This is a

list of composers This is a list of lists of composers grouped by various criteria. Name * List of composers by name Women *List of female composers by name *List of female composers by birth date *List of Australian female composers Genre * Anime composer * L ...

who are either native to the country of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, are citizens of that nation, or have spent a major portion of their careers living and working in Canada. The list is arranged in alphabetical order:

A

John Abram John Abram (born 1959) is an Anglo-Canadian composer Born in England, Abram became interested in music when he was six; he began composing in his teenage years. He took composition lessons with Roger Marsh and Peter Dickinson at Keele Universit ...

(born 1959) *

Murray Adaskin Murray Adaskin, (March 28, 1906 – May 6, 2002) was a Toronto-born Canadian violinist, composer, conductor and teacher. After playing violin with a band, he studied composition and became the director of the Music department of the University of ...

(1906–2002) *

Andrew Ager Andrew Ager (born 12 February 1962) is a Canadian composer of symphonies, operas, chamber, and solo music. He lives in Ottawa, where he composes full-time. Early life Andrew Ager was born to a musical family. His maternal grandfather, Charles A ...

(born 1962) * Kati Agócs (born 1975) *

Lucio Agostini Lucio Agostini (Fano, Italy, 30 December 1913 – Toronto, 15 February 1996) was an Italian-born composer, arranger, and conductor who established his career in Canada. Life At age three, Agostini moved with his family to Montreal, Quebec, Ca ...

(1913–1996) * Robert Aitken (born 1939) *

J. E. P. Aldous John Edmund Paul Aldous (8 December 1853 – 23 January 1934) was a Canadian organist, conductor, composer, and music educator of English birth. His compositional output includes many short pieces for piano, organ, choir, and voice. He also co ...

(1853–1934) *

Gaston Allaire Joseph Georges-Émile Gaston Allaire (18 June 1916 – 15 January 2011) was a Canadian musicologist, organist, pianist, composer, and music educator of American birth."Gaston Allaire, un musicologue qui pursuit son oeuvre à 72 ans", Montre ...

(1916–2011) * Émilien Allard (1915–1977) *

Joseph Allard Joseph Allard (December 31, 1910 – May 3, 1991) was a professor of saxophone and clarinet at the Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory, and the Manhattan School of Music. He also held adjunct positions at many other schools. He succeed ...

(1873–1947) * Peter Allen (born 1952) *

Kristi Allik Kristi Allik (born 6 February 1952) is a Canadians, Canadian music educator and composer. Biography Born Kristi Anne Allik on 6 February 1952 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto, a Master o ...

(born 1952) *

Paul Ambrose Paul Ambrose (11 October 1868 – 1 July 1941) was a Canadian organist, conductor, composer, and music educator who was primarily active in the United States. His compositional output includes more than 200 songs, choral pieces, and works for ...

(1868–1941) * Robert Ambrose (1824–1908) *

W.H. Anderson William Henry Anderson (21 April 1882 – 12 April 1955) was a composer, choir director, tenor, and voice teacher of English birth. He produced a large amount of vocal music, including more than 150 songs and 40 anthems as well as a significant a ...

(1882–1955) * Samuel Andreyev (born 1981) *

Humfrey Anger Joseph Humfrey Anger (3 June 186211 June 1913) was a Canadian organist, pianist, conductor, composer, and music educator of English birth. His compositional output consists mainly of church music and works for solo piano and organ. Some of his ...

(1862–1913) *

István Anhalt István Anhalt, (April 12, 1919 – February 24, 2012) was a Hungarian-Canadian composer. Anhalt served as a professor of music at McGill University and founded the McGill University Electronic Music Studio. He also served as head of music a ...

(1919–2012) *

Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...

(born 1941) *

Louis Applebaum Louis Applebaum (April 3, 1918April 19, 2000) was a Canadian film score composer, administrator, and conductor. Early life He was born in Toronto, Ontario, and studied at the Toronto Conservatory of Music with Leo Smith and the University ...

(1918–2000) *

Violet Archer Violet Louise Archer (24 April 191321 February 2000) was a Canadian composer, teacher, pianist, organist, and percussionist. Born Violet Balestreri in Montreal, Quebec, in 1913, her family changed their name to Archer in 1940. She died in Ottawa o ...

(1913–2000) *

John Arpin John Francis Oscar Arpin (3 December 1936 – 8 November 2007) was a Canadian composer, recording artist and entertainer, best known for his work as a virtuoso ragtime pianist. Born in Port McNicoll, Ontario Arpin studied piano at The Royal Co ...

(1936–2007) *

Raynald Arseneault Raynald Arseneault (9 June 1945 – 27 January 1995) was a Canadian composer and organist. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre, his compositional output consists of more than 50 works. His style was particularly influenced by Ivan Wys ...

(1945–1995)

B

* Maya Badian (born 1945) * Michael Conway Baker (born 1937) *

Gerald Bales Gerald Albert Bales, (May 12, 1919 – July 4, 2002) was a Canadian organist and composer. ...

(1919–2002) *

Steve Barakatt Steve Barakatt (born May 17, 1973) is a Canadian composer, music producer, pianist, singer and creative director. He was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 2020 and he is a former National Ambassador of UNICEF Canada. Early years ...

(born 1973) *

Lesley Barber Lesley Barber (born 1962) is a Canadian composer of music for film, theatre, chamber and orchestral ensembles and she is also a conductor, pianist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Barber is best known for composing the film scores for '' M ...

(born 1968) * Milton Barnes (1931–2001) *

Joseph Beaulieu Joseph Beaulieu (21 May 1895 – 1 October 1965) was a Canadian composer, folklorist, and music educator. He traveled extensively throughout Canada collecting folk songs, which he compiled in several published books. As a composer, his works ref ...

(1895–1965) * William Beauvais (born 1956) *

Christophe Beck Jean-Christophe Beck (born November 30, 1972) is a Canadian television and film score composer and conductor. He is a brother of pianist Chilly Gonzales. He is best known for his collaborations with Disney and its subsidiaries, which include co ...

(born 1972) * John Beckwith (born 1927) * Léon Bernier (1936–2011) * Denis Bédard (born 1950) *

Norma Beecroft Norma Marian Beecroft (born 11 April 1934) is a Canadian composer, producer, broadcaster, and arts administrator. A member of the Canadian League of Composers and an associate of the Canadian Music Centre, she twice won the Canada Council's L ...

(born 1934) *

Jack Behrens Jack Behrens (born 25 March 1935) is a Canadian composer, music educator, and writer of American birth. A member of the Canadian League of Composers and an associate of the Canadian Music Centre, his music has been performed throughout North Ame ...

(born 1935) * Marc Bélanger (born 1940) *

Alan Belkin Alan Belkin (born July 5, 1951) is a Canadians, Canadian composer, organist, pianist as well as a pedagogue. Early life Alan Belkin was born in Montreal. He began piano studies with Philip Cohen, then he studied organ with Dom André Laberge a ...

(born 1951) * Gilles Bellemare (born 1952) *

Herbert Belyea Warren Herbert Belyea (22 December 1917 – 4 August 2001) was a Canadian composer, choir conducting, conductor, poet, and music educator. As a composer he was commissioned to write works by the Manitoba Arts Council, the city of Winnipeg, and sev ...

(1917–2001) *

Boris Berlin Boris Berlin (27 May 1907 – 24 March 2001) was a Canadian pianist, music educator, arranger, and composer of Russian birth. He is primarily remembered for his work within the field of piano pedagogy, having published an extensive amount of mat ...

(1907–2001) *

Conrad Bernier Conrad Bernier (9 May 1904 – 7 November 1988) was a French-Canadian organist, composer, conductor and teacher. For many years he was a professor at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Early life and education Born into a fa ...

(1904–1988) *

Daniel Berthiaume Daniel J. Berthiaume (born January 26, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota North Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, an ...

(born 1956) *

Lorne Betts Lorne Matheson Betts (August 2, 1918 – August 5, 1985) was a Canadian composer, conductor, organist, and music critic. A member of the Canadian League of Composers and an associate of the Canadian Music Centre, many of his original scores and w ...

(1918–1985) *

Amin Bhatia Amin Bhatia (born 10 July 1961, London, England) is a Canadian-British recording artist, film, and television music score composer and producer. In 1981, his compositions won the Roland Corporation International Synthesizer competition for two con ...

(born 1961) *

Jocelyne Binet Jocelyne Binet (27 September 1923 – 13 January 1968) was a Canadian composer, pianist, and music educator. She studied in Montreal and Paris, France, and returned to compose and teach music in Canada. Biography Binet was born in East Angus ...

(1923–1968) *

Keith Bissell Keith Warren Bissell (12 February 1912 in Meaford, Ontario – 9 May 1992 in Newmarket, Ontario) was a Canadians, Canadian composer, conducting, conductor, and music educator. He was particularly known for his choral music, which often impleme ...

(1912–1992) *

Lloyd Blackman Lloyd Jason Blackman (born 24 September 1983) is an English retired semi-professional footballer who is assistant manager of Tonbridge Angels. As a player, he played as a forward in the Football League for Brentford and after his release in 2 ...

(born 1928) *

Patricia Blomfield Holt Patricia Blomfield Holt (15 September 1910 – 5 June 2003) was a Canadian composer, pianist and music educator. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Association of Canadian Women Composers, her compositions have been p ...

(1910–2003) * Antoine Bouchard (born 1932) *

Linda Bouchard Linda Bouchard (born 21 May 1957) is a Canadian composer and conductor. She is also an active conductor, teacher and producer. Biography Bouchard was born in Montreal, Quebec, and was raised in Montreal, Quebec. She has a BA in music (Bennin ...

(born 1957) *

Victor Bouchard Victor Bouchard Order of Canada, OC National Order of Quebec, CQ (April 11, 1926 – March 22, 2011) was a Canadians, Canadian pianist and composer. Bouchard received his first musical training from 1941 to 1946 at the ''Collège de Lévis'' with ...

(1926–2011) * Adélard Joseph Boucher (1835–1912) *

Lydia Boucher Lydia Boucher (28 February 1890 – 5 March 1971) was a Canadian composer, music educator, and nun. She was active as a composer from 1923 to 1971, producing several choir, choral works and pieces for solo piano and Organ (music), organ. Most of ...

(1890–1971) * Walter Boudreau (born 1947) *

Ned Bouhalassa Ned Bouhalassa (born 25 August 1962 in Le Mans, France) is a composer of film scores, television scores, and electroacoustic music. Bouhalassa is a Canadian citizen, and has been living in Montreal since 1967. In 1993, he began composing televi ...

(born 1962) *

Denys Bouliane Denys Bouliane (born May 8, 1955) is a Canadian composer and Conductor (music), conductor. He is a Professor of Composition at McGill University. Early life and education Bouliane was born in Grand-Mère, Quebec, Grand-Mère, Quebec. He is a grad ...

(born 1955) *

Pierre Brabant Pierre Brabant (26 August 1925 – 28 August 2014) was a Canadian composer and pianist. He appeared in concerts and recitals throughout Canada and performed numerous times on Canadian television and radio. He wrote music for a number of program ...

(1925–2014) *

Timothy Brady Timothy Wesley John Brady (born 11 July 1956) is a Canadian composer, electric guitarist, improvising musician, concert producer, record producer and cultural activist. Working in the field of contemporary classical music, experimental music, a ...

(born 1956) *

Henry Brant Henry Dreyfuss Brant (September 15, 1913 – April 26, 2008) was a Canadian-born American composer. An expert orchestrator with a flair for experimentation, many of Brant's works featured spatialization techniques. Biography Brant was born i ...

