In his Award presentation, BC Choral Federation Executive Director Willi Zwozdesky praised Elizabeth as "one of Canada's national treasures," a woman who has "dedicated her life to music."

The Award is named for Amy Ferguson who was a celebrated teacher and choir leader in Nelson, BC. She was "a teacher of great passion and dedication for vocal and choral singing," notes Dennis Tupman, president of the BC Choral Federation, "so to live up to her one has had to stand out in a similar way." Elizabeth Wolak has been selected by her peers -- the choral conductors of British Columbia -- as such a deserving person.

Elizabeth Wolak is in her 25th year as conductor and musical director of the Shiron Singers, a choral group dedicated to promoting the beauty and appreciation of traditional and modern Jewish music.

A Holocaust survivor who spent the war years imprisoned in a Soviet labour camp in central Russia, Elizabeth Wolak is a native of Cracow, Poland where she graduated with distinction in piano and choral conducting from the Cracow Conservatory, and earned a master's degree from the Jagiellonian University. In the 1950s she was associate conductor of the Cracow Philharmonic Boys Choir, leading the group of 130-voices to first place numerous times at the national Polish choir championships. Following her immigration to Canada in 1963, she established herself as a leader in Vancouver's cultural community, founding and leading several choirs and achieving top honours at the BC Kiwanis choral competitions.