High Notes

Lawrence de Guzman and Erica Binder

Catching Up With Our Students: National Youth Band, Cosi fan tutte, and a collaboration with UBC Neuroscience

UBC Bands students Erica Binder, Lawrence de Guzman and Graeme Lister were selected to The National Youth Band of Canada (NYB), the most comprehensive music education youth project offered by the Canadian Band Association. The NYB provides an enriching musical and cultural experience to outstanding musicians aged 16 to 22 in Canada, with opportunities to […]

Beyond the Gates: Sea shanties, Finnish Jazz, a Juno nomination, and more

Conducting and harpsichord lecturer Alexander Weimann and the Pacific Baroque Orchestra (PBO) received a JUNO nomination in the category of Classical Album of the Year for their album Nuits Blanches: Opera Arias at the Russian Court of the 18th Century with soprano Karin Gauvin. Prof. Weimann and the PBO also received high praise for their […]

Winter concerts 2021

Winter concerts 2021

Catch up on all the highlights from the School of Music’s winter term — from big, bold Bands concerts to chamber music by some of Canada’s very best classical musicians. Bands: Spring Showcase The UBC Symphonic Wind Ensemble and UBC Concert Winds perform a wildly ambitious and creative season finale, featuring works by Russell Peck, […]

Cris Derksen is home

Cris Derksen is home

Award-winning cellist Cris Derksen (BMus’07) on the urgency of Indigenous activism in the arts, the importance of hustle, and the future of live music in a post-pandemic world Cris Derksen is home. The COVID pandemic has brought the Juno-nominated cellist’s life on the road — more than a decade of near constant-travel, with frequent stops on […]

Research and Publications: Music, Pantomime, and Freedom in Enlightenment France, Queer Identity and Visibility in the Wind Band, and more

Research and Publications: Music, Pantomime, and Freedom in Enlightenment France, Queer Identity and Visibility in the Wind Band, and more

Associate Professor of Musicology Dr. Hedy Law published Music, Pantomime, and Freedom in Enlightenment France (Boydell & Brewer), a new book that explores how “composers and performers use[d] the lost art of pantomime to explore and promote the Enlightenment ideals of free expression.” Winds, Brass, and Percussion Chair Dr. Robert Taylor contributed the chapter “Out […]

Composer Emmerich Kálmán

Emmerich Kálmán, Rediscovered

Dr. Jonathan Girard and the UBC Symphony Orchestra shine a light on century-old symphonic treasures by the Jewish-Hungarian composer By Tze Liew   Emmerich Kálmán couldn’t sing, and wouldn’t dance — but his music has moved hundreds of thousands of operetta-goers to fits of tears and waltzes of joy. Capturing many a heart with gems […]

Playlist: A Musical Time Capsule with Dr. Stephen Chatman

Playlist: A Musical Time Capsule with Dr. Stephen Chatman

We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. Our Playlist column features music curated by School of Music faculty, students, […]

Chatman through the years

Chatman through the years

Professor of Composition Dr. Stephen Chatman reflects on his life’s work, teaching at UBC since the 1970s, and retiring during the COVID-19 pandemic Interview by Tze Liew Dr. Stephen Chatman, Professor of Composition, is one of Canada’s most prominent, versatile and frequently performed composers. From grand orchestral works, to classic piano gems for learners, to […]

Conjuring the future

Conjuring the future

An exciting new multimedia collaboration between Professor Bob Pritchard and Turning Point Ensemble imagines one possible future for humanity — and points to another for classical music performance WATCH: Synapses (6:15) An oboist wanders barefoot in near-darkness. He plays a string of searching notes, trails off, and begins again, elaborating the melody. He stops, peers. […]

Music as Medicine: An Interview with UBC’s Dr. Shimi Kang

Music as Medicine: An Interview with UBC’s Dr. Shimi Kang

Director of Orchestral Activities Dr. Jonathan Girard speaks with UBC’s Dr. Shimi Kang about the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health, and the healing power of making and listening to music.