(1913–2008) *

Jean-Chrysostome Brauneis I Jean-Chrysostome Brauneis I, sometimes referred to as John-Chrysostome Brauneis I (1785 – 15 September 1832, Quebec City), was a Canadian composer, bandmaster, and music educator of German birth. His compositional output mainly consisted of works ...

(1785–1832) *

Jean-Chrysostome Brauneis II Jean-Chrysostome Brauneis II, sometimes referred to as John-Chrysostome Brauneis II, (26 January 1814, Quebec City - 11 August 1871, Montreal) was a Canadian composer, organist, and music educator. A multifaceted musician, Brauneis instructed studen ...

(1814–1871) *

Annie Glen Broder Annie Glen Broder ( – 19 August 1937), born in India and educated in England, was a teacher, singer, pianist, composer, lecturer and writer. She became a leading musician in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Early life and career She was born Eliza Ann ...

(1857–1937) *

Alexander Brott Alexander Brott, , born Joël Brod (March 14, 1915April 1, 2005),

(1915–2005) * Stephen Brown (born 1948) *

Edwin Orion Brownell Edwin Orion Brownell (born November 30, 1964 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian musician and author. He is a neo-classical composer and concert pianist whose original music has been described as highly melodic; exhibiting an improvisational blue ...

(born 1964) *

Walter Buczynski Walter Joseph Buczynski (born 17 December 1933) is a Canadians, Canadian composer, music educator, and pianist.

(born 1933) *

John Burge John David Bryson Burge (born 2 January 1961) is a Canadian composer, music educator, and pianist. He has won a number of awards for his compositions, including the Alberta Culture Award (1982), the William Erving Fairclough Scholarship (19 ...

(born 1961) * John Burke (1951–2020)

C

Howard Cable Howard Reid Cable (December 15, 1920March 30, 2016) was a conductor, arranger, music director, composer, and radio and television producer. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Biography Cable received an Associate diploma (ATCM) from The ...

(1920–2016) *

Christian Calon Christian Calon (born 5 September 1950) is a French-born Canadian composer who is active in electroacoustic music. He has worked extensively in large computer-based studios in Canada and Europe and has received commissions from the Canada Counci ...

(born 1950) *

Allison Cameron Allison Cameron, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama ''House'', portrayed by American actress Jennifer Morrison. An immunologist, Cameron was a member of Dr. Gregory House's team of handpicked specialists at Princeton-Pla ...

(born 1963) *

Nicole Carignan Nicole Carignan (born 1952) is a Canadian composer and music educator living in Quebec.Margaret Donelian Ericson. Women and Music: A Selective Annotated Bibliography on Women and Gender Issues in Music, 1987-1992'. G.K. Hall; 1996. . p. 122. She is ...

(born 1952) *

Bruce Carlson Bruce Allen Carlson (born October 3, 1949), was the 17th Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). He is a former four-star general in the United States Air Force and served as the sixth Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wrigh ...

(born 1944) *

Albertine Caron-Legris Albertine Caron-Legris (1906–1972) was a Canadian pianist, composer and music educator. Many of her manuscripts and personal papers are held in the collection at the Library and Archives Canada. Early life Born Albertine Caron in Louiseville, Q ...

(1906–1972) *

Pat Carrabré T. Patrick Carrabré is a Canadian composer, teacher, and radio personality based in Manitoba. He is currently a professor of music at the University of British Columbia, where he serves as Director of the School of Music. Carrabré was formerly ...

(born 1958) *

Albert Chamberland Albert Chamberland (12 October 1886 – 4 April 1975) was a Canadian violinist, composer, conductor, music producer, and music educator. As a violinist he performed as a chamber musician with a number of ensembles, including the Beethoven ...

(1886–1975) *

Claude Champagne Claude Champagne (27 May 1891 – 21 December 1965) was a French Canadian composer, teacher, pianist, and violinist. Early life and education Born as Joseph-Arthur-Adonaï Claude Champagne in Montreal, Quebec, Champagne began piano and theo ...

(1891–1965) * Caleb Chan (born 1988) *

Dorothy Chang Dorothy Chang (born 1970) is an American-born composer and a professor of music at the University of British Columbia. Early life and education Chang was born in Winfield, Illinois. Her parents' families had fled to Taiwan from China during the Chi ...

(born 1970) *

Alexander Chuhaldin Alexander Gregorovitch Chuhaldin (russian: Александр Григорьевич Чухалдин) (27 August 1892 – 20 January 1951) was a Russian violinist, conductor, composer, and music educator who later emigrated to Canada. He spen ...

(1892–1951) *

Gustav Ciamaga Gustav Ciamaga (April 10, 1930 – June 11, 2011) was a Canadian composer, music educator, and writer. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers, he was best known for his compositions of electroni ...

(born 1930) *

Chan Ka Nin Chan Ka Nin (born 3 December 1949) is a Canadian composer and music educator of Chinese descent. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1971. He has been commissioned to write works for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the CBC Radio O ...

(born 1949) *

Derek Charke Derek Charke (; born 1974) is a Canadian classical composer and flutist. Career In 2012, Derek Charke won the Juno Award for Classical Composition of the Year for his work, "Sepia Fragments." The following year Charke's work, "Between the Shore ...

(born 1974) * Benoît Charest (born 1964) *

Stephen Chatman Stephen Chatman (born 28 February 1950) is an American-born Canadian composer residing in Vancouver. His compositions have been performed across Canada and in the United States. Early life and education Chatman was born in Faribault, Minnesota ...

(born 1950) *

Brian Cherney Brian Cherney (born 1942) is a Canadian composer currently residing in Montreal, Quebec. Cherney was born in Peterborough, Ontario. He studied at the University of Toronto where he was a pupil of John Weinzweig, Samuel Dolin, and John Beckw ...

(born 1942) *

Neil Chotem Neil Chotem (9 September 1920 – 21 February 2008) was a Canadian composer, arranger, conductor, pianist, and music educator. Works Chotem's compositional style is tonal, and often incorporates elements of jazz and popular music. He compo ...

(1920–2008) *

Dolores Claman Dolores Olga Claman (July 6, 1927July 17, 2021) was a Canadian composer and pianist. She is best known for having composed the 1968 theme song for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's (CBC) ''Hockey Night In Canada'' show, known simply as "The ...

(1927–2021) *

F. R. C. Clarke Frederick Robert Charles Clarke, known largely by his initials F. R. C. Clarke (August 7, 1931 – November 18, 2009) was a Canadian musician and composer who spent most of his musical career in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Clarke was born in Van ...

(1931–2009) *

James P. Clarke James Paul Clarke (August 18, 1854 – October 1, 1916) was a United States Senator and the 18th Governor of Arkansas as well as a white supremacist. Biography Clarke was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi. His father died when Clarke was seven ye ...

(1807/8–1877) *

Bruce Cockburn Bruce Douglas Cockburn ( ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to jazz-influenced rock and his lyrics cover a broad range of topics including human rights, environmental issues, p ...

(born 1945) *

Stephen Codman Stephen Codman (c. 1796 – 6 October 1852) was a Canadian composer of English descent. His known compositions all date from before 1835 and his output mainly consists of works for solo voice or vocal ensembles. Early life and education Codm ...

(c. 1796–1852) *

Warren Cohen Warren Cohen is a Canadian composer, conductor and pianist is the musical director of the MusicaNova Orchestra, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, which is identified by its mission statement ('musica nova' means 'new music'), rather than a geograp ...

(born 1954) *

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

(1934–2016) * Michael Colgrass (1932–2019) *

Ron Collier Ron Collier, (July 3, 1930 – October 22, 2003) was a Canadian jazz trombonist, composer, and arranger. He performed in and led a number of jazz groups, and created orchestrations for and recorded with Duke Ellington. Early life and educati ...

(1930–2003) *

Alexis Contant Joseph Pierre Alexis Contant (12 November 1858 – 28 November 1918) was a Canadian composer, organist, pianist, and music educator. Trained as a pianist, he became one of the first Canadians to compose large-scale choral and orchestral works, ...

(1858–1918) *

Jean Coulthard Jean Coulthard, (February 10, 1908 – March 9, 2000) was a Canadian composer and music educator. She was one of a trio of women composers who dominated Western Canadian music in the twentieth century: Coulthard, Barbara Pentland, and Violet ...

(1908–2000) *

Guillaume Couture Guillaume Couture (January 14, 1618 – April 4, 1701) was a citizen of New France. During his life he was a lay missionary with the Jesuits, a survivor of torture, a member of an Iroquois council, a translator, a diplomat, a militia captain, a ...

(1851–1915) * Richard Covey (born 1979) *

Gabriel Cusson Gabriel Cusson (2 April 1903, Roxton Pond, Quebec - 18 Apr 1972, Montreal) was a Canadian composer and music educator. As a composer, his music was heavily influenced by the style of early 20th-century French composers. Most of his work remains u ...

(1903–1972)

D

Jimmy Dale Jimmy Dale may refer to: * Jimmy Dale (footballer) (1870–1948), Scottish footballer * Jimmy Dale (musician) Jimmy Dale (23 October 1935 – 20 May 2017) was a British-born Canadian arranger, composer, conductor, organist, and pianist. He ...

(1935–2017) *

Eleanor Joanne Daley Eleanor Joanne Daley (born April 21, 1955) is a Canadian composer of choral and church music, a church choir director, choral clinician and accompanist. She lives and works in Toronto, Ontario. Among her best-known works are ''The Rose Trilogy ...

(born 1955) *

Omar Daniel Omar Daniel (born 1960) is a Canadian composer and pianist, and an associate professor of composition at the Western University. Early life and education Daniel was born in Toronto, Ontario, of Estonian descent. He earned a Doctor of Music fr ...

(born 1960) *

Jeff Danna Jeff Danna is an award-winning Canadian film composer. He has composed or co-composed scores for a wide range of films and television, including '' The Boondock Saints'' (1999), '' Resident Evil: Apocalypse'' (2004), '' Silent Hill'' (2006)'', Th ...

(born 1964) *

Mychael Danna Mychael Danna (born September 20, 1958) is a Canadian composer of film and television scores. He won both the Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Original Score for '' Life of Pi''. He has also won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition ...

(born 1958) *

Yves Daoust Yves Daoust (born 10 April 1946) is a Canadian composer who is particularly known for his works of electroacoustic music. He currently resides in Montréal. Life Born in Longueuil, Quebec, Daoust began his musical studies at the age of seven, ...

(born 1946) *

Lionel Daunais Noël Ferdinand Lionel Daunais, (December 31, 1901 – July 18, 1982) was a French Canadian baritone and composer. Life Born in Montreal, Quebec, Daunais studied singing with Céline Marier and harmony and composition with Oscar O'Brien. In ...

(1901–1982) *

Raymond Daveluy Joseph Eugène Raymond-Marie Daveluy (23 December 1926 – 1 September 2016) was a Canadian composer, organist, music educator, and arts administrator. An associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre, his compositional output consisted mainly ...

(1926–2016) *

Sarah Davachi Sarah Davachi (born 1987 in Calgary) is a Canadian experimental musician and composer of Electroacoustic music, electroacoustic and Minimalism, minimalist music. She is a pianist and organist. She is a graduate of the University of Calgary and hol ...

(born 1987) * Hugh Davidson (born 1930) *

Victor Davies Victor Albert Davies is a Canadian composer, pianist, and conductor, best known for his opera ''Transit of Venus'' and '' The Mennonite Piano Concerto''. Biography Davies was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1939. As a child and teenager, he stu ...

