Rachel Laurin

Laurin, Rachel

Rachel Laurin. Organist, composer, teacher, b St-Benoît, near Montreal, 11 Aug 1961; premier prix musical dictation (CMM) 1981, premier prix organ (CMM) 1986. After studying organ with Lucienne L'Heureux-Arel 1978-80, she continued her studies at the CMM 1980-6 with Gaston Arel and Raymond Daveluy (organ), and Raoul Sosa (piano), among others. In the course of her studies, she was awarded the McAbbie Foundation scholarship in 1985 and the Bourse d'excellence Wilfrid-Pelletier in 1986. She also studied privately with Daveluy 1980-5. She has performed as an organist and improviser in Canada, the USA, and France. As a composer, she has written a Messe pour les fêtes solennelles Opus 4 (1983), two Suites brèves, Opus 6, no. 1 and 2 for organ (Europart-Music 1988, 1989), a Sonata in F, Opus 7 for organ (1985), a Messe de louange, Opus 15 (including 'Psalm 150,' published in the periodical Musique sacrée/ L'Organiste, no. 207, Jan 1990), Scènes Vosgiennes, Opus 16 for organ (Europart-Music 1991), a Trio, Opus 17 for viola, flute, and piano (1990), a Suite, Opus 18 for chamber ensemble (1990), and a String Quartet, Opus 19 (1991), among others works. In 1987 a cantata for voice and organ, Veni Creator, Opus 10, was premiered at the Congress of the American Guild of Organists in Pittsburgh by Phyllis Bryn-Julson, soprano, and Donald S. Sutherland, organist. Laurin received the Conrad-Letendre scholarship five times. She became the assistant organist at Saint Joseph's Oratory in 1986 and began teaching improvisation at the CMM in 1988. In 1989 she began giving classes in organ improvisation and keyboard harmony during the liturgical music sessions at Épinal, France. She made a recording with Gail Desmarais, soprano and Claude Aubin, carillonneur (1986, SNE 531), and has also recorded with the Chanteurs de Ste-Thérèse under Jean-Pierre Guindon, Angèle Dubeau, and the Petits chanteurs du Mont-Royal. She is an associate of the Canadian Music Centre.