One of Canada’s most frequently performed composers, Stephen Chatman, C.M., D.M.A. was Professor and Head of Composition at the University of British Columbia School of Music. He retired in 2021. He has received many composition awards, including 2005, 2006, 2010, and 2020 Western Canadian Music Awards “Classical Composition of the Year”, 2010 and 2012 SOCAN Jan V. Matejcek New Classical Music Award, three BMI Awards (New York), multiple JUNO nominations, Dorothy Somerset Award, the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and is the only Canadian ever short-listed for the BBC Masterprize (London).  Dr. Chatman was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2012.

Several volumes of his works have been recorded on Centrediscs. More than 150 of his musical works, published by Highgate Press (ECSPublishing), Oxford University Press, Boosey & Hawkes, Cypress, E. B. Marks (Hal Leonard), earthsongs, Frederick Harris, Dorn, Berandol, and T. Presser have sold 500,000 printed copies; many of his choral works have entered the standard repertory.

Recordings of Dr. Chatman’s music include three choral collections performed by the Vancouver Chamber Choir: Due North (Centrediscs), Due West (CBC Records) Due East (Centrediscs), UBC Singers’ A Chatman Christmas (Centrediscs); a chamber music collection, Vancouver Visions (Centrediscs), choral/orchestral/instrumental collections, Proud Music of the Storm (Centrediscs), Earth Songs (Centrediscs), Magnificat (Centrediscs) and works on the ATMA, Naxos, Crystal, Skylark, and CRI labels.

Dr. Chatman’s choral pieces “are in wide demand in North America” (Historical Dictionary of Choral Music, 2010); his orchestral music has been commissioned by the CBC Radio Orchestra, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Madison, and Windsor symphonies, Calgary Philharmonic, Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra, and performed by the BBC Symphony, Berlin Radio Orchestra, CBC Radio Orchestra, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic,  Montreal, Winnipeg, Quebec, Regina, Saskatoon, Niagara, P.E.I., Newfoundland, Sydney, Seoul, San Francisco, St. Louis, Detroit, Dallas, and New World symphonies.

He has received many commissions through the Canada Council, the C.B.C, the B.C. Arts Council and the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts, including works for Vancouver New Music, Montreal’s S.M.C.Q., Winnipeg’s Music Inter Alia, Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, musicfest Vancouver, Michigan State University’s Verdehr Trio, pianists Marc-Andre Hamelin and Jane Coop, contralto Maureen Forrester, baritone Tyler Duncan, violinists Andrew Dawes and Gwen Thompson, and various choirs and choral festivals  throughout North America.

Numerous volumes of Dr. Chatman’s elementary through intermediate level piano music are published in the Stephen Chatman Library series, Frederick Harris Music Co., and many piano pieces are included in the syllabus of Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music.

As Professor and Head of composition and co-director of the UBC Contemporary Players new music ensemble since 1976, Dr. Chatman has taught a generation of prominent Canadian composers.  Among his former composition students are Canadian Music Centre Associate Composers, Mark Armanini, Howard Bashaw, Rolf Boon, Glenn Buhr, John Burge, Timothy Corlis, Paul Cram, Neil Currie, Arne Eigenfeldt, John Estacio, Peter Hatch, Melissa Hui, John Korsrud, Christopher Kovarik, Jacqueline Leggatt, Brent Lee, Grace Lee, Ramona Luengen,  Michael Maguire, Jocelyn Morlock, Larry Nickel, John Oliver, Bob Pritchard, Laurie Radford, Douglas Schmidt, Bruce Sled, Paul Steenhuisen, Brian Tate, Peter Togni, Neil Weisensel, and Rui-shi Zhuo.

For additional information see www.drstephenchatman.com and Stephen Chatman Fonds, Library and Archives Canada.