(born 1939) *

Morris Davis Morris Durham "Moe" Davis (born July 31, 1958) is an American retired U.S. Air Force colonel, attorney, educator, politician, and former administrative law judge. Davis was appointed the third Chief Prosecutor of the Guantanamo military commiss ...

(1904–1968) *

Stu Davis Stu Davis (b. David Alexander Stewart; July 1, 1921 – March 25, 2007) was a Canadian singer, songwriter, storyteller and musician. Davis was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993. Biography Early life Stu Davis was bor ...

(1921–2007) *

Gordon Delamont Gordon Arthur Delamont (27 October 1918 – 16 January 1981) was a Canadian music educator, author, composer, and trumpeter. He is best remembered for his work as an educator, having helped shape the talents of dozens of notable musicians in Toro ...

(1918–1981) *

Isabelle Delorme Isabelle Delorme (4 November 1900 – 20 February 1991) was a Canadian composer, pianist, and music educator. As a composer, her works are lyrical in nature and follow more traditional ideas of harmony as opposed to the avant-garde music that was ...

(1900–1991) *

Allard de Ridder Allard de Ridder (3 May 1887 – 13 May 1966) was a Dutch–Canadian conductor, violist, and composer. He was notably the first conductor of both the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, the latter of which he foun ...

(1887–1966) *

Jean Derome Jean Derome (born June 29, 1955) is a French Canadian avant-garde saxophonist, flautist, and composer. A prominent figure in the Montreal ''musique actuelle'' (new music) scene, Derome has been a member of experimental, jazz, and rock groups, an ...

(born 1955) *

Alfred De Sève Alfred De Sève (May or June 1858 – 25 November 1927) was a Canadian violinist, composer, and music educator. His compositional output includes works for violin and piano, solo piano, and orchestra; many of which were published by Arthur P. S ...

(1858–1927) *

Jacques Desjardins Jacques Desjardins is a Canadian composer whose music has been performed by important ensembles internationally like the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Ijsbreker Ensemble. He has won first prize at the Society of Composers, Authors and Musi ...

Jean Deslauriers Jean Deslauriers (24 June 1909 – 30 May 1978) was a Canadian conducting, conductor, violinist, and composer. As a conductor he had a long and fruitful partnership with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; conducting orchestras for feature fi ...

(1909–1978) *

Robert Nathaniel Dett Robert Nathaniel Dett (October 11, 1882 – October 2, 1943), often known as R. Nathaniel Dett and Nathaniel Dett, was a Black Canadian-American composer, organist, pianist, choral director, and music professor. Born and raised in Canada until ...

(1882–1943) *

Alan Detweiler Alan Gregory Detweiler (15 June 1926 – 25 February 2012) was a Canadian composer, author, and patron of the arts. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and attended the Toronto Conservatory of Music. He obtained degrees in philosophy at the ...

(1926–2012) *

Keiko Devaux Keiko Devaux (born 1982) is a Canadians, Canadian composer of contemporary classical music. She is most noted for her 2021 composition "Arras", which won the Juno Award for Juno Award for Classical Composition of the Year, Classical Composition of ...

Zosha Di Castri Zosha Di Castri (born 1985) is a Canadian composer and pianist living and working in New York. She is the Francis Goelet Assistant Professor of Music at Columbia University. Her work came to international attention when a specially commissioned ...

(born 1985) *

Paul Dolden Paul Dolden (born January 23, 1956 in Ottawa, Canada), is an electroacoustic music composer, currently living in Montréal, Canada. Paul Dolden began his career at age 16 as a professional electric guitarist, violinist, and cellist. Since age 2 ...

(born 1956) *

Samuel Dolin Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bi ...

(1917–2002) *

Emily Doolittle Emily Lenore Doolittle (born 16 October 1972) is a Canadian composer, zoomusicologist, and Athenaeum Research Fellow and Lecturer in Composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her music, frequently inspired by ...

(born 1972) *

Margaret Drynan Margaret Isobel Drynan (December 10, 1915 – February 18, 1999) was a Canadian composer, musician, writer and educator. She was born Margaret Isobel Brown in Toronto. She received a BMus from the University of Toronto in 1943. She studied with ...

(1915–1999) * René Dupéré (born 1946) *

Kyle Bobby Dunn Kyle Bobby Dunn (born February 27, 1986) is a Canadian composer, arranger, and live performance artist, performer of modern compositional and guitar based drone music. He has performed in live and exclusive outdoor settings, including Banff Natio ...

(born 1986)

E

Colin Eatock Colin Eatock is a Canadian composer, author and journalist who lives in Toronto, Ontario. Life and career Eatock was born in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1958, and attended the University of Western Ontario, McMaster University and The University of Tor ...

(born 1958) * Sophie Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté (1899–1974) *

Anne Eggleston Anne Elizabeth Eggleston (September 6, 1934 – November 27, 1994) was a Canadian composer and educator. The daughter of Wilfrid Eggleston, a journalism professor, and Magdelana Raškevičiutė, a writer, she was born in Ottawa, Ontario and ...

(1934–1994) *

Arne Eigenfeldt Arne Eigenfeldt (born 1962) is a Canadians, Canadian composer and creator of interactive and generative music systems based in Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia. Both his music and his research into intelligent systems have been presented int ...

(born 1962) *

Carleton Elliott Carleton Weir Elliott (15 March 1928, Welland, Ontario24 August 2003, Fredericton, New Brunswick) was a Canadian composer, music theorist, choir conductor and music educator. Early life and education Elliott was the son of Weir and Gertrude ( ...

(1928–2003) *

Lisle Ellis Lisle Ellis, (born November 17, 1951) is a Canadian jazz bassist and composer who is known for his improvisational style and use of electronics. Biography Ellis was born in Campbell River, British Columbia. Ellis began playing electric bass in ...

(born 1951) *

John Estacio John Estacio (born April 8, 1966) is a contemporary Canadian composer of opera, orchestral and choral music. __TOC__ Life and career Estacio was born in Newmarket, Ontario. Raised in the farming community of the Holland Marsh, Ontario, Estacio t ...

(born 1966) *

José Evangelista José Evangelista (5 August 1943 – 10 January 2023) was a Spanish composer and music educator who was based in Montreal, Canada. He was professor of composition at the Université de Montréal from 1979 to 2009. A member of the Canadian Leagu ...

(born 1943)

F

* Percy Faith (1908–1976) *

Robert Farnon Robert Joseph Farnon CM (24 July 191723 April 2005) was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player. As well as being a composer of original works (often in the light music genre), he was commissioned by film and ...

(1917–2005) *

Jacques Faubert Jacques Faubert (born 30 May 1952) is a Canadians, Canadian composer, conducting, conductor, and music educator, known for founding the Mont-Royal Symphony Orchestra. Early life and education Faubert earned premiers prix in harmony, counterpoint ...

(born 1952) * Robert Fleming (1921–1976) *

Leila Fletcher Leila Fletcher (August 12, 1899 – April 9, 1988) was a Canadian pianist, composer, publisher, music editor and educator. Early years She was born in Hamilton, Ontario. Her parents provided her piano lessons from a local teacher. After high sch ...

(1899–1988) *

John Fodi John Fodi (22 March 1944 – 2 November 2009) was a composer and music librarian. Born in Hungary, he became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1961. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre, he was a founding member of ARRAYMUSIC, an organizatio ...

(1944–2009) *

Alexandra Fol Alexandra Fol (born July 11, 1981) in Sofia, Bulgaria is a Bulgarian-Canadian composer who resides in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Fol has composed more than 40 works in different mediums, which have been performed by ensembles such as Sofia Philhar ...

(born 1981) *

Clifford Ford Clifford Robert Ford (born 30 May 1947) is a Canadian composer, Carl Morey. Music in Canada: A Research and Information Guide'. Routledge; 26 November 2013. . p. 30. editor, music educator, and author. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre, he ...

(born 1947) *

Malcolm Forsyth Malcolm Forsyth, (December 8, 1936 – July 5, 2011) was a South African and Canadian Trombone, trombonist and composer. His daughter is former National Arts Centre, National Arts Centre Orchestra principal cellist Amanda Forsyth. Life and ca ...

(1936–2011) *

W. O. Forsyth Wesley Octavius Forsyth (January 26, 1859 – May 7, 1937) was a Canadian pianist, composer and music educator based in Toronto, Ontario. Most of his compositions were written for the piano and voice. Early life and education Forsyth was born i ...

(1859–1937) *

Achille Fortier Achille Fortier (23 October 1864 – 19 August 1939) was a Canadians, Canadian composer and music educator. His compositional output includes a modest amount of choir, choral and chamber music, chamber works, several songs and motets, and a small ...

(1864–1939) *

David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...

(born 1949) *

Joseph-A. Fowler Joseph-A. Fowler (14 November 1845 – 4 January 1917) was a Canadian composer, organist, choirmaster, pianist, and music educator. His compositional output mainly consists of sacred music, although he did compose some secular songs for voice and ...

(1845–1917) *

Jason Frederick Jason Frederick (born November 29, 1970) is a Canadians, Canadian multi-instrumentalist and composer of music for films and television, based in Colchester, UK. Early life and education Frederick was born in Sudbury, Ontario. He was educated in ...

(born 1970) *

Harry Freedman Harry Freedman (''Henryk Frydmann''), (April 5, 1922 – September 16, 2005) was a Canadians, Canadian composer, English hornist, and music educator of Polish birth. He wrote a significant amount of symphony, symphonic works, including the scores ...

(1922–2005) *

Susan Frykberg Susan Frykberg (born 10 October 1954) is an electroacoustic music, electroacoustic composer and a sound artist. She also composes acoustic music in a variety of genres. Life Susan Frykberg was born in Hastings, New Zealand, Hastings, New Zealand, ...

(born 1954) *

Darren Fung Darren Fung is a Canadian film and television composer based in Los Angeles. He is best known for scoring ''The Great Human Odyssey'', ''Equus: Story of the Horse'', '' Bang Bang Baby'', and ''Canada AM''. Life and career Darren was born in Edm ...

Vivian Fung Vivian Fung (born 1975) is a Canadian-born composer who writes music for orchestras, operas, quartets, and piano. Her compositions have been performed internationally. Early life and education Fung was born in Edmonton, Alberta. She began composi ...

(born 1975)

G

*Kim Gaboury aka

aKido Kim Gaboury better known by his pseudonym Akido (stylized as aKido) is a Canadian electronic rock musician and composer based in Montreal, Quebec. Gaboury assembles a band for live performances, but records without them in the studio. Career As a ...

(born 1976) * Gérald Gagnier (1926–1961) *

J.-J. Gagnier Jean-Josaphat Gagnier (2 December 1885 – 16 September 1949) was a Canadian conducting, conductor, composer, clarinetist, bassoonist, pianist, arts administrator, and music educator. His compositional output mainly consists of works for orchestr ...

(1885–1949) *

René Gagnier René Gagnier (30 May 1892 – 25 May 1951) was a Canadian conductor, composer, euphonium player, violinist, and music educator. His compositional output includes several marches, waltzes, works for solo violin, and some chamber and symphon ...

(1892–1951) *

Alain Gagnon Alain Gagnon (22 May 1938 − 26 March 2017) was a Canadian composer and music educator based in Laval, Quebec. His compositions have been performed by ensembles throughout Canada. Early life and education Gagnon was born in Trois-Pistoles, Q ...

