Laurier Music

Welcome to Laurier Music, Shauna!

Joining us from Woodstock Collegiate Institute, Shauna will be pursuing studies in cello this fall. We're excited to have her become part of our vibrant string community and begin working with acclaimed cellist Katie Schlaikjer, a member of the Penderecki String Quartet, one of Canada's leading chamber musicians.

We can't wait to see all that Shauna will accomplish as part of the Laurier Music Class of 2030!

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Hi! My name is Shauna. My journey as a classical cellist has shown me the power of art to move people, create, community, and spark change. I’m thrilled to be joining the Faculty of Music at Laurier this fall as a classical cellist. Throughout high school, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor younger cello students and participate in ensemble, chamber, and solo performance opportunities. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported me and encouraged me to keep pursuing what I love. Outside of music, I enjoy competing in endurance riding with my Arabian/Mustang horse, Spirit.

I’m so excited to continue growing as a musician and to make a meaningful impact through my art at Laurier!

🎶 In early May, Laurier faculty member Dr. Leah McGray had the opportunity to work with the Kawartha Lakes Youth Orchestra and the Kawartha Lakes Concert Band, led by conductor Murray Lefebvre.

We love seeing our faculty sharing their expertise with musicians across Ontario, building connections and inspiring the next generation of performers. Thank you to the musicians and organizers for the warm welcome and a wonderful day of music-making!

WindBand YouthOrchestra

We will, we will rock you! 🎶

A fun Laurier Music faculty crossover in London, Ontario! Brennan Connolly was performing percussion in the Jeans ’n’ Classics Rock Symphony: The Music of Queen, while Katie Walshaw sang with the Standing Ovations choir.

We love seeing our faculty sharing their artistry on stage and out in the community. Bravo to everyone involved!

Please help us welcome Ruby to Laurier's Class of 2029!

A local student from Laurel Heights Secondary School, Ruby is joining Laurier Music this fall and will be studying in our outstanding brass area.

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Hi, my name is Ruby, and I will be joining the Bachelor of Music program specializing in tuba! I love everything about performing and I made it a goal to join as many ensembles as I could throughout high school. I LOVE big instruments, playing the tuba in concert band, and the bari sax in jazz. Other than music, I am very interested in nature and I love birdwatching and hiking! Laurier's tight-knit music community is very uplifting and welcoming, and I am excited to become a part of it this fall!

We love seeing what our students are up to over the summer! ☀️🎶

Meet Eryn, a voice student heading into her third year at Laurier this fall, who performed this weekend at the Paisley Blues Festival!

Are you performing, teaching, creating, touring, or working on something exciting this summer? We'd love to hear about it. Send us a photo and a few details at [email protected] and we may feature you on our channels. 💜

QuartetFest 2026 is in full swing! 🎻

Our young artists are spending the week rehearsing, collaborating, and receiving feedback from renowned faculty artists as they refine their chamber music skills.

There are still several concerts to enjoy throughout the festival, including tonight’s Faculty Artist Concert at 7 p.m. in the Maureen Forrester Recital Hall.

💜 Join us for an evening of incredible music.

Did you know? Laurier Music offers music and arts programming for community members of all ages through the Laurier Academy of Music and Arts (LAMA). 💜🎶

This Saturday, June 6, we're opening our doors for LAMA-palooza 2026, our annual community open house!

Join us for a day of music, creativity and family-friendly fun, featuring:

✨ Student and faculty performances
✨ Instrument petting zoo and harpsichord demonstrations
✨ Arts & crafts and face painting
✨ School tours
✨ LAMA llama sticker hunt with prizes
✨ Medieval Music Scriptorium
✨ Chinese tea ceremony and calligraphy
✨ Delicious crêpes from Café du Monde Crêperie
✨ And much more!

📍 190 Lester St., Waterloo
🕥 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Whether you're interested in lessons, looking for a fun family outing, or simply curious about what LAMA has to offer, we'd love to welcome you.

Bring your friends, family and neighbours, and come celebrate music, arts and community with us!

With the June 1 confirmation deadline behind us, we're excited to begin introducing more members of Laurier's Faculty of Music incoming Class of 2030.

Please help us welcome Landon! From Oshawa, Ontario, Landon is joining Laurier's Bachelor of Music program on oboe. A supportive and encouraging musician, he enjoys helping others develop their musical skills, and we look forward to welcoming him to campus this fall.

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Hi, my name is Landon Rose, and I'm thrilled to be joining the Bachelor of Music program at Laurier this fall. Music has been a central part of my life for many years, and I've been fortunate to get experience through musical theatre, solo performances, and teaching music. My main instrument is the oboe, and I am also a Grade 8 RCM pianist and clarinetist. Outside of music, I enjoy playing sports like hockey, volleyball, badminton, and track, both competitively and leisurely. I'm looking forward to meeting new people, growing as a musician, and being part of Laurier's Class of 2030.

Another year, we’ve been grateful to meet and exceed our enrolment goals at Laurier Music. 💜

We’ve been blown away by the level of interest in our program this year and by the incredible students choosing to join our community.

To all of our future students: thank you for trusting us with your next chapter. We’re so excited to welcome a vibrant and diverse community of musicians to campus this fall and to continue building a program where many musical pathways can thrive side by side.

See you in September.

Congratulations to Wilfrid Laurier University alumni Sarah Dufresne (BMus ’16) and Midori Marsh (BMus ’17) on their 2026 Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Individual in the Opera Division. 👏🎭🎶

The annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards celebrate excellence across Toronto’s professional theatre, dance and opera communities and are Canada’s largest and longest-running performing arts awards program.

📸 The photo of Sarah features proud Laurier voice instructor Brandon Leis alongside his former student following her performance as Gilda in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Rigoletto.

📸 Midori’s photo is from her performance in Opera Laurier’s 2018 production of The Tales of Hoffmann.