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Rachel Laurin

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Canadian organist and composer (1961–2023)

Rachel Laurin (rah-SHELL law-RAN, August 11, 1961 – August 13, 2023) was a Canadian organist, composer and music educator in Quebec.

Biography

Rachel Laurin was born in Saint-Benoît on August 11, 1961. Laurin studied organ with Lucienne L'Heureux-Arel [de]. She went on to study at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal with Gaston Arel [fr], Raymond Daveluy and Raoul Sosa. In 1985, she received the McAbbie Foundation scholarship and, in the following year, the Bourse d'excellence Wilfrid-Pelletier. She performed in Canada, the United States and France. She received the Conrad-Letendre scholarship five times. From 1986 to 2002, she was assistant organist at Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal. In 1988, she started teaching at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal. From 2002 to 2006, she was titular organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Ottawa.

Laurin started composition lessons at age 19 with Raymond Daveluy. She was the "house composer" at Wayne Leupold Editions from 2006. In her latter years, Laurin only composed commissioned pieces. Her very first commissioned piece was requested by organist Donald Sutherland and his wife, soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson. The piece was premiered at a regional convention of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) in Pittsburgh in 1987.

In 2008, Laurin received the Holtkamp-AGO Composition Award. In 2009, she was awarded first place in the Marilyn Mason New Organ Music Competition. Laurin won the 2022 Pogorzelski-Yankee Composition Competition.

The AGO granted her its Distinguished Composer Award in 2020. She became an honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian College of Organists (FRCCO) in 2023.

Laurin died from cancer on August 13, 2023, at the age of 62.

Selected compositions

Ensemble works:

  • Messe pour les fêtes solennelles Opus 4 (1983)
  • Messe de louange, Opus 15 (1990)
  • Opus 17 for viola, flute, and piano (1990)
  • Opus 18 for chamber ensemble (1990)
  • String Quartet, Opus 19 (1991)
  • Concerto in D for Organ, String Orchestra and Timpani, Op. 59 (2011)
  • Fantaisie à Deux, Op. 88 (organ duet, 2019)
  • Cantabile à Deux, Op. 99 (organ duet, 2021)

Solo organ works:

  • Suite Brève, Op. 6 (1988)
  • Sonate en Fa, Op. 7
  • Hommage à Lucien Daveluy, Op. 13
  • Scènes vosgiennes, Op. 16 (1989)
  • Prèlude, Op. 24
  • Variations sur un Noël Lorrain, Op. 26 (1995)
  • Quatre Pèlerinages en Lorraine, Op. 30 (1996)
  • Trois Pièces, Op. 31 (2012)
  • Symphonie No. 1, Op. 36 (2008)
  • Acclamations, Op. 37
  • Étude Héroïque, Op. 38 (2012)
  • Petite Suite sur un Motet de Gerald Bales, Op. 41 (2005)
  • Douze courtes Pièces, Op. 43
    • Volume 1 (2006)
    • Volume 2 (2010)
    • Volume 3, Op. 64 (2014)
    • Volume 4, Op. 68 (2016)
    • Volume 5, Op. 75 (2018)
  • Introduction and Passacaglia on a Theme by Raymond Daveluy, Op. 44 (2011)
  • Prélude et Fugue en Fa Mineur, Op. 45 (2008)
  • Partita on "Nun danket," Op. 47 (2009)
  • Épilogue, Op. 50 (2014)
  • Royal Canadian Fanfare, Op. 53 (2012)
  • Trois Bagatelles, Op. 54
  • Symphonie No. 2, Op. 55
  • Greensboro Suite, Op. 56 (2011)
  • Sept Pièces, Op. 58 (2012)
  • Berceuse à Pierre, Op. 61
  • Fantaisie et Fugue sur le Psaume Genevois 47, Op. 62
  • Suite in D major for Don Menzies, Op. 63
  • Étude-Caprice "Le Rire de Belzébuth," Op. 66 (2016)
  • Poème Symphonique pour le Temps de l'Avent, Op. 69 (2017)
  • Étude Symphonique pour Pédale Solo, Op. 72 (2016)
  • Fantaisie et Fugue en Ré Majeur, Op. 73
  • Aria et Fugue pour Aaron, Op. 74
  • Three Impressions of Kingsfold
  • Humoresque (Hommage à Marcel Dupré), Op. 77
  • Finale, Op. 78 (2018)
  • Pièce de Concert, No. 1, Op. 79
  • Pièce de Concert (Hommage à Buxtehude), No. 2, Op. 86
  • Sonate pour orgue, No. 1, Op. 91
  • Ten Little Sketches for Ten Little Fingers, Op. 92
  • Petit Triptyque, Op. 93
  • Concert Piece No. 3 (Mr. Mistoffelees Overture), Op. 94
  • Fantasia quasi scherzo, Op. 95
  • Concert Piece No. 4 (Sweelinck Variations), Op. 96
  • Concert Piece No. 5 (Tone Poem in Honour of Saint Benedict on "Gaudeamus" and "Laeta Dies"), Op. 97
  • Étude-Esquisse (Bagatelle burlesque, Hommage à Beethoven) No. 2, Op. 98
  • Thirteen Easy Pieces, Op. 100
  • Concert Piece No. 6 (Fantasy and Fugue on a Swedish Folk Song), Op. 102
  • Concert Piece No. 7 (Toccata for a Great Space), Op. 103
  • Diptych, Op. 107

References

  1. ^ Rolland, Daniel (16 December 2013). "Rachel Laurin". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  2. ^ "Associate Composers: Rachel Laurin". Canadian Music Centre. August 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  3. "Rachel Laurin". Musforum. November 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  4. "Rachel Laurin, Organist/Composer". rachellaurin.com. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  5. "New Music: AGO Distinguished Composer Award". American Guild of Organists. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  6. "Honorary Awards: FRCCO". Royal Canadian College of Organists. 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  7. Rodgers, Caroline (13 August 2023). "In Memoriam: L'organiste et compositrice Rachel Laurin est décédée". Ludwig van Montréal (in French). Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  8. Allsen, Michael (10 November 2023). "Program Notes: Rachel Laurin (1960–2023)". Madison Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  9. "Oeuvres pour orgue". rachellaurin.com (in French). Retrieved 23 March 2022.

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