Cathy Wilcox has guided the Ottawa New Horizons Band program as founding band leader since 2008 at Dominion-Chalmers Church, and continues to serve as a band leader and member of the board of directors since its incorporation in 2017.

Cathy holds an Honours Bachelor of Music with a minor in French, as well as a Bachelor of Education from Western University. Soon after graduating, she joined the vocal Renaissance octet Vox Humana, performing locally in concerts and theatrical presentations in conjunction with the Twelfth Night Society. In her over-30-year career as a music educator, Cathy directed musicals, choral ensembles, concert and jazz bands, and her school music program was selected for special projects, such as the pilot of Blues in the Schools and Listen Up! Cathy also served the Ottawa Carleton District School Board as both a music and arts consultant, developing curriculum content and offering workshops and classroom visits to schools across Ottawa. In addition, she worked on contract as an education resource creator for the National Arts Centre, and as a curriculum analyst for the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Cathy has fond memories of participating as a band leader at the NHIMA Orford Band Camp, and looks forward to making music with friends, old and new, at the Mont Tremblant New Horizons Music Camp in October 2025!

This interview took place in March 2025 via Zoom.

If you would like to find out more about Cathy Wilcox’s Ottawa New Horizons program, please, visit https://ottawanewhorizons.com