ABOUT KRISTEN
Kristen Antunes is a professional arranger, songwriter, performer, and educator based in Toronto, Canada. She is a graduate from the University of Toronto’s Masters of Music, Music Technology and Digital Media program, also holding a Bachelor of Music – Comprehensive Specialization and Minor in Sociology from the same institution. She is skilled in audio production and sound engineering, as well as music rights management, entrepreneurship, digital distribution, and psychology. Kristen writes commissioned arrangements for several schools in the York Region District School Board (YRDSB), collegiate ensembles, and local groups. Recent projects include working with Grammy winners Jimmy Webb and Thelma Houston for a vocal arrangement of, "Someone is Standing Outside".
Kristen began singing a cappella in the seventh grade, and performed with her high school’s resident vocal jazz ensemble, Rezonance, from grades nine through twelve. In 2012, she began arranging for a cappella, eventually expanding her skills to write for jazz and wind band ensembles. During her undergraduate degree, Kristen was a member of U of T co-ed a cappella ensemble TBA. Tunes. Beats. Awesome., holding various positions including Music Director throughout this time. As an avid arranger for the group, several of her arrangements were performed at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) competition. In 2019, Kristen served as a judge for the competition in the festival’s second-ever Canadian quarterfinal event.
In 2018, Kristen helped found a cappella collective PWRCHRD, co-directing the group with Minha Lee. In 2021, PWRCHRD placed first at the The Open Canadian Semifinal, also being awarded Outstanding Arrangement for their rendition of, "Call Me" by Kimbra (Kristen Antunes, Minha Lee, and Dominic Ebona), as well as Outstanding Mix (Kyle Wong). More recently, Kristen joined Beatsync, another Toronto-based a cappella group working to combine live voices with electronic loops and effects.
Beyond her musical creations, Kristen is a staunch advocate of music rights and fair compensation for artistic work. She holds experience from across the Canadian entertainment industry, including music rights management, artist management, publishing, marketing, and digital media development. She has also completed an independent study regarding the usage of music in marketing contexts, studying the psychological mechanisms engaged during musical experiences to increase the effectiveness of advertisement messages and brand recognition. This model is intended to optimize consumer responses to increase purchase potential both for in-store and advertisement contexts.
Kristen is an accomplished pianist, having received her Grade 10 Piano and Advanced Theory Rudiments certifications through the Royal Conservatory of Music by age 17. She previously studied saxophone with Head of Woodwinds at the University of Toronto, Wallace Halladay, and more recently studied under the direction of PhD student, Chelsea Shanoff.
As an arranger Kristen is equally adept at writing for a cappella and instrumental ensembles. Her ability to write for specific performers and abilities is outstanding, while her willingness to edit a part make her a joy to work with throughout the entire process. Her creative choices lead to an outstanding experience for the performers and audience members.
As a clinician, Kristen is extremely knowledgeable and a world-class musician. Her kind, patient, and friendly demeanor make it easy for students to connect with her and make the most out of her outstanding advice.
From the perspective of an educator, Kristen has added immeasurable value to my curricular and extra-curricular program. Her work builds excitement for my students and the community they perform for. She is always professional and accommodating. I cannot recommend Kristen highly enough.
- James Eriksen, Sir William Mulock Secondary School
