R. Agent, 1947-1949.
Sandra began singing on stage at the age of seven and the following year she began taking piano lessons from Mrs. Phyllis Moroz in Smoky Lake. At the age of ten, in order to obtain further training in voice and piano, she began weekly trips to Edmonton to study under the instruction of Mr. Jean Letourneau. In the following years, Sandra was fortunate to win numerous trophies and scholarships in the Edmonton Kiwanis Festival and CFRN Search for Talent Competitions. Since then, she has appeared on several TV programs; has done volunteer performances at Senior Citizens Nursing Homes; solo performances at banquets, graduations, and concerts.
In the summer of 1970, after receiving various scholarships, Sandra began studying at the Banff School of Fine Arts where she was exposed to some of the finest voice and vocal coaches in North America and Central Europe. During the course of these studies, she has had opportunities to appear in several of the Banff Festival Shows and Operas that were performed by the students of the school.
In 1972, Sandra became a member of the Edmonton Opera Chorus under the direction of Alexandra Munn. That same year she was invited to be a guest soloist for a bilingual and bicultural convention that was held at the Chateau Lacombe at which the Honourable Robert Stanfield and Mayor Hawrylak were guest speakers. During the past two years Sandra has been a student at the University of Alberta in the Voice Opera Division studying under Mr. Bernard Turgeon. Sandra will continue her studies privately under the direction of Mr. David Astor and will also be touring with the Edmonton Opera Association performing operettas in various schools across northern Alberta.