(1938-2017) *

André Gagnon André Gagnon (2 August 1936 – 3 December 2020) was a Canadian pianist, composer, conductor, arranger, and actor, known for his fusion of classical and pop styles,Jean-Pierre Thiollet, ''88 notes pour piano solo'', Neva Editions, 2015, p.16 ...

(1936-2020) * Ernest Gagnon (1834–1915) *

Gustave Gagnon Gustave Adolphe Mathurin Gagnon (6 November 1842 – 19 November 1930) was a Canadian organist, composer, and music educator. Family background and education Born in Louiseville, Gagnon was from a prominent family of musicians in Québe ...

(1842–1930) * Henri Gagnon (1887–1961) *

Serge Garant Albert Antonio Serge Garant, (September 22, 1929 – November 1, 1986) was a Canadian composer, conductor, music critic, professor of music at the University of Montreal and radio host of ''Musique de notre siècle'' on Radio-Canada.

(1929–1986) *

Mort Garson Morton Sanford Garson (20 July 1924 – 4 January 2008) was a Canadian composer, arranger, songwriter, and pioneer of electronic music. He is best known for his albums in the 1960s and 1970s, such as '' Mother Earth's Plantasia'' (1976), He also ...

(1924–2008) *

Desmond Gaspar Desmond Gaspar is a Canadian organist, pianist, conductor, composer and songwriter who works as a freelance concert artist and ballet pianist who won the Associateship and Fellowship diplomas of the Royal Canadian College of Organists in consecu ...

(born 1970) *

James Gayfer James McDonald Gayfer (26 March 1916 – 7 April 1997) was a Canadian bandmaster, clarinetist, composer, conductor, organist, military officer, and music educator. His compositional output encompasses several orchestral works, including two ...

(1916–1997) *

James Gelfand James Gelfand (born April 3, 1959) is a Canadian jazz pianist who has written scores for film and television. Early life Gelfand was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada into a large Jewish family. He is the great-grandson of Jacob Pascal, founder ...

, (born 1959) *

Steven Gellman Steven Gellman (born 16 September 1947) is a Canadian composer and pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide ...

(born 1947) *

Eric Genuis Eric Genuis is a Canadian composer and pianist who now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. He is noted for his Concerts for Hope. He performs his original compositions more than a hundred times a year. Genuis was born in Toronto, Canada on Marc ...

(born 1967) *

Graham George Graham Elias George (11 April 1912 – 9 December 1993) was a Canadian composer, music theorist, organist, choir conductor, and music educator of English birth. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre, his compositional output consists larg ...

(1912–1993) *

Aaron Gervais Aaron Gervais is a Canadian composer of contemporary classical music who lives in San Francisco. He studied jazz performance at Grant MacEwan College and the University of Toronto, and composition at the University of Alberta, the University of ...

(born 1980) *

Richard Gibson Richard Gibson (born 1 January 1954) is an English actor, best known for his role as the archetypal Gestapo Officer Herr Otto Flick in the BBC hit sitcom series, Allo 'Allo!''. Career Gibson was born in Kampala, Uganda, before the country ...

(born 1953) *

Allan Gilliland Allan Gilliland (born 1965 in Darvel, Scotland) is a contemporary Canadian composer. Gilliland moved to Canada in 1972 and settled in Edmonton, Alberta. He received a diploma in Jazz Studies (trumpet) from Humber College, and degrees in perfo ...

(born 1965) *

Srul Irving Glick Srul Irving Glick (September 8, 1934 – April 17, 2002) was a Canadian composer, radio producer, conductor, and teacher. Born in Toronto, Ontario, he received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto 1955, and a Masters of Mus ...

(1934–2002) *

Denis Gougeon Denis Gougeon (born November 16, 1951) is a Canadians, Canadian composer and music educator. His more than 80 compositions encompass a wide variety of genres, including orchestral works, chamber music, opera, ballet, and pieces for solo instrumen ...

(born 1951) *

Maxime Goulet Maxime Goulet (January 28, 1855 – January 17, 1932) was a Canadian politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1878 to 1886 and was the Minister of Agriculture under Conservative Premier John Norquay. Life G ...

(born 1980) *

Glenn Gould Glenn Herbert Gould (; né Gold; September 25, 1932October 4, 1982) was a Canadian classical pianist. He was one of the most famous and celebrated pianists of the 20th century, and was renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard works of Johann ...

(1932–1982) *

Hector Gratton Joseph Thomas Hector Gratton (13 August 1900 – 16 July 1970) was a Canadian composer, arranger, conductor, pianist, and music educator. As a composer his music is written in an essentially folkloric and popular style which avoids harmonic soph ...

(1900–1970)

H

* Peter Hannan (born 1953) *

Hagood Hardy Hugh Hagood Hardy, (February 26, 1937 – January 1, 1997) was a Canadian composer, pianist, and vibraphonist. He played mainly jazz and easy listening music. He is best known for the 1975 single, "The Homecoming" from his album of the same na ...

(1937–1997) *

Chris Harman Chris Harman (8 November 1942 – 7 November 2009) was a British journalist and political activist, and a member of the Central Committee of the Socialist Workers Party. He was an editor of ''International Socialism'' and ''Socialist Work ...

(born 1970) *

Johana Harris Johana Harris (31 December 1912 – 5 June 1995) was a Canadian pianist, composer, and music educator. She had highly successful career as a concert pianist, making numerous recordings and appearing as a soloist with almost every major American sy ...

(1912–1995) *

Charles A.E. Harriss Charles Albert Edward Harriss (16 or 17 December 1862 – 31 July 1929) was an English then Canadian composer, impresario, educator, organist-choirmaster and conductor. Early life and education Harriss was born in London, England, around midni ...

(1862–1929) * Christos Hatzis (born 1953) *

John Hawkins John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(1944–2007) *

Donald Heins Donald Heins (19 February 1878 – 1 January 1949) was a Canadian violinist, violist, conductor, organist, composer, and music educator of English birth. He notably founded the first professional orchestra in Ottawa, the Ottawa Symphony Orche ...

(1878–1949) *

Jacques Hétu Jacques Hétu (August 8, 1938 – February 9, 2010) was a Canadian composer and music educator. Biography Jacques Hétu was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec; he began his professional training at the University of Ottawa where he was a pupil ...

(1938–2010) *

W. H. Hewlett William Henry Hewlett (16 January 1873 – 13 June 1940) was a Canadian organist, conducting, conductor, composer, and music educator of English birth. Early life and education Born in Batheaston, Hewlett was a Boy soprano, treble in the choir a ...

(1873–1940) *

Jim Hiscott James Michael Hiscott (born 4 December 1948) is a Canadian composer, radio producer, and accordionist. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers, his compositions are characterized by their strong ...

(born 1948) * Alice Ping Yee Ho (born 1960) *

Bruce Holder Bruce Edward Holder Sr. (January 8, 1905 – August 27, 1987) was a Canadian composer, conductor, and violinist. He helped to conduct, teach, and found many music groups, including Symphony New Brunswick, the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra,

(1905–1987) *

Derek Holman Derek Holman, (16 May 1931 – 20 May 2019) was a choral conductor, organist and composer. Life and work Born at Illogan, Cornwall, UK, Holman attended the Royal Academy of Music from 1948 to 1952 and studied with Sir William McKie, E ...

(born 1931) * Anna Höstman (born 1972) *

Charles Houdret Charles Houdret (6 July 1905 – 1965) was a Canadian conductor, cellist, radio producer, and composer. He began his career in Belgium and was highly active as a conductor throughout Europe during the 1940s. In 1952 he immigrated to Canada where ...

(1905-after 1964) *

Melissa Hui Melissa Hui is a Chinese-Canadian composer and pianist. She was born in 1966 in Hong Kong and currently resides in Montreal where she has been a faculty member at McGill University since 2010. Notable works by this artist include ''and blue sparks ...

(born 1966) * Richard Hunt (1930–2011) *

Ricky Hyslop Ricky Hyslop (26 April 1915 – 2 June 1998) was a Canadian violinist, conductor, composer, and arranger. He was commissioned to write works by the Buffalo Philharmonic (the symphonic poems ''Toronto 1830'' and ''Mizu Uni''), clarinetist Avr ...

(1915–1998)

I

Scott Irvine James Scott Irvine (born 30 December 1953) is a Canadian composer, arranger, and tuba player based in Owen Sound, Ontario. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers, he has been commissioned to co ...

(born 1953) *

Airat Ichmouratov Airat Rafailovich Ichmouratov (russian: Айрат Рафаилович Ишмуратов, Tatar Cyrillic: Айрат Рафаил улы Ишмурат,) born 28 June 1973) is a Volga Tatar born Russian / Canadian composer , conductor and kle ...

(born 1973)

J

* Rhené Jaque (1918–2006) *

Frantz Jehin-Prume Frantz Jehin-Prume (18 April 1839 – 29 May 1899) was a Canadian violinist, composer, and music educator of Belgian birth. He began his career as a highly successful concert violinist in Europe. From 1865 on he lived and worked mainly in Mon ...

(1839–1899) * Otto Joachim (1910–2010) * Richard Johnston (1917–1997) * Charles Jones (1910–1997) *

Kelsey Jones Herbert Kelsey Jones (June 17, 1922 – October 10, 2004) was a Canadians, Canadian composer, pianist, harpsichordist, and music teacher. Early life Jones was born in South Norwalk, Norwalk, Connecticut, Norwalk, Connecticut; he grew up in Portlan ...

(1922–2004) * Michael Jones (born 1942)

K

* James Keelaghan (born 1959) * Jack Kane (1924–1961) *

Udo Kasemets Udo Kasemets (November 16, 1919 – January 19, 2014) was a Canadian composer of orchestral, chamber, vocal, piano and electroacoustic works. He was one of the first composers to adopt the methods of John Cage, and was also a conductor, lect ...

(1919–2014) *

Iain Kelso Iain Kelso (born June 19, 1975) is a Canadian musician and film score composer. Education Kelso studied several musical instruments, and participated in the 2003 ASCAP film scoring workshop under composer Richard Bellis Richard Roe Bellis (who ...

(born 1975) * Talivaldis Kenins (1919–2008) *

Julien Knafo Julien Knafo is a Canadian composer and film director from Quebec. He is most noted for the 2009 film ''Blind Spot (2009 film), Blind Spot (Lucidité passagère)'', for which he was a Jutra Award nominee for Prix Iris for Best Original Music, Best ...

Moe Koffman Morris "Moe" Koffman, OC (28 December 1928 – 28 March 2001) was a Canadian jazz saxophonist and flautist, as well as composer and arranger. During a career spanning from the 1950s to the 2000s, Koffman was one of Canada's most prolific musician ...

(1928–2001) *

Gary Koftinoff Gary Koftinoff is a Canadian film score composer of music for film and television. In 2018 he won an ASCAP Screen Award for Top Cable Television Series and a Socan Award for Domestic Television Series for his score on the medical drama Saving Ho ...

Rudolf Komorous Rudolf Komorous (born 8 December 1931, Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech-born Canadian composer. His works include ''Twenty-Three Poems about Horses'' (1978), based on the poetry of Li Ho Li He ( – ) was a Chinese poet of the mid-Tang dyn ...

(born 1931) *

Peter Paul Koprowski Peter Paul Koprowski (born 24 August 1947, in Łódź) is a Canadian composer, conductor, music educator, and pianist of Polish descent. He became a Canadian citizen in 1976. As a composer he is chiefly known for his large output of symphonic w ...

(born 1947) *

Nikolai Korndorf Nikolai Sergeevich Korndorf (russian: Николáй Серге́евич Корндóрф, January 23, 1947 – May 30, 2001) was a Russian and Canadian (from 1991) composer and conductor. He was prolific both in Moscow, Russia, and in Vancouv ...

