Laurier Music

Meet Lexi, one of the newest faces around Laurier Music!

Faculty member Kevin Swinden has a new four-legged companion this year: Lexi, a future Dog Guide with Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides.

Lexi is currently in training, which means that while she may be incredibly cute (we can confirm she is), she’s also busy learning the skills she’ll need for a very important job one day.

You may spot Lexi and Kevin around the Faculty of Music this year, so be sure to give her the space she needs to learn and work. 🐶

We’re very happy to have you around, Lexi! 💜🎶

A new season of live music is coming to Laurier!

Our 2026-27 concert season is here, bringing student musicians, faculty and incredible guest artists to stages across Laurier Music.

✨ Jully Black with the Penderecki String Quartet
🎹 The Oscar Peterson Centennial Project
🙌 Toronto Mass Choir
🎭 Opera Laurier
🎷 Symphony Orchestra, Wind Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra, choirs and more
🎶 Free Music at Noon concerts throughout the year
➕ Two brand-new student ensembles: Stagecraft: Music Theatre and Funk Bank

From classical and jazz to contemporary music, opera, chamber music, global music and more, there’s a lot to experience this season.

And the best part? Our community is invited to be part of it. 💜

Our season begins Sept. 11 and runs through April.

👉 See what’s coming to Laurier Music and explore the full 2026-27 concert season: https://wlu.ca/news/news-releases/2026/aug/laurier-music-launches-2026-27-concert-season-invites-community-to-experience-live-music-on-campus.html

☀️ Our students have been busy this summer! 🎭

Laurier Music student Amber Humby designed and created Bright Lights Theatre Camp, a musical theatre summer camp in Beckwith, just outside Ottawa, where kids learn an entire showcase in just 5 days!

Across three weeks this summer, 90 kids have taken the stage, learning singing, dancing, acting, choreography, and more.

Bright Lights is a great example of our students taking what they learn at Laurier and putting it into action by creating, teaching, leading, and inspiring the next generation of performers. 💜

We love seeing what our Laurier Music students are up to! Have something exciting happening this summer? Tag us in your posts or share your photos and stories with us. We’d love to celebrate what you’re doing! 🎶

LearningInAction

You might know Kathy Gauci as the person behind some very important emails in your inbox 👀📧

As Laurier Music’s Academic Advisor, Kathy helps our students navigate course selection, degree requirements, academic planning and all those questions that come up along the way.

But outside the Faculty of Music, you can also find her making music! 🎶

Here’s Kathy performing with the Stratford Concert Band alongside Laurier Music saxophone alum Paula K***t. 🎷

So, your friendly reminder: if Kathy sent you an email, you should probably read it. 💜💛

Last month, our C3 cohort took their learning beyond the classroom! 🎶

As part of their offsite final project, students performed inside the Deer Clan Longhouse at Crawford Lake Conservation Area. It was a unique opportunity to bring their music into a meaningful and inspiring space.

Congratulations to the C3 cohort on wrapping up their final project and sharing their music in such a special setting! 💜💛

We’re excited to welcome Ariana to the Laurier Music Class of 2030! 🎺

This fall, Ariana will begin her Bachelor of Music studies on tuba, studying with Jonathan Rowsell.

We can’t wait to welcome you to campus and see where your music takes you over the next four years. Welcome to the Laurier Music community, Ariana! 💜🎶

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Heyy! I’m Ariana or Ari for short, I graduated from A. B. Lucas in London, Ontario, playing tuba and singing in choir every year. Music has been a constant drive in my life pushing me to make new connections, seek out opportunities and allowing me to connect with family and others through language barriers. Outside of music I love learning psychology, the arts, camping and climbing, I also enjoy gaming and sports for fun. I want to be a music teacher majoring in tuba, and I can’t wait to join the Bachelor of Music program and be apart of the Laurier community!

Congratulations to our incredible students and alumni who performed in the chorus of Brott Music Festival's opera production of La Bohème this summer:

✨ Emmanuel Dye
✨ Terri-Lyn Paterson
✨ Amye Buchan
✨ Nicole Hamilton
✨ Gabriella Bell-Divincenzo
✨ Sarah Storms

It's always inspiring to see Laurier musicians sharing the stage in professional productions, and we're so proud to see this talented group representing the Faculty of Music.

Congratulations to the entire cast and creative team on a fantastic production!

📸 Photo credit: Bob Hatcher
Creative team: Dana Fradkin (Stage Director), Adriana Bogaard (Set, Props, Costume & Projection Design), Lance Darren Cole (Costume Coordinator & Co-Designer), Siobhan Sleath (Lighting Design)

We're back! 👋🎶 Did you miss us?

Summer may not be over just yet, but the Faculty of Music is starting to come back to life. As we get ready to welcome students back to campus, here's a little sneak peek of what's waiting for you this fall.

From inspiring performances and rehearsals to unforgettable moments in our classrooms and practice spaces, we can't wait to fill these halls with music again.

The countdown to a new academic year is on. 🎼💜

The social media team is officially out of office for a couple of weeks. ☀️💜

But before we left, we dropped 10 brand-new Laurier Music stickers into our collection. 👀

Think you can identify them all? Zoom in, make your guesses, and tell us which one is your favourite.

We’ll be back in two weeks. Until then, happy sticker hunting! 🎶

We're excited to continue introducing our incoming students! Meet Rosie, a violist, aspiring music therapist, and one of the newest members of Laurier's Class of 2030.

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Hello, my name is Rosie, and I am from Stratford Ontario. I will be joining Laurier this fall for the Bachelor of Music program! My primary instrument is the viola, but I also play the violin, fiddle, and have been honing my skills on the piano and guitar. I really enjoy using my musical skills to connect with my community, and have had the opportunity to do so by joining the local youth orchestra, cafe fiddle groups, church services, and senior home recitals. I also spend lots of time outdoors, filming/editing, dog sitting, and spending time with my friends and family.

I am very keen on pursuing music therapy, and continuing to use my abilities to help others. I am so excited to join the welcoming community at Laurier this fall!