About Heather
Heather Ward was born in the Toronto area of Ontario, Canada. She grew up in a multi-generation family of music teachers, choir directors, church organists and performers. She sang in choirs and musicals throughout school, but chose to attend art college after high school. She continued to act on stage, and began modeling in London Ontario, then Toronto. Film, TV and commercials soon followed, including 3 busy years in Calgary, but she continued to sing on stage. Heather moved to Vancouver BC in her mid 20s, and at the age of 30 she went back to school at VCC and Capilano College to take a music degree, with a major in Jazz Performance.
Photo by Joe Iano
CBS Sunday Morning feature - Dec 21, 2014 - The Dickens Carolers of Seattle
Photo by John Ullman
She was honoured to perform with her college vocal jazz ensemble Soundwave at the IAJE North American Conference, and twice with internationally famous Swedish vocal jazz ensemble The Real Group.
For several years thereafter she taught voice lessons and performed in Vancouver jazz venues, including the DuMaurier International Jazz Festival two years in a row, the Vancouver International Jazz Orchestra Workshop twice, the Banff International Workshop in Jazz & Creative Music, the Banff Vocal Jazz Summit, and the Centrum Port Townsend Jazz Festival twice.
After moving to Seattle and raising three children, she is now back to singing full time. She has been a performer and the Alto Section Leader with the Seattle Dickens Carolers company since 2005. She teaches voice lessons at her private studio, sings in jazz venues and cabarets across the city (now often with two of her talented children), occasionally still does some acting and voiceover work, and is preparing for an early 2024 release of her first solo album.
The Dickens Carolers of Seattle -
CBS Sunday Morning (Dec 21, 2014)