Rachel Laurin (August 11, 1961 – August 13, 2023) was a Canadian organist, composer and music educator in Quebec.[1]
Biography edit
Rachel Laurin was born in Saint-Benoît on August 11, 1961. Laurin studied organ with Lucienne L'Heureux-Arel. She went on to study at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal with Gaston Arel, Raymond Daveluy and Raoul Sosa. In 1985, she received the McAbbie Foundation scholarship and, in the following year, the Bourse d'excellence Wilfrid-Pelletier. She performed in Canada, the United States and France. She received the Conrad-Letendre scholarship five times. From 1986 to 2002, she was assistant organist at Saint Joseph's Oratory. In 1988, she started teaching at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal. From 2002 to 2006, she was titular organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Ottawa.[2][1]
Laurin started composition lessons at age 19 with Raymond Daveluy.[3] She was the "house composer" at Wayne Leupold Editions from 2006.[3] In her latter years, Laurin only composed commissioned pieces. Her very first commissioned piece was requested by Donald Sutherland and his wife Phyllis Bryn-Julson. The piece was premiered at an AGO regional convention in Pittsburgh in 1987.[3]
In 2008, she received the Holtkamp-AGO Composition Award. In 2009, she was awarded first place in the Marilyn Mason New Organ Music Competition.[2] Laurin won the 2022 Pogorzelski-Yankee Composition Competition.[4]
The American Guild of Organists granted her their Distinguished Composer Award in 2020.[5]
Laurin died on August 13, 2023, at the age of 62.[6]
Selected compositions[1] edit
- Messe pour les fêtes solennelles Opus 4 (1983)
- Messe de louange, Opus 15 (1990)
- Opus 17 for viola, flute, and piano (1990)
- Opus 18 for chamber ensemble (1990)
- String Quartet, Opus 19 (1991)
- Concerto in D for Organ, String Orchestra and Timpani, op. 59
Solo Organ Works[7]
- Suite Brève, Op. 6 (1988)
- Sonate en Fa, Op. 7
- Hommage à Lucien Daveluy, Op. 13
- Scènes vosgiennes, Op. 16 (1989)
- Prèlude, Op. 24
- Variations sur un Noël Lorrain, Op. 26 (1995)
- Quatre Pèlerinages en Lorraine, Op. 30 (1996)
- Trois Pièces, Op. 31 (2012)
- Symphonie No. 1, Op. 36 (2008)
- Acclamations, Op. 37
- Étude Héroïque, Op. 38 (2012)
- Petite Suite sur un Motet de Gerald Bales, Op. 41 (2005)
- Douze courtes Pièces, Op. 43
- Volume 1 (2006)
- Volume 2 (2010)
- Volume 3, Op. 64 (2014)
- Volume 4, Op. 68 (2016)
- Volume 5, Op. 75 (2018)
- Introduction and Passacaglia on a Theme by Raymond Daveluy, Op. 44 (2011)
- Prélude et Fugue en Fa Mineur, Op. 45 (2008)
- Partita on "Nun danket," Op. 47 (2009)
- Épilogue, Op. 50 (2014)
- Royal Canadian Fanfare, Op. 53 (2012)
- Trois Bagatelles, Op. 54
- Symphonie No. 2, Op. 55
- Greensboro Suite, Op. 56 (2011)
- Sept Pièces, Op. 58 (2012)
- Berceuse à Pierre, Op. 61
- Fantaisie et Fugue sur le Psaume Genevois 47, Op. 62
- Suite in D major for Don Menzies, Op. 63
- Étude-Caprice "Le Rire de Belzébuth," Op. 66 (2016)
- Poème Symphonique pour le Temps de l'Avent, Op. 69 (2017)
- Étude Symphonique pour Pédale Solo, Op. 72 (2016)
- Fantaisie et Fugue en Ré Majeur, Op. 73
- Aria et Fugue pour Aaron, Op. 74
- Three Impressions of Kingsfold
- Humoresque (Hommage à Marcel Dupré), Op. 77
- Finale, Op. 78 (2018)
- Pièce de Concert, No. 1, Op. 79
- Pièce de Concert (Hommage à Buxtehude), No. 2, Op. 86
- Sonate pour orgue, No. 1, Op. 91
- Ten Little Sketches for Ten Little Fingers, Op. 92
- Petit Triptyque, Op. 93
- Concert Piece No. 3 (Mr. Mistoffelees Overture), Op. 94
- Fantasia quasi scherzo, Op. 95
- Concert Piece No. 4 (Sweelinck Variations), Op. 96
- Concert Piece No. 5 (Tone Poem in Honour of Saint Benedict on "Gaudeamus" and "Laeta Dies"), Op. 97
- Étude-Esquisse (Bagatelle burlesque, Hommage à Beethoven) No. 2, Op. 98
- Cantabile à Deux, Op. 99 (duet)
- Thirteen Easy Pieces, Op. 100
- Concert Piece No. 6 (Fantasy and Fugue on a Swedish Folk Song), Op. 102
- Concert Piece No. 7 (Toccata for a Great Space), Op. 103
- Diptych, Op. 107
References edit
- ^ a b c "Rachel Laurin". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- ^ a b "Rachel Laurin". Canadian Music Centre.
- ^ a b c "Rachel Laurin - Musforum". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
- ^ "Accueil". rachellaurin.com (in French). Retrieved 2022-03-23.
- ^ "AGO New Music Commissions". American Guild of Organists. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ In Memoriam | L'organiste et compositrice Rachel Laurin est décédée (in French)
- ^ "Orgue". rachellaurin.com (in French). Retrieved 2022-03-23.
External links edit
- Rachel Laurin Official Website
- Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
- Rachel Laurin discography at Discogs