Rachel Laurin

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Rachel Laurin, Canadian organist and composer (Saint-Benoit, 1961)

Rachel Laurin leads a dual career as organist and composer. A disciple of Raymond Daveluy, it is with this teacher that she received her essential training. Her concert activities have allowed her to perform in major Canadian, American and European cities. Her July 2000 performance of Louis Vierne’s Six Symphonies, in three recitals on the great organ of the Saint-Joseph Oratory in Montréal, attracted considerable praise and ovations from the press and the public. One of the few organists to play the complete set in concert, Rachel Laurin repeated this exploit in 2001 at Ottawa’s Notre-Dame Cathedral. In September 2002, for the inaugural of the Létourneau organ of the Winspear Centre, she gave the world première of Jacques Hétu's Concerto for Organ and Orchestra with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Mario Bernardi.

Rachel Laurin has been an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre since 1989, and she is the author of more than forty works for various instrumental ensembles. Her compositions are published by Editions Doberman-Yppan (chamber music), Editions Europart-Music (organ and choral) and Editions Lucarel (organ). She has taught improvisation at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec in Montréal and at the Ecole de musique sacrée d’Epinal (France), and her talent as a complete musician has been recognised on several occasions, notably by the Conrad-Letendre Award. Assistant to the Titular Organist at Montréal’s Saint-Joseph Oratory from 1986 to 2002, Rachel Laurin was Titular Organist at Ottawa’s Notre-Dame Cathedral from September 2002 to June 2006.

In October 2007 she performed at the second Annual Festival of New Organ Music (AFNOM) in London, England. Her recital on the Klais organ at St Lawrence Jewry in the City of London comprised works by living Canadian composers: Gilles Leclerc, Barrie Cabena, Raymond Daveluy, and Rachel Laurin.