Schulich School of Music
Culture
An out-of-this-world composition
Composer Sophie Kastner, MMus’22, recently took part in a unique collaboration with NASA, creating a vivid piece of music about the Milky Way based on data about the galaxy that has been gleaned by the Chandra, Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes.
Culture
Updating big band jazz for the 21st century
Darcy James Argue and his big band the Secret Society make some of the most daringly ambitious music in contemporary jazz and they have the Grammy Award nominations and critical acclaim to prove it.
Culture
We say a little prayer of thanks
Tributes continue to pour in for masterful pop composer Burt Bacharach, AMus’48, DMus’72, who passed away on February 8. Bacharach’s music spanned decades and included a long list of smash hits, including “I Say a Little Prayer” and “The Look of Love”.
People
A voice for her home, a voice for her people
Élisabeth St-Gelais, BMus’21, has recently been receiving a lot of attention, winning McGill’s Wirth Vocal Prize and a grand prize at the Canadian Music Competition. The young Innu soprano from Saguenay says her Indigenous heritage supplies the foundation for her art.
People
Sharing music beyond the concert halls
Françoise Henri, MMus’98, is the general and artistic director of the Société pour les arts en milieux de santé, a network of musicians who have performed thousands of live concerts for hospital patients throughout Quebec. COVID-19 made that mission much more complicated.
On Campus
A Sommer sweep for Schulich grads
Matthew Ricketts, the top prize winner for this year's Graham Sommer Competition for Young Composers.
Culture
Music professors’ albums attract Grammy attention
McGill music professors Matt Haimovitz (pictured) and John Hollenbeck have something in common with Beyoncé and BTS – they were all Grammy Award finalists this year. The McGillians spoke about what it’s like to be in the running for the music industry’s most famous prize.
Culture
Creating music and seeking change in the #MeToo era
The worlds of opera and classical music are facing growing demands for change. McGill-trained musicians are creating works that explore themes of violence and abuse, as they also address inequities behind the scenes.
People
Finally getting the attention he deserves
When former McGill music student Beverly Glenn-Copeland released his seminal new age album Keyboard Fantasies in 1986, it only sold a handful of copies. Today, it's regarded as a cult classic and Glenn-Copeland's fans include Robyn and Courtney Barnett.
Discovery
Bringing “the sensation of being there” to music in video games
Schulich School of Music professors Wieslaw Woszczyk and Richard King are collaborating on an ambitious project that could change the way video games sound. “We want to reconstruct, as much as possible, the sensation of being there.”
Culture
Music finds a way
Clarinetist Eric Abramovitz was among the many McGill musicians who brought their talents to social media and the internet during the pandemic.
Culture
A musical exploration of Montreal’s hidden past
As a McGill student, Elizabeth Shepherd, BMus’04, lived in Little Burgundy “way before it was for hipsters.” Her links to the neighbourhood inform the four-time Juno nominee’s new album about overlooked parts of Montreal’s rich history.