(1947–2001) *

Mark Korven Mark Korven is a Canadian musician and composer for film and television. His work includes the music on the sci-fi horror cult film ''Cube (1997 film), Cube'' (1997), collaborations with director Robert Eggers on the period horror films ''The Wi ...

Veronika Krausas Veronika Judita Krausas (born 1963) is a Canadians, Canadian composer who lives and works in the United States. Biography She was born in Sydney, Sydney, Australia but grew up in Canada after the age of four. Her diplomas in music education and p ...

(born 1963) *

David Kristian David Kristian (born November 5, 1967) is a Canadian musician and film score composer and sound designer. David Kristian has been involved in audio for media since the early 1980s, when he first started work as an animation and experimental fi ...

(born 1967) *

Gary Kulesha Gary Kulesha (born 22 August 1954) is a Canadian composer, pianist, conductor, and educator. Since 1995, he has been Composer Advisor to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He has been Composer-in-Residence with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony (198 ...

(born 1954) * Alfred Kunz (1929–2019) *

Larysa Kuzmenko Larysa Kuzmenko (born 1956) is a Juno Awards-nominated Canadian composer and pianist based in Toronto, Ontario. She currently teaches on the music faculties of The Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto. Early life Kuzmenko wa ...

(born 1956) *

Milan Kymlicka Milan Kymlicka (Czech: Milan Kymlička; 15 May 1936 – 9 October 2008) was a Czechoslovak and Canadian arranger, composer and Conducting, conductor. He was known for his composition of film scores, film and television scores, including those for ...

(1936–2008)

L

* Larry Lake (1943–2013) *

Jean-Baptiste Labelle Jean-Baptiste Labelle (September 1825 – 9 September 1898) was a Canadian composer, organist, pianist, and conducting, conductor. He is best known for composing the music to the song ''Ô Canada! mon pays, mes amours'' (words 1834, music befor ...

(1825–1898) *

Fariborz Lachini Fariborz Lachini ( fa, فریبرز لاچینی; born August 25, 1949) is an Iranian film score composer. Career He started his career in Iran writing music for children, creating "Avaz Faslha va Rangha" at the age of 18 which caught the attent ...

(born 1949) *

Alfred La Liberté Alfred La Liberté (10 February 1882 – 7 May 1952) was a Canadian composer, pianist, writer on music, and music educator. He was a disciple and close personal friend of Alexander Scriabin. He was also an admirer of Marcel Dupré and Nikolai ...

(1882–1952) *

Alcides Lanza Alcides Emigdio Lanza (born 2 June 1929) is a Canadian composer, conductor, pianist, and music educator of Argentinian birth. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1976. As both a composer and performer he is known as an exponent of contem ...

(born 1929) *

Eugène Lapierre Eugène Lapierre (8 June 1899 – 21 October 1970) was a Canadian organist, composer, journalist, writer on music, arts administrator, and music educator. He was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935 and the King George VI Corona ...

(1899–1970) * Yves Lapierre (born 1946) *

Anne Lauber Anne Lauber (born 28 July 1943 in Zürich) is a Canadian composer, conducting, conductor, and music educator. A member of the Canadian League of Composers and an associate of the Canadian Music Centre, she has been commissioned to write works by t ...

(born 1943) *

Louis-Phillipe Laurendeau Louis-Philippe Laurendeau (1861 in St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada – 13 February 1916 in Montreal) was a Canadian composer and bandmaster. He also held an editorial position with Carl Fischer, the New York music publishers. Most of Laurendeau's c ...

(1861–1916) *

Rachel Laurin ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage. Available for ...

(born 1961) *

Calixa Lavallée Calixa Lavallée (December 28, 1842 – January 21, 1891) was a French-Canadian- American musician and Union Army band musician during the American Civil War. He is best known for composing the music for "O Canada," which officially became the ...

(1842–1891) *

Jimmie LeBlanc Jimmie LeBlanc (born 1977) is a Canadian composer specializing in instrumental and mixed music. His music has been performed throughout his native country and internationally, including by the Ensemble Contrechamps, Hwaum Chamber Ensemble, Kor ...

(born 1977) *

Hugh Le Caine Hugh Le Caine (May 27, 1914 – July 3, 1977) was a Canadian physicist, composer, and instrument builder. Le Caine was brought up in Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay) in northwestern Ontario. At a young age, he began making musical instruments. In yo ...

(1914–1977) *

Brent Lee Brent Lee (born 1964, Wynyard, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian composer and professor of Music Composition at the University of Windsor. Growing up, he studied guitar and saxophone. He received a Bachelor's (1986) and Master's (1990) degree in Musi ...

(born 1964) *

Alain Lefèvre Alain Lefèvre, (born July 23, 1962) is a French Canadian pianist and composer. He is one of the Québécois pianists who have sold the greatest number of musical recordings. In 2009, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. He ...

(born 1962) *

André Éric Létourneau André Éric Létourneau is a French Canadian media and transmedia artist, researcher, author, musician, composer, curator and professor based primarily in Montreal and Saint-Alponse-Rodriguez, Québec, Canada. He uses several pseudonyms, most ...

(born 1967) * Omer Létourneau (1891–1983) *

Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1 ...

(born 1938) *

Nicole Lizée Nicole Lizée (born April 7, 1973) is a Canadian composer of contemporary music. She was born in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan and received a MMus from McGill University. She lives in Montreal, Quebec. At one time, she was a member of The Besnar ...

(born 1973) *

Analia Llugdar Analia Llugdar (born 1972) is an Argentine composer living and working in Montreal, Quebec since 1999. She has created both instrumental and vocal compositions, and has won several music competitions. Early life and education Llugdar was born in A ...

(born 1972) *

Andrew Lockington Andrew Lockington (born January 31, 1974) is a Canadian film score composer. Life and career Lockington was born in 1974 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. He has composed the complete scores for over three dozen films, including ''Journey to the Ce ...

(born 1972) *

Ruth Lomon Ruth Lomon (7 November 1930 – 26 September 2017) was a Canadian classical composer. A native of Montreal, Canada, she was born in Montreal and died in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She attended le Conservatoire de Quebec and McGill University. Sh ...

(born 1930) *

Michel Longtin Michel Longtin (born 20 May 1946) is a Canadian composer and music educator based in Montreal. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers, he won the Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music in 19 ...

(born 1946) *

Alexina Louie Alexina Diane Louie, (born July 30, 1949) is a Canadian composer of contemporary art music. She has composed for various instrumental and vocal combinations in a variety of genres. She has fulfilled a number of commissions, and her works, whic ...

(born 1949) *

Clarence Lucas Clarence Lucas (October 19, 1866 – July 2, 1947), was a Canadian composer, lyricist, conductor, and music professor. Lucas was born at Six Nations Reserve, Ontario and was a student of Romain-Octave Pelletier I. He taught at the Toronto Col ...

(1866–1947) *

Ramona Luengen Ramona Luengen (born December 29, 1960) is a Canadian composer, choir conductor and educator who has received international attention for her compositions. She was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Vancouver and received a Bachelor of Music, BMu ...

(born 1960) *

René Lussier René Lussier (born April 15, 1957) is a jazz guitarist based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is a composer, guitarist, bass guitarist, percussionist, bass clarinetist, and singer. Lussier has collaborated with Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, Jean Der ...

(born 1957)

M

Andrew Paul MacDonald Andrew Paul MacDonald (born 30 November 1958) is a Canadians, Canadian classical composer, guitarist, conducting, conductor, and music educator. His compositions have been performed in many countries and recorded by well-known musical ensembles. ...

(born 1958) * David MacIntyre (born 1952) *

Ernest MacMillan Sir Ernest Alexander Campbell MacMillan, (August 18, 1893 – May 6, 1973) was a Canadian orchestral conductor, composer, organist, and Canada's only "Musical Knight". He is widely regarded as being Canada's pre-eminent musician, from the ...

(1893–1973) *

Walter MacNutt Walter Louis MacNutt (2 June 1910 – 10 August 1996) was a Canadian organist, choir director, and composer. His compositional output includes numerous choral works, songs, pieces for solo organ, and works for orchestra, many of which have b ...

(1910–1996) *

Robert Graham Manson Robert Graham Manson (11 June 1883 – 14 February 1950) was a British-born musician. He was born in London, one of four sons of James Alexander Manson (born 1852), a journalist and author. One of his brothers was James Bolivar Manson (1879 - ...

(1883–1950) *

Leo Marchildon Leo Marchildon (born May 30, 1962) is a Canadian organist,

(born 1962) *

Frank Marsales Frank Alfred Marsales (31 August 188614 August 1975) was a Canadian composer best known for his work scoring many classic animated films by Warner Bros. Cartoons in the 1930s. He also worked with Walter Lantz Studios in the mid to late 1930s. ...

(1886–1975) *

Charles-Amador Martin Charles-Amador Martin (7 March 1648 – 19 June 1711) was a priest, singer and composer of sacred music in New France. He was the second priest to be ordained in what is now Canada,Sir James MacPherson Le Moine. Quebec, Past and Present: A His ...

(1648–1711) *

Lucien Martin Lucien Martin (30 May 1908 – 29 October 1950) was a Canadian violinist, conducting, conductor, and composer. Only one of his compositions was published, the art song ''La Chanson des belles'', which was performed by Jeanne Desjardins in its pre ...

(1908–1950) *

Stephanie Martin Stephanie Martin, sometimes credited as Stéphanie Martin, is an American–Canadian singer-songwriter and actress having performed in notable musical productions in both French and English. She is best known for her role as Éponine in three p ...

Gene Martynec Eugene "Gene" Martynec (born 28 March 1947) is a Canadian musician, composer and record producer. Career Martynec first came to prominence as a guitarist in Toronto group Bobby Kris & The Imperials in August 1965. He left the group in May 1967 ...

(born 1947) *

Bruce Mather Bruce Mather (born May 9, 1939) is a Canadians, Canadian composer, pianist, and writer who is particularly known for his contributions to contemporary classical music. One of the most notable composers of microtonal music, he was awarded the Jule ...

(born 1939) *

André Mathieu André Mathieu (18 February 1929 – 2 June 1968) was a Canadian pianist and composer. Life Mathieu was born René André Rodolphe Mathieu on 18 February 1929 in Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the parish of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur ...

(1929–1968) *

Rodolphe Mathieu Joseph Rodolphe Mathieu (10 July 1890 – 29 June 1962) was a Canadian composer, pianist, writer on music, and music educator. ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' states, "Considered too avant-garde for his time because of Debussy's influence on his m ...

(1890–1962) *

Roger Matton Roger Matton OC (18 May 1929 – 7 June 2004) was a Canadian composer,Begins with the Oboe: A History of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra'. University of Toronto Press; 2002. . p. 80, 104. ethnomusicologist, and music educator. As a composer his w ...

(1929–2004) * Michael Matthews (born 1950) *

Christopher Mayo Christopher Mayo (born 1980) is a Canadians, Canadian composer of contemporary classical music. Born in Toronto, Mayo studied at the University of Toronto where he was awarded the Glenn Gould Composition Prize and the William Erving Fairclough ...

(born 1980) * Michael McCann (born 1976) * Boyd McDonald (born 1932) *

Diana McIntosh Diana Maud McIntosh (March 4, 1932 Calgary, Alberta – Dec 22, 2022 Winnipeg, Manitoba) was a contemporary classical music, contemporary Canadian classical music, Canadian composer and pianist who was based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Hailed by the ''C ...

