Our Music Directors
Chinley Hinacay
Artistic Director | General Manager
An accomplished young conductor and saxophonist, Chinley Hinacay is steadily making himself known throughout Western Canada. Earning degrees from the University of Calgary (M.Mus) and the University of British Columbia (B.Mus), Chinley dedicates himself to cultivating the musical potential of Canada and raising awareness for the fine arts.
Chinley is currently the Band Director and General Manager of the North Battleford City Kinsmen Band as well as the Artistic Director for the Calgary Youth Wind Ensemble. He has led multiple ensembles throughout Calgary and the Greater Vancouver Area as director, assistant conductor, and guest conductor. These ensembles include the Calgary Wind Symphony, the Vancouver Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Vancouver Pops Orchestra. Chinley has also acted as the former director of Red Deer College’s Symphonic Winds and ensemble director of the Shangyin School of Music.
In addition to his conducting duties, Chinley has also achieved much success as a soloist and chamber musician, earning first-place medals in the 2018 Canadian Music Competition and the 2017 National Music Festival, awarded second place in the Friends of Chamber Music Competition, and was a semi-finalist at the 2019 Stepping Stones Competition. Employed as a clinician, performer, and teacher throughout Western Canada, Chinley strives to maintain a high standard throughout his performances and teachings. Other notable accomplishments include performing regional and world premieres at the North American Saxophone Alliance conferences and being nominated for the 2020 Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award from the Western Association of Graduate Studies.
Chinley hopes to create a community that not only values the arts but one where the arts create value for its community.
Stephen Carter
Choral Director
Stephen grew up in Richmond Hill, Ontario. He began developing his interest in music during high school, where he learned to play clarinet, saxophone, flute, and bassoon. During high school, there were many opportunities to engage in leadership within the music program, where he was one of the leaders of the jazz band, and occasionally conducted the concert band.
At York University in Toronto, he majored in clarinet performance. During his time at York, he was first-chair clarinet in the wind ensemble, and played clarinet in the orchestra. Extra-curricular activities included playing saxophone in a swing band, clarinet in a duo with piano which provided music for Weddings and Bar Mitzphahs, as well as singing in the Toronto Orpheus Choir.
In 1986, after completing three years of study, he married Jo, who was also a music student, and entered the work-force as a courier. During this time he was heavily involved in music at church, singing in the choir, as well as co-leading a junior high aged choir.
in 1988 he and Jo moved to Alberta to attend Prairie Bible College and earn a Bachelor of Church Music degree as a voice major. At this time he also taught woodwinds, led a jazz ensemble, several different vocal ensembles, and was in the wind ensemble and touring choir.
From 1997 to 2013, Stephen was the music director at a small college in Saskatchewan, where his responsibilities included directing two choirs, teaching several courses, and overseeing all the music activities on campus.
Stephen has resided in the Battlefords since 2013, and has been an active part of the musical community.