The Quintessential Vocal Ensemble (QVE) brings together a diverse group of experienced singers from the thriving musical community of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Its members include instrumentalists, music teachers, students, and members of other professions, who share a love of eclectic and engaging choral repertoire and an exceptional standard of performance. QVE is known especially for its a cappella singing of many styles and periods, and has also taken on major classical works and collaborated in productions for symphony and stage.
QVE was founded in 1993 by Susan Quinn and alumni of the Holy Heart of Mary High School Chamber Choir. QVE has amassed multiple awards in national and world competitions, including the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in Wales, the Florilège Vocal de Tours in France, the Cork International Choral Festival in Ireland, Choral Canada's National Choir Competition, and the National Music Festival of Canada.
Notable performances have included concerts with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra; Podium, Canada's national choral convention; MusicFest Canada's national choral showcase; a Christmas television special with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; and QVE’s solo debut at Carnegie Hall in New York where it premiered As On Wings, commissioned from Canadian composer Leonard Enns to commemorate the response of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador in aid of the thousands of trans-Atlantic airline travellers diverted to the province following the attacks of 9/11.
Emerging from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on choral singing worldwide, QVE has taken up a renewed commitment to its artistic mission. QVE premiered two collaborations with filmmaker Roger Maunder: the documentary Mercy, about the musical legacy of the Sisters of Mercy in Newfoundland; and the video of Dolores Hynes’ Woman of the Island, filmed on location in Ferryland. Its recent projects have included newly-commissioned arrangements of the music of Ron Hynes, performances of major works by Canadian composers Leonard Enns and Christine Donkin, and the inaugural HarbourVOICES International Festival of Collective Singing Traditions in St. John’s.
In 2025, QVE launched its newest educational outreach project: Solara Youth Voices, an environment for ages 8 and up to make music as a collective with a focus on expression, education and accessibility. Additionally through its QVE Goes to School initiative, the choir has delivered interactive choral workshops to students of all ages.
The choir is committed to promoting the choral singing culture of Newfoundland and Labrador through recurring performances in smaller communities as well as touring abroad, and commissioning and performing new work by Newfoundland and Labrador and Canadian composers.