(born 1937) *

Allan McIver Joseph Allan McIver (17 January 1904 – 15 June 1969) was a Canadian composer, arranger, pianist, and conductor. As a pianist he performed with orchestras in the Quebec region in his early career and was the longtime accompanist and arrange ...

(1904–1969) *

Ben McPeek Benjamin Dewey McPeek (28 August 1934 – 14 January 1981) was a Canadian composer, arranger,Jeanette Leech. Seasons They Change: The Story of Acid and Psychedelic Folk'. Jawbone Press; 2010. . p. 80–. conductor, and pianist. Early life ...

(1934–1981) *

Colin McPhee Colin Carhart McPhee (March 15, 1900 – January 7, 1964) was a Canadian-American composer and ethnomusicologist. He is best known for being the first Western composer to make a musicological study of Bali, and developing American gamelan along w ...

(1900–1964) *

Lubomyr Melnyk Lubomyr Melnyk (born December 22, 1948) is a composer and pianist of Ukrainian origin. Melnyk is noted for his ''continuous music'', a piano technique based on extremely rapid notes and complex note-series, usually with the sustain pedal held ...

(born 1948) *

Pierre Mercure Pierre Mercure (21 February 1927 – 29 January 1966) was a Québécois people, Québécois composer, TV producer, bassoonist, and administrator. Mercure was born in Montreal. As a student at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Mont ...

(1927–1966) *

Alfred Mignault Alfred Joseph Édouard Mignault (8 December 1895 – 10 July 1961) was a Canadian organist, composer, and music educator. A largely self-taught composer, his compositional output includes both vocal and instrumental works such as songs, wor ...

(1895–1961) *

Cassandra Miller Cassandra Miller (born Metchosin, British Columbia, Canada, 1976) is a Canadian experimental composer currently based in London, England. Her work is known for frequently utilising the process of Transcription (music), transcription of a variety of ...

(born 1976) *

Elma Miller Elma Miller (born August 6, 1954) is a Canadian musician, composer, writer and educator. Biography Education Miller was born in 1954 in Toronto, Ontario. In 1977, she received a BMus and MMus from the University of Toronto. During that time ...

(born 1954) * David Mills (1926–2020) *

John Mills-Cockell John Mills-Cockell (born 19 May 1943) is a Canadian composer and multi-instrumentalist, perhaps best known for his ground-breaking work with progressive / avant garde Canadian groups Intersystems (band), Intersystems and Syrinx (band), Syrinx, an ...

(born 1943) *

Kenneth G. Mills Kenneth George Mills (January 25, 1923 – October 8, 2004) was a Canadian metaphysical/philosophical speaker and author. An exponent of the oral tradition, he gave spontaneous lectures and poetry for over 37 years. At the same time, he became not ...

(1923–2004) *

Robin Minard Robin Minard (born 1953) is a Canadian composer and installation artist. Minard was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He began his studies of composition at the University of Ontario, then at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montré ...

(born 1953) *

Henri Miro Henri Enrique Miro (13 November 1879 – 19 July 1950) was a Canadian composer/arranger, conducting, conductor, pianist, and music critic of Catalonia, Catalan birth. He was a pioneering conductor for Canadian radio and his works were perfo ...

(1879–1950) *

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her st ...

(born 1943) *

Stephan Moccio Stephan Moccio is a Canadian composer, producer, pianist, arranger, conductor and recording artist. He co-wrote and co-produced the two end credit songs for ''Fifty Shades of Grey'' and its soundtrack: "Earned It" (The Weeknd) and " I Know You ...

(born 1972) *

Theodore Frederic Molt Theodore Frederic Molt (originally Johann Friedrich Molt; 13 February 1795 – 16 November 1856) was a German-born music teacher, composer and organist in Canada. He published several works on teaching methods in music. Life Molt was born in Gschw ...

(1795–1856) * James Montgomery (born 1943) *

Oskar Morawetz Oskar Morawetz, (January 17, 1917 – June 13, 2007) was a Canadian composer. Biography Morawetz was born in Světlá nad Sázavou, Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic). He studied piano and theory in Prague and, following the Nazi tak ...

(1917–2007) *

François Morel François Morel (14 March 1926 – 14 January 2018) was a Canadian composer, pianist, conductor, and music educator. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 1994 and was awarded t ...

(1926–2018) * Éric Morin (born 1969) * Léo-Pol Morin (1892–1941) *

Albertine Morin-Labrecque Albertine Morin-Labrecque (sometimes Labrecque-Morin) (8 June 1886 – 22 or 25 September 1957) was a Canadian pianist, soprano, composer, and music educator. Her compositional output includes 4 ballets, 2 comic operas, the Chinese Opera '' ...

(1886 or 1890–1957) *

Jocelyn Morlock Jocelyn Morlock (born 1969) is a Canadian composer and music educator based in Vancouver. Her piece ''My Name is Amanda Todd'' won the 2018 Juno Award for Classical Composition of the Year. Early life and education Morlock was born in Saint Bo ...

(born 1969) *

Marjan Mozetich Marjan Mozetich (born 1948) is a Canadian composer who has written music for theatre, film and dance, as well as many symphonic works, chamber music, and solo pieces. He has written compulsory competition pieces for the 1992 Banff String Quarte ...

(born 1948)

N

Phil Nimmons Phillip Rista Nimmons, (born June 3, 1923) is a Canadian jazz clarinetist, composer, bandleader, and educator. Nimmons is known for playing in a "Free Jazz" and mainstream styles. As well as playing jazz, Nimmons also played other genres, notab ...

(born 1923) *

Jordan Nobles Jordan Nobles (born December 11, 1969) is a Canadian composer who specializes in creating spatial music and open instrumentation compositions. His music is performed worldwide and has won several international and national awards including the ...

(born 1969) *

Robert Normandeau Robert Normandeau (born March 11, 1955) is a Canadian electroacoustic music composer. Born in Quebec City, Quebec, Normandeau studied at the Université Laval in Quebec City, and at the Université de Montréal, where he studied with Marcelle De ...

(born 1955) *

Farangis Nurulla-Khoja Farangis Nurulla-Khoja (born 1972) is a Tajik-Canadian composer, who explores timbre within her contemporary compositions of symphonic, chamber, vocal, and electro-acoustic music. Among her many honors is a Guggenheim Fellowship Award in Compositi ...

(born 1972)

O

Oscar O'Brien Oscar O'Brien (7 September 1892 – 20 September 1958) was a Canadian folklorist, composer, pianist, organist, music educator, and Roman Catholic priest. A large portion of his compositions were based in folklore and he also arranged and harm ...

(1892–1958) *

Michael Oesterle Michael Oesterle (born 1968) is a German-born Canadian composer currently living in Deux-Montagnes, Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French ...

(born 1968) *

Bernard Thomas (Barney) O'Hara The Ven. Elwyn Bernard Thomas B.Sc., BD, was an Archdeacon of St Asaph in the Church in Wales Diocese of St Asaph. He was born in 1945, educated at Swansea University and St Michael's College, Llandaff, and ordained in 1972.'' Crockford's Cle ...

(born 1956) * John Oliver (born 1959) * Charles O'Neill (1882–1964) * John Oswald (born 1953)

P

Owen Pallett Michael James Owen Pallett (born September 7, 1979) is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Under their erstwhile moniker of Final Fantasy, Pallett won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album '' He Poos Clouds''. Palle ...

(born 1979) *

Jean Papineau-Couture Jean Papineau-Couture, (November 12, 1916August 11, 2000) was a Canadians, Canadian composer and academic. Born in Montreal, Papineau-Couture is the grandson of conductor and composer Guillaume Couture (musician), Guillaume Couture. As a child ...

(1916–2000) *

Donald Patriquin Donald Patriquin (born October 21, 1938 in Sherbrooke, Quebec) is a Canadian composer, organist, and choral conductor. Known internationally for choral and instrumental arrangements of folk music, Patriquin was a member of the Faculty of Music of Mc ...

(born 1938) *

Alex Pauk Alexander Peter Pauk (born October 4, 1945) is a Canadian conductor and composer, most noted as the founder of the Esprit Orchestra. Awards and nominations At the Juno Awards of 1996, both Alexina Louie and Harry Freedman received Juno nominatio ...

(born 1945) *

Trevor W. Payne Trevor Winston Payne, (born 21 December 1948) is a Canadians, Canadian musician and member of the Order of Canada (1996). He is the founder of the Montreal Black Comunity Youth Choir, as well as the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir. Early lif ...

(born 1948) * Kenneth Peacock (1922–2000) * Paul Pedersen (born 1935) *

Frédéric Pelletier Frédéric Pelletier (1 May 1870 – 30 May 1944) was a Canadian choir conductor, music educator, composer, music critic, journalist, civil servant, military officer, and physician. He was one of the principal music critics in Montreal ...

(1870–1944) *

Romain Pelletier Romain Pelletier (sometimes spelled Peltier) (22 August 1875 – 24 November 1953) was a Canadian organist, choir conductor, composer, and music educator. His compositional output consists entirely of works for solo organ and motets. He was ...

(1875–1953) *

Romain-Octave Pelletier I Romain-Octave Pelletier I (sometimes spelled Peltier) (9 September 1843 – 4 March 1927) was a Canadian organist, pianist, composer, writer on music, and music educator. Early life and career Born in Montreal, Pelletier was a member of a prom ...

(1843–1927) *

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...

(1925–2007) *

Barbara Pentland Barbara Pentland C.M. (2 January 1912 – 5 February 2000) was one of the pre-eminent members of the generation of Canadian composers who came to artistic maturity in the years following World War Two. Life and career Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba ...

(1912–2000) *

Clermont Pépin Clermont Pépin (May 15, 1926 – September 2, 2006) was a Canadian pianist, composer and teacher who lived in Quebec. Early life and education Jean Joseph Clermont Pépin was born in Saint-Georges, Quebec in 1926. Pépin studied with influe ...

(1926–2006) *

Michel Perrault Michel Brunet Perrault (born 20 July 1925) is a Canadian composer, conductor, music educator, and percussionist. As a composer, his work largely pulls on Canadian folk melodies and his compositions include classical of harmony and counterpoint. ...

(born 1925) * Jean Piché (born 1951) *

Dave Pierce Dave Pierce (born October 24, 1972) is a Canadian songwriter, composer, producer and arranger. Pierce was the music director for the opening, closing, and victory ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, for which he received an Emmy ...

(born 1972) *

Randolph Peters Randolph Peters (born 28 December 1959) is a Canadian composer who is known for his output of roughly 100 film scores made mostly for Canadian films. Early life and education Peters was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He graduated from the Univ ...

(born 1959) *

Benoît Poirier Benoît Fidèle Poirier (17 October 1882 – 7 October 1965) was a Canadian organist,Brian Christopher Thompson. Anthems and Minstrel Shows: The Life and Times of Calixa Lavallée, 1842-1891'. MQUP; May 2015. . p. 19–. composer, and music ...

(1882–1965) *

Paul Pratt Paul Pratt (25 November 1894 – 8 May 1967) was a Canadian clarinetist, pianist, conducting, conductor, music educator, composer, and public administrator. His compositional output includes marches, waltzes, a ''Fantaisie-Impromptu'' for b ...

(1894–1967) *

Albert Pratz Albert Pratz (13 May 1914 – 28 March 1995) was a Canadian violinist, conductor, composer, and music educator. He was awarded the Canadian Centennial Medal in 1967. His compositional output was modest and consists of only instrumental works ...

