Born in Latvia, Imant came to Canada in 1948. After completing his ARCT diploma in violin at the Royal Conservatory of Toronto and a Bachelor of Music at the University of Toronto, he spent two years at the "Akademie Mozarteum" in Salzburg, Austria, studying composition, fugue, violin and conducting, while also playing in the professional Camerata Academica Orchestra.

Imant is the founding conductor of the Prince George Symphony, the Youth Symphony of the Okanagan, NOVA Children's Choir and AURA Chamber Choir. His compositions have been performed on six continents by such ensembles as the Vancouver, Edmonton, Hamilton, Toronto, Okanagan, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick Symphonies, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, the Stockholm Chamber Choir and many others. His music has been heard in Carnegie Hall in New York, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Orpheum in Vancouver, Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Notre Dame in Paris and Santa Marie del Flore in Florence. Imant had his conducting debut at Carnegie Hall, New York, on March 13, 2006, in performance of his Magnificat and Missa Brevis with a massed choir (including singers from the Okanagan), soloists and orchestra.

In October, 2006 Imant was presented with the "Distinguished Visiting Alumnus Medal" by Dean Averil Gage of the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto. In April, 2007, he was made an officer of the Three Stars of the Republic of Latvia (highest civilian honour, equivalent to the Order of Canada). In the summer of 2008, he was invited to conduct the mass choir of the 24th Latvian Song Festival - consisting of 12,000 voices! - in a performance of his 'Put, Vejini". This year marks his 32nd year as Principal Second Violin with the OSO and his 21st year as conductor of the YSO.

Dennis Colpitts, a graduate from the Department of Music (UBC, 1976), has taught music in the Lower Mainland and Okanagan at all levels of the school system. His blended majors of trumpet, voice, and conducting under James Fankhauser have enabled him to participate in a wide variety of musical opportunities including the Vancouver Cantata Singers, Phoenix, a Chamber Choir and the Okanagan Festival Singers. He is also the past director of the Kelowna City Band and the orchestra of Trinity Baptist Church.

Mr. Colpitts is a member of Take Five, an a cappela men’s quintet, is second chair in the horn section of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, performs with the Coils of Gold horn quartet and plays trumpet in the Michael Garding Big Band. He conducts the OSO Wind Ensemble for the UBC Okanagan’s graduation ceremonies each year, and has been a guest conductor of the Okanagan Symphony for concerts including Michael Burgess, Natalie McMaster and most recently, the grand opening of the Sparkling Hill Resort .