Boris Derow – Cantor

Effective January 1, 2023, Boris Derow joined St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church as the full-time Cantor and Music Director. He is honored to serve the parish community in this capacity.

Born and raised as a Ukrainian Catholic in the Canadian prairies, Boris began his liturgical studies at an early age at Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canora, Saskatchewan. He later refined his cantoring skills across multiple parishes in Alberta while living and studying with the Basilian Fathers (OSBM).

His introduction to the Ruthenian Church came in 2001 at St. Andrew the Apostle parish in Westbury. Following his time with the Basilians, Boris founded the Axios Men's Choir in Edmonton and served as associate conductor of the Resurrection liturgical project, a recorded Easter Divine Liturgy composed by Fr. John Sembrat, OSBM. The recording featured fifty-five male voices from organizations across Canada, the United States, and Ukraine.

Boris recorded two albums with Axios: Liturgical Treasures (2003) and Rizdvo (2006). He holds a Bachelor of Theology from Newman Theological College and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Brandon University.

As a soloist, Boris has performed operatic roles across Canada, Europe, and Africa, and has appeared in numerous concerts. He now looks forward to continuing his musical career in the United States while singing alongside the faithful at St. Mary’s. He is also preparing to relaunch a concert tour—originally paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic—featuring opera and Broadway classics in collaboration with Stefan Szkafarowsky, Principal Bass of the Metropolitan Opera.