(1914–1995) * André Prévost (1934–2001) *

Erica Procunier Erica Procunier is a Canadian film and television composer.

Harry Puddicombe Harry Puddicombe (c. 14 June 1870 – 7 June 1953) was a Canadian composer, pianist, and music educator. He is best remembered for his work as a teacher, notably founding the Canadian Conservatory of Music in 1902 and serving as its director fo ...

(1870–1953)

Q

Donald Quan Donald Quan (born 1962) is a Canadian composer of film and world music, best known for writing the scores to television shows '' Relic Hunter'' and '' Mutant X''. Career Born in Toronto, Ontario, and schooled at the Berklee College of Music in ...

(born 1962) *

Joseph Quesnel Joseph Quesnel (15 November 1746 – 2 or 3 July 1809) was a French Canadian composer, poet, playwright and slave-trader. Among his works were two operas, ''Colas et Colinette'' and ''Lucas et Cécile''; the former is considered to be the first ...

(1746–1809)

R

* Allan Rae (born 1942) *

Imant Raminsh Imant Karlis Raminsh ( Latvian: Imants Kārlis Ramiņš, born 18 September 1943) is a Canadian composer of Latvian descent, best known for his choral compositions. He resides in Coldstream, British Columbia. Early life and education Born i ...

(born 1943) * Evelin Ramón (born 1979) *

Jan Randall Jan Randall is a Canadian composer, singer songwriter and professional musician. He has had an extensive career composing sound tracks, performing original songs, and improvising music for comedy theatre. He currently plays regularly with his ba ...

(born 1952) *

Eldon Rathburn Eldon Davis Rathburn (21 April 1916 – 31 August 2008) was a Canadian film composer who scored over 250 films during his thirty-year tenure as a staff composer at the National Film Board of Canada. Known as "the dean of Canadian film composers",< ...

(1916–2008) *

Elizabeth Raum Elizabeth Raum (born 13 January 1945) is a Canadian oboist and composer. Biography Elizabeth Raum was born in Berlin, New Hampshire in 1945, but became a Canadian citizen in 1985. She studied oboe performance with Robert Sprenkle at the Eastman ...

(born 1945) * John Rea (born 1944) * William Reed (1859–1945) * Bill Richards (1923–1995) *

Abigail Richardson-Schulte Abigail Richardson-Schulte (born 1976) is an English-born Canadian composer. She was born Abigail Richardson in Oxford. Although she was diagnosed as incurably deaf at the age of five, she had fully recovered her hearing a few months after movin ...

(born 1976) *

Godfrey Ridout Godfrey Ridout (6 May 1918 in Toronto – 24 November 1984 in Toronto) was a Canadian composer, conductor, music educator, and writer. Life and career Ridout was a descendant of Thomas Ridout, the first Surveyor General of Upper Canada during ...

(1918–1984) *

Doug Riley Douglas Brian Riley, CM (April 12, 1945 – August 27, 2007) was a Canadian musician, also known as Dr. Music. He spent two decades with the Famous People Players as its musical director, besides his participation on over 300 album projec ...

(1945–2007) *

André Ristic André Ristic (born December 19, 1972) is a Canadian composer, pianist, accordion player, and music theorist. He has won several awards, including the Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music in 2000 for his work ''Catalogue de bombes occiden ...

(born 1972) *

Normand Roger Normand Roger (born 1949 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian composer, sound editor and sound designer. He is particularly known for his work as a composer of soundtracks for animated films, having composed more than 200 such works since 1970. He ...

(born 1949) *

Stan Rogers Stanley Allison Rogers (November 29, 1949 – June 2, 1983) was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter. Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone voice and his traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and ...

(1949–1983) *

James Rolfe James D. Rolfe (born July 10, 1980) is an American YouTuber, online personality, filmmaker, and actor. He is best known for creating and starring in the comedic retrogaming web series ''The Angry Video Game Nerd'' (2004–present). His spin-off ...

(born 1961) *

Ivan Romanoff Ivan Romanoff (8 March 1914 – 14 March 1997) was a Canadian conductor, violinist, arranger, and composer. For three decades he led the "Ivan Romanoff Orchestra and Chorus" on a variety of radio and television programs for the Canadian Broad ...

(1914–1997) *

Clark Ross Clark Winslow Ross is a Canadian composer, guitarist, and music educator of Venezuelan birth. A composer of mainly works for orchestra and chamber music, he has won first prize in composition competitions held by the Hamilton Philharmonic (1993, ...

(born 1957) *

Myke Roy Myke Roy (born 2 July 1950) is a Canadian composer and recording engineer. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian Electroacoustic Community, his compositional output includes a substantial amount of electroac ...

(born 1950) * Stéphane Roy (born 1959) *

Terry Rusling Terry Rusling (April 2, 1931 – November 27, 1974) was a Canadian electronic music composer, who used graphic notation. Some of his works were used to accompany radio and television broadcasts. Introduction to electronic composition Terry R ...

(1931-1974) *

Welford Russell Welford Russell (30 October 1900 – 1975) was a Canadian composer based in Toronto, Ontario. He is particularly remembered for his output of choral works.James Neufeld. Lois Marshall: A Biography'. Dundurn; 5 April 2010. . p. 232. Early life a ...

(c.1901–1975) * Jeffrey Ryan (born 1962)

S

Marc Sabat Marc Sabat (born 22 September 1965) is a Canadian composer based in Berlin, Germany, since 1999. Works He has made concert music pieces, works with video, and installations with acoustic instruments and, in some recent pieces, computer-generate ...

(born 1965) *

Charles Wugk Sabatier Charles-Désiré-Joseph Wugk Sabatier (1 December 1819 – 22 August 1862) was a Canadian pianist, organist, composer, and music educator of French birth. Early life and career in Europe Born Charles Wugk in Tourcoing, Sabatier was the son of ...

(1819–1862) *

Patrick Saint-Denis Patrick Saint-Denis (born 1975) is a Canadian composer based in Montreal. His works have been performed at music festivals in North America, Europe, and Asia. His composition, ''Les dits de Victoire'', was awarded first prize in the SOCAN young ...

(born 1975) *

Micheline Coulombe Saint-Marcoux Micheline Coulombe Saint-Marcoux (9 August 1938 – 2 February 1985) was a Canadian composer and music educator who played an important role in the contemporary classical music scene of Canada and France from the late 1960s through the mid-198 ...

(1938–1985) *

Herbert Sanders Herbert Sanders (20 September 1878 – 18 May 1938) was a Canadian organist, pianist, conductor, composer, music writer, and music educator of English birth. His compositions include numerous sacred songs, anthems, and organ works. He twic ...

(1878–1938) *

Armando Santiago Armando Santiago (born 18 June 1932) is a Canadian composer, conductor, music educator, and university administrator of Portuguese birth. A member of the Canadian League of Composers, his compositional output includes a considerable amount of ...

(born 1932) * Vahram Sargsyan (born 1981) *

Charles Sauvageau Michel-Charles Sauvageau (October or November 1807 – 16 June 1849) was a Canadian conductor, composer, and music educator. He is believed to be the first native of Quebec to devote his entire life to music. An August 1844 article in the per ...

(1807–1849) * R. Murray Schafer (1933-2021) *

Oliver Schroer Oliver Schroer (June 18, 1956 – July 3, 2008) was a Canadian fiddler, composer, and music producer. Early life Oliver Schroer grew up in Vandeleur, Ontario, a small farming community near Markdale in rural Grey County. He attended Grey Highl ...

(1956–2008) *

Ernest Seitz Ernest Joseph Seitz (29 February 189210 September 1978) was a Canadian composer, songwriter, pianist, and music educator. He published some of his work under the pseudonym "Raymond Roberts" because he did not wish to be associated with popular m ...

(1892–1978) *

Paul Shaffer Paul Allen Wood Shaffer (born November 28, 1949) is a Canadian singer, composer, actor, author, comedian, and multi-instrumentalist who served as David Letterman's musical director, band leader, and sidekick on the entire run of both ''Late Ni ...

(born 1949) *

Rodney Sharman Rodney Sharman (born 24 May 1958) is a Canadian composer and flutist based in Vancouver. His music has been performed in over 30 countries worldwide. He has won several international and national awards, including First Prize in the 1984 CBC Compe ...

(born 1958) *

Howard Shore Howard Leslie Shore (born October 18, 1946) is a Canadian composer and conductor noted for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for ''The Lord of the Rings'' and '' The Hobbit'' film trilogies. ...

(born 1946) *

Bekah Simms Bekah Simms (born 1990) is a Canadian composer of contemporary classical music. Education Simms was born and raised in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, where she studied at the nearby Memorial University of Newfoundland with composer A ...

(born 1990) * Gordon Slater (born 1950) *

Anita Sleeman Anita Sleeman (née Andrés) (December 12, 1930 – October 18, 2011) was a Canadian contemporary classical music composer. She was also a conductor, arranger, educator, and performer. Biography Life Born Anita Andrés December 12, 1930, in San ...

(1930–2011) *

Linda Catlin Smith Linda Catlin Smith (born 1957 in New York City) is a Canadian composer based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2005 she became the second woman to win the Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music. Smith studied composition and theory with Alle ...

(born 1957) * Leo Smith (1881–1952) *

Ana Sokolovic Ana Sokolovic ( sr-cyr, Ана Соколовић; born 1968) is a Canadian music composer based in Montreal, Quebec, whose contemporary pieces have won several awards in Canada. Career Sokolovic studied composition under Dušan Radić at ...

(born 1968) *

Harry Somers Harry Stewart Somers, CC (September 11, 1925 – March 9, 1999) was a contemporary Canadian composer. Possessing a charismatic attitude and rather dashing good looks, as well as a genuine talent for his art, Somers earned the unofficial title ...

(1925–1999) *

Ann Southam Ann Southam, (4 February 1937 – 25 November 2010) was a Canadian electronic and classical music composer and music teacher. She is known for her minimalist, iterative, and lyrical style, for her long-term collaborations with dance choreograp ...

(1937–2010) * David Squires (born 1957) *

Andrew Staniland Andrew Staniland (born 1977) is a Canadian composer and guitarist. He is currently a professor of Composition and Electronic Music at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. Biography Andrew Staniland was born in Red Deer, Alberta, in 1977. H ...

(born 1977) *

Paul Steenhuisen Paul Steenhuisen (born 1965 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian composer working with a broad range of acoustic and digital media. His concert music consists of orchestral, chamber, solo, and vocal music, and often includes live electr ...

(born 1965) *

Ben Steinberg Ben Steinberg (22 January 1930 – 10 February 2023) was a Canadian composer,Jack Wertheimer. The American Synagogue: A Sanctuary Transformed'. Cambridge University Press; 13 February 2003. . p. 402–.Fred Rosenbaum. Visions of reform: Congreg ...

(born 1930) *

Donald Steven Donald Steven (born 26 May 1945) is a Canadian-American composer, music educator, and academic administrator. An associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre, he won a BMI Student Composer Award in 1970, the Canadian Federation of Universit ...

(born 1945) * Tobin Stokes (born 1966) *

Fred Stone Fred Andrew Stone (August 19, 1873 – March 6, 1959) was an American actor. Stone began his career as a performer in circuses and minstrel shows, went on to act in vaudeville, and became a star on Broadway and in feature films, which earned h ...

(1935–1986) *

Timothy Sullivan Timothy Daniel Sullivan (July 23, 1862 – August 31, 1913) was a New York politician who controlled Manhattan's Bowery and Lower East Side districts as a prominent leader within Tammany Hall. He was known euphemistically as "Dry Dollar", as the ...

