UBC School of Music

Double nomination alert! 🏆✨ We are incredibly proud to celebrate the faculty and alumni of the UBC School of Music who are making waves in the western Canadian music scene.

Both Standing Wave and Trio Garibaldi have earned nominations for Classical Artist or Ensemble of the Year at the 2026 BreakOut West Western Canadian Music Awards!

The winners will be announced during BreakOut West in Victoria, BC, running from September 30 to October 4, 2026.

Read the full announcement and explore the nominations here: https://music.ubc.ca/news/ubc-school-of-music-faculty-and-alumni-earn-double-nomination-at-breakout-west-western-canadian-music-awards/

We're thrilled to share that "Marvellous!": The Life and Music of Elliot Weisgarber — the first full-length biography of beloved UBC Music faculty member Elliot Weisgarber — is now available.

Written by his daughter, flutist and UBC Music alumna ('77) Karen Suzanne Smithson, the book is the culmination of more than two decades of archival research, drawing on Weisgarber's own memoirs, manuscripts, and correspondence.

A labour of love and scholarship, "Marvellous!" is available to purchase now.

Link in bio.

This Saturday at 2pm! UBC alumna, soprano, Simone Osborne and bass-baritone, Gordon Bintner with Canadian conductor, Gordon Gerrard and members of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra celebrate the grand finale of the Old Auditorium’s 100th-anniversary celebrations. ✨

Don't miss this evening of opera, operetta and musical theatre. Tickets at https://ubcopera.tickets.ubc.ca

Rising stars take the stage as Opera West honours Old Auditorium’s centenary, May 30 — Stir Finale of the storied UBC venue’s 100th-anniversary celebrations features celebrated soprano Simone Osborne and bass-baritone Gordon Bintner

We are devastated by the passing of Cree/Mennonite cellist, composer, mentor, and UBC Music alum Cris Derksen (BMus’07), following a car accident in Northern Alberta.

Cris Derksen was a powerful advocate for Indigenous artists in classical music and has made an extraordinary impact on contemporary music—from her collaborations with Inuk musician Tanya Tagaq, to the Carnegie Hall performance of their work Controlled Burn by l’Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, and the recent premiere of Still Here with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She also founded the Indigenous Classical Gathering at the Banff Centre for the Arts.

Cris’ recordings include her debut album The Cusp (2010) and the critically acclaimed Orchestral Powwow (2015), which earned a JUNO Award nomination for Instrumental Album of the Year, and most recently The Visit (2025).

Cris' collaborative spirit and musical brilliance will be deeply missed. Our hearts are with her loved ones.

Read more about Cris’ remarkable musical life at createastir.ca/articles/cris-derksen-obituary.

—
Mental Health Resources:⁠
⁠
Call 911 or,⁠
Crisis Center BC: Call or text 9-8-8 or, call 1-800-784-2433⁠

Call or visit VGH Access and Assessment Centre: 604-675-3700 (7:30am to 11:00pm)⁠
Indigenous Crisis and Support Line - KUU-US Crisis Support Line: 1-800-588-8717

Available 24/7 to all Indigenous people across Canada.
Hope for Wellness Help Line: hopeforwellness.ca
Mental health counselling and crisis intervention by phone (toll-free or online chat). Call 1.855-242-3310

UBC Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing
students.ubc.ca/health/counselling-services/indigenous-mental-health-wellbeing-program

UBC Student Assistance Program: ⁠
students.ubc.ca/health

From Mon-Fri:
UBC Counselling Services: 604-822-3811

We're proud to share that Prof. David Metzer has published a groundbreaking new book — Prison Song: Music and Incarceration in the United States (University of Michigan Press).

The first book to take a broad view of prison songs across genres, Prison Song traces how musicians have used music to confront the cruelties of incarceration and forge bonds of empathy with those inside.

"Prison songs have created bonds of empathy between listeners and incarcerated people, ties that affirm the humanity of those held in the prison system." — David Metzer

Read the announcement here: https://music.ubc.ca/news/prof-david-metzer-authors-new-book-on-musicians-confronting-the-us-prison-system/

Order your copy now from University of Michigan Press and use code UMWEB30 for 30% off!

What happens when you treat a piano like a living creature rather than just an instrument? 🌿🎹

In honor of alumna Hildegard Westerkamp’s 80th birthday, UBC School of Music is proud to share KLAVIERKLANG—a stunning new cinematic tone poem.

The film brings together two powerhouse alumnae: composer Hildegard Westerkamp (BMus '72) and pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa (DMA '2007). Directed by Nettie Wild, it’s an experimental dive into memory and soundscapes.

CBC Radio calls it “intense and spectacular.” See why it was selected for the prestigious International Festival of Films on Art (Le FIFA)!

👇 Watch here

Music on Main 51 likes, 16 comments. "KLAVIERKLANG: An Experimental Music Video | Music on Main"

Bringing music to the heart of the city!🎻 ⁠
⁠
We’re thrilled to share a CBC Arts feature by UBC Opera and Informatics student Elena Massing on Ryan Davis, Assistant Professor of Viola at the UBC School of Music.

Ryan has been collaborating with the UBC Learning Exchange to bring live viola performances to residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

By taking the music out of the concert hall and into the community, he’s creating spaces for connection, healing, and shared joy. 🌟

Read the full story here: https://musc.cms.arts.ubc.ca/news/the-violist-bringing-classical-music-to-one-of-canadas-most-marginalized-neighbourhoods/
⁠

Full-time graduate students in the UBC School of Music are invited to submit applications for Graduate Teaching Assistant positions for Winter 2026. Preferred TAs must apply by the deadline to retain entitlement. ⁠
⁠
Details for how to apply ➡️ music.ubc.ca or 🔗 in our bio.⁠
⁠
Deadline: April 30, 2026

Finding the Magic in the Mundane!

We are thrilled to share that UBC School of Music BMus'07 alum and acclaimed Indigenous composer Cris Derksen is set to debut a powerful new work with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

As part of the Art of Healing program—a unique partnership between the TSO and CAMH—Cris has collaborated with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis clients to create STILL HERE. This piece explores the rhythm of urban life, the magic in the mundane, and the deep empathy of humanity.

📅 Performance Dates: April 30 & May 1, 2026
📍 Location: Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto
🎟️ Tickets: Available now at TSO.CA

Join us in celebrating Cris’s incredible contribution to music and the healing power of the arts!