UPEI Department of Music

Celebrating our graduates!

Congratulations to Jacob Reddin, a B.Mus.Ed. trombone major who won the David Austin O'Malley-Keyes Memorial Award and the Lena C. McLure Music Scholarship!

Jacob says: "My favourite part about my time as a music student at UPEI was that I was encouraged to explore different parts of my musical identity. I had opportunities as a composer, researcher, and performer, and participated in genres outside of traditional classical music like jazz, pop, and theatre."

Jacob will begin a Master of Music degree in Performance at Western University this Fall. We wish you all the best, Jacob!

Celebrating our graduates!

Congratulations to Megan Ferguson, a B.Mus.Ed. classical guitar major from Windsor, ON.

Megan says: "Looking back on my time at UPEI, my favourite part of my degree was directing the UPEI guitar ensemble. The ensemble provided a creative space for collaboration, musical exploration, and building a shared passion for music with like-minded people. Rehearsals were always the highlight of my week."

Megan plans to teach elementary music on the Island and start a Master of Education degree at the University of Windsor. We wish you all the best, Megan!

Celebrating our graduates!

Congratulations to Zoe Sullivan, a B.Mus.Ed. violin major from Charlottetown, and winner of the Long & McQuade Award of Excellence!

Zoe says: "One thing I learned during my time at UPEI and would share with a younger version of myself is that trust in yourself is often all that you need; you are capable of so much more than fear of failure might convince you! I love that my time at UPEI provided me the space to learn this, especially within the Music Department’s ever-supportive circle of classmates and faculty. In a place where competition could so easily have been the center of our lives, I was instead surrounded by a ‘family' who uplifted and supported my every performance, regardless of its size or nature."

Zoe, we wish you the best as you dive into your career as an elementary music teacher!

Celebrating our graduates!

Congrats to Dre Knowles, a B.Mus.Ed. piano major from Nassau, The Bahamas, who won the Joan Doreen Thompson Memorial Music Award!

Dre says: "One thing I love about my time at UPEI is the openness and friendliness of the faculty and students of the Department of Music."

Dre plans to continue to build his private teaching studio, substitute teach in the school system, and prepare for graduate studies in piano performance. We wish you all the best, Dre!

Congratulations to the Class of 2026!

Bachelor of Music
Timothy (Shing Chun) Luk | Hong Kong (piano)

Bachelor of Music Education
Megan Ferguson | Windsor, ON (classical guitar)
Dre Knowles | Nassau, The Bahamas (piano)
Jacob Reddin | Charlottetown (trombone)
Becca Rose | Halifax, NS (piano)
Zoe Sullivan | Charlottetown (violin)

Photo, L to R: Dre Knowles, Becca Rose, Zoe Sullivan, Megan Ferguson, Jacob Reddin

Huge congratulations to our piano professor Magdalena von Eccher on her fantastic performance with the PEI Symphony Orchestra yesterday! It was a world class rendition of Claude Debussy's rarely performed Fantaisie for piano and orchestra. We are so proud to have Magdalena on our faculty, and our piano students are incredibly lucky to have her as their teacher.

We are looking forward to hosting this 5-day summer chamber music experience for brass, woodwind, percussion, and piano students aged 14-18.

Students will get individual lessons on their instruments with our wonderful faculty, in addition to technique and musicianship classes, workshops, and performances!

Visit our webpage for more info and to register:
https://www.upei.ca/programs/bachelor-music/summer-studios

Faculty of Arts at UPEI

On Friday, March 20, at 7:30 pm, our singers, under the direction of Sung Ha Shin-Bouey, will present scenes from The Marriage of Figaro, The Merry Widow, La Traviata, Kiss Me Kate, Chicago, I Love You, You're Perfect-Now Change, and song selections from The Lion King, WICKED, plus other wonderful chamber music. This performance is the culmination of a year-long ‘Special Topics in Vocal Performance’ elective course (offered every second year) that is taken not just by vocal majors but also by other students who love singing. They work very hard, and the final performance is always enjoyable!

Venue: SDU Stage at Steel Recital Hall

Admission: $10 for everyone; cash at the door. FREE for UPEI students with a valid ID.

Images from our Contemporary Music Festival. Events continue today with a presentation by Indigenous cellist and composer Cris Derksen at 1:00 pm at the Performing Arts Centre, and our spotlight concert at 7:30 pm with internationally renowned French contemporary music ensemble Proxima Centauri at Steel Recital Hall!

More details:
https://www.upei.ca/events/2026/03/upei-contemporary-music-festival

On Thursday, March 12, at 1:00–2:30 pm, join us for a free public presentation by Indigenous cellist and composer Cris Derksen, who will demonstrate their use of electronic pedals with a classical instrument, and discuss their compositional practice as an artist working across genres and disciplines.

Venue: Performing Arts Centre Theatre, UPEI Campus

We are grateful to the PEI Symphony Orchestra for their assistance in making Cris Derksen available for our Contemporary Music Festival. Derksen will be the featured soloist with the PEISO on Sunday, March 15 at 2:30 pm. This concert is not to be missed!