Sammlung PP - William and Irmgard Baerg fonds

William Baerg was born in 1938 in Crowfoot, Alberta to father Aron Baerg (1904-1987) and mother Gertrude Willms (1905-1991). William Baerg taught music at Mennonite Brethren Bible College (MBBC) and College of the Arts from 1960-1970. In 1973 he started the CBC Winnipeg Singers to which he was the founder and conductor. The Winnipeg Singers shifted Winnipeg’s semi-professional choirs from having majority Anglican leadership to majority Mennonite leadership for Winnipeg choirs. Baerg also lectured at the University of Manitoba and was a regular guest conductor at the Mennonite Community Orchestra.

Irmgard Baerg (nee Irmgard Braun) was born in Niverville, Manitoba in 1941 to mother Maria Koslowsky (1913-2008) and father Isaak Braun (1909-1997). At the age of 8 Baerg started private piano lessons with Wanda Dick, and in 1962 finished her A.M.M. with first class honors and A.R.C.T at MBBC. Irmgard Baerg continued to study at Peabody Institute, Princeton University and Munich Germany while working at MBBC with her husband Willam Baerg. Despite the often limited career options for women during the 1960s-1980s Irmgard Baerg had a successful career as an independent pianist and professor of music.