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Bio of composers > LAURIN, Rachel
 Rachel
Laurin, who
is currently pursuing a brilliant dual career
as an organist and composer, was born in 1961
in Saint-Benoît, in the Deux-Montagnes
region of Québec. She is a disciple of
Raymond Daveluy, her main teacher, and her concert
engagements have taken her to many major cities
in Canada, the United States and Europe.
In addition to performing the major works from
all periods of the organ repertoire, Rachel
Laurin has focused extensively on Canadian music,
and also on rarely-played masterpieces and her
own organ transcriptions of various works. Her
recordings reflect this approach; they include
Five Organ Sonatas by Raymond Daveluy (SRC/Riche
Lieu); Bach Eternal (Musicus); a CD of her own
transcriptions of the Sonata by Liszt and the
Variations on a Theme by Handel by Brahms (Motette);
and a CD of her own organ works, Three Organs
in the Vosges region of France (DJA).
In July 1999 she performed the Concerto in E
minor for organ and orchestra by Raymond Daveluy
with the National Academy Orchestra in Hamilton
as part of the National Convention of the Royal
Canadian College of Organists. In July 2000,
she presented the six Organ Symphonies of Louis
Vierne in three recitals in St. Joseph's Oratory
in Montréal during the 2000 Concerts
Spirituels season. One of only a small number
of organists to have performed the complete
symphonies in a concert setting, Rachel Laurin
was warmly applauded and saluted by press and
public alike for this remarkable achievement,
which attracted a great deal of attention. In
the fall of 2001, she repeated her exploit at
Notre-Dame Cathedral in Ottawa.
Rachel Laurin has been an Associate Composer
of the Canadian Music Centre since 1989. She
has composed over thirty works for various instrumental
groups that have received regular concert, CD
and radio performances, gaining exposure in
many cities around the world, including New
York, Washington, Paris, Brussels, Cambridge,
Zurich, Lausanne, Geneva, Monte Carlo, Turin
and Rome, and in Asian countries such as China
and Japan. Her works are published by Europart-Music
and Doberman (Sonata for Violin and Piano, op.
23; Sonata for Flute and Piano, op. 29; Fantasia
for Guitar, op. 28; Festivals, for Violin and
Piano, op. 27). Rachel Laurin is a founding
member of Les Mélodistes Indépendants,
a group of composers who aim to produce music
that is both modern and accessible to audiences.
Rachel Laurin taught organ improvisation at
the Montréal Conservatory from 1988 to
1992, and has also taught at the Summer School
in... pinal, France. Her talent as an organist,
improviser and composer has been recognized
by several awards, including the Conrad-Letendre
award. She is Crypt Organist and Associate Organist
at St. Joseph's Oratory, Montréal.
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