(born 1954) *

Norman Symonds Norman Alec Symonds (23 December 1920Clifford Ford. Canada's music: an historical survey'. GLC Publishers; 1982. p. 233. – 21 August 1998) was a Canadians, Canadian composer, clarinetist, and saxophonist who lived and worked in Toronto, Ontari ...

(1920–1998) *

Boleslaw Szczeniowski Boleslaw Szczeniowski (20 July 1898 – 1985) was a Canadians, Canadian aeronautical engineer and composer of Polish descent. A graduate of the school of engineering at Lviv Polytechnic, Szczeniowski made a living as an engineer in Montréal. H ...

(1898–1995) *

Chiyoko Szlavnics Chiyoko Szlavnics (born 1967 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian experimental composer currently based in Berlin, Germany. Education and career Szlavnics graduated with honours in 1989 from the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, where she stu ...

(born 1967)

T

* Robert Talbot (1893–1954) *

Georges-Émile Tanguay Georges-Émile Tanguay (5 June 1893 – 24 November 1964) was a Canadian composer, organist, pianist, and music educator. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre, his compositional output is relatively small; consisting of 4 orchestral wor ...

(1893–1964) *

Nancy Telfer Nancy Telfer (born Lindsey) (born 8 May 1950) is a Canadian choral conductor, music educator and composer. Biography Nancy Ellen Telfer was born in Brampton, Ontario. She began piano lessons at age six and later played French horn in bands, orchest ...

(born 1950) *

Oscar Ferdinand Telgmann Oscar Ferdinand Telgmann (ca. 1855 – 30 March 1946) was a German-Canadian composer of operettas, conductor and educator, and violinist best known for his operetta '' Leo, the Royal Cadet''. Early life Telgmann was born in Mengeringhausen (n ...

(1855–1946) *

Steve Tittle Steve Tittle (born May 20, 1935) is a Canadians, Canadian composer and music educator. Biography Tittle was born in Willard, Ohio. He studied composition at Kent State University with Harold Miles (composer), Harold Miles, John White (American c ...

(born 1935) *

Peter Togni Peter Anthony Togni (born September 12, 1959) is a freelance Canadian composer and broadcaster based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. "Togni's music is deeply felt, simply put, well-crafted and irradiated by a personal sense of the divine." Biography To ...

(born 1959) *

Roman Toi Roman Toi (June 18, 1916 – May 7, 2018) was an Estonian-Canadian composer, choir conductor, and organist. Influenced by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Toi's music is melodic, lyrical, and melancholic in style. His compositional output includes nine ...

(1916–2018) *

Jerry Toth Jaroslav "Jerry" Toth (15 November 1928 – 31 March 1999) was a Canadian saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist, arranger, composer, and record producer. Life and career Born in Windsor, Ontario, Toth was the son of violinist and cimbalom maker Car ...

(1928–1999) *

Rudy Toth Rudy Toth (16 December 1925 – 9 July 2009) was a Canadian composer, arranger, conductor, pianist, and cimbalom player of Czech birth. As a composer he wrote works mainly for television and the radio, working frequently for the Canadian ...

(1925–2009) *

Bramwell Tovey Bramwell Tovey (11 July 1953 – 12 July 2022) was a British conductor and composer. Life and career Tovey was educated at Ilford County High School, the Royal Academy of Music and the University of London. His formal music education was as ...

(born 1953) * Jiří Traxler (1912–2011) *

Amédée Tremblay Pierre-Joseph Amédée Tremblay (14 April 1876 – 14 July 1949) was a Canadian organist, composer, and music educator. A largely self-taught composer, his output includes several motets, two masses, a few patriotic songs, works for solo orga ...

(1876–1949) *

George Tremblay George Amédée Tremblay (14 January 1911 – 14 July 1982) was a Canadian (and later, naturalized American citizen) pianist, composer, and author who was active in the United States. Although his works display a broad range of stylistic influenc ...

(1911–1982) * Gilles Tremblay (1932–2017) *

Barry Truax Barry Truax (born 1947) is a Canadian composer who specializes in real-time implementations of granular synthesis, often of sampled sounds, and soundscapes. He is credited with developing the first ever implementation of real-time granular s ...

(born 1947) * Robert Turner (1920–2012) *

Ian Tyson Ian Dawson Tyson (September 25, 1933 – December 29, 2022) was a Canadian singer-songwriter who wrote several folk songs, including " Four Strong Winds" and " Someday Soon", and performed with partner Sylvia Tyson as the duo Ian & Sylvia. Ea ...

(born 1933)

U

Owen Underhill Owen Underhill (born January 26, 1954) is a Canadian composer, flutist and conductor based in Vancouver. He is currently a professor of music at Simon Fraser University. He has been an active contributor to the new music scene on the West Coast, a ...

(born 1954)

V

Jean Vallerand Jean Vallerand, National Order of Quebec, CQ (December 24, 1915 – June 24, 1994) was a composer, music critic, violinist, conductor, arts administrator, writer, and music educator from Quebec. As a composer he was active from 1935 to 1969. An a ...

(1915–1994) *

Randy Vancourt Randy Vancourt is a Canadian composer and entertainer. A Juno Award nominated composer, he has written music for television series such as Man Alive (Canadian TV series), Man Alive, Hello Mrs. Cherrywinkle, Carmen Sandiego (TV series), Carmen San ...

(born 1961) *

Stéphane Venne Stéphane Venne (born July 2, 1941 in Verdun, Quebec) is a French-Canadian songwriter and composer. He also worked as head of production for the Canadian arm of Barclay Records and as a radio station executive. He composed music for several fil ...

(born 1941) * Benoît Verdickt (1884–1970) *

Joseph Vézina François-Joseph Vézina (June 11, 1849 in Quebec City – October 5, 1924 in Quebec City) was a Quebec conductor, composer, organist and music professor. Vézina is buried in the Cimetière Notre-Dame-de-Belmont in Sainte-Foy. Early life V ...

(1849–1924) *

Albert Viau Albert Viau (6 November 1910 – 27 June 2001) was a Canadian baritone, folksinger, composer, and music educator. After beginning his career as a musician in the classical repertoire, he specialized in folk music and traditional songs. He ...

(1910–2001) *

Michael Vincent (composer) Michael Vincent (born 1976) is a music journalist, publisher, and composer, situated in Toronto, Ontario. Since 2014 he has been publisher and editor-in-chief of Ludwig Van (formally Musical Toronto), and CEO of Museland Media Inc. He was a free ...

(born 1976) *

Claude Vivier Claude Vivier ( ; baptised as Claude Roger; 14 April 19487 March 1983) was a Canadian contemporary composer, pianist, poet and ethnomusicologist of Québécois origin. After studying with Karlheinz Stockhausen in Cologne, Vivier became an in ...

(1948–1983) *

Augustus Stephen Vogt Augustus Stephen Vogt (August 14, 1861September 17, 1926) was a German Canadian organist, choral conductor, music educator, composer and author. Vogt was born on 14 August 1861 in Washington, Oxford County, Canada West, Province of Canada. His ...

(1861–1926) *

Calvin Vollrath Calvin Vollrath (born 16 May 1960) is a Canadian fiddler and composer and is one of the few European-Canadian fiddle players playing professionally in the Métis style. He lives in St. Paul, Alberta. Vollrath won the Grand North American Ol ...

(born 1960)

W

Arnold Walter Arnold Maria Walter, OC (August 30, 1902 – October 6, 1973) was a Canadian musicologist, educator, composer and writer. He founded the Canadian Opera Company, and was Director of Music at University of Toronto. Early years Arnold Maria Walter wa ...

(1902–1973) *

Ruth Watson Henderson Ruth Louise Watson Henderson (born 23 November 1932) is a Canadian composer and pianist. She was the accompanist for the Festival Singers of Canada under Dr. Elmer Iseler for many years, where she developed her ear for composing mixed-choral work ...

(born 1932) *

Rufus Wainwright Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded 10 studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set ...

(born 1973) *

John Weinzweig John Jacob Weinzweig, (March 11, 1913 – August 24, 2006) was a Canadian composer of classical music. Weinzweig was born in Toronto. He went to Harbord Collegiate Institute, and studied music at the university. In 1937, he left for the United St ...

(1913–2006) *

Frank Welsman Frank Squire Welsman (20 December 1873 – 2 July 1952) was a Canadian conductor, pianist, composer and music educator. He began his career as a concert pianist, but ultimately earned his place in Canadian history for establishing Toronto's fir ...

(1873–1952) *

John Welsman John Joseph Welsman (born 1955) is a Canadian composer known for his work in film and television. He has written film and television scores for production companies in both Canada and the United States. Some of the films he has worked on are '' ...

(born 1955) *

Hildegard Westerkamp Hildegard Westerkamp (born April 8, 1946, in Osnabrück, Germany) is a Canadians, Canadian composer, radio artist, teacher and sound ecologist of German origin.Kirk MacKenzie. "Westerkamp, Hildegard." ''Grove Music Online''. ''Oxford Music Online ...

(born 1946) *

Dinuk Wijeratne Dinuk Wijeratne (born 1978) is a Conducting, conductor, composer and pianist, living and working in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His work ''Two Pop Songs on Antique Poems'' won both the Juno Awards of 2016, 2016 Juno Award for Classical Composition o ...

(born 1978) * Eric Wild (1910–1989) * Rick Wilkins (born 1937) *

Healey Willan James Healey Willan (12 October 1880 – 16 February 1968) was an Anglo-Canadian organist and composer. He composed more than 800 works including operas, symphonies, chamber music, a concerto, and pieces for band, orchestra, organ, and pia ...

(1880–1968) * Charles Wilson (born 1931) * Scott Wilson (born 1969) * Édouard Woolley (1916–1991) *

John Wyre John Harvey Wyre (17 May 1941 – 31 October 2006) was a United States, U.S.-born Canadians, Canadian percussionist, composer, and music educator. He worked as percussionist with a number of important orchestras in North America, notably serving f ...

(1941–2006)

Y

Kathleen Yearwood Kathleen Yearwood is a Canadian experimental singer-songwriter and author, born in 1958. From Subterranean Records description of Kathleen Yearwood: :This powerful and very radical Canadian artist and her music have been described variously as ...

(born 1958) *

Gayle Young Gayle Young (born 22 Mar 1950) is a Canadian composer and author. Young is an adherent of microtonality who has invented a number of musical instruments and notational systems. Early life and education Young was born in St Catharines, Ontario. ...

(born 1950) *

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...

(born 1945)

Z

Maurice Zbriger Maurice Zbriger (July 10, 1896, Kamenets-Podolskiy, Ukraine – April 5, 1981, Montreal, Quebec, Canada) was a Canadian violinist, composer and conductor. He began learning violin as a child, and continued his studies at the conservatory in St. ...

(1896–1981) *

Rui Shi Zhuo Rui Shi Zhuo (, born 1956) is a Chinese-born Canadian composer, based in British Columbia. He has been commissioned by the Canada Council, and has written music for an animated film. He has been composer-in-residence for the Vancouver Chinese ...

(born 1956) *

Joel Zimmerman Joel Thomas Zimmerman (born January 5, 1981), known professionally as Deadmau5 (stylized as deadmau5; pronounced "dead-mouse"), is a Canadian electronic music producer and DJ. He mainly produces progressive house music, though he also produces ...

(born 1981) * León Zuckert (1904–1992)

References

External links

Canadian Music Centre
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Canadian Composers

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

Composers A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z

See also

References

Further reading

External links