tCANORA — After being born and raised in Canora, Boris Derow has lived and performed all over the world. Now, he is a 2026 Juno Award winner, presented at the Juno Gala on March 28.
He formed a choir 20 years ago, and that same ensemble won the Juno for best classical album of the year.
The following is a piece written by Derow’s wife, Darcia Parada, detailing the experience.
Diary of a Juno Awards win
The choir name is Axios. Along with the tenors and basses of ProCoro Canada and various Ukrainian artists. Main soloists named were John Tessier and Yuliia Zasimova (ZaSEEmova).
More than 20 years ago my husband Boris Derow, then a monastic brother, founded a niche male ensemble specializing in eastern liturgical music of the Byzantine rite. Boris is a purist, deeply rooted in his faith and music that inspires prayer.
When he decided to spread his wings and embark on a path to opera that led him abroad, one of the early members of the choir, Damein Zakordonski, picked up the reins, “Axios must carry on.”
Damein became a producer and another driving force, resulting in more collaborations that had begun in the mid-two thousands with the men of ProCoro initiated by Boris.
As they say, the rest in history, as the project grew into visionary concerts and recordings involving artists from Ukraine and members of other choirs across Canada.
Fast forward to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
By this time, Boris and I had relocated to New York City in the midst of the global pandemic, fulfilling a long held dream.
Back in Edmonton, plans were afoot and set in motion by Damein to commission a composition of the Ukrainian War Requiem by American composer Benedict Sheehan, and of course, Boris must be involved.
Boris sang in the concert premiering the work and as a soloist on the recording.
By the summer of 2025, a series of unexpected and unrelated events had drawn us back to Edmonton and to our old neighbourhood.
In February 2026 an announcement was made regarding the Juno nomination and the event became unmissable. It was touch and go whether or not I’d be able to snag a seat as Boris’ plus one. The tenacity of a producer pays off and I was determined. I booked a flight not knowing whether or not there’d be room at the inn.
Bam! At 11 p.m. on Friday, one ticket had been released. On Saturday I was on site watching and cheering for my husband and his choir mates in their shining moment.
There’s so much more to this story:
We took separate flights. Boris flew with his team. One choir member had the thrifty idea of using one mammoth bag to hold five or more suits, joking as they checked in that it might end up in Indonesia. Fairly impossible on a direct flight, however, low and behold after deplaning, the boys were there, the bag containing the sponsored wardrobe from RW & Co was not.
Taras, who'd supplied the suitcase, spent the night in the airport hoping the bag would turn up. While he slept on a bench, the bright yellow bag sat alone on the tarmac, discovered the following morning.
As there was no time for the men to change before an appearance at a sung liturgy in neighbouring Brampton that morning, most of them looked like they were headed out for a hike.
The day continued with speed. Boris had lost his aunt a few weeks ago and her celebration of life took place before the Juno Gala Saturday in Hamilton. We felt lucky to be there and it seemed like a portend, in hindsight: a requiem.
We need to pay attention to the signs.
We raced to the hotel to gussy up and arrived at the event by Uber with another couple.
The energy was incredible and we were whisked through security and into a grand room to a series of photo ops.
When the cocktail reception had ended we were guided upstairs into what had been transformed into a grand ballroom. As I was a late entry to the party, Boris and I sat at separate tables but back to back. My dining neighbours: the CEO of Massey Hall on my left and an artist agent on my right.
As the evening wore on, it became more and more apparent that the room was filled with around 1,500 strangers who more resembled old friends. There was a warmth in the venue that belied its scale.
By the time of the announcement for Classical Album of the Year Large Ensemble, I had migrated from my table to sharing Boris’ banquet chair.
We waited with bated breath as they went through the list of nominees, and when Julie Nezrallah announced Axios we all jumped up.
It was an unbelievable moment.
The competition was stiff with other entries like the Toronto Symphony, and Tafelmusik. Yet, this “Little Engine that Could” Axios Men's Ensemble from Edmonton with their sincerity and the project commemorating those whose lives have been lost due to the war in Ukraine, had won.
The tears were flowing as the men accepted their award, and were escorted by a team to be photographed and to field questions by the press.
The evening wrapped up shortly thereafter and we all convened at the Airbnb most of the nine choir members had booked. We enjoyed a nightcap and pizza, and talked with joy and incredulity about the events of the day.
Sunday morning, we gathered at the Orthodox Cathedral in Hamilton, a stunning house of worship where the choir lent their voices to the 10 a.m. service.
While Boris, Damein and I boarded flights back home, the others stayed behind for the live Juno telecast. As we scrolled CBC updates in flight, sorry that we'd missed seeing Prime Minister Carney fête Joni Mitchell, we were – in hockey terms – bagged.
Proud to call ourselves Canadian, proud of bringing light to darkness through the power of music and proud of this huge moment and its deeper meaning.
*****
In a post-Juno Awards interview with Canora Courier, Axios founder Boris Derow, son of Clarence and Alice Derow, indicated that, even though he had moved away from Canora in 1987, he has fond memories of his home town.
“I count myself blessed on having a balanced childhood between sports and cultural activities,” he said. “I grew up playing baseball, Ukrainian dancing, playing piano, and singing in a couple of different choirs. And so many of my friends did the same thing.
“We also still had a vibrant band program in school and competed locally. I remember participating in band tours and even going to Expo 86 with our band. Music was always a big part of my life and all of it started in the ‘Gateway to the bay.’"
The actual award presentation can be viewed on YouTube by searching ‘Juno Awards Gala.’
The video, in total, is 3 hours and 44 minutes long, and the Axios award segment begins at 2